MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Opening statements are set to begin in the trial of a Minnesota man accused of supplying money and U.S. fighters to a terror group in Somalia.
Mahamud (mah-hah-MOOD') Said (sy-EED') Omar is charged with five terror-related federal counts. Prosecutors say he encouraged young men to leave Minnesota and fight for al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaida.
Omar is also accused of helping some men get airline tickets and pay for weapons.
His attorneys deny the charges and say he never conspired against the U.S.
Opening statements are scheduled to start Tuesday during his trial in Minneapolis. The city is home to the largest population of Somali immigrants in the U.S.
Jurors were chosen Monday to hear the case. They include an X-ray technician, a school paraprofessional and a bus driver.
