Pakistani on Staten Island Sold Hezbollah TV Access

A Pakistani man residing on Staten Island has pleaded guilty to providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization by broadcasting a Hezbollah television channel to New York customers. Reuters reports that 45-year-old Javed Iqbal, who moved to the U.S. more than 25 years ago, faces up to 15 years in prison, but according to the Post Iqbal agreed to serve a six and a half year bid as part of a plea deal. The FBI busted Iqbal in August 2006 and accused him of providing customers with a satellite TV package that included Al Manar (pictured), which the feds call "a terrorist organization masquerading as a TV channel." The NYCLU had argued that Iqbal was being wrongfully prosecuted under a statute that "includes a First Amendment exemption that prevents the government from punishing people for importing news communications."