Defense opens in Florida terrorism trial ("Liberty City 7", sought to topple Sears Tower)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 11/06/07 | Curt Anderson - ap

[NormsRevenge]

MIAMI - The suspected ringleader of a group of men accused of plotting terrorist attacks testified in a federal trial Tuesday that his financial struggles to build a community outreach center, not a desire to attack the U.S., landed him in trouble.

Prosecutors had used FBI recordings to portray Narseal Batiste, 33, and six other men as a homegrown terrorist cell aspiring to topple Chicago's Sears Tower as the opening salvo of a broader guerrilla war intended to install a U.S. government based on Islam.

The suspected conspiracy never got beyond the initial stages, but Batiste and his six co-defendants were videotaped by the FBI taking an oath to al-Qaida, led by a government informant posing as an emissary from Osama bin Laden's terror organization. All seven face as many as 70 years in prison if convicted of all four terrorism-related conspiracy charges.

Defense lawyers have said the so-called "Liberty City Seven" — named for the impoverished Miami neighborhood out of which they operated — never intended to mount terrorist attacks and went along with the informant only so they could get as much as $50,000 from him.

On Tuesday, Batiste referred to the terrorism allegations only in passing. He testified that he was unsuccessful at attracting financial support for his purported outreach program — a nonprofit entity called Universal Divine Saviours — and suggested this failure led to his legal troubles.

"Quite frankly, if we had received donations, I probably wouldn't be sitting here right now," Batiste said on the witness stand while being questioned by his attorney, Ana M. Jhones.

Batiste said he and the other six men sank most of their savings into a dilapidated building they repaired and dubbed "The Embassy," which Batiste said he intended to make into a "temple" and center for his supposed outreach program.

Batiste led a Miami chapter of a religious sect known as the Moorish Science Temple, which among other things does not recognize the authority of the U.S. government.

Batiste also testified that he never asked a convenience store operator he knew as Abbas — another FBI informant — to use connections in Yemen to obtain money in fall 2005 from al-Qaida or its leadership. Abbas previously testified that such a request was made.

"I never asked him for Osama bin Laden to give me any money whatsoever," Batiste testified. "The only thing I knew about Osama bin Laden was that I read on the news — that he was affiliated with the al-Qaida terrorist organization."

Batiste was expected to continue testifying Wednesday and could directly address the FBI audio and video tapes prosecutors presented.

[Godwin1]

Another reason for ending unrestricted immigration. Yes, these bozos were dumb and incompetent. But, rather than be thankful for the opportunities provided by their new home, they decided to hate America. From Haiti, their hatred of America would be impotent. Here, their monumental stupidity notwithstanding, they could have done some harm.

[rogue yam]

Another reason for ending unrestricted immigration.

The ringleader, Mr. Batiste, is from Bunkie, Louisiana.

Yes, a terrorist from Bunkie.

You have now heard of everything.