South Bay Man Arrested For Al Qaeda Ties

SAN JOSE, Aug. 3, 2007 (KGO) (KGO) -- We're learning more about the terrorist accusations against a San Jose man. Police say he has ties to al Qaeda and that his brother is one of the FBI's most wanted terrorists.

Rahmat Abdhir has lived on Sunwood Drive in San Jose since 2003. The FBI raided his house yesterday.

Rahmat's younger brother is Zulkifli Abdhir, a fugitive terrorist living in the Philippines with an alleged leadership role in the al Qaeda affiliated terror group called Jemaah Islamiyah.

A 16-count indictment accuses the two men of working together to further terrorist acts. Rahmat's arrest has stunned his San Jose neighbors.

The indictment accuses Rahmat of funneling his brother more than $10,000 dollars in cash, dozens of two-way radios, ammunition and other equipment.

It lists 76 e-mails in the last year where the government says the two men used code words to carry out illegal activity.

The indictment concludes iron meant firearms, dogs refereed to government agents and prizes or presents were the code words for bombs or improvised explosive devices.

Jenny Martinez is a Stanford law professor who has argued before the Supreme Court in terrorism cases. She says the government is using its post 9/11 tools to thwart terrorism.

Jenny Martinez, Stanford Law School: "There have been a number of indictments brought under the materials support statue and this is one where they're saying this man in San Jose was proving material support to his brother who was a terrorist."

The indictment cites one e-mail just last month in which Zulkifli writes to Rahmat, "last night I taught a course on sniping. Discontinued today because troops heard and then came spy planes."

ABC News has learned Zulkifli also held a P.O. box at a Berryessa Post Office in San Jose for most of the 1990s.

Zulkifli has a five million dollar bounty on his head. For now, his brother is being held in Santa Clara County's main jail.

Rahmat Abdhir is scheduled to appear in federal district court on Tuesday. If convicted of all the charges against him, he faces more than 20 years in prison.

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