Alleged Sears Tower Plotters Begin Third Trial
By Marcus Gilmer in News on Feb 18, 2009 10:00PM
A group of men labeled the "Liberty City Six" began their third trial today on four terrorism-related charges including scheming to blow up the Sears Tower; two previous trials have ended in mistrials when the juries couldn't reach a verdict. Ana Jhones, defense attorney for one of the men - Narseal Batiste-, claims it was a set-up by FBI informants who were manipulating the six men for money. Batiste testified at one the earlier trials that he never intended to act on any threat and was simply playing along with the informant in hopes of receiving up to $50,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Arango countered, "What's relevant is their intention - what they wanted to do...They all agreed to sell out their country for money," Arango said. "The fact that they did so for the mighty U.S. dollar is no excuse."
The men took an oath of allegiance to Osama bin Laden — captured by the FBI on videotape — led by a man claiming to be an al-Qaida operative who was an informant posing as a terror financier...There has been no evidence the men ever took any steps toward pulling off an attack. When they were arrested in 2006, the Bush administration trumpeted the case as an example of heading off terrorists early.
The men are also accused of plotting to blow up various other buildings, including an FBI building in Miami where the trial is being held. A seventh member of the group, Lyglenson Lemorin, was acquitted in 2007.