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Life inside an al-Qaeda training camp
A New York jury has been given a rare and chilling glimpse of life inside an al Qaida training camp. Yahya Goba, a convicted ringleader of a terror cell, took to the witness stand to recount Osama bin Laden twice visiting a camp and being welcomed by recruits singing and firing shots. "They had everyone sing a welcoming song for him," he said. The 28-year-old gave a detailed account of the training he underwent at the Afghanistan camp in 2001.He was testifying at the trial of Yemeni cleric, Mohamed al-Moayad, charged with providing financial support for terrorism to al Qaida and Palestinian militant group Hamas. During the six weeks Goba was at the camp, bin Laden arrived twice to address some 200 trainees, he said. One of the visits was captured on tape by Arabic television network al-Jazeera and played to Brooklyn federal court. "He entered from the east gate with his cars and bodyguards," Goba told the court. He then made a speech about "uniting in jihad" Goba said he had filled out a a training camp entry form in May 2001 before travelling from the US to Kandahar, Afghanistan. After daily meetings focusing on religious observance, Goba was recruited and entered the al-Farooq camp.He described training in military tactics, weaponry and explosives. Jurors were told how recuits bedded down in dusty yellow tents marked with the initials of the United Nations and learning to put together and take apart machine guns, pistols and assault rifles. Goba has no ties to Moayad, but the sheik is accused of recommending another recruit for entrance to an al Qaeda training camp. The judge allowed jurors to see a camp entry form listing al-Moayad as the sponsor of a trainee. Goba confirmed it was impossible to gain admission to a camp without such a reference. He is one of six men from the Buffalo suburb of Lackawanna who pleaded guilty to supporting terrorism. They were arrested in 2002. Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-03-03 |
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