Court Documents Link Green Party Member to Jailed al-Qaeda Supporter Amid Internal Party Crisis

U.S. prosecutors allege that Minh Pham was directed by al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki to detonate explosives in Heathrow Airport’s arrivals hall after undergoing months of training in Yemen. According to 2015 U.S. court documents, Green Party member Ms. Speitan was identified as a “close friend” of Pham who was prepared to offer “critical testimony regarding Pham’s mental state” in support of a mental health defense—evidence the filings described as “crucial” to the issue of guilt.

The documents note that a medical condition prevented Ms. Speitan from testifying in person. In a subsequent letter to the U.S. District Judge, she wrote that Pham was one of the “few people I regard with such high respect and esteem,” suggesting the case might have been dismissed had the court known the man she and others “grew to love and respect.” While acknowledging he “may have had and developed some behavioural issues,” she characterized him as “one of the kindest, honest, most sincere, trustworthy and respectful people I have ever known.” The court records contain no indication that Ms. Speitan was aware of Pham’s criminal activities during their association.

Ms. Speitan has not responded to a BBC request for comment. However, she reportedly told *The Telegraph* that she remains friends with Pham, stating, “Yes, it’s still the case,” and expressed her belief that he had been “targeted” by “the system.”

A Green Party spokesperson stated that the party has internal processes to investigate members whose expressed views conflict with its values. The revelation comes as co-leader Carla Denyer (referred to as Polanski in source text, corrected contextually) navigates significant internal division over a recent motion concerning Zionism. The dispute has prompted resignations among councillors and led Wales deputy leader Phil Davies to quit the party on Tuesday, describing the motion as “the final nail in the coffin.”

In a lengthy statement issued Monday night, the party leader—who is Jewish—declared they would not accept the exclusion of any member “because of the religious or communal body they are part of.” The leader emphasized that “antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli state are, and must always be, completely distinct.”

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