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| Arabia |
| Cole defendant offers mosque alibi |
| 2004-09-04 |
| Jamal Al-Badawi, the mastermind suspect of the USS Cole bombing in 2000 listens to the witnesses with three other suspects behind. SANA'A - USS Cole suspect defense lawyer Abdul-Aziz Al-Samawi presented alibi witnesses on Wednesday for Jamal Al-Badawi, who he said had been in Sana'a when the October 2000 attack occurred. Amar Rashed, one witness, said that the defendant had come to Sana'a a few days prior to the explosion, because Rashed was to be appointed as a mosque preacher in Aden and Al-Badawi was a member of the mosque's committee. He said that the two heard about the assault while they were in Sana'a. He also disputed the claim that Al-Badawi had called Fahd Al-Qusai. A second witness corroborated Rashed's testimony. "I met them both, Jamal and Amar, at the door or of a mosque one Friday prior to the attacks and I do not think Jamal had contacted Fahd Al-Qusai," he said under oath. A third witness, Abdul-Karim Ahmed Sharhan, was barred from testifying because he was the uncle of Al-Badawi. The Court heard additional arguments by the prosecution countering Al-Samawi's evidence. A copy of the controversial transport permit issued by former interior minister, Hussein Arab was submitted to the court. Prosecutors said that the document was issued to "Sheikh Mohammed Omar Al-Harazi", which turned out to be an alias of Abdul-Rahim Al-Nashiri, the alleged mastermind of the attacks currently held by the United States. During the session, Al-Samawi was fined YR 2,000 for being held in contempt during the proceedings. He was also instructed to bring the original copy of the transport permit and present it to the prosecution. The prosecution was ordered by the court to allow the Cole suspects to see their families and to be moved from their solitary cells to a collective prison. It also assigned journalist Mohammed Faria Al-Shaibai of Al-Ayyam Daily to verify and prepare a report on the possibility of photos being taken of the Cole, from a specific location, with a camera found with the suspects when the Cole bombing took place. The case was adjourned until this Wednesday. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Al Capone was in Florida during the St. Valentine's day massacre, too, but he pulled all the strings... |
| Posted by: PBMcL 2004-09-04 12:36:13 AM |
| #1 Cole defendant offers mosque alibi Allah was talking inside my head. "Get the infidel ship! Get the infidel ship! Get the infidel ship! I had to obey." The trial testimony in the article is just flatulance. |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-09-04 12:35:20 AM |