Moroccan admits to funding al-Qaida A Kansas City auto parts dealer faces up to 65 years in federal prison after admitting he sent money to al-Qaida. Khalid Ouazzani pleaded guilty Wednesday to bank fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to provide financial support to a terrorist organization. The 32-year-old native of Morocco had been a U.S. citizen for less than a year when he took out a loan that he said was for his business. Ferguson says US to advance in WC Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has backed the USA to do well at next month's World Cup finals in South Africa – once they have played England. The United States open their Group C campaign against Fabio Capello's England in Rustenburg on June 12 before playing Slovenia and Algeria. And while Ferguson believes the Americans could go a long way in the tournament he added that he is not expecting them to start their run to the latter stages until after their first game. Tunisia boosts Finland relationship Tunisia played host on Tuesday to the Tunisian-Finnish Economic Forum which aims at exploring avenues likely to develop partnership and intensify trade exchanges between Tunisia and Finland. Finland's Under Secretary of State for External Economic Relations Mr. Pekka Huhtaniemi, who is on currently on a working visit in Tunisia as well as a mission of businessmen and representatives of Finnish enterprises took part in the forum. US, Libya Signal Further Thaw With Trade And Investment Pact The U.S. and Libya signed a pact Thursday to facilitate trade and investment between the two nations, marking the latest step in the thaw of past hostilities. A year and a half after restoring full normalization of ties, trade officials from the U.S. and Libya signed a trade and investment framework agreement in Tripoli. “The TIFA is the latest step in a joint effort by the United States and Libya to broaden and deepen our bilateral relations,” the U.S. Trade Representative's office said in a statement. The U.S. has similar agreements with dozens of countries, which provide a forum for cooperation on issues like market access and labor standards. Darfur rebel leader's 19-hour standoff ends Chad refused entry to a Darfur rebel leader on his way back to the battlefield on Wednesday, ordering him to return to Libya after a 19-hour diplomatic standoff at the country's main airport. Chadian officials had stopped Khalil Ibrahim, the head of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), when he flew into the Chadian capital N'Djamena from Libya at 1 a.m. (8 p.m. ET). They destroyed the passports of everyone in his party and ordered him to return to Tripoli, Ibrahim said. BM
