MIAMI, Dec. 13, 2007
Jury Deadlocks In Homegrown Terror Trial
Mistrial Declared After One Acquittal In Sears Tower Plot; Govt. Will Retry Other Suspects
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U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Arango, center, makes her closing arguments before Judge Joan Lenard during the so-called "Liberty City Seven" trial in Miami, Nov. 29, 2007. Arango said Narseal Batiste, center, seated in brown jacket, was the commander of a homegrown terrorism cell that sought an unholy alliance with al-Qaida to destroy the Chicago Sears Tower and bomb several FBI offices. (AP/Shirley Henderson)
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Federal prosecutor Richard Gregorie said the government plans to retry the six next year. The Bush administration had seized on the case to illustrate the dangers of homegrown terrorism and trumpet the government's post-Sept. 11 success in infiltrating and smashing terrorism plots in their earliest stages.
Lyglenson Lemorin was acquitted and buried his face in his hands when the verdict was read.
The jury gave up on the other defendants after nine days of deliberations on four terrorism-related conspiracy charges that carry a combined maximum of 70 years in prison. The jury twice sent notes to the judge indicating they could not reach verdicts but were told to keep trying. The mistrial came after their third note.
"We believe no further progress can be made," it said. U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard read the note in court.
Prosecutors said the "Liberty City Seven" - so-named because they operated out of a warehouse in Miami's blighted Liberty City section - swore allegiance to al Qaeda and hoped to forge an alliance to carry out bombings against America's tallest skyscraper, the FBI's Miami office and other federal buildings.
The group never actually made contact with al Qaeda. Instead, a paid FBI informant known as Brother Mohammed posed as an al Qaeda emissary.
The defense portrayed the seven men as hapless figures who were either manipulated and entrapped by the FBI or went along with the plot to con "Mohammed" out of $50,000.
The group never actually made contact with al Qaeda and never acquired any weapons or explosives. Prosecutors said no attack was imminent, acknowledging that the alleged terror cell was "more aspirational than operational."
But then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said after the arrests in mid-2006 that the group was emblematic of the "smaller, more loosely defined cells who are not affiliated with al Qaeda, but who are inspired by a violent jihadist message."
And U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta of Miami said: "Our mission is to disrupt these cells if possible before they acquire the capability to implement their plans."
The Liberty City Seven, who included immigrants from Haiti and the Dominican Republic, adhered to a sect called the Moorish Science Temple that blends elements of Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
The government case was built largely on FBI surveillance video and some 12,000 telephone intercepts.
One key piece of evidence was a video of the seven men taking an oath of loyalty to al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden in a March 2006 ceremony.
Also, the group's leader, 33-year-old Narseal Batiste was overheard talking about starting a "full ground war" against the U.S. government by bringing down the 110-story Sears Tower - an attack he said would be "as good or greater than 9/11."
Batiste also supplied the informant with detailed wish lists that included assault rifles, bulletproof vests, uniforms, motorcycles and $50,000 in cash, prosecutors said.
However, Batiste testified he faked interest in the plot and really only wanted the money.
Members of the group also took reconnaissance photos of the FBI office and downtown federal buildings at the informant's request.
Defense lawyers contended that the informant and an overzealous FBI were responsible for pushing the alleged conspiracy along.
"This was all written, directed and produced by the FBI," said defense attorney Albert Levin.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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- This is why we pay taxes to help procecuters build a name for themselves it''s been going on a long time with no end in sight some of our presidents have been former procecuters there just looking for a pat on the back and some fool will give them one and it starts all over.
- Reply to this comment
- So they were prosecuted for having terrorist thoughts!
How can people live in a totalitarian society without having such thoughts? and how can a government be totaltrain with prosecuting people for these same thoughts?
This thing bush started could really snowball out of controll fast! - Reply to this comment
- Deadlocked,mistrial,thats why you let the military try all of these terrorist.What are we going to do train them to fly planes now! Posted by swwils at 10:58 PM : Dec 13, 2007
Your calling them terrorist but they weren''t found guilty. Maybe they are extortionist, only going for the $50,000.
Military tribunals are as one sided as they come. It would make it easier to get a conviction using the military because as a defendant you can be tortured, denied access to attorneys, can''t cross examine witnesses, not shown evidence and not judged by your peers. Doesn''t sound fare to me. - Reply to this comment
- What are we going to do train them to fly planes now! asked swwils several times over and over.
The answer. No need to fly. Give them a cigarette lighter in the dry season and send them to the south west by bus. The National Guard is chasing their tails in Iraq and so is their equipment. - Reply to this comment
- History proves that the worst, most murderous terrorists in history are governments with too much power.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. - Reply to this comment
- Deadlocked,mistrial,thats why you let the military try all of these terrorist.What are we going to do train them to fly planes now!
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Posted by swwils at 11:03 PM : Dec 13, 2007
+ report abuse
Why don''t we just go ahead a creat a Gestapo and have the second class citizens panel? Who do you suggest determine witch citicens get tried as full citizens and thus have constitutional rights and which citizens are to be ranked as "terrorist" second class and do not have those constitutional rights. This will most certainly solve the world wide problem we face today...the one where our leaders are concidered FASCIST. These poor fools had NO idea how to be terrorist and we nothing but street punks trying to find an angle. But when you are in the business of scaring the dickens out of We the PEOPLE, they have to be called Terrorist... Sieg Heil Bush!! - Reply to this comment
- The defense portrayed the seven men as hapless figures who were either manipulated and entrapped by the FBI or went along with the plot to con "Mohammed" out of $50,000.
Most likely both. The 50K was bait.
The group never actually made contact with al Qaeda and never acquired any weapons or explosives. Prosecutors said no attack was imminent, acknowledging that the alleged terror cell was "more aspirational than operational."
Obviously another set up of scapegoats that the Bush klan tried to use to scare Americans out of their rights. - Reply to this comment
- Looks like the "WAR ON TERROR" is working about as good as the useless "WAR ON DRUGS".
- Reply to this comment
- Deadlocked,mistrial,thats why you let the military try all of these terrorist.What are we going to do train them to fly planes now!
- Reply to this comment
- -IMPEACH BUSH
Posted by TiredoftheBS at 09:04 PM : Dec 13, 2007
+ report abuse
***************
whats the progress on that little DNC promise????
the DNC loves morons..you give them a little song and dance, show them a few pretty liberal celebrity faces..and they get the vote.. - Reply to this comment
- .......This is yet another dupe perpetrated by the SHRUB administration to keep Americans paranoid......
-IMPEACH BUSH
Posted by TiredoftheBS at 09:04 PM : Dec 13, 2007
+ report abuse
well after accessing your logic..YOU ARE A MORON..
if you loose some change from your coin jar you blame bush...
deadlock DOES NOT MEAN not guilty.. - Reply to this comment
- Deadlocked,mistrial,thats why you let the military try all of these terrorist.What are we going to do train them to fly planes now!
- Reply to this comment
- Deadlocked,mistrial,thats why you let the military try all of these terrorist.What are we going to do train them to fly planes now!
- Reply to this comment
- Deadlocked,mistrial,thats why you let the military try all of these terrorist.What are we going to do train them to fly planes now!
- Reply to this comment
- Deadlocked,mistrial,thats why you let the military try all of these terrorist.What are we going to do train them to fly planes now!
- Reply to this comment
- You belive what ever the Ashkenazis put on your TV. Pancakes and butter airplanes. The Japenese did a better job making Godzilla than the ret*rds who did 9/11 and the moon landings.
Posted by zootallures2 at 09:17 PM : Dec 13, 2007
Zooty! how much are they paying you to say this junk?
This Spiel of yours (that was a jewish word I think) is so full of holes you can drive a hummer through it. If I were unknowing about what happens to metal in stress situations It "might" be different. you are a blind man trying to explain an elephant to a sighted man that is looking at it and then disagreeing with him for correcting you. - Reply to this comment
- An average of 50,000 murders are carried out in the US and A per year. And not by Muslims. Shooting up schools, resturaunts, offices.... cutting out each other''s babies... you are your own worst terror. A bunch of coward, neo-con-ed, Ashkenazi arse kissing degenerates. Were are your brave? Just r*pe little girls and torture children in Iraq? Your big shot troopers and corporate paramilitary f*ggots. Trash, scum, and cowards. You belive what ever the Ashkenazis put on your TV. Pancakes and butter airplanes. The Japenese did a better job making Godzilla than the ret*rds who did 9/11 and the moon landings.
- Reply to this comment
- I like the dedicated neo-cons postings...LOL! All the "traitors", conspiracy theorists, and alike who wanted to blow the whistle on the ilegal swindling going on at the WTC were all fired and "black listed" before 9/11. So you neo-cons just blew yourselves up...LOL! Must be a real groovy club of "elite" to be a f*cking stooopid neo-con. You are nuts!
- Reply to this comment
- Libsluvsuvs ....
I must be a moron too. This is yet another dupe perpetrated by the SHRUB administration to keep Americans paranoid. And in Libs case, seems to be working well.
-IMPEACH BUSH - Reply to this comment
- What most terrorist morons like Feelfree1 fails to understand is that people aka anti-american liberals/terrorists is starting to evolve. At this point, It is simply an assumption, that repeated justification from these liberal morons give them the motivational push. Recently, there is a ruling in which extracting information to catch these kinds of movements ARE RESTRICTED due to liberal pressure. This ruling would have severe repercussions. These group will be able to proceed undetected, unhindered and will become more brazen and bold knowing that there are reckless liberals out there who are willing to defend them.
I know this much, when they do attack, these homegrown terrorists will not be very selective. They would cause harm to women, children, the elderly, the liberals, the conservative, the handicapped%u2026they simply DO NOT CARE.
And what would the liberals say then?? %u201CMy bad..I apologize.%u201D - Reply to this comment
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