LEV L. DASSIN, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JAVED IQBAL, a/k/a "John Iqbal," 45, of Staten Island, New York was sentenced today to 69 months in prison for providing material support to Hizballah, a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge RICHARD M. BERMAN in Manhattan federal court. According to the criminal Complaint, Count Two of the Superseding Indictment, to which IQBAL pleaded guilty, and statements made during proceedings in Manhattan federal court:

Hizballah ("Party of God") is an organization based in Lebanon whose stated mission is the establishment of a fundamentalist Islamic state and the destruction of the State of Israel. Hizballah regards the United States as its enemy in this struggle. Since its inception in approximately 1982, Hizballah has pursued its mission through, among other things, attacks on civilian targets. Hizballah has been designated by the Secretary of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Al-Manar ("the Beacon") is a Lebanon-based television station operated by Hizballah and designed to cultivate support for Hizballah's activities and mission. Al-Manar has been named a Specially Designated Global Terrorist since March 2006.

From approximately 2005 through 2006, IQBAL, through a Brooklyn and Staten Island-based satellite transmission company he helped operate, HDTV Limited, provided satellite transmission services to al-Manar, in exchange for thousands of dollars in payments from al-Manar. IQBAL provided these services knowing that al-Manar is Hizballah's television station.

Mr. DASSIN praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Joint Terrorist Task Force in conducting the investigation.

Assistant United States Attorneys ERIC SNYDER and DAVID LEIBOWITZ are in charge of the prosecution.