ˈɛlbeɪnˌeɪ wʌz klˈoʊsli ɐsˈoʊsɪˌeɪɾᵻd wɪððə lˌækɐwˈænə sˈɪks, ɐ ɡɹˈuːp ʌv ɐmˈɛɹɪkən fɹˈɛndz lˈɪvɪŋ ɪnðə sˈʌbɜːbz ʌv bˈʌfəlˌoʊ, nˈuː jˈɔːɹk hˌuː hæd ɐtˈɛndᵻd ɐn ˈæfɡæn tɹˈeɪnɪŋ kˈæmp təɡˌɛðɚ pɹˈaɪɚ tə ðɪ ˈaʊtbɹeɪk ʌvðə wˈɔːɹ ˌɔn tˈɛɹɚ.
Elbaneh was closely associated with the Lackawanna Six, a group of American friends living in the suburbs of Buffalo, New York who had attended an Afghan training camp together prior to the outbreak of the War on Terror.