An Oregon man, Maher Mofeid Hawash, was charged Monday with attempting to aid al-Qaida, the Justice Department said. Hawash has been charged in the continuing case against the “Portland Six,” who unsuccessfully attempted to get to Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks to fight U.S. troops, according to the department. Hawash, 39, of Hillsboro, Ore., was charged in a criminal complaint in Portland Monday with conspiracy to levy war against the United States, conspiracy to provide material support and resources to al-Qaida and conspiracy to contribute services to al-Qaida and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The complaint alleges that Hawash, along with Jeffrey Battle, Patrice Ford, Muhammad Bilal, Ahmed Bilal and Habis Al Saoub, decided after the Sept. 11 attacks to fight a “jihad,” in this sense, a holy war. The complaint also alleges that the six defendants began to travel to Afghanistan in October 2001 to join forces with Taliban and al-Qaida troops fighting U.S. and allied military personnel. According to the complaint, which was filed before U.S. District Judge Robert E. Jones, Hawash left the United States on Oct. 24, 2001, and flew to Hong Kong, where he joined defendants Battle, Ford, Ahmed Bilal, Muhammad Bilal and Al Saoub. From there they entered China, the complaint said. Full Story