News

 

DATE=  11/18/97

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

NUMBER=5-38121

TITLE=TERRORISM ON TRIAL (PART 2)

BYLINE=JIM MALONE

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 



INTRO:   LAST WEEK'S KILLING OF FOUR AMERICANS IN KARACHI, 

PAKISTAN, MAY ILLUSTRATE THE DANGERS OF CONVICTING INTERNATIONAL 

TERRORISTS IN THE UNITED STATES. THE ATTACK CAME SHORTLY AFTER A 

JURY IN FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA, RETURNED A GUILTY VERDICT IN THE 

MURDER TRIAL OF PAKISTANI NATIONAL MIR AMAL KASI FOR HIS 1993 

SHOOTING RAMPAGE IN FRONT OF C-I-A HEADQUARTERS WHICH LEFT TWO 

PEOPLE DEAD AND THREE OTHERS WOUNDED. IN PART TWO OF HIS SERIES 

ON TERRORISM ON TRIAL, V-O-A NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT JIM MALONE 

LOOKS AT THE RISKS OF PUNISHING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS IN THE 

UNITED STATES AND WHAT MIGHT BE DONE TO LESSEN THE DANGERS.



TEXT:  TWO DAYS AFTER MIR AMAL KASI WAS FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER, 

FOUR AMERICAN OIL COMPANY WORKERS WERE GUNNED DOWN ON THEIR WAY 

TO WORK IN DOWNTOWN KARACHI. A PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN GROUP CLAIMED 

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ATTACK AND WARNED OF FURTHER VIOLENCE IF 

KASI IS PUT DEATH. THE VIRGINIA JURY HAS RECOMMENDED THE DEATH 

PENALTY FOR KASI, PREVIOUSLY KNOWN HERE AS MIR AMAL KANSI, AND 

THE JUDGE IN THE CASE WILL FORMALLY ANNOUNCE THE SENTENCE IN 

JANUARY.



TERRORISM EXPERTS IN THIS COUNTRY WARN THAT SIMILAR ATTACKS ON 

AMERICANS ABROAD ARE LIKELY IF THE UNITED STATES CONTINUES TO PUT

ACCUSED TERRORISTS ON TRIAL IN THE U-S JUDICIAL SYSTEM. JEFFREY 

SIMON IS PRESIDENT OF A POLITICAL RISK ASSESSMENT COMPANY IN LOS 

ANGELES AND HAS WRITTEN EXTENSIVELY ABOUT INTERNATIONAL 

TERRORISM.    



                       /// SIMON ACT. ///



         THE RECENT INCIDENT IN PAKISTAN IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE

         CAN REALLY SAY IS THE ENDLESS CYCLE OF TERRORISM. AS WE 

         MAKE MORE PROGRESS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM AND 

         BRING MORE TERRORISTS TO TRIAL, UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE 

         GOING TO EXPERIENCE RETALIATORY ATTACKS BY SYMPATHIZERS 

         OF TERRORISTS OR ANY GROUP ACTUALLY THAT SEES AN 

         ANTI-U-S ATTACK AS WORKING TOWARDS THEIR ADVANTAGE.



                        /// END ACT. ///



U-S LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS POINT WITH PRIDE TO THE RECENT 

CONVICTIONS OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBERS IN NEW YORK LED BY 

RAMZI YOUSEF AND OF C-I-A KILLER MIR AMAL KASI IN VIRGINIA. 

DESPITE THESE SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS, INDEPENDENT EXPERTS SAY 

THAT TERRORIST GROUPS ARE MORE EAGER THAN EVER TO REBOUND FROM 

THESE SETBACKS AND CAPTURE INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION.



/// OPT /// LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR HARVEY KUSHNER 

SPECIALIZES IN CRIMINAL LAW AND TERRORISM. HE PREDICTS MORE 

TERRORIST ACTS ARE LIKELY IN RETALIATION FOR THE RECENT 

CONVICTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES.



                      /// KUSHNER ACT. ///



         THEY HAVE BEEN TAKEN OFF THE FRONT PAGE (TAKEN OUT OF 

         THE NEWS). THEREFORE, THERE IS A NEED, A VERY SERIOUS 

         NEED FOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS, STATE SPONSORED ONES 

         IN FACT, TO BE BACK ON THE FRONT PAGE. SO THERE IS 

         ESPECIALLY A NEED FOR THEM TO STRIKE OUT NOW AGAINST 

         AMERICAN TARGETS, BOTH HERE IN THE UNITED STATES AND 

         ABROAD TO GET THEMSELVES BACK ON THE FRONT PAGE.



                        /// END ACT. ///



                         /// END OPT ///



/// OPT ///  IN THE CASE OF EGYPTIAN RELIGOUS LEADER SHEIK OMAR 

ABDEL RAHMAN, RETALIATION MAY ALREADY BE UNDERWAY. SHEIK OMAR IS 

SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE IN A U-S PRISON FOR HIS 1995 CONVICTION 

ON CHARGES OF PLOTTING TO BLOW UP THE UNITED NATIONS AND PLANNING

TO ASSASSINATE EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK. IN THE AFTERMATH

OF THIS WEEK'S BLOODY MASSACRE OF TOURISTS IN LUXOR, EGYPT, THE 

COUNTRY'S LEADING ISLAMIC MILITANT GROUP ISSUED A STATEMENT 

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ATTACK, ADDING THAT THEIR INTENT 

WAS TO TAKE HOSTAGES TO BARGAIN FOR THE RELEASE OF SHEIK OMAR. 

/// END OPT ///



/// OPT /// IN THE CASE OF CONVICTED C-I-A KILLER MIR AMAL KASI, 

TERRORIST EXPERTS WARN THAT THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE 

RETALIATORY VIOLENCE. ANALYST JEFFREY SIMON SAYS AMERICANS LIVING

IN PAKISTAN COULD BECOME TARGETS ONCE AGAIN IF KASI IS PUT TO 

DEATH.    



                       /// SIMON ACT. ///



         WELL, A DEATH SENTENCE, IF IT IS ACTUALLY CARRIED OUT, 

         WOULD BE UNCHARTERED WATERS FOR AMERICA. WHEN WE BRING 

         AN INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST UP TO THE DEATH SENTENCE AND 

         ACTUALLY CARRY OUT THAT SENTENCE, IT DEFINITELY WOULD 

         RAISE THE RISK WORLDWIDE IN TERMS OF AN ANTI-U-S ATTACK 

         BY TERRORIST SYMPATHIZERS.



                        /// END ACT. ///



                         /// END OPT ///



ONE QUESTION THAT LEGAL AND TERRORISM ANALYSTS ARE ASKING IS 

WHETHER THE PROSPECT FOR RETALIATORY VIOLENCE AGAINST AMERICANS 

OVERSEAS WILL ALTER THE WAY AMERICAN JURIES DEAL WITH TERRORISM 

CASES?  MOST EXPERTS DO NOT THINK SO. AGAIN, TERRORISM EXPERT 

JEFFREY SIMON.  



                       /// SIMON ACT. ///



         I DO NOT THINK THAT JURIES DELIBERATING WOULD TAKE THAT 

         INTO CONCERN BECAUSE IF THEY DO IT REALLY BASICALLY 

         DEFEATS THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF WHY WE ARE TRYING TO 

         APPREHEND AND CAPTURE THE TERRORISTS. YOU HAVE TO TAKE 

         EACH CASE ON ITS MERITS, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT TYPE 

         OF INCIDENT AND YOU CANNOT ALLOW THE FEAR OF FUTURE 

         TERRORISM TO ALLOW CURRENT TERRORISTS TO GO FREE.



                        /// END ACT. ///



/// OPT /// BUT OTHERS BELIEVE THAT U-S LEGAL AUTHORITIES SHOULD 

CONSIDER SOME CHANGES IN THE WAY IN WHICH TERRORIST TRIALS ARE 

CONDUCTED TO PROTECT JUDGES, PROSECUTORS AND JURY MEMBERS. NEIL 

LIVINGSTONE OPERATES A CRISIS MANAGEMENT FIRM HERE IN WASHINGTON 

AND HAS WRITTEN NINE BOOKS ON TERRORISM AND NATIONAL SECURITY 

ISSUES.  HE SUGGESTS HIDING THE IDENTITIES OF JURORS IN TERRORISM

TRIALS BY KEEPING THEM BEHIND SCREENS IN THE COURTROOM OR MOVING 

AWAY FROM JURY TRIALS ALTOGETHER.  



                    /// LIVINGSTONE ACT. ///



         IN OUR SYSTEM, WE HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED THAT THE 

         ACCUSED HAS THE RIGHT TO CONFRONT THE ACCUSERS AND, TO A

         CERTAIN EXTENT, THE JURIES THAT WILL CONVICT THEM. AND I

         THINK THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO RETHINK SOME OF THOSE

         LONGSTANDING TRADITIONS HERE AND MAYBE MOVE TOWARD MORE 

         SITUATIONS WHERE WE JUST TRY SOME OF THESE CASES IN 

         FRONT OF JUDGES.



                        /// END ACT. ///



NEIL LIVINGSTONE ALSO SAYS THAT WITH THE MOUNTING CONCERN OVER 

VIOLENT RETALIATION AGAINST AMERICANS FOR THESE TERRORISM TRIALS,

IT IS SOMETIMES HARD TO APPRECIATE THE SUCCESS THAT U-S LAW 

ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS HAVE HAD IN APPREHENDING AND CONVICTING 

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS. MR. LIVINGSTONE SAYS THE RECENT 

CONVICTION OF RAMZI YOUSEF, THE MASTERMIND OF THE 1993 BOMBING OF

THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN NEW YORK, WAS AN ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT 

VICTORY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.   



                    /// LIVINGSTONE ACT. ///



         WELL, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE ARE FINALLY APPREHENDING 

         SOME OF THESE TERRORISTS. AND AS IN THE CASE OF RAMZI 

         YOUSEF, HE WAS PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED OF A PLOT TO BLOW UP

         TWELVE WIDE-BODIED JETLINERS IN A SINGLE DAY, PERHAPS 

         KILLING AS MANY AS FOUR-THOUSAND PEOPLE. BY PREEMPTING 

         THAT, WE PERHAPS SAVED THOUSANDS OF LIVES. AND THE FACT 

         THAT HE IS NOW IN PRISON, AND HE IS A VERY BRIGHT GUY, 

         HE CERTAINLY HAD THE ABILITY TO CARRY OUT THOSE ATTACKS,

         WE HAVE PERHAPS SAVED A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF LIVES. 

         NOW THE DOWN SIDE, OF COURSE, IS THAT BY PUTTING HIM IN 

         PRISON WE MAY HAVE OTHERS THAT CARRY OUT RETALIATORY 

         ATTACKS. BUT I THINK THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO 

         PUT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE AWAY (IN JAIL) AND IN SOME 

         CASES, PREEMPT OTHER ATTACKS, VASTLY OUTWEIGHS THE RISK 

         OF RETALIATORY ATTACKS.



                        /// END ACT. ///



THE FOCUS ON U-S TERRORISM TRIALS NOW SHIFTS TO DOMESTIC CASES 

INVOLVING THE SO-CALLED UNABOMBER IN CALIFORNIA AND A SECOND 

OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING TRIAL. BUT FEARS OF INTERNATIONAL REPRISALS

COULD BE FRONT AND CENTER AGAIN IN JANUARY WHEN BOTH RAMZI YOUSEF

AND MIR AMAL KASI WILL BE SENTENCED FOR THEIR CRIMES. (SIGNED)



NEB/JBM/EH      



18-Nov-97 5:04 PM EST (2204 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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