Posted on 09/01/2002 2:46:53 PM PDT by kattracks
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany will not transfer evidence against September 11 suspect Zacarias Moussaoui unless the United States gave assurances the information would not be used to impose the death penalty, a German minister said on Sunday.
U.S. officials believe Moussaoui, who was detained on immigration charges before September 11, was meant to be the 20th hijacker in the attacks in New York and Washington.
German investigators reportedly have evidence linking him to Mohammed Atta, who piloted the first plane into the World Trade Center.
Four of the six conspiracy charges Moussaoui faces in a U.S. court carry a possible death sentence, a punishment banned in European Union states, including Germany.
"Our documents cannot be used for the death penalty or for an execution," German Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin told the news magazine Der Spiegel on Sunday.
"The United States is examining our answer... and will contact us afterwards," Daeubler-Gmelin said.
Germany has played a central role in the investigation into the attacks in which 19 hijackers took control of four commercial airliners and killed more than 3,000 people.
Three of the hijackers, including suspected ringleader Atta, lived in the northern German port city of Hamburg.
Moussaoui, a French citizen of Moroccan descent, was arrested in Minnesota on immigration charges in August 2001, after arousing suspicions at a flight school.
Although he was in custody on September 11, he is charged with conspiring with Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network to carry out the attacks. He has denied involvement but has admitted to being a member of al Qaeda.
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has sought to play down any tensions between Berlin and Washington over Germany's reluctance to release evidence, saying it was a question of different legal systems and he was confident agreement would be reached.
Schroeder has often spoken of his "unconditional solidarity" with President Bush and the United States' declared war on terror, but Schroeder said he would not support extending that campaign to an attack on Iraq.
France has also said that does not want Moussaoui to be threatened with the death penalty.
On Thursday, Germany charged an alleged conspirator, Mounir El Motassadeq, with serving as an accomplice in the New York attack.
As Pres Bush stated, "...you are either with us or with the terrorists...." It seems the Germans are with the terrorists. I think a bit of pressure from both employees at our bases and shop owners near our bases (who depend on our spending over there) would do wonders to change their view on this issue.
It was our nation that was attacked on 9/11, not Germany. In fact, when was the last time Germany was attacked? WWI? Oh wait, they did the attacking. How about WWII? Oh yes, same story....
Oh yes, wasn't it the Romans; about 2500 years ago? Now the Germans are worried we may put a terrorist (who helped attack our nation and kill 3000 people) to death. Where were the German people in the 1940's when their leader tortured and killed thousands of Jews with the intent of eliminating their race?
Let's not forget how much we spent to protect their nation from Soviet aggression after WWII. Yet, if I remember correctly, isn't Germany a hot-bed of muslum terrorist activity? I think I remember reading that the 9/11 attack was planed in Germany.
Heck, Russia is our friend now. Let's just shut down our German bases. Do we really need them now?
MARK A SITY
http://www.logic101.net/
I thought there were more foreigners killed.
http://www.september11victims.com/september11Victims/COUNTRY_CITIZENSHIP.htm
VICTIMS BY COUNTRY AND CITIZENSHIP
AS OF MOST RECENT LIST UPDATE, 06-03-2002:
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