Padillia guilty on terror charges

CNN:

The jury in the Jose Padilla terror trial has found the American guilty of conspiracy to support Islamic terrorism overseas.

Padilla was originally arrested on accusations that he planned to set off radioactive "dirty bombs" in the United States. Thursday's convictions are not related to those accusations, and prosecutors did not present the "dirty bomb" plot to the jury.

Padilla's two co-defendants, Adham Hassoun and Kifan Jayyousi, were also found guilty on the three counts as charged: conspiracy to murder, kidnap, and maim people in a foreign country; conspiracy to provide material support for terrorists, and providing material support for terrorists.

The verdict came after less than two days of deliberations by the federal jury in Miami.

Sentencing is set for December 5. All three defendants face life in prison.

Padilla pleaded not guilty. At his trial, defense attorneys argued Padilla went overseas only to study Islam.

After the decision was announced, Padilla's mother, Estella Lebron, told CNN her son will appeal the verdict.

"I'm not surprised by anything in this place anymore," she said. "This is a Republican city."

The verdict is a "critical vindication" for the U.S. Department of Justice and its post-9/11 strategy for prosecuting terrorism cases, said Kendall Coffey, former U.S. attorney in Miami who comments on legal matters for CNN.

"I think this is huge for DOJ," he said, "given the case's background of controversy and the government's mixed results in other (terror) trials."

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Padillia was basically done in by his job application found in al Qaeda files. Fortunately the US was not required to put on the most serious case against him, the dirty bomb plot. If so, it would have required giving up sources and methods as well as putting on witnesses like Khalid Sheik Mohammad who clearly did not get a Miranda warning before he was dunked.

The conviction should not be read as an indicator that we do not need the military tribunals. That would be a huge mistake. We got lucky with a smoking gun piece of paper found in al Qaeda's papers. We want always have such evidence of the enemy's associations or intentions.

And, where did Padillia's mother get the idea that Miami is a "Republican city"? Is that why AlGore asked for a recount there? LGF says the Kos Kidz are "disappointed."