Portland man indicted, held in terrorism probe

Ali Kaled Steitiye, terrorism suspect arrested in Portland. KGW-TV Photo

Ali Kaled Steitiye appeared in court Tuesday afternoon on weapons charges. A federal judge deemed him a flight risk and ordered that he be held without bond. Officials said he may have links to the terrorist group Hamas and admitted training at Lebanese guerrilla camps.

Hamas is a guerrilla group that has been staging suicide bombings in Israel.

Federal officials also said they believed Steitiye fradulently obtained U.S. Citizenship 20 years ago.

Authorities said the joint terrorism task force, made up of federal agents and Portland police, took Steitiye into custody back in October after he allegedly tried to purchase an assault rifle in Tigard.

He was held as a possible material witness until his indictment, Portland's police chief and the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Authorities said when Steitye was arrested, he was in possession of a fully-loaded Russian-made 9 mm pistol and a Romanian-made assault rifle. Agents said he had more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition and a machete in his car.

A search of the suspect's home and car turned up bogus social security and credit cards, $20,000 cash, and a calendar with the date Sept. 11 circled in red, according to court records.

It was not clear whether the suspect had circled the Sept. 11 date before or after the attacks on that day, police chief Mark Kroeker said.

Kroeker would not say whether the man is believed to have any links to the Sept. 11 terrorists.

"The connections he has to any individuals or other groups are specifically off limits for me to discuss," Kroeker said.

Police said Steitiye had previous felony forgery convictions.

Kroeker trumpeted the arrest as showing that Portland police are working with the federal government to combat terrorism, despite recent media attention over his department's refusal to interview 23 local people with Middle Eastern backgrounds.

"I am revealing this information today to explain to our citizens that the Portland Police bureau continues to fully cooperate with each and every criminal investigation," he said.

Kroeker noted Steitye, who is a criminal suspect, was not on the list of those 23 the federal government wanted to question in Portland. The FBI has said none of the 23 is considered criminal suspects.