<p>The Pakistani-born Hashmi entered his guilty plea whereby he would face only a lighter sentence of 15 years instead of a life term and also averted a trial that was scheduled to begin on Wednesday.<br /><br />Hashmi pleaded guilty to helping an al-Qaeda operative four years ago while studying in London. Hashmi, a college student from Brooklyn, was extradited from Britain to the United States in 2007.<br /><br />“He made the best deal that was available under the circumstances,” David A Ruhnke, his lawyers, said. “The government wanted to lock him up for the rest of his life. They will not succeed in that goal.”<br /><br />The Pakistani immigrant told the court that he housed an al-Qaeda operative, Junaid Babar, between 2004 and 2006 and provided him ponchos, socks and sleeping bags for use by the terrorist outfit in Afghanistan.<br /><br />The 30-year-old also admitted to giving the same operative $300 to buy a plane ticket to take the gear to Pakistan for al-Qaeda to use.<br />For the last three years, Hashmi was being held in solitary confinement in a Manhattan prison.The Pakistani immigrant was arrested at the Heathrow Airport in 2006 as he was to board a plane to Pakistan. He was extradited to US in 2007 under new laws post 9/11 and would be sentenced on June 7.</p>
<p>The Pakistani-born Hashmi entered his guilty plea whereby he would face only a lighter sentence of 15 years instead of a life term and also averted a trial that was scheduled to begin on Wednesday.<br /><br />Hashmi pleaded guilty to helping an al-Qaeda operative four years ago while studying in London. Hashmi, a college student from Brooklyn, was extradited from Britain to the United States in 2007.<br /><br />“He made the best deal that was available under the circumstances,” David A Ruhnke, his lawyers, said. “The government wanted to lock him up for the rest of his life. They will not succeed in that goal.”<br /><br />The Pakistani immigrant told the court that he housed an al-Qaeda operative, Junaid Babar, between 2004 and 2006 and provided him ponchos, socks and sleeping bags for use by the terrorist outfit in Afghanistan.<br /><br />The 30-year-old also admitted to giving the same operative $300 to buy a plane ticket to take the gear to Pakistan for al-Qaeda to use.<br />For the last three years, Hashmi was being held in solitary confinement in a Manhattan prison.The Pakistani immigrant was arrested at the Heathrow Airport in 2006 as he was to board a plane to Pakistan. He was extradited to US in 2007 under new laws post 9/11 and would be sentenced on June 7.</p>