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| India-Pakistan |
| US terror suspects in Pakistan keen to return home |
| 2010-05-16 |
| [Dawn] Five Americans held in Pakistan on terrorism charges informed a judge in written statements Saturday that they were innocent and keen to return to the United States, a defence lawyer said. The men aged between 19 and 25 are being tried behind closed doors at an anti-terrorism court in a district jail in the eastern city of Sargodha, where they were arrested in December. They were indicted in March and have denied charges of funnelling money to outlaws and of plotting a terror attack. They face life in prison if convicted. The men have again professed their innocence in separate written statements submitted to the judge, Mian Anwar Nazeer, defence lawyer Hassan Katchela said. "They denied the charges, insisting that they opposed violence and bloodshed and had been engaged in peace and social work," Katchela told AFP by telephone after the court adjourned until May 21. Seven charges have been filed against the five suspects, Umar Farooq, Waqar Hussain, Rami Zamzam, Ahmad Abdullah Mini and Amman Hassan Yammer. "My only wish is to be back home and join my mom," Mini said in his statement to the judge. "She always taught me to be kind to the people and be peaceful. I never wanted to disobey my parents. I miss them and I wish to return home as soon as possible," Mini wrote. Claiming to be a "liberal" person, Mini also told the judge he once won an inter-school "breakdancing" contest in his home state of Virginia, his lawyer said. Mini, who said he ran an organisation in the US called Protest for Peace, said he had been "inspired after seeing a movie 'Kite Runner' in 2008 and decided to go and do charity work in Afghanistan." The movie, about two boys' war-wracked childhood in Afghanistan, also inspired Waqar Hussain, who was quoted by Katchela as telling the judge that it had inspired him to help Afghanistan's people. "I always worked for peace and and would like to be in my country soon. I want to complete my studies in radiology and live with my beautiful fiancee," his lawyer quoted him as telling the judge. Defence lawyers last month cross-examined nine prosecution witnesses including district police chief Usman Anwar, who said the suspects were plotting to conduct a campaign terror in Pakistan. Investigators believe the men planned to travel from Sargodha to South Waziristan, a training ground for Islamist militants in Pakistan's lawless tribal belt and a region targeted by a major military operation last year. Prosecution lawyer Nadeem Cheema confirmed that the accused had denied the charges. The case may be concluded sometime next month, Cheema said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 They change their intentions after they discovered that their bomb instructor also had Fizzle Shadzan as a student? |
| Posted by: HammerHead 2010-05-16 09:17 |
| #4 No reset button, lads. So sorry. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-05-16 07:55 |
| #3 Traitors with a common theme pakistani background just like here in the UK! |
| Posted by: Paul D 2010-05-16 04:22 |
| #2 "Take my citizens. Please!" |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-05-16 00:37 |
| #1 keep em - we don't want them back. No, really. Keep em |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-05-16 00:30 |