NATO 3 Trial Begins
By aaroncynic in News on Jan 22, 2014 3:00PM
Brent Betterly, Brian Church and Jared Chase have been charged in an alleged NATO summit terror plot. (Chicago Police Department booking photos.)
The trial for three activists facing terrorism and other charges began yesterday, as opening statements were delivered in one of Cook County’s first cases involving terror laws the County adopted shortly after September 11, 2001. Brian Church, Jared Chase and Brent Betterly, otherwise known as the “NATO 3” pleaded not guilty to various charges, including conspiracy to commit terrorism. According to the Chicago Tribune, Cook County prosecutor Matthew Thrun opened his arguments by quoting remarks made by Church recorded by an undercover Chicago Police Officer. “Are you ready to see a police officer on fire,” Church allegedly asked. Thrun then told the court “that is the iconic image that these defendants wanted on the world stage. These defendants wanted to set fire to the ultimate symbol of law and order.”
Church, Chase and Betterly were arrested shortly before the NATO summit and the protests surrounding it in May 2012. Cook County prosecutors allege the men were plotting to attack police stations, “do battle with police” in the streets during the summit and possibly target President Obama’s campaign headquarters and Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s home. According to the Sun-Times, Thrun said the NATO 3 were “ready for war.”
While prosecution attempted to paint a picture of three menacing terrorists bent on turning a city upside down, the defense showed a completely different side of the story.
“You will hear the growing desperation in their voices when nothing happened,” defense attorney Sarah Gelsomino said of the undercover officers involved in the case. As Nadia Chikko, who went by the nickname “Gloves,” began testifying yesterday, what prosecutors say was a terrorism plot appeared to be a lot of alcohol fueled bravado. Kevin Gosztola at Firedog Lake reports:
“It was “Mo” and “Gloves,” Gelsomino said, that encouraged the “NATO 3″ to be “more militant” and engage in “much more direct action.” The NATO 3 could not even find Obama’s campaign headquarters. They were too drunk to go out and do reconnaissance, she claimed.”
Gelsomino said that Church is “an exaggerator with delusions of grandeur” who “was a young, immature kid with a big mouth.” Attorney Anthony Durkin, representing Jared Chase, said the case surrounding the three was connected to the City’s need to justify the millions of dollars spent on security for the NATO summit. The “weapons of mass destruction” the prosecution says they had were four bottles of Dogfish Head Ale. “If these guys are terrorists, then we can all sleep at night,” said Durkin.