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| Europe |
| Al-Qaeda Trial Resumes In North Germany |
| 2006-06-13 |
| Duesseldorf, 13 June (AKI) - The trial of three Arab men, charged in connection with an alleged al-Qaeda plot to raise funds for militants and carry out a suicide attack was due to resume in Duesseldorf, northern Germany on Tuesday. The principal defendant is Mohamed K, believed to be a Syrian national, who German prosecutors allege was involved in the command of al-Qaeda and was in contact with the organisation's leader, Osama bin Laden. Mohamed K is alleged to have recruited a stateless Palestinian, Yasser Abu S, and his brother, Isamel Abu S to carry out the planned suicide attack and to help raise money through dozens of false life insurance claims worth 1.3 million euros. Mohamed K provided "logistical support" for al-Qaeda, and tried but failed to obtain nuclear materials, the prosecution alleges. Yasser Abu S, 32, was allegedly a member of al-Qaeda and apparently wanted to become a suicide bomber in Iraq, while his brother Ismail, 28 was allegedly an al-Qaeda supporter. The three suspects are accused of 10 counts of fraud and 23 counts of attempted fraud, and of using the money they obtained to support international terrorism. Mohamed K. and Yasser Abu S. allegedly attempted to raise money by taking out an 800,000 euros life insurance policy on Yasser, who intended to fake a fatal traffic accident and use the money to fund terrorism, said an indictment released in December. All three men deny all charges. Mohamed K came to Germany as an asylum-seeker and began working there in 2002. He obtained German travel documents, enabling him to move freely around Europe before he was arrested in the German city of Mainz, near Frankfurt, in January 2005. The trial which opened last month is expected to last several months. Its presiding judge, Ottmar Breidling, has already convicted several members of the al-Qaeda linked al-Tawhid terrorist group. |
| Posted by:Steve |