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Posted on 07/17/2003 1:38:19 PM PDT by knighthawk
DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - A Jordanian who said he served as a bodyguard to Osama bin Laden has told a German court how he and others returned from military camps in Afghanistan fuelled by hatred for Israel and the West.
Shadi Mohammed Mustafa Abdalla said on Thursday he later rejected violence, bringing him to admit to belonging to al Tawhid, a Palestinian group the United States says has links to al Qaeda, and planning grenade attacks on Jewish targets in Germany.
"You lived in the desert," Abdalla told the court in Arabic, speaking of his 18-month stay in Afghanistan. "They showed you pictures of what they did to Muslims that you didn't see on TV.... It was understandable that you came out filled with hate."
Abdalla, who had been living in Germany when he was arrested in April last year, recounted how he developed bomb-making skills and learned how to make poisons from ordinary household provisions. He also said he served briefly as bodyguard to bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda.
Abdalla's lawyer described his 1.9 metre (6 ft 3 in) frame as "an ideal bullet catcher".
JEWISH TARGETS
He had spied out potential targets for a grenade attack -- a Jewish-run disco in Duesseldorf and a Jewish community centre in Berlin last year. He had provided more than 100 false passports for European and Middle Eastern countries to refugees in Iran. Taliban fighters got them half price, he said.
He also revealed the code words his group used in telephone calls -- "apples" for grenades, "acorns" for ammunition, "television" for pistol and "girl" for potential target.
In eight days of testimony he told the court he initially cheered the September 11, 2001 attacks on U.S. cities, but subsequently came to believe it was wrong to kill innocent people.
Prosecutors say Abdalla's testimony is credible, but presiding judge Ottmar Breidling questioned his testimony this week. "We've heard three different versions. Which of these is true?" he asked the accused. "Are you a habitual story-teller?"
Abdalla, who had been living in Germany, painted himself more as an unsettled young man than a Muslim radical. He could not pray alone until he moved to Germany, wears jeans in court, drinks alcohol and smokes.
Abdalla is due to testify against four other suspected al Tawhid members. His case provides a test for dealing with the limited number of Islamic extremists willing to feed information to intelligence services.
His cooperation should shorten the potential 10-year sentence he faces for belonging to a terrorist group, although the ex-bodyguard will need a lifetime of protection.
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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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although the ex-bodyguard will need a lifetime of protection.Gee, I wonder how much that will cost? Betcha $75K - $125K per year at least. Ya reckon this guy is worth that?
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