A Muslim Kid Gone Good

He was a young Pakistani immigrant, separated from family, working low-skill jobs at Taco Bell and convenience stores, living in a lousy apartment near a mosque -- the model candidate for al Qaeda recruitment.

But Naseem Khan took a different route. He liked America and Americans and he saw himself someday leaving fast food drudgery for a job in law enforcement, which he was studying at the local community college.

Today, he takes the stand as the star witness in the terror trial of Umer and Mamid Hayat, the Lodi residents who are charged with planning Jihad. Khan infiltrated their mosque as a paid FBI informant, a brave thing for a young man to do, given the ruthlessness of the Jihadists.

If you find this as fascinating as I do, you'll enjoy today's LATimes piece on Kahn. The Sacramento Bee has also written about Khan in its extensive trial coverage; you might want to check its on-line afternoon edition.

Talkin' Technorati: Naseem Khan, Hayat, Lodi, Al Qaeda