■UNITED STATES
No name change for ‘Sinner’
He may have broken the law, but a Nebraska inmate still can’t change his name to “Sinner Lawrence Bilskirnir.” Court documents say 23-year-old Jonathan L. Thomas cited his Norse religion in seeking the name change to Sinner Lawrence Bilskirnir. He says he “is a heathen and Thor is his ‘High God.’” But Lancaster County District Judge Steve Burns denied the request. He said government agencies will need to closely track Thomas because of his criminal record and three child-support cases.
■UNITED STATES
Accused agent pleads guilty
An accused sleeper agent for al-Qaeda held in isolation in a US Navy brig for six years pleaded guilty in court on Thursday to a terrorist conspiracy charge, and could face up to 15 years in prison. Ali al-Marri, a 43-year-old with dual citizenship in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, entered the guilty plea to conspiracy to provide material support to al-Qaeda before US District Court Judge Michael Mihm. As part of the plea agreement, a second charge of providing material support for terrorism will be dropped when he is sentenced on July 30. Prosecutors said Marri, who had previously been held without charge as an “enemy combatant,” had his first contacts with al-Qaeda in 1998. They said he was doing research on poisons consistent with the group’s terror training, and he had acquired information about US dams and tunnels.
■IRAQ
Three killed in Anbar
Three Americans have been killed in fighting in the former al-Qaeda stronghold of Anbar Province, the US military said in a statement yesterday. “Two marines and one sailor were killed while conducting combat operations against enemy forces here April 30,” it said. No details were provided. The fatalities bring the number of US military deaths since the March 2003 invasion to 4,281, icasualties.org figures showed.
■UNITED STATES
Stanford tries to surrender
Allen Stanford, accused by federal regulators in a civil complaint of running an US$8 billion investment fraud, tried to turn himself in to federal marshals in Houston, but they didn’t take him into custody because there was no warrant out for him. The Houston Chronicle reported in its online edition on Thursday that Stanford and his lawyer marched the few blocks from the lawyer’s office to the federal courthouse to “surrender.” DeGuerin said they were taking those measures to show that Stanford wasn’t running and to show Stanford is available to authorities. The Securities and Exchange Commission has accused him of running a pyramid scheme. Stanford has denied the allegations.
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