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American Morning
Bond Hearing Continues Today in Buffalo Terror Trial
Aired September 20, 2002 - 09:13 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: There is a bond hearing for six American men accused of training at an al Qaeda terrorist camp in Afghanistan expected to wrap up today in Buffalo, the men picked up last week in what authorities are now saying was a preemptive strike against a terror cell in the U.S., but the defense insists nothing connects their clients to terrorism.
Jeff Flock back outside the courthouse again this morning in Buffalo. Jeff, good morning.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, one thing we are sure of, it is the longest dog-gone bond hearing I think any of us have ever seen. It has stretched now into its third day, and the judge will not even rule today on bond. He says he is going to make that ruling sometime next week.
Let's take a look at the images from inside the court yesterday while I tie up some loose ends. You know, we made a big deal of that e-mail, that "big meal" e-mail that was an alleged reference to terrorist activity, a bombing or something.
His attorney -- the man who sent the e-mail, his attorney yesterday said it was actually just something he overheard from a cab driver in Middle East. He has no knowledge or anything.
Sahim Alwan, another of the defendants, said -- disputed the notion they could have left that terrorism camp at any time they wanted. He said he didn't know he was going to a terrorism camp, wound up there, tried to leave, cried -- had to eventually fake an ankle injury before they let him leave, and all of them disputed that anyone could leave. It was a remote location.
As to evidence, the government yesterday released some of the evidence it has -- includes passports, as well as airline tickets which they say demonstrate the men did go overseas, were there at a terrorism camp. The question is whether or not that is, in fact, even against the law. The government tried to make arguments that it is just -- against the law just to go there, and to have been there and participated in terrorist training.
The defense making the point that that is not necessarily purely against the law. So, the arguments go on. They will today. Government will have a little time to rebut what the defense has said. Defense will come back with more of a replay.
They are really going to great lengths to hear all sides of this, but we are not going to get a ruling on this until next week, Bill. I'm not even sure exactly when next week.
HEMMER: Jeff, Back up one second. Is there any dispute right now that all six men did attend that terrorist camp, Al-Farouk, outside of Kandahar?
FLOCK: Only two of them have admitted, actually, to have been there, and of course, beyond the evidence of the testimony of the individual ones, there isn't other independent corroborating evidence, because that passport and airplane ticket evidence really gets them only to Pakistan, so the fact that they went into Afghanistan, were there, that is sketchy now too, so that is something we're not even fully sure of.
HEMMER: OK. And one has to wonder too, based on what they heard and saw there, why they did not alert authorities coming back to this country. Jeff, thank you. Jeff Flock 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 - 09:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: There is a bond hearing for six American men accused of training at an al Qaeda terrorist camp in Afghanistan expected to wrap up today in Buffalo, the men picked up last week in what authorities are now saying was a preemptive strike against a terror cell in the U.S., but the defense insists nothing connects their clients to terrorism.
Jeff Flock back outside the courthouse again this morning in Buffalo. Jeff, good morning.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, one thing we are sure of, it is the longest dog-gone bond hearing I think any of us have ever seen. It has stretched now into its third day, and the judge will not even rule today on bond. He says he is going to make that ruling sometime next week.
Let's take a look at the images from inside the court yesterday while I tie up some loose ends. You know, we made a big deal of that e-mail, that "big meal" e-mail that was an alleged reference to terrorist activity, a bombing or something.
His attorney -- the man who sent the e-mail, his attorney yesterday said it was actually just something he overheard from a cab driver in Middle East. He has no knowledge or anything.
Sahim Alwan, another of the defendants, said -- disputed the notion they could have left that terrorism camp at any time they wanted. He said he didn't know he was going to a terrorism camp, wound up there, tried to leave, cried -- had to eventually fake an ankle injury before they let him leave, and all of them disputed that anyone could leave. It was a remote location.
As to evidence, the government yesterday released some of the evidence it has -- includes passports, as well as airline tickets which they say demonstrate the men did go overseas, were there at a terrorism camp. The question is whether or not that is, in fact, even against the law. The government tried to make arguments that it is just -- against the law just to go there, and to have been there and participated in terrorist training.
The defense making the point that that is not necessarily purely against the law. So, the arguments go on. They will today. Government will have a little time to rebut what the defense has said. Defense will come back with more of a replay.
They are really going to great lengths to hear all sides of this, but we are not going to get a ruling on this until next week, Bill. I'm not even sure exactly when next week.
HEMMER: Jeff, Back up one second. Is there any dispute right now that all six men did attend that terrorist camp, Al-Farouk, outside of Kandahar?
FLOCK: Only two of them have admitted, actually, to have been there, and of course, beyond the evidence of the testimony of the individual ones, there isn't other independent corroborating evidence, because that passport and airplane ticket evidence really gets them only to Pakistan, so the fact that they went into Afghanistan, were there, that is sketchy now too, so that is something we're not even fully sure of.
HEMMER: OK. And one has to wonder too, based on what they heard and saw there, why they did not alert authorities coming back to this country. Jeff, thank you. Jeff Flock 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
