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American Morning
Interview with Joseph LaTona
Aired September 20, 2002 - 09:19 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: As Jeff Flock just reported moments ago, two of the six terror suspects in Buffalo, who are waiting to see if they will be freed on bail, have -- reportedly admitting training at the same al Qaeda camp in Afghanistan as American Taliban John Walker Lindh.
But, defense attorney Joe LaTona says "mere presence alone just doesn't do it." Mr. LaTona joins us now from Buffalo. He represents Faysal Galab, one of the six suspects -- good morning, sir, thanks for being with us.
JOSEPH LATONA, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Good morning.
ZAHN: Did your client ever attend an al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan?
LATONA: Look, my client has pled not guilty. He has said he is innocent, and that is all we have to say in court, and that is all I have to say this morning.
ZAHN: Well, you know what investigators are saying, they are saying your client, along with the five others indeed attended a training camp, and were actually trained to use assault rifles and other weapons.
LATONA: Well, I don't really care what the investigators have to say, and as occurred yesterday in court, one of the things that we did challenge was the reliability of statements, not by investigators, but by other individuals.
ZAHN: Do you want to expand on that, the problem you had with that?
LATONA: Well, no, the statements of Mr. Alwan and al-Bakri, I mean, this is what we said in court yesterday, and that there are serious issues as to the reliability of those statements.
ZAHN: Does -- what is your client's relationship to Sahim Alwan and Mukhtar al-Bakri?
LATONA: He knows them, you know, the Lackawanna -- from the Lackawanna community. He knows who they are.
ZAHN: Did they spend time together?
LATONA: I am sure they did in Lackawanna from time to time, that they spent time together. Yes. ZAHN: Do you know what they talked about?
LATONA: I really don't. I don't think there was any discussions having anything to do with the allegations against my client or those individuals, and I think it is important to note that there was not one shed of evidence that there was any activity subsequent to in and around June 2001 to promote or participate in any illegal activities.
ZAHN: Jeff Flock reported...
LATONA: This is why...
ZAHN: Oh, sorry, sir. I wanted to ask you this question. Jeff Flock was saying that when you look at what the investigators have in spite of these -- two of the six admitting they did train in an al Qaeda training camp, that the paperwork on the four others only gets some of them to Pakistan. Can you tell us today, and confirm for the first time on the record, whether your client had travelled to Pakistan recently?
LATONA: Well, not recently, but he did travel to Pakistan as was part of the government's proffer. The plane ticket was proffered before the judge.
ZAHN: And why did he go to Pakistan?
LATONA: For personal reasons having nothing to do with going over to participate or be present at any type of illegal activity.
ZAHN: How do you plan to fight these charges?
LATONA: Vigorously, thoroughly, at every opportunity I get.
ZAHN: Do you think your client will make bail?
LATONA: That is up to the judge, and certainly that is the first battle that we're fighting in this case.
ZAHN: And you...
LATONA: We'll be back in court at 2:00.
ZAHN: You no doubt have heard the allocations of prosecutors who are essentially saying event though a number of these six have basically declared poverty, that, in fact, you can trace thousands of dollars on them through transactions at a casino. What you can tell us about that?
LATONA: What I can say is that has nothing to do with my client. My client has been employed, is employed as a self-employed business person. Those allegations have nothing to do with my client.
ZAHN: Mr. LaTona, we'll be watching what happens in court today. Mr. LaTona represents Faysal Galab, one of the six being accused of being al Qaeda operatives. Thank you very much for your time this morning. Appreciate it. LATONA: Thanks a lot.
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 - 09:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: As Jeff Flock just reported moments ago, two of the six terror suspects in Buffalo, who are waiting to see if they will be freed on bail, have -- reportedly admitting training at the same al Qaeda camp in Afghanistan as American Taliban John Walker Lindh.
But, defense attorney Joe LaTona says "mere presence alone just doesn't do it." Mr. LaTona joins us now from Buffalo. He represents Faysal Galab, one of the six suspects -- good morning, sir, thanks for being with us.
JOSEPH LATONA, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Good morning.
ZAHN: Did your client ever attend an al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan?
LATONA: Look, my client has pled not guilty. He has said he is innocent, and that is all we have to say in court, and that is all I have to say this morning.
ZAHN: Well, you know what investigators are saying, they are saying your client, along with the five others indeed attended a training camp, and were actually trained to use assault rifles and other weapons.
LATONA: Well, I don't really care what the investigators have to say, and as occurred yesterday in court, one of the things that we did challenge was the reliability of statements, not by investigators, but by other individuals.
ZAHN: Do you want to expand on that, the problem you had with that?
LATONA: Well, no, the statements of Mr. Alwan and al-Bakri, I mean, this is what we said in court yesterday, and that there are serious issues as to the reliability of those statements.
ZAHN: Does -- what is your client's relationship to Sahim Alwan and Mukhtar al-Bakri?
LATONA: He knows them, you know, the Lackawanna -- from the Lackawanna community. He knows who they are.
ZAHN: Did they spend time together?
LATONA: I am sure they did in Lackawanna from time to time, that they spent time together. Yes. ZAHN: Do you know what they talked about?
LATONA: I really don't. I don't think there was any discussions having anything to do with the allegations against my client or those individuals, and I think it is important to note that there was not one shed of evidence that there was any activity subsequent to in and around June 2001 to promote or participate in any illegal activities.
ZAHN: Jeff Flock reported...
LATONA: This is why...
ZAHN: Oh, sorry, sir. I wanted to ask you this question. Jeff Flock was saying that when you look at what the investigators have in spite of these -- two of the six admitting they did train in an al Qaeda training camp, that the paperwork on the four others only gets some of them to Pakistan. Can you tell us today, and confirm for the first time on the record, whether your client had travelled to Pakistan recently?
LATONA: Well, not recently, but he did travel to Pakistan as was part of the government's proffer. The plane ticket was proffered before the judge.
ZAHN: And why did he go to Pakistan?
LATONA: For personal reasons having nothing to do with going over to participate or be present at any type of illegal activity.
ZAHN: How do you plan to fight these charges?
LATONA: Vigorously, thoroughly, at every opportunity I get.
ZAHN: Do you think your client will make bail?
LATONA: That is up to the judge, and certainly that is the first battle that we're fighting in this case.
ZAHN: And you...
LATONA: We'll be back in court at 2:00.
ZAHN: You no doubt have heard the allocations of prosecutors who are essentially saying event though a number of these six have basically declared poverty, that, in fact, you can trace thousands of dollars on them through transactions at a casino. What you can tell us about that?
LATONA: What I can say is that has nothing to do with my client. My client has been employed, is employed as a self-employed business person. Those allegations have nothing to do with my client.
ZAHN: Mr. LaTona, we'll be watching what happens in court today. Mr. LaTona represents Faysal Galab, one of the six being accused of being al Qaeda operatives. Thank you very much for your time this morning. Appreciate it. LATONA: Thanks a lot.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
