'Terror recruiters' charged in US

Ashford said the two accused were jihad recruiters

Two men have been charged by a US court with financing terror groups and recruiting fighters for overseas, including an alleged al-Qaeda member.

The 10-count indictment issued in Florida accused Adham Amin Hassoun and Mohamed Hesham Youssef of providing material support to terror activities.

The indictment was announced by US Attorney General John Ashcroft.

If convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison - Youssef is currently serving a jail term in Egypt.

"Earlier today, a federal grand jury in Miami indicted two individuals on terrorism charges related to material support of a conspiracy to commit violent jihad [holy war] overseas," Mr Ashcroft said at a news conference in Washington.

"The indictment alleges that Hassoun engaged in recruiting and fund-raising to sent individuals, including Youssef and an unnamed, unindicted co-conspirator to Somalia, Afghanistan, Chechnya and Kosovo," Mr Ashcroft said.

The indictment also accused Mr Hassoun of writing a number of cheques from 1994 to 2001 to several Muslim charities that, prosecutors said, had intended to finance terror groups.

Padilla is also known as Abdullah al-Mujahir

Mr Hassoun, a Palestinian living in Florida, has been in the US custody on other charges since 2003.

Mr Ashcroft did not identify the co-conspirator, but federal law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity identified that person as Jose Padilla.

Mr Padilla, a US citizen and alleged al-Qaeda member, is accused of plotting attacks in the US.

He was arrested in Chicago in May 2002 on suspicion of planning to set off a "dirty bomb".

He is being held as an "enemy combatant" and no charges have been brought against him.