"Blind sheikh" convicted in 1993 World Trade Center bombing dies in U.S. prison

Cairo: Omar Abdel-Rahman, the Muslim cleric known as "the blind sheikh" convicted of conspiracy in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and planning more attacks as part of a "war of urban terrorism" in the United States, died on Saturday in a North Carolina prison, authorities said.
Abdel-Rahman, 78, died of natural causes at 9:40 am (1440 GMT) at the Federal Medical Center, Butner, part of a federal prison compound in Butner, North Carolina, according to Greg Norton, a spokesman.
The cleric, who had diabetes and coronary artery disease, had been incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex, Butner, for nearly 10 years, Norton said. Earlier, the cleric's son Ammar said his family had received a phone call in Eygpt from a U.S. representative saying his father had died. The Egyptian-born Abdel-Rahman remained a spiritual leader for Muslims even after more than 20 years in prison.