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| Home Front: WoT |
| Toledo terror trial finally underway |
| 2008-03-06 |
| The three men accused of plotting to kill U.S. soldiers blended easily into the city's thriving Muslim community. One was a college student who helped his brother run a used-car lot. One worked at a bakery. The third was a married father of seven.They met at a tiny storefront mosque where they prayed. They shared an interest in guns. The question a jury must decide is whether their interests went beyond that. Jury selection began yesterday for the three Middle Eastern men accused of trying to recruit and train terrorists to attack U.S. and allied troops, including military personnel in Iraq. The trial is expected to last three months. Federal prosecutors say the three men, who all lived in the Toledo area for a time, attended a Muslim convention in Cleveland in the summer of 2004 where they talked about training in explosives, guns and sniper tactics. The men were there with a former U.S. military man who worked undercover and helped foil the plot, said Gregg Sofer, a Justice Department attorney. At the convention, the men discussed a five-year plan to carry out their mission, Sofer said during a bond hearing last April. Mohammad Zaki Amawi, Marwan Othman El-Hindi and Wassim I. Mazloum have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to kill or maim people outside the United States. Two Chicago-area cousins also are accused of taking part and are scheduled to face trial a year from now. The five allegedly sought recruits and sites for training in firearms, hand-to-hand combat and the use of explosives, according to a federal indictment. They also are accused of agreeing to raise funds for training and of downloading Internet information on improvised explosive devices. The U.S. veteran, a Muslim identified in court documents only as "the trainer," taught the three others how to shoot guns and assemble explosives, the government says. The men face a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. Attorneys for the men declined to comment. They have said that the informant overreached and instigated the investigation. They also have argued that the men can't get a fair trial because of publicity the case has received. The three also are charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists. Amawi was charged with verbally threatening the president and unlawful distribution of a video about suicide bomber vests. Amawi and El-Hindi also are charged with distributing information about explosive chemicals downloaded from the Internet. |
| Posted by:lotp |
| #4 I lived in Toledo. I knew it was heavily Democratic but not a hotbed for terrorism. Detroit is close by which does have a large muslim population. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2008-03-06 13:06 |
| #3 Indeed, TW. And not just civilization in general, but his oath as a soldier as well, retirement notwithstanding. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-03-06 12:46 |
| #2 a former U.S. military man who worked undercover and helped foil the plot... The U.S. veteran, a Muslim Thank you, sir, for choosing civilization vs. jihad. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-03-06 12:02 |
| #1 The three men accused of plotting to kill U.S. soldiers blended easily into the city's Fixed it. |
| Posted by: Pholuper Forkbeard8378 2008-03-06 09:47 |