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| Miami men 'plotted to overthrow US' |
| 2007-10-02 |
| Seven men plotted to bring down the US government by poisoning saltshakers and bombing landmark buildings, a prosecutor told Miami jurors as their terrorism conspiracy trial opened today. The "Liberty City Seven" aimed to create chaos as part of a holy war to pave the way for al-Qaeda-affiliated guerrillas to take over the United States, Assistant US Lawyer Richard Gregorie said in the prosecution's opening statement. "We need to make the people go crazy in the streets," Mr Gregorie quoted alleged ringleader Narseal Batiste as saying. "Allah is going to take over through us." Defence lawyers said the charges were "nonsense" scripted by the government and orchestrated by paid FBI informants they called Conman No.1 and Conman No.2. They said the defendants, one of whom was devoted mainly to smoking marijuana, had no weapons or intent to do violence and that it was the informants who suggested poisoning restaurant saltshakers and blowing up buildings. The "Liberty City Seven," named for the poor part of Miami where they gathered in a rundown warehouse, were arrested in 2006 on charges of plotting to blow up Chicago's 110-story Sears Tower - the tallest US skyscraper - along with several FBI offices and the Miami federal court complex where they are on trial. The young men face up to 70 years in prison if convicted on all four conspiracy counts in a case government officials have touted as an important victory in the war against terrorism. But federal agents said when they were arrested that the group's plans were "aspirational rather than operational" and posed no real threat because they had neither al-Qaeda contacts nor means of carrying out attacks. The government's main evidence is drawn from 15,000 audio and videotaped conversations made by the informants. One infiltrated the group and introduced the other, a purported al-Qaeda operative from Yemen, as a friend of his uncle. "Unknown to Mr Batiste, it's Uncle Sam," Gregorie said. Batiste's lawyer, Ana Jhones, portrayed him as a would-be religious leader who aspired to big things but lacked intellect and ability. He pretended to go along with the informants, she said, because he was trying to con them out of $US50,000 ($56,000) to turn the decrepit warehouse into a community gathering place. |
| Posted by:Oztralian |
#6 Do these clowns - and others of their ilk - have any cclue how hard it would be to actually overthrow the government in a country of 300,000,000 people, a LOT of whom have guns and the will to use them, in our 2000 x 3000 miles? What are they smoking?"We need to make the people go crazy in the streets"Then ya' shoulda started in San Francisco instead of Miami, Mohammad-baby - they're already more than halfway there. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2007-10-02 22:58 |
| #5 Ah, just another batch of good old fashion red- blooded Americans gone bad. You know, with names like Achmed, Mahmoud, Mohammed. Good old fashioned all American names. |
| Posted by: mcsegeek1 2007-10-02 22:24 |
| #4 The "Liberty City Seven," named for the poor part of Miami where they gathered in a rundown warehouse Everyone- it's time to fire up Grand Theft Auto III again. |
| Posted by: Free Radical 2007-10-02 20:43 |
| #3 Batiste's lawyer, Ana Jhones, portrayed him as a would-be religious leader who aspired to big things but lacked intellect and ability. Hope ya got ya money up front, hon... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-10-02 20:18 |
| #2 "aspirational rather than operational" Methinks this is one delicate little distinction that will become increasingly irrelevant as the GWoT continues. If you want to kill us in large numbers, your ability or inability to do so is no longer quite as germane. Intent to commit terrorist acts represents an open door through which other more capable operatives might actually enter into action in place of the original conspirator. Therefore, merely having laid groundwork—like video taping locations or assembling schedules—may end up being regarded as sufficient cause to imprison for a lengthy duration. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-10-02 20:09 |
| #1 Miami men 'plotted to overthrow US' I've seen these guys and they couldn't overthrow a wet towel. |
| Posted by: Red Dawg 2007-10-02 19:57 |