Terrorism law predates 9/11

Salah Osman Ahmed
Salah Osman Ahmed of New Brighton, Minn. has been charged with providing material support to terrorism, and conspiracy to kill people outside of the U.S. He is in custody in the Anoka County Jail.
Photo courtesy of Anoka County

The charges are related to an ongoing FBI investigation into what happened to missing Somali men, about 20 of whom were from the Twin Cities. In an interview with MPR News, national security law professor John Radsan explained that the "material support" law predates the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Radsan, who teaches at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, also discussed the rationale for the law, the challenges of proving the charges and the possible penalties.

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