Ohio terrorist ties to al-Qaida operative revealed

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A court ruling has revealed that a convicted Ohio terrorist had ties to an al-Qaida suspect who met with some of the Sept. 11 hijackers.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge James Robertson says Christopher Paul of suburban Columbus met with Guantanamo Bay detainee Mohamedou Ould Salahi in Afghanistan and later in Germany.
The ruling supported Robertson's order to release Salahi and says Salahi sent Paul a fax in 1997 asking where to send would-be jihadists, or holy warriors.
The ruling says Salahi referred to Paul as a man of great respect in al-Qaida.
Paul was sentenced to 20 years in prison last year after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction in terrorist attacks.