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Three accused of plotting Jewish attacks

10/18/2005, 2:28 p.m. ET
By NICOLE LANGE
The Associated Press

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Three men on trial for plotting to attack Jewish targets in Germany insisted Tuesday that they never belonged to a terrorist organization.

The men, along with another defendant, are accused of belonging to Al Tawhid, a radical network believed to be linked to al-Qaida and headed by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi — now a prominent figure in Iraq. All four were arrested in April 2002.

Mohamed Abu Dhess, a Jordanian who is accused of heading the group's German cell, told the Duesseldorf state court that Muslims are people of peace — and "we do not believe in weapons as a means."

"I dug deep into my memory and could find nothing related to terrorism," he said.

Abu Dhess, along with co-defendants Ashraf al-Dagma and Ismail Shalabi, is charged with membership in a terrorist organization, attempted instigation of weapons offenses and document fraud.

Prosecutors have asked that Abu Dhess be sentenced to eight years in prison, and al-Dagma and Shalabi to seven years and six months each.

"I never planned attacks against Jewish, Israeli or any other targets in Germany," al-Dagma told the court Tuesday.

Al-Dagma confessed that he made fake passports, but insisted they were only for his own use as he never had his own passport. "But I was never a member of a terror group," he said.

The fourth defendant, Djamel Mustafa, is charged with supporting a terrorist organization, breaking firearms laws and document fraud. Prosecutors have sought a seven-year sentence for him.

Much of the prosecution's case has been built around testimony from Shadi Abdellah, who was arrested at the same time as the other four and confessed to plotting to attack Jewish targets, saying the group discussed Berlin's Jewish Museum and a Jewish-owned discotheque or bar in Duesseldorf.

Abdellah admitted being part of the Al Tawhid group, saying he befriended leader Al-Zarqawi in 2000 while in Afghanistan to undergo al-Qaida paramilitary training.

Al-Qaida in Iraq, which is led by Al-Zarqawi, has claimed responsibility for executing numerous hostages, including the beheadings of Western hostages.

Abdellah told authorities the Duesseldorf-based cell operated largely apart from its parent group and chose its own targets and arranged for its own explosives and weapons.

In exchange for his testimony at this and two other German terror trials, Abdellah was given a reduced sentence of four years and was released in November after serving about half his time. He was also put in Germany's witness protection program.

The trial opened in February, 2004. A verdict is expected on October 26.

http://www.nj.com/newsflash/war/index.ssf?/base/international-15/1129660442155871.xml&storylist=njterror

U.S. counterterrorism official warns of biological and chemical weapons

The top coordinator of U.S. counterrorism efforts warned Tuesday of more attacks despite progress in the war on terrorism and said he was concerned that terrorists were trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction.

"The threat is real," Henry Crumpton, the U.S. State Department's counterterrorism coordinator, said while visiting Indonesia nearly three weeks after suicide bombers killed 20 people and wounded more than 100 on the resort island of Bali.

Crumpton said progress has been made in the global war on terror, with several high profile arrests made and potential strikes thwarted. But, he said, "realistically, there will be more attacks."

"But what really concerns me is weapons of mass destruction," Crumpton said, pointing to alleged statements made by Osama bin Laden's terror network about its interest in biological and chemical warfare.

He also cited evidence U.S. officials said they found in Afghanistan that al-Qaida was working on anthrax weapons.(snip)
http://www.tkb.org/NewsStory.jsp?storyID=90987