A Jordanian who was sentenced to four years in prison for helping plan terror attacks in Germany has been granted early release, a German court said Friday. Shadi Abdellah, 28, was sentenced a year ago for assisting a terrorist network headed by Islamic militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He has now served more than half of that time, including the time he spent in custody awaiting trial. While in prison, he served as a government witness in several German terror trials, including that of his alleged co-plotters in the German cell of the Al Tawhid group. In exchange for his testimony, Abdellah entered Germany's witness protection program.
| They've dyed his hair blond, and he now answers to "Fritz." He's married a nice lady named Helga, and he's bought a house and a BMW. He's still working on developing a taste for Schweinehachse and Berliner Kindl beer... |
While the Duesseldorf court said Friday it had commuted the remainder of the sentence to probation and released him, it would not say where he was. Abdellah, who says he once briefly served as Osama bin Laden's bodyguard in Afghanistan, was arrested along with other alleged members of the Al Tawhid group in Germany in April 2002 on suspicion of plotting imminent terror attacks in the country. During his five-month trial he spoke openly of Al Tawhid's possible targets. Abdellah "has turned away from Al Tawhid and has served the German state as a witness in cases against other suspected members and supporters of the Islamic terrorist scene," the court said in a statement.
| Good luck to him. And good luck to the Germans, assuming he's still living there. |
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