Opinion ID: 181375
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Abu-Jihaad's 2006 Recorded Statements

Text: In 2006, by which time Abu-Jihaad had been out of the Navy for four years and was living in Phoenix, Arizona, Abu-Jihaad's telephone conversations with his friend Derrick Shareef and a confidential informant were intercepted by a court-authorized wiretap. In excerpts of four calls from late 2006 that were played for the jury, Abu-Jihaad revealed his familiarity with Azzam's websites, see Gov't Ex. 141c, and his high degree of concern with tapped telephones, Gov't Ex. 141e. Abu-Jihaad stated an intent to secur[e] myself to avoid hand[ing] myself to a Kafir [infidel]. Gov't Ex. 141f. He cautioned those with whom he spoke not to refer to associates by their real names, see Gov't Ex. 141g, and he frequently employed code, referring to jihad as J or 7, [14] e.g., Gov't Ex. 141c, logistics as L, e.g., Gov't Ex. 141g, martyrdom operations as M.O., e.g., Gov't Ex. 141f, and military intelligence as meals, e.g., Gov't Ex. 141k. [15] Thus, Abu-Jihaad's references to a cold meal meant outdated intelligence, whereas a fresh meal or hot meal referred to current intelligence. Trial Tr. at 975-76. In a November 11, 2006 conversation, Abu-Jihaad stated that he no longer had current logistics information: Now `L' for me is like a cold meal. `Cuz it ain't fresh.... If it ain't fresh, it's un-fresh and it, it's un-beneficial to youjust put it that way. Gov't Ex. 141g. He repeated this point in a subsequent conversation with Shareef and the confidential informant the same day: ABU-JIHAAD: And I said, and I'll say it again, with whatever I can give you, that's beneficial, I'll give it to you. But whatever's cold turkey, if it's cold turkey, I can't give it to you. CW [16] : Ak ... ABU-JIHAAD: `Cuz that means that, if it's cold turkeyI'm talking about L you figure it out`cuz then that means that, that's just saying that, I haven't been on that job, so I don't you know what I'm saying, I haven't been there ... to see ... what the fresh meal is. SHAREEF: Okay. ABU-JIHAAD: You understand that? SHAREEF: Yeah. CW: Tell him, man I already got brothers... ABU-JIHAAD: If I can't, if I can't give you the fresh mealI ain't been there in X amount of years. SHAREEF: Yeah, II understand what you're saying. ABU-JIHAAD: See what I'm saying? Now if ... the Hispanic, if the Mexican, he just, was there a minute ago he can give you a fresh meal. SHAREEF: Okay. ABU-JIHAAD: So you put that together. . . . . . ABU-JIHAAD: If it'sif it's ... in those terms, he can give you a fresh meal `cuz, you know what I'm saying, he just finished his job, there, less than a month ago, or ... SHAREEF: Okay. ABU-JIHAAD: ... two. (LAUGHS). But I, I meanin those terms and L's,I would be giving you a cold meal. CW: I understand. SHAREEF: All righty. ABU-JIHAAD: You got me? SHAREEF: Yeah, I got you. ABU-JIHAAD: Because, umand then I can elaborate on that more if you want me to ... CW: No, no ... ABU-JIHAAD: ... to your facenot on the phone. I'm just saying ... if we ... you got me? SHAREEF: Yeah, man ... we good, we good. ABU-JIHAAD: A fresh meal and a cold meal. Gov't Ex. 141h at 1-2. The informant testified that when Abu-Jihaad said he had not been on that job, the informant understood Abu-Jihaad to mean he was no longer in the Navy. By contrast, the informant understood the Mexican to be a reference to Miguel Colon, a man who had left the Marine Corps only recently in September 2006. Still later on November 11, 2006, Abu-Jihaad spoke with Colon about Shareef's wish to procure military intelligence: ABU-JIHAAD: [H]e wants a hot meal. You know what I'm saying? COLON: Yeah. ABU-JIHAAD: I don't know how to get him no hot meal. I told him I, I ain't been working uh, in, in, in the field of making meals and or, you know ... COLON: Yeah. ABU-JIHAAD: ... in a, in a long time. I've been out of that for, uh, over uh, quatro years you know. Gov't Ex. 141k at 7. At trial, the government argued that, by explaining his present inability to provide military intelligence by reference to the fact that he had not been working ... in the field of making meals for four years, Abu-Jihaad was effectively admitting that he had leaked military intelligence while in the Navy.