"Abu Hamza" pleads not guilty to terrorism charges

10/10/12: Al Jazeera reports Abu Hamza al-Masri pled not guilty Tuesday to terrorism charges in federal court after Britain extradited him to the US last week to face trial and a potential life sentence.  Judge Katherine Forrest in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York set a trial date of August 26, 2013, for the Egyptian-born Islamist cleric often simply called Abu Hamza.  He is accused of participating in a 1998 hostage-taking in Yemen that resulted in the deaths of three Britons and an Australian; he is also charged with providing material support to al-Qaeda by trying to set up a training camp in Oregon and with attempting to organize support for the Taliban in Afghanistan.  Al-Masri could face up to life in prison if convicted.