U.S. judge sets trial date for terrorism suspect

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday set a trial date of November 30 for an American student who was the first person extradited to the United States from Britain on terrorism charges.

Syed Hashmi, 29, has pleaded not guilty to charges of supporting al Qaeda, which include accusations he kept ponchos, raincoats and waterproof socks in his London apartment knowing they would be passed on by a friend for use by al Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan.

U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska granted a request by Hashmi's lawyers to delay the start of his trial by two months in a hearing held in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday. The November trial is expected to last up to three weeks.

Hashmi was arrested in June 2006 at London's Heathrow Airport and extradited to New York. He faces a maximum sentence of up to 70 years in prison.

Since his arrest, his lawyer has argued that he is likely to suffer psychological problems from harsh prison restrictions, including being held in solitary confinement and limited family visits. But the judge refused to lift the restrictions.

(Reporting by Christine Kearney, editing by Michelle Nichols and Sandra Maler)