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CNN Live Today

About Four Hours From Now, Hearing Resumes in Buffalo

Aired September 20, 2002 - 10:05   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: About four hours from now, a hearing resumes in Buffalo, New York. Prosecutors are asking a judge to not grant bail to six men accused of operating a terror cell in suburban Lackawanna.
CNN's Jeff Flock has been covering this case and joins us now with the latest.

So, Jeff, defense really putting on the full-court press here, saying there just isn't enough to hold these guys?

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's what they're saying, and this is really taking a long time. No one that I have talked to has seen a bond hearing the last three days. That's what the case is. Were it were anything but terrorism, I don't think we would be standing here for three days.

But clearly, this judge wants to make a clear record. If there is any chance that they are going to give bond to any of these men, he wants to make sure that everything is out the table. Let's show you some of the images from inside court yesterday, as we run down of what was said, specifically the defense. You know, we made a big deal of that e-mail yesterday, the big meal e-mail that was allegedly referring to a terrorist act. The attorney for the man who sent that e-mail yesterday, said it was something he overheard from a cab driver and an old man in the Middle East, nothing that he had any personal knowledge of. So clearing that one up, at least in their mind.

The other defendant, Salim Alwan (ph), disputed the government's notions they could have left that terrorism training camp. They said he didn't know he was going to a terrorism training camp, got there, asked to leave, was refused permission to leave, and he had to eventually feign an ankle injury in order to be allowed to leave.

Now to the government's side of it, we do have some pictures of their evidence, that they submitted into evidence. That includes things like passports of these gentlemen, which demonstrates, the government says, that they did make that trip overseas. The government thinks it will be enough to prove that they actually went there and attended this terrorism training camp, to hold them in custody, and to in fact make their case down the road, both the task force, as we said, as well airlines tickets, and that is some of the strength of their case.

We will have to see. As we said if the judge is taking a big chance in giving someone bond who has been alleged to be involved in some sort of terrorist activities. They want to be sure about it, but the defense would say there really isn't anything there that ties these men to terrorism.

It will be interest to go see how it comes out, and it won't come out at least until next week. He will shut it down at 6:00 local time today. And he will rule sometime next weeks, so we will be waiting a while.

OSBORN: Jeff, a lot of people likely watching that, not the least of which of course are the people who live there. I heard the defense attorney talking about the fact that so many friends and family were willing to put up their homes, their houses, their own money on the line. That being, in his view, an indication that perhaps these kids are innocent?

FLOCK: Well, hundreds and thousands of dollars on the part of community has been pledged. Each of the defendants had said how much they thought they could come up with. So clearly, that does go a long way, I think, towards it, and these guys are members of the community, they were born here, they were raised here, so clearly, they are members of this community.

OSBORN: Thank you, Jeff, live in Buffalo.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired September 20, 2002 - 10:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: About four hours from now, a hearing resumes in Buffalo, New York. Prosecutors are asking a judge to not grant bail to six men accused of operating a terror cell in suburban Lackawanna.
CNN's Jeff Flock has been covering this case and joins us now with the latest.

So, Jeff, defense really putting on the full-court press here, saying there just isn't enough to hold these guys?

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's what they're saying, and this is really taking a long time. No one that I have talked to has seen a bond hearing the last three days. That's what the case is. Were it were anything but terrorism, I don't think we would be standing here for three days.

But clearly, this judge wants to make a clear record. If there is any chance that they are going to give bond to any of these men, he wants to make sure that everything is out the table. Let's show you some of the images from inside court yesterday, as we run down of what was said, specifically the defense. You know, we made a big deal of that e-mail yesterday, the big meal e-mail that was allegedly referring to a terrorist act. The attorney for the man who sent that e-mail yesterday, said it was something he overheard from a cab driver and an old man in the Middle East, nothing that he had any personal knowledge of. So clearing that one up, at least in their mind.

The other defendant, Salim Alwan (ph), disputed the government's notions they could have left that terrorism training camp. They said he didn't know he was going to a terrorism training camp, got there, asked to leave, was refused permission to leave, and he had to eventually feign an ankle injury in order to be allowed to leave.

Now to the government's side of it, we do have some pictures of their evidence, that they submitted into evidence. That includes things like passports of these gentlemen, which demonstrates, the government says, that they did make that trip overseas. The government thinks it will be enough to prove that they actually went there and attended this terrorism training camp, to hold them in custody, and to in fact make their case down the road, both the task force, as we said, as well airlines tickets, and that is some of the strength of their case.

We will have to see. As we said if the judge is taking a big chance in giving someone bond who has been alleged to be involved in some sort of terrorist activities. They want to be sure about it, but the defense would say there really isn't anything there that ties these men to terrorism.

It will be interest to go see how it comes out, and it won't come out at least until next week. He will shut it down at 6:00 local time today. And he will rule sometime next weeks, so we will be waiting a while.

OSBORN: Jeff, a lot of people likely watching that, not the least of which of course are the people who live there. I heard the defense attorney talking about the fact that so many friends and family were willing to put up their homes, their houses, their own money on the line. That being, in his view, an indication that perhaps these kids are innocent?

FLOCK: Well, hundreds and thousands of dollars on the part of community has been pledged. Each of the defendants had said how much they thought they could come up with. So clearly, that does go a long way, I think, towards it, and these guys are members of the community, they were born here, they were raised here, so clearly, they are members of this community.

OSBORN: Thank you, Jeff, live in Buffalo.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com