Posted on 03/29/2003 5:57:00 PM PST by miltonim
DETROIT -- Starting Friday, government witnesses are expected to begin explaining why false documents, ID badges, a day planner and other evidence found in a raid of a Detroit apartment support charges that four men conspired to support terrorism.
Federal agents turned up the evidence after Karim Koubriti, Ahmed Hannan and Farouk Ali-Haimoud allowed them to search the apartment more than 18 months ago.
Defense lawyers deny the government's claims that the men, along with alleged handler Abdel-Ilah Elmardoudi, were driven by radical Islamic fundamentalist beliefs to plot terrorist strikes on Las Vegas, an American air base in Turkey and a hospital in Jordan.
"These defendants had all the elements of a terrorist cell," assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Convertino told jurors during opening arguments earlier this week.
The trial, the first in the United States for an alleged terror cell detected after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, is expected to last at least four to six weeks.
The day planner, which the government says contains diagrams of flight paths, sat on the table shared by prosecutors. Convertino said the defendants' fingerprints were on the planner, which the men had a mentally unstable man sign to cover their tracks.
Defense lawyers say the planner belonged to Ali Mohammed Ahmed, who purportedly had delusions that he was a general and died in March 2001 in what was characterized as a suicide. They say he liked to draw military scenes.
Koubriti and Hannan's badges from jobs they briefly held at a catering company at two Sky Chefs buildings near Detroit Metropolitan Airport also are expected to be used as evidence. The badges didn't give them access to the airport, but caught the attention of agents.
The government claims the men checked the airport for gaps in security and wanted to obtain Stinger missiles that could be used to shoot down planes. But lawyers scoff at the terror claims, saying they had the badges simply because they weren't asked to return them.
Koubriti, Hannan, Ali-Haimoud and Elmardoudi are charged with conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists and another conspiracy charge. Koubriti, Hannan and Ali-Haimoud also face two fraud-related charges.
Although early testimony is to focus on the raid, Youssef Hmimssa's expected appearance on the stand will be closely watched. Defense lawyers say Hmimssa's statements tying their clients to terrorism come as he tries to get a break from the government.
Hmimssa, who briefly lived with some of the defendants, originally was accused of fraud and misuse of visas along with Koubriti, Hannan and Ali-Haimoud, who were arrested in the Sept. 17, 2001 raid.
Hmimssa's photo and an alias were found on false IDs in the apartment. He was arrested Sept. 28, 2001 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The government claims the defendants coerced Hmimssa into making fake documents to help get people into the country illegally.
He still is charged in Detroit with fraud and misuse of visas and is expected to face a separate trial. He also has been charged in Chicago with credit card fraud and in Iowa with conspiracy to obtain Social Security numbers.
In addition to false documents, the government said the Detroit raid turned up a videotape of U.S. landmarks such as Disneyland in California and the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas that appeared to be casing them as possible targets.
Defense lawyers say the tape, which likely will be reviewed during the trial, is an innocuous travel video.
Prosecutor, Agent Indicted in Detroit - Misconduct Is Alleged in Terrorism Case
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1606231/posts
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.