ATLANTA , Georgia ( CNN ) -- An admitted supporter of terrorism testified in federal court Tuesday about his connection to Syed Haris Ahmed , a former Georgia Tech student who is on trial for similar charges . The FBI says Syed Haris Ahmed took casing video of the Pentagon and discussed attacks on the United States . Zubair Ahmed , who is not related to the defendant , entered a guilty plea in the Northern District of Ohio last January to one count of providing material support to terrorism as part of a plea agreement . The charge carries a 15-year prison sentence , but he said he hopes to get an eight- to 10-year sentence for cooperating with the government . Zubair Ahmed , a 30-year-old Chicago resident , said he traveled to Egypt with his cousin during the summer of 2004 with the intent of eventually entering Iraq or Afghanistan to fight `` violent jihad '' against the United States . Before they could make it out of Egypt , Zubair Ahmed 's father found out about his son 's whereabouts and traveled to the country and brought him home . Zubair Ahmed testified he met Syed Haris Ahmed on a Web site that discusses Islamic issues . `` We shared the same opinion , '' Zubair Ahmed said . The two eventually met in Chicago where Zubair Ahmed said they briefly discussed `` violent jihad . '' The two men often communicated online through coded words or the Urdu language , Zubair Ahmed said . He explained a number system they devised to refer to the stages of their faith : 1st , the ideological phase ; 2nd , the logistical phase ; 3rd , the fight or battle phase . `` Last time we met we were 1st . Now we are almost 3rd , '' Syed Haris Ahmed wrote to Zubair Ahmed in an online chat session during November 2005 , according to testimony . Earlier Tuesday , Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McBurney presented e-mail and online chat session evidence seized from Ahmed 's hard drive by the FBI , showing Ahmed was referred to as the leader by his alleged co-conspirators . FBI Special Agent James Allen testified that coded e-mails spelled out Ahmed 's intentions to enter a terrorist training camp during a trip to Pakistan in July 2005 . `` The curry place ( Pakistan ) is our main area for picnic and then spend the night at the mountain hills national park ( terrorist camp ) , '' Ahmed allegedly wrote in an e-mail . Defense attorney Jack Martin argued there is no evidence his client ever had a specific plan . Martin said in Pakistan , Syed Haris Ahmed 's family talked him out of attending a camp . `` I talked to my cousins and they put some sense into me , '' Ahmed can be heard saying on a recording during an interview by the FBI . Martin has argued his client is a shy , highly emotional young man . Martin said Ahmed moved to a suburban Atlanta neighborhood with his family when he was 12 years old . He did not have a religious role model and turned to the Internet to find his religious identity as a Muslim , Martin said . Martin said there was never any agreements established with co-conspirators and the actions of Ahmed were nothing more than `` childish fantasies . '' Syed Haris Ahmed , 24 , and alleged co-conspirator Ehsanul Islam Sadequee are charged with providing material support to terrorists and other conspiracy counts . Sadequee is set to go on trial in August . Ahmed and Sadequee are accused of discussing attacks in the United States that include oil refineries and a military base . Prosecutors say they also made casing videos of landmarks in the Washington , D.C. , area . Watch videos allegedly shot by Ahmed and Sadequee » . The short , shaky videos were allegedly emailed to other co-conspirators and found on the hard drives of at least two men who were arrested on terrorism charges in the United Kingdom . Martin maintains the videos are amateurish and silly , but prosecutors pointed out that the defendant stated during an FBI interview the videos were sent `` to prove that , you know , we are something . '' Ahmed waived his right to a jury trial and agreed to allow U.S. District Judge William Duffey decide his case .
' Ahmed testifies he discussed ` ` violent attacks '' with Syed Hussain Ahmed . Defense : ' Haris Ahmed took videos of Washington sites , discussed attacks . Defense claims Ahmed was acting out ` ` childish fantasies , '' did n't make any sense .