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| More on the al-Moayad conviction |
| 2005-03-11 |
| A New York jury Thursday convicted a Muslim cleric from Yemen of conspiring to aid the terrorist groups al Qaeda and Hamas. Sheik Mohammed Ali Hasan al-Moayad was accused of funneling millions of dollars to al Qaeda, the radical Islamic group behind the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as well as Palestinian-backed Hamas, responsible for ongoing atrocities in Israel. After a five-week trial and five days of deliberating, the jury found al-Moayad, 56, did conspire to provide material support and resources to the foreign terrorist organizations. The jury also found that an assistant, Mohammed Mohsen Yahya Zayed, 31, from Yemen, was also guilty of the terrorism conspiracy. Al-Moayad and Zayed went on trial in January in federal court in Brooklyn. The defendants were arrested two years ago in a sting operation that culminated in Germany. The government's case relied largely on secretly videotaped conversations between the defendants and a pair undercover FBI informants at a Frankfurt hotel in 2003. One of the informants, Mohamed Alanssi, testified that al-Moayad boasted about giving money, weapons and recruits to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Alanssi said al-Moayad told him he personally delivered $20 million to bin Laden before the September 11 attacks and $3.5 million to Hamas. Surveillance tapes played in court showed al-Moayad and the informants discussing funneling $2.5 million into the fight against America's "Zionist government." Al-Moayad denied he gave any money to bin Laden and said their relationship was one that dated to the years when bin Laden was battling Soviet forces in Afghanistan, a cause they shared with the United States. Al-Moayad contended the money raised was for charitable causes in Yemen, where al-Moayad is an influential religious and political leader. U.S. Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf, whose office prosecuted the case, said after the verdicts, "Money is the lifeblood of terrorism, and one of our number one priorities is to stop money flowing to terrorists before can be used for bullets and bombs." Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said, "Today's convictions mark another important step in our war on terrorism. Those who conspire to support and finance the terrorist actions of al Qaeda and other enemies will be found and they will face justice." The government originally planned to call Alanssi as its star witness until he set himself on fire outside the White House last November protesting his treatment at the hands of the FBI. Instead, in a strange twist in the case, Alanssi was called as a hostile witness by defense attorneys who hoped to damage his credibility by drawing attention to the White House incident, and allegations against him of financial wrongdoing and dishonesty. Al-Moayad began yelling at the courtroom gallery in Arabic after the verdicts were read. Minutes later, he said, "I want to speak with you" to the small crowd before he left the courtroom. The five man, seven women jury remained anonymous throughout the case. Five jurors spoke to reporters, who agreed to protect their anonymity. They said that Alanssi's testimony was not as pivotal to their verdicts as the videotapes of the defendants discussing their actions. They also said they did not convict al-Moayad of one count, actually providing material support to al Qaeda, because his relationship with bin Laden predated the period covered by the charges, which began in 1999. The charges were brought in the Eastern District of New York because al-Moayad allegedly collected terrorist funds at the al-Farooq mosque in Brooklyn. Al-Moayad faces a maximum of 75 years in prison when he is sentenced May 13. Zayed faces up to 45 years. Jon Marks, Zayed's attorney, said he was "saddened" by the verdict and that "there was no evidence that had an intention to commit these crimes." William Goodman, al-Moayad's attorney, said, "In the end, rather than crippling the cause of terrorism, I believe the prosecution in conflicts such as this can only strengthen these evil people in the world who wish to perpetrate more terrorism." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #4 yep. DU makes an excellent vaccine for terrorists. Seems Allah didn't plan for so dense a material, whoda thunk it, all 7th century and all.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-03-11 10:53:22 PM |
| #3 Oh, and George: one of your interests, as you discuss on your own blog, is the effect of depleted uranium. Several Rantburgers happen to be quite knowledgeable on the subject, and it has been discussed here several times. Go search the archives, and you will learn some things both interesting and useful. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-03-11 10:43:16 PM |
| #2 The charges were brought in the Eastern District of New York because al-Moayad allegedly collected terrorist funds at the al-Farooq mosque in Brooklyn. I believe conspiracy to commit a crime can be criminal activity on its own. And, the man actively collected monies which he passed on to terrorist organizations in order to fund the committing of terror. This also falls under the heading of criminal activity. No doubt one of Rantburg's practicing attorneys can clarify better than I. Ladies, gentlemen, your thoughts please. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-03-11 10:40:42 PM |
| #1 What the news reports didn't explain: (1) Why conversations held in Germany are violations of US law. (2) Why private conversations can be illegal when there are no consequent actions. |
| Posted by: George T. Kysor 2005-03-11 4:04:16 PM |