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CNN Live At Daybreak
Verdict Due in First 9/11 Conspiracy Trial
Aired February 19, 2003 - 06:33 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In just about an hour, we are expecting to hear the fate of Mounir el Motassadeq, the first man outside of the United States to stand trial for crimes related to 9/11. A verdict due in Hamburg, Germany, and that's where our Matthew Chance is standing by live.
And, Matthew, this is not an open-and-shut case, is it?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's certainly not. It's not exactly clear if the case has been made against Mounir el Motassadeq, that he had criminal intent.
What he is charged with, this 28-year-old Moroccan here in Hamburg, he's charged with belonging to the Hamburg-based cell of al Qaeda, which is believed, with Mohamed Atta at its head, to have led the attacks against New York and Washington on September the 11th. As such, as somebody who is associated with this group, Motassadeq is also charged with being an accessory in the murder of 3,045 people. He himself, though, says that he had no knowledge at all of the 9/11 plan -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So, Matthew, what evidence do they have against him?
CHANCE: Well, the evidence is pretty circumstantial. Certainly, Motassadeq has made no secret of the fact that he was a very close associate of a number of the people who were key in this Hamburg al Qaeda cell. His is the signature -- the witness signature on the last will and testament of Mohamed Atta.
He's also found to have been the person with the power of attorney of the bank account of the individual believed to have piloted the second plane into the World Trade Center, Marwan al- Shehhi. So, he doesnt deny any of that.
It's also emerged as well, though, that he did receive weapons training at a camp in Afghanistan that was run by none other than Osama bin Laden. He himself, Motassadeq, saying he only did that because he believes all Muslims should know how to use a gun.
The court, of course, is going to decide whether he actually did have any criminal knowledge ahead, prior to the 9/11 attacks.
COSTELLO: All right, and if convicted, he could spend decades behind bars.
Matthew Chance reporting live from Hamburg, Germany this morning.
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 February 19, 2003 - 06:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In just about an hour, we are expecting to hear the fate of Mounir el Motassadeq, the first man outside of the United States to stand trial for crimes related to 9/11. A verdict due in Hamburg, Germany, and that's where our Matthew Chance is standing by live.
And, Matthew, this is not an open-and-shut case, is it?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's certainly not. It's not exactly clear if the case has been made against Mounir el Motassadeq, that he had criminal intent.
What he is charged with, this 28-year-old Moroccan here in Hamburg, he's charged with belonging to the Hamburg-based cell of al Qaeda, which is believed, with Mohamed Atta at its head, to have led the attacks against New York and Washington on September the 11th. As such, as somebody who is associated with this group, Motassadeq is also charged with being an accessory in the murder of 3,045 people. He himself, though, says that he had no knowledge at all of the 9/11 plan -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So, Matthew, what evidence do they have against him?
CHANCE: Well, the evidence is pretty circumstantial. Certainly, Motassadeq has made no secret of the fact that he was a very close associate of a number of the people who were key in this Hamburg al Qaeda cell. His is the signature -- the witness signature on the last will and testament of Mohamed Atta.
He's also found to have been the person with the power of attorney of the bank account of the individual believed to have piloted the second plane into the World Trade Center, Marwan al- Shehhi. So, he doesnt deny any of that.
It's also emerged as well, though, that he did receive weapons training at a camp in Afghanistan that was run by none other than Osama bin Laden. He himself, Motassadeq, saying he only did that because he believes all Muslims should know how to use a gun.
The court, of course, is going to decide whether he actually did have any criminal knowledge ahead, prior to the 9/11 attacks.
COSTELLO: All right, and if convicted, he could spend decades behind bars.
Matthew Chance reporting live from Hamburg, Germany this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
