Edmonton Man Accused in Iraq Bombings to Fight Extradition

A lawyer for Sayfildin Tahir Sharif says he wants to avoid facing terrorism charges in the U.S.

U.S. officials who say Sharif gave support to suicide bombers in Iraq are facing a long wait to get their hands on him. After a brief court appearance Thursday Sharif’s lawyer said he will initiate proceedings to fight his extradition to New York state, a legal process that could take months to even reach the courts. The FBI believes that Sharif gave encouragement to would-be suicide bombers over the internet, and called their families once the attacks had been carried out. Sharif, a 38-year-old Iraqi Kurd who has been living in Canada since 1993, was arrested Wednesday at his Edmonton apartment by the RCMP on the FBI’s behalf. He is not facing any Canadian charges.