A former Intel software engineer admitted Wednesday that he and five other men were prepared to take up arms and die as martyrs if necessary to defend the former Taliban government in Afghanistan.

Maher "Mike" Hawash's surprise plea deal with federal prosecutors requires him to testify against his alleged co-conspirators in exchange for a seven- to 10-year prison sentence. Experts say Hawash's cooperation strengthens the government's case against the remaining six defendants.

Noticeably absent from Wednesday's hearing were the throngs of friends and supporters who publicly protested on Hawash's behalf at previous hearings.

Hawash pleaded guilty to one count: conspiring to contribute services to the Taliban. The charge relates to his participation in an October 2001 trip in which he and five other men flew from Portland to China in an unsuccessful attempt to reach the Afghan battlefield. A seventh defendant never left the country.