Posted on 01/31/2003 6:44:37 AM PST by veronica
Richard Reid, the Al Qaeda follower who tried to blow up a transatlantic jetliner with explosives hidden in his shoes, was sentenced to life in prison yesterday by a judge who warned him: "We are not afraid ... we are Americans."
The 29-year-old British citizen cried, "You will be judged by Allah!" before being dragged from the courtroom in handcuffs.
Minutes before sentencing, Reid told the court he was unapologetic for his actions because he was "at war" with the United States.
U.S. District Judge William Young pointed to the American flag behind him and said: "You see that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America. That flag will fly there long after this is long forgotten."
Reid, who converted to Islam eight years ago, pleaded guilty in October to trying to blow up American Airlines Flight 63 on Dec. 22, 2001 as it flew to Miami from Paris.
He told the judge: "Your government has sponsored the torture of Muslims in Iraq, and Turkey, and Jordan and Syria with their money and weapons."
Young would have none of it.
"We are not afraid of any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid," the judge said. "We are Americans. We have been through the fire before.
"You are not an enemy combatant — you are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war — you are a terrorist. To call you a soldier gives you far too much stature. You are a terrorist and we do not negotiate with terrorists. "We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice."
Prosecutors said Reid had enough plastic explosives in his shoes to blow a hole in the fuselage and kill all 197 people aboard. As Reid tried furiously to light a match to his shoes, passengers and crew members overpowered him and used seat belts and headphone cords to strap him to his seat.
Two doctors aboard the flight injected him with sedatives and the jet was diverted to Boston under escort from fighter jets.
Prosecutor Gerard Leone told the judge that in Reid's mind "the religion of Islam justifies the killing of innocent civilians."
Defence lawyers said Reid credits his religion with saving him from a life of drug use and despair. They described a troubled childhood and young adulthood, when Reid was plagued by poverty, racism and crime.
As Reid sought to justify his actions, several crew members who were on the flight looked stunned, glancing at each other in the courtroom and shaking their heads. One woman wept.
One of the flight attendants, Carole Nelson, pleaded with the judge yesterday for a life sentence. "I believe that Richard Reid was on a mission of evil, a mission of destruction and a mission of murder," she said.
Reid pleaded guilty to eight charges, including attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. In October, he told the court: "I pledge to Osama bin Laden."
As well as the life sentence he was fined $2 million.
The sentencing hearing took place under tight security. U.S. Coast Guard vessels patrolled the waters abutting Boston's federal courthouse, while armed federal agents kept watch around the building.
Precisely.
I'm gunna be judged by the 7-11 night manager?
He should have gotten the death sentence!
Saved from "despair" to commit a life-affirming suicide bombing.
They described a troubled childhood and young adulthood, when Reid was plagued by poverty, racism and crime.
And when in doubt, play the race card.
Reid is the typical "I Hate America and Americans". It's his cry, the cry of Moussaoui and I think we will find it to be the cry of another Muslim convert, Mohammed Williams (the Sniper) before long.
All these folks are sympathetic to Usama and support terrorism as an end.
U.S. District Judge William Young pointed to the American flag behind him and said: "You see that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America. That flag will fly there long after this is long forgotten."
"We are not afraid of any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid," the judge said. "We are Americans. We have been through the fire before.
"You are not an enemy combatant — you are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war — you are a terrorist. To call you a soldier gives you far too much stature. You are a terrorist and we do not negotiate with terrorists. "We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice." ===========================================================
Way to go Judge William Young!
I dissagree, the death penalty is the harsher punishment. No body with any sense believes that there are 70 virgins who deserve eternity with a terrorist anyway.
Life sentence is a merciful sentence, because it gives him many years to repent.
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