U.S. govt reveals militant's deadly plot

U.S. govt reveals militant's deadly plot

NEW YORK (Reuter): Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, seeking to punish America for its support of Israel, plotted bombings of 12 U.S. jets last year in an attempt to kill more than 4,000 passengers in two days, the prosecution said on Wednesday.

Federal prosecutor Michael Garcia leveled the accusation in opening arguments in the case against Yousef and two other defendants on charges they conspired to destroy the jumbo jets as they returned to the United States from the Far East.

"All three defendants dreamed of terror in the sky," Garcia told the Manhattan federal jury. He said the Delta, Northwest and United planes, some of which carry as many as 400 passengers, were headed back to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu and New York.

His comments were the first details of the plot released by the government since the defendants' arrests.

Garcia told the jury a letter found in Yousef's laptop computer said the purpose of the bombings was "vengeance and retribution" against the United States for its financial, political and military support of Israel. "These defendants wanted to punish American civilians until the U.S. changed its foreign policy towards Israel," he said.

Later this year, Yousef, 28, will also be tried on charges that he masterminded the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center that killed six and injured more than 1,000 people.

In the current case, Moslem militants Yousef and co-defendants Abdul Hakim Murad, 28, and Wali Khan Amin Shah, 29, are on trial for their role in what they allegedly called the "Bojinka" project aimed at destroying U.S. airplanes.

"The purpose of this Bojinka plot was terror," Garcia said. "Plane after plane exploding over the Pacific Ocean."

Yousef is also charged with placing a bomb on board a Philippine Airlines flight from Manila to Tokyo on Dec. 11, 1994 as a trial run for the later massive explosions. The bomb exploded under the seat of a Japanese passenger, killing him and injuring 10 other people.

Yousef, who is also known by 11 other names, holds an Iraqi passport but claims Pakistani and Palestinian heritage. He was captured in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Feb. 8, 1995 and was returned here to stand trial.

On the trip to the United States, Yousef allegedly gave FBI agents a 56-page account of the World Trade Center bombing including details on how the bomb was made.

In statements released through his lawyer last year, he called Israel an illegal state and accused its government of systematic murder and torture of Palestinians. He also said Palestinians have the right to attack U.S. targets because of American support of Israel.

In the eight-page statement, Yousef said his real name was Abdul-Basit Balochi and he was an electronics engineer and explosives expert. He said he came from Pakistan and had family in both Iraq and Israel.

The plot to bomb the airliners was uncovered on Jan. 6, 1995 when a fire broke out in a Manila apartment where Yousef and Murad were mixing chemicals. Yousef fled the country but Murad was arrested when he returned to the apartment.

The federal indictment alleges that police found in the apartment nitroglycerine, bomb-making equipment, manuals with bomb formulas, a computer with information on airline flights, timers for detonating bombs and the letter threatening to attack American targets.

Officials say Yousef has also been involved in other terrorist plots across Asia. The allegations include helping plan an attempt to assassinate Pope John Paul II during the pontiff's visit to Manila. He has also bragged of plots to kill U.S. President Bill Clinton.