German court acquits 9/11 terror suspect

AP | 2/05/04

[kattracks]

The Associated Press 2/5/2004, 5:51 a.m. ET

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — A Hamburg court on Thursday acquitted a Moroccan man accused of helping the Sept. 11 hijackers after a 5 1/2-month trial that was only the second anywhere of a suspect in the attacks.

Abdelghani Mzoudi, 31, had no visible reaction as presiding Judge Klaus Ruehle read the verdict to the court, keeping his arms folded and looking down toward the floor.

Prosecutors had sought the maximum 15 years in prison on more than 3,000 counts of accessory to murder and membership in a terrorist organization. Last February, similar evidence secured the maximum sentence against Mzoudi's friend Mounir el Motassadeq — the world's first Sept. 11 conviction.

Federal prosecutors alleged Mzoudi provided logistical support to the Hamburg cell under lead hijacker Mohamed Atta, helping with financial transactions and arranging housing for members to evade authorities' attention. Mzoudi spent time at a terrorist camp in Afghanistan in 2000.

Mzoudi's attorneys denied the charges, saying that while their client was friends with many of the Sept. 11 principals, he knew nothing in advance of the plot to attack the United States.

The acquittal on all counts came after the court rejected a last-minute motion from an attorney representing relatives of American victims of the attacks.

The attorney, Andreas Schulz, said his clients had access to "new information" from the U.S. Department of Justice but that he was "not authorized" to tell the court what it was.

[Michael81Dus]

That exactly was the problem in this trial: there were some uncertain informations of the Binalsibh case in the US, but the court was not granted access to the interrogation protocols of Binalsibh.

However, maybe that was the real intention of US authorities to refuse access to the informations: Mzoudi probably will be extradicted to Marocco, which has already announced that it will extradict Mzoudi to the US...

[Howie66]

Hmmmmmmmmmm....same jury makeup as in the OJ trial, perhaps?

[Michael81Dus]

Germany has no jury trials. The court says, that it wasn´t convinced of Mzoudis guilt, but it wasn´t convinced of his innocence either. Therefore it had to decide on the principle "in dubio pro reo".

[bullseye1911]

Mzoudi's attorneys denied the charges, saying that while their client was friends with many of the Sept. 11 principals, he knew nothing in advance of the plot to attack the United States.

Yea, right! Good example of what happens when you try terrorists in criminal court. The left must be relieved he got a "fair" trial!

[Howie66]

Thanks for bringing me up to speed on this.

[beckysueb]

The Germans could care less. They weren't the ones attacked and they hate us anyway so they probably said well its good enough for them. we're not going to punish anybody.

[My Dog Likes Me]

Hey! What happened to those Germans that I see on the History Channel?? They've certainly lost their old school spirit!
/sarcasm/

[Michael81Dus]

That´s not the truth.

1. Germans don´t hate America.
2. Germany wants to see the ba$tards paying for their crimes like you.
3. The same court already has convicted another guy (Motassadeq) to the legal maximum imprisonment of 15 years. Don´t wonder, aiding to kill 3,000 people was considered as one crime, it didn´t matter to the law wether 1 or 3,000 were killed. That´s why he got only 15 years.
4. Please respect that there was not enough evidence to the court. The judges were not pleased to set him free, but they had no other choice in their opinion, even because the United States Department of Justice refused to share their knowledge with the court.

[ConservativeMan55]

Suprise! Suprise! Suprise!

"Thats what Gomer would have said."

[Gerasimov]

How quick do you think the 4th ID could take Berlin?

[Coop]

I never realized Germany did not have jury trials. Interesting, danke.

We know Germans don't hate us. The Germans I know have been wonderful people. But some of us Yanks are still mad at your government, and sometimes the resultant comments are too personally and unfairly directed. I'm confident America and Germany will work out their differences. I don't have that same confidence regarding France. Cheers!

[Coop]

FYI

[Michael81Dus]

I'm confident America and Germany will work out their differences.

Oh, me too. The Iraq war was and is the only issue our governments had/have complete different views on. Schröder will be for lunch in the White House this month, so even the main actors of the play are mending fences. :-)

Regarding Mzoudi, I predict that he´ll be extradicted to Marocco, and from there he´ll be flown to the States - or nonstop to Gitmo.

[elfman2]

Hey John F’ing Kerry, you listening?

This is what happens when 9/11 is treated as a criminal matter rather than a war as you propose.

[Coop]

I do hope you're correct.

[JustAnAmerican]

Unlike France(The French & those in power are Anti-American), I don't think the German people harbor ill will against us, but I do think the head Politicians and those with socialist viewpoints, do. But as with anything else I could be wrong.

[amexmike]

I seem to remember a huge anti-american sentiment when schreoder ran for re-election. As a matter of fact I think he made it part of his platform to gain re-election.

secondly, this is case and point as to why we should never join the world court at the Hague

[Dog]

Acquits???

[Coop]

Yep. From the judges' comments, it sounds like they think the guy is guilty, but don't have enough evidence to convict. Just MHO.