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.

[Dog]

Michael........don't take what people say on this thread today serious.....except what Coop said. You are a good member of this forum....we like having you here.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

ping

[nuconvert]

Thanks for the ping

[nuconvert]

What about the mysterious Iranian ex-agent? How do people feel about his story? That it's phoney?

[AmishDude]

the legal maximum imprisonment of 15 years

That is a problem.

[Michael81Dus]

:-) I know, what that´s why I´m here: to share a dialogue! I don´t have harm feelings against anyone who slams against Germany. Most have due to natural reason not that much information about my country, so I think informing them about backgrounds and reasons why a special decision is made is necessary.

[Michael81Dus]

I think he wants to be important, but actually is not. Even the intelligences doubt his story. From my view, the court made the acquittal because of a lack of evidence. They also have a paper stating that Binalsibh (imprisoned by the USA) has claimed that Mzoudi was not a member of the terror cell. Because they had no other informations about the credibility of Binalsibh (the US authorities refused to give more evidence), the court saw no proof to sentence Mzoudi. I suspect the US authorities to gamble: they want Mzoudi extracdicted to Marocco by Germany (which is likely), and Marocco already announced that it would extradict Mzoudi to the US - so that he could face capital punishment. I hope they win, because this aquittal surely is wrong. But on the other hand, the US Department of Justice didn´t look too good in this affair.

[Michael81Dus]

Well, we consider the crime as one. If they had hijacked 3,000 planes and killed one person with one plane, they could be sentenced to 3,000 x 15 years. But the whole crime is seen as one.

And, only the leading figures of a crime (the actual offender and the encouragers) can be fined with life imprisonment. Those who aided can only get 15 years, according to the Penal Code.

However, the Federal Prosecutors told the press today, that they´re going to appeal. They´re convinced that Mzoudi is guilty.

With that step taken, both terror trials in Germany will be brought to the Federal Court House. The conviction of Motassadeq (15 years) was appealed by his defense attorneys.

[nuconvert]

Yeah.

He seemed to be in for money or notoriety or both.

I think we'll get Mazoudi

Thanks for your input. Appreciate it.

[af_vet_1981]

I suppose I'm grateful that Germany did not award him a medal and honorary military rank ...

[TaxRelief]

Specifically, Mzoudis was tried by a 5 judge panel. The court presided over by a possibly very biased judge who through out good evidence, admitted bad evidence and then declared all the evidence was circumstantial and not enough to convict.

Let this be a lesson to all Americans: This is what we can expect from a World Court system if the day ever comes that we are subject to the "UN Judicial System".

[Howie66]

To paraphrase John Effin Kerry and his ilk re: The World Court: "Hell NO! We won't go!"

[BlueLancer]

"We don't hate Germany..."

Well, there are two responses to that ...

(a) What you mean "we", kemo-sabe?
(b) Have you got a mouse in your pocket?

[Prodigal Son]

I don't hate Germany.

[Prodigal Son]

You are a good member of this forum....we like having you here.

I'll second that.

[Prodigal Son]

I suppose I'm grateful that Germany did not award him a medal and honorary military rank ...

Why would they have given him a medal?

[BlueLancer]

"I don't hate Germany.

Well, good for you.

I've spent enough time there to have a different opinion ... and it falls only slightly above that which I have for the Belgians and the French.