Radical cleric promoted jihad from London mosque, U.S. jury told

Defense Attorney Joshua Dratel rests his hands on the shoulders of Abu Hamza al-Masir (R), the radical Islamist cleric facing U.S. terrorism charges, as he sits next to defense attorney Lindsay Lewis (L) in Manhattan federal court in New York in this artist's sketch, April 17, 2014. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg

NEW YORK (Reuters) - From his perch as a prominent imam at a north London mosque, Abu Hamza al-Masri sent devoted followers around the world - from Oregon to Afghanistan - to pursue violent jihad against non-believers, a federal prosecutor told jurors in New York on Thursday.

"His goal was clear, it was simple, and it was vicious," Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Kim said in Manhattan federal court at the start of Abu Hamza's trial on terrorism-related charges. "Abu Hamza was not just a preacher of religion, he was a trainer of terrorists."