Article published June 05, 2008
Closing arguments begin in terror trial
Prosecutor asserts 3 not manipulated
By MARK REITER
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Three Toledo men accused of terrorism activities were not manipulated by a government informant and instead were planning acts for a holy war, a federal prosecutor told jurors yesterday in U.S. District Court in Toledo.
Gregg Sofer, a U.S. Justice Department attorney, said in his closing argument that the defendants - Mohammad Amawi, Marwan El-Hindi, and Wassim Mazloum - were enthusiastic participants in forming a terror cell to wage war against American soldiers in Iraq.
The trial for Mr. Amawi, 28; Mr. El-Hindi, 45, and Mr. Mazloum, 26, on terrorism-related charges moved into its final phase as jurors listened to more than 7 1/2 hours of closing arguments.
The jury, which includes 12 trial jurors and three alternates, also was given instructions from Judge James Carr on applying the law to the evidence and testimony that they have heard since the trial began on April 1.
The bulk of the day was taken up by arguments from Mr. Sofer, who replayed excerpts of audio and visual recordings secretly taped by Darren Griffin, the government's paid informant and a key witness in the trial.
Mr. Sofer said they could have walked away from the informant at anytime or refused to take his calls, but instead they continued to meet face to face with him for the purpose of training sessions for "violent jihad.""Darren Griffin didn't motivate them to do the things they did or say the things they said," Mr. Sofer told jurors. "They intended to commit the crimes for which they are charged."
Mr. Griffin, 42, a former member of the U.S. Army Special Forces who began working for the FBI shortly after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, provided the government with more than 300 hours of taped conversations he had with the defendants during the nearly two-year course of the investigation.
The secretly recorded conversations between Mr. Griffin and the defendants included viewing videos downloaded on computers from Islamic extremist groups.
Defense attorneys have said that Mr. Griffin manipulated the defendants and put words in their mouths so that he would keep getting paid as an informant.
Federal officials have accused the three men of conspiring to kill or injure people outside the United States, including military personnel serving in Iraq, by providing "support and resources."
Mr. Amawi and Mr. El-Hindi also are charged with "distributing information regarding explosives."
They face a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted.
The defendants are all Muslim and of Middle Eastern descent: Mr. El-Hindi was born in Jordan; Mr. Amawi has dual American and Jordanian citizenship, and Mr. Mazloum came to the United States legally from Lebanon.
Mr. Sofer will finish giving his final argument today and defense attorneys for each of the defendants will then take turns making their final arguments.
The jury is expected to be given the case tomorrow after federal prosecutors make rebuttal arguments.
Contact Mark Reiter at:
markreiter@theblade.com
or 734-241-3610.
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