DATE= 11/12/97
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-222578
TITLE=TERROR TRIAL VERDICT (L)
BYLINE=BARBARA SCHOETZAU
DATELINE=NEW YORK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: IN NEW YORK TODAY (WEDNESDAY), A JURY REACHED A VERDICT
OF GUILTY IN THE TRIAL OF RAMZI YOUSEF, THE MAN PROSECUTORS SAY
MASTERMINDED THE 1993 BOMBING OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.
CORRESPONDENT BARBARA SCHOETZAU REPORTS.
TEXT: AFTER THREE DAYS OF DELIBERATION, A FEDERAL COURT JURY
FOUND RAMZI YOUSEF AND AN ACCOMPLICE, EYAD ISMOIL, GUILTY ON AN
ARRAY OF CHARGES RELATING TO THE 1993 BOMBING.
THE BLAST, IN THE HEART OF NEW YORK CITY'S FINANCIAL CENTER,
KILLED SIX PEOPLE, INJURED MORE THAN ONE-THOUSAND AND CAUSED A
HALF-BILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGE.
U-S ATTORNEY MARY JO WHITE CALLED THE GUILTY VERDICT GRATIFYING.
/// WHITE CUT ///
I THINK THIS PROSECUTION AND THE ONES BEFORE IT SHOW OUR
JOINT RESOLVE TO PURSUE TERRORISTS WHEREVER THEY MAY BE
AND WHATEVER THEIR ROLE MAY HAVE BEEN.
/// END CUT ///
IN 1994, FOUR OTHER MEN CONVICTED OF CARRYING OUT THE WORLD TRADE
CENTER BOMBING WERE SENTENCED TO SEVERAL CONSECUTIVE LIFE
SENTENCES. BUT PROSECUTORS SAY RAMZI YOUSEF, WHO FLED THE UNITED
STATES THE NIGHT OF THE BOMBING, WAS THE RINGLEADER. MR. YOUSEF
WAS ARRESTED IN PAKISTAN IN 1995 AND BROUGHT BACK TO THE UNITED
STATES. LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT MR. YOUSEF. PROSECUTORS SAY HE
USES A DOZEN ALIASES. HE HOLDS AN IRAQI PASSPORT, BUT IS THOUGHT
TO BE OF PALESTINIAN ANCESTRY.
DURING THE THREE-MONTH TRIAL, PROSECUTORS STROVE TO PORTRAY MR.
YOUSEF AS A COLD-BLOODED TERRORIST INTENT ON KILLING AS MANY
AMERICANS AS POSSIBLE. AN F-B-I AGENT WHO BROUGHT MR. YOUSEF BACK
TO THE UNITED STATES FROM PAKISTAN TESTIFIED THAT MR. YOUSEF SAID
HE HAD HOPED THE BOMB WOULD TOPPLE THE 110-STORY TOWER AT THE
TRADE COMPLEX AND KILL MANY PEOPLE.
MR. YOUSEF'S COURT-APPOINTED LAWYER, ROY KULCSAR (KULL-SAHR),
TOLD REPORTERS THAT WHILE HE THOUGHT THE JURY WOULD QUESTION THE
F-B-I TESTIMONY, THE PROSECUTION OFFERED PLENTY OF OTHER
CONVINCING ARGUMENTS AGAINST HIS CLIENT.
//// KULCSAR ACT ///
I THINK THAT WAS A KEY PART OF IT. THERE WAS CERTAINLY A
LOT OF FINGERPRINT EVIDENCE THAT THEY OFFERED. THERE WAS
TESTIMONY OF WITNESSES THAT PLACED MR. YOUSEF AT
SPECIFIC SCENES WHICH THE GOVERNMENT CONTENDED WERE THE
FOCAL POINT OF ORDERING CHEMICALS AND ALSO MANUFACTURING
BOMBS. SO THERE WAS A LOT OF OTHER EVIDENCE THAT THE
JURY COULD CONSIDER, NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
/// END ACT ////
LAST YEAR, MR. YOUSEF AND TWO OTHER MEN WERE CONVICTED IN THE
BOMBING OF A PHILIPPINE AIRLINER AND THE SUBSEQUENT DEATH OF A
JAPANESE PASSENGER. ACCORDING TO PROSECUTORS AT THAT TRIAL, THE
AIRLINE BOMBING WAS A TEST-RUN IN A PLOT TO BLOW UP 11 U-S
AIRLINERS FLYING OVER ASIA, TARGETING SOME FOUR-THOUSAND U-S
TRAVELERS, IN RETALIATION FOR U-S SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL.
MR. ISMOIL -- WHO ALSO FLED THE UNITED STATES THE NIGHT OF THE
BOMBING -- WAS ARRESTED IN JORDAN IN 1995. HE DROVE THE RENTED
VAN THAT CARRIED THE BOMB INTO AN INDOOR PARKING AREA OF THE
WORLD TRADE CENTER.
MR. ISMOIL ADMITS TO DRIVING THE VAN BUT SAYS HE THOUGHT IT
CONTAINED SOAP AND SHAMPOO FOR A DETERGENT COMPANY MR. YOUSEF
WANTED TO START. MR. ISMOIL'S LAWYER, LOU AIDALA (EYE' DAHL LAH),
SAYS HE BELIEVES HIS CLIENT SHOULD HAVE HAD A SEPARATE TRIAL.
//// AIDALA ACT ///
THE ISSUE WITH RESPECT TO MY CLIENT WAS WHETHER, IN
FACT, HE HAD BEEN TRICKED AND THAT HE WAS UNAWARE OF
WHAT WAS ACTUALLY ON BOARD THE VAN. THAT WAS A CRITICAL
ISSUE WITH EYAD ISMOIL.
/// END ACT ///
THE CONSPIRACY CHARGE CARRIES A MAXIMUM SENTENCE OF LIFE IN
PRISON. FEDERAL COURT JUDGE KEVIN DUFFY HAS SCHEDULED MR.
YOUSEF'S SENTENCING FOR JANUARY 8TH. MR. ISMOIL WILL BE SENTENCED
ON FEBRUARY 12TH.
LAWYER LOU AIDALA SAID HE WILL FILE AN APPEAL ON BEHALF OF MR.
ISMOIL AFTER HE IS SENTENCED. (SIGNED)
NEB/NY/BJS/RRM
12-Nov-97 7:41 PM EST (0041 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.