A German court Thursday freed a Moroccan accused of supporting the Sept. 11 al-Qaeda cell in Hamburg, saying there was new evidence he did not know about the plot.
| "Nope. Nope. I dunno nuttin'..." |
The decision also cast doubt on the only conviction so far in the suicide attacks in the United States. Prosecutors filed an immediate appeal, but the release order holds until a ruling is made. The trial was recessed until next Thursday, and it was not clear when the appeal would be heard. Despite questioning the validity of the new evidence, the Hamburg high state court said Mzoudi had to be freed because there now was "a serious possibility" he knew nothing of the plot. Lawyers for the only convicted Sept. 11 plotter worldwide, Mzoudi’s friend Mounir el Motassadeq, immediately called for their client’s release as well.
| "Nope. Nope. He don't know nuttin', too..." |
The court hearing the case against Mzoudi was the same tribunal that convicted el Motassadeq in February of 3,066 counts of accessory to murder and membership in a terrorist organization. He was sentenced to the maximum 15 years in prison, and an appeal is pending. The court ordered Mzoudi freed after questioning the truth of a statement purportedly by Ramzi Bin al-shibh, the Hamburg cell’s suspected key contact with al-Qaeda. The court said Binalshibh had an interest in protecting the al-Qaeda cell, and Mzoudi, 31, might have been ignorant of the plot.
| "Who y'gonna believe, y'r honor? My client — a fine, upstanding young man, despite his turban and his habit of rolling his eyes — or that... that... terrorist!" |
In its letter submitted to the Hamburg state court, the Federal Criminal Office said it had received information that an informant had made a statement last month identifying the only members of the Hamburg Sept. 11 cell as Bin al-shibh and three of the suicide hijackers — Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi and Ziad Jarrah.
| "So y'see, the witnesses are all dead! Or in custody..." |
"These four people at no time spoke with others about the actual operations or creation of a terrorist cell for inciting a holy war," the letter said. However, the agency cautioned that the new evidence contradicted earlier statements made by the same person, specifically in relation to the Hamburg cell.
| "Well, yeah. Sure he said that. But he didn't mean it!" |
Also, al-Qaeda trained members for deception under interrogation, the letter said.
| "So we'll never know what's really true, so it's best to just let 'em all go, right?" |
Chief prosecutor Walter Hemberger immediately discounted the new evidence. He said it would be natural for Bin al-shibh to protect the cell and that there is ample evidence to prove that others were involved, including fugitive Zakariya Essabar. He fled Hamburg shortly before the attacks and is wanted by Germany on an international arrest warrant.
What the hell is wrong with Germany? Damn, they probably will end up letting them all go, and how about 15 years for being an accomplice in murdering over 3,000 people? Notice it is on appeal too, I would’nt be surprised if they lowered his 15 years. If youre a mass murdering Islamic terrorist, seems there is no better place to get caught than Germany, why not put up a big neon sign saying murder as many as you want, you’ll only serve a few years(especially if you murder Americans). |