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India-Pakistan
"Wudn't me!" say consulate boomers
2003-03-30
Five suspected Islamic snuffies militants accused of orchestrating a devastating car bomb that killed 12 people outside the U.S. Consulate told a judge Saturday police extracted their confessions by torture. Denying responsibility for the bombing, the defendants told the judge they were being used as "scapegoats" to ingratiate Pakistan with the U.S. government. If convicted, they could be sentenced to death. "We never gave any voluntary statements of confession," Mohammed Hanif said. "I was tortured, therefore this evidence should not be admissible." Hanif said he was "made to sleep on a slab of ice" while in police custody.
Thought I felt a twinge of sympathy there for a second, but it was last night's chili...
Hanif's statement was endorsed by the other defendants: Mohammed Ashraf, Mohammed Imran, and Sharib and Mufti Zubair.
Imran was reputed to be the head of the al-Aalmi faction that unleashed a reign of terror on Pakland last summer...
Hanif said their photographs had appeared in newspapers after their arrest, which should invalidate testimony earlier this month by prosecution witnesses who identified four of the five in a police lineup. The witnesses said they saw the four climb out of the truck moments before it exploded. The suspects also denied any link to the militant group Harkat-ul-Mujahedeen Al-Aalmi, which authorities say has links to the al-Qaeda network. "The allegations of prosecution are in fact a pack of lies," said defense attorney Abdul Waheed Katpar. "I am fully confident that all of the defendants will be freed."
"Lies! All lies! A pack of lies! A bucket of lies! Not a word of truth, nope, nope!"
The trial, held in a prison for greater security, was adjourned until April 7, when the prosecution will summarize its case. The defense said it has no witnesses to call.
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

#3  I find it amazing that the defense claims that these are all lies, yet can produce no witnesses to establish alibis for the defendants?????? How the hell are we supposed to swallow that load of crap!?!?
Posted by: Steve   2003-03-30 20:48:42  

#2  Denying responsibility for the bombing, the defendants told the judge they were being used as "scapegoats" to ingratiate Pakistan with the U.S. government.

Aren't they supposed to be PROUD of their little Pequod, or Nimrod, or Jihad or whatever the flip they're calling it?

I guess a death sentence is bad.
Death sentence=bad
Suicide=good

Wow, the intricacies and wonder of The Religion of Peace [tm].
Posted by: Celissa   2003-03-30 13:15:31  

#1  I find it amazing that the defense claims that these are all lies, yet can produce no witnesses to establish alibis for the defendants?????? How the hell are we supposed to swallow that load of crap!?!?
Posted by: Steve   3/30/2003 8:48:42 PM  

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