US soldier 'tried to offer al-Qaida information on internet'

AN American soldier about to leave for Iraq tried to contact al-Qaida terrorists through the internet, offering the group information on US military capabilities and weaponry, defence officials said yesterday.

National Guard Spc Ryan Anderson, 26, was arrested yesterday and is being held at Fort Lewis "pending criminal charges of aiding the enemy by wrongfully attempting to communicate and give intelligence to the al-Qaida terrorist network".

Anderson was taken into custody as part of a joint investigation by the Army, Department of Justice and the FBI. Defence officials said Anderson signed on to extremist chat rooms and tried to get in touch with al-Qaida operatives.