US embassy cable - 02FRANKFURT10187

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 FRANKFURT 010187 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/AGS 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/TNC - MIKE STEINITZ 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/EU - BOWMAN MILLER AND HENRY RECTOR 
DEPARTMENT FOR S/CT - PAUL BOYD AND STEPHANIE MOLNAR 
DEPARTMENT FOR DS/OP/EUR 
 
FBI FOR INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS UNIT - SUE CURTIS 
FBI FOR COUNTERTERRORISM DIVISION - KEVIN FOUST 
 
JUSTICE FOR CRIMINAL DIVISION, OFFICE OF TERRORISM AND 
VIOLENT CRIMES - TERESA WALLBAUM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PINR, PGOV, AG, GM 
SUBJECT: FOURTH REPORT ON ISLAMIC TERRORISM TRIAL IN 
FRANKFURT - THE DEFENDANTS GIVE CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS 
 
REF: A. FRANKFURT 3580 (NOTAL); B. FRANKFURT 5829; C. 
FRANKFURT 6207 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary: This report summarizes the events at the 
Frankfurt terrorism trial from July to September 2002.  Four 
Algerian and one Moroccan (listed below) are accused of 
planning an attack on the Strasbourg Christmas market in 
December 2000 and bomb building materials were found in 
their Frankfurt apartments.  They were arrested in December 
2000 and their trial began in Frankfurt, April 2002.  The 
defendants have claimed that their intention was to bomb an 
empty Jewish synagogue and not to kill anyone.  The court is 
trying to determine a) what the intended target actually 
was; b) if there was any connection to other terrorists or 
terrorist organizations.  Two London contacts, presumed to 
be Islamic extremists, have been mentioned: Abu Doha and 
Noureddine.  Thus far, no firm Al Qaeda link has been found, 
although a witness, Sadikki, mentioned that defendant 
Beandali had contact with Abdul Rachman, described as "a 
representative of Usama Bin Laden in London."  This report 
will focus on the testimonies of the defendants, Beandali, 
Boukari, Karimou, Maroni and Sabour and that of a witness, 
Sadikki.  End summary. 
 
The Defendants and Witnesses 
---------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) We are repeating here the names, dates of birth and 
known aliases of the defendants.  (Some variances in 
spelling have been seen in different sources.) 
 
Defendants: 
-    Aeurobui Beandali (also Deandali) DOB 12/10/1975; aka 
  Ben Ali; aka Mustapha Mestpha Kelouili DOB 11/19/1978; aka 
  Djilali Benali Correia DOB 7/15/1975; aka Djilali Adadi DOB 
  6/5/1975.  (Presumed Algerian.) 
 
-    Samir Karimou (also Krimou) aka Ibrahim Ahmed, DOB 
  12/18/1968. (Released from prison August 30, 2002. 
  Continues to attend trial.) Moroccan. 
 
-    Lamine Moroni, DOB 1/10/1970; aka Benard Pascale, DOB 
  7/25/1970. (Presumed Algerian.) 
 
-    Fouhad Sabour, DOB 2/13/1965; aka Hassene Benaimine DOB 
  12/08/1967; aka Samir Bouinoual DOB 8/9/1978; aka Alain 
  Dubois. (Born in France.) 
 
-    Salim Boukhari (also Boukari), DOB 8/8/1971; aka Hicham 
  El-Haddad, DOB 4/30 1980; aka Claude Aman, DOB 8/8/1971; aka 
  Karim Muscat DOB 8/8/1971; aka Messaoud (also Mesud) Zamali 
  (also Zemani) DOB 8/4/1966.  (Presumed Algerian.) 
 
Witnesses: 
-    Aknoush, in detention in France.  Beandali's attorney, 
  Diebrucks and Aknoush's attorney have been in touch. 
  Aknoush's written statements have been considered by the 
  Frankfurt court although Aknoush has not yet appeared for 
  questioning.  He is expected to testify in Frankfurt in the 
  coming weeks. 
 
- Mohammed Sadikki, was in prison along with Marino and 
  Beandali in two German prisons.  Beandali asked Sadikki 
  to deliver messages to a mosque in Frankfurt. 
 
Aeurobui Beandali: The Bomb Builder 
----------------------------------- 
 
3.  (SBU) Aeurobui Beandali was the first of the defendants 
to testify before the court.  Beandali admitted he was an 
expert in explosives and said it was his job to buy the bomb- 
building materials.  He said he was specially trained in 
Afghanistan in religion, light weapons, heavy weapons and 
explosives (dates of his training are disputed but he 
claimed about November 1999 - August 2000).  He explained 
that the bomb was to be placed in a large Pakistan-made 
steam pot, which he ordered in London.  He also bought large 
amounts of potassium permanganate, which he said he 
originally wanted to use for an attack in Algeria.  Beandali 
claimed surprise that the target might be in France and said 
he did not want to kill Europeans. 
 
Target: Christmas Market or Synagogue? 
-------------------------------------- 
 
4.  (SBU) Beandali claimed that Salim Boukhari, another 
defendant and member of the group, was receiving orders from 
London to attack a target in France.  According to Beandali, 
Boukhari reassured Beandali that the target would be an 
empty synagogue in Strasbourg.  Beandali ordered Boukhari 
and Sabour to drive to Strasbourg and film the synagogue 
both inside and outside so he could build the right size 
bomb for the target.  When the completed videotape showed 
the Christmas Market area instead of the synagogue, Beandali 
said he became very angry and ordered Boukhari and Sabour to 
try again a second time in Strasbourg, this time with a city 
map.  They were arrested before they could make a second 
trip.  (Note: The videotape was shown in court on August 27, 
2002 and clearly showed the Strasbourg Christmas market and 
surrounding area, panning the market and stalls several 
times.  Audio comments were heard on the tape referring to 
"the enemies of God." There was no synagogue on the 
videotape. End Note.) 
 
Who is Noureddine and What Was His Role? 
---------------------------------------- 
 
5.  (SBU) Beandali said he had started to wonder if 
Boukari's plan to attack an empty synagogue was actually 
true when the videotape showed the Christmas market area 
near the cathedral.  Beandali said that when he learned that 
a man named Noureddine in London was behind the plan, he 
found it even more unlikely that the target was only an 
empty building.  "A guy like Noureddine certainly had 
something more spectacular in mind, something where people 
could be hurt."  Beandali said he met Noureddine in 
Afghanistan and noted he did not follow Islamic washing 
rites.  He described Noureddine as an Algerian with a French 
passport living in London.  He also claimed that Noureddine 
was an undercover agent of French intelligence and that 
Noureddine had told Beandali that the French secret service 
had offered him money to inform on Algerians living in 
London and Afghanistan.  Beandali also said that Noureddine 
was flown out of the Balkans by the French government. 
Noureddine was also interested in a man named Hischam, 
Beandali claimed was wanted by the FBI.  Beandali said he 
helped Hischam escape from Afghanistan to London, then to 
Germany and Spain.  Eventually, Hischam was arrested in 
Algeria and Beandali believes Noureddine turned Hischam into 
authorities. 
 
Comment on Beandali's Statements 
-------------------------------- 
 
6.  (SBU) Comment:  Beandali and Boukhari are in a mutual 
blame game to show that the other is a) the leader of the 
group; or b) in touch with a London contact giving the 
orders for the group.  Beandali accuses Boukhari of being 
the leader and knowing the "real" plan (i.e. to bomb the 
Christmas market and kill people).  Beandali claims that 
Boukhari hid this plan from Beandali.  So who is the leader, 
Beandali, Boukhari, or someone in London?  Maroni, in one of 
his rare statements, describes Beandali as the one giving 
the orders for the group.  Regarding the target, Beandali is 
the only one of the five defendants who openly questioned 
the claim of the others that the plan was to attack an empty 
synagogue.  The videotape showing only the Christmas market 
in Strasbourg is compelling evidence.  By claiming he played 
no part in selecting the "real target," Beandali seeks to 
protect himself against charges of attempted murder. 
 
 
Salim Boukhari 
-------------- 
 
7.  (SBU) The defendant Salim Boukhari appears to have been 
somewhat of a geographic outsider to the Frankfurt cell, 
with stronger connections to London.  He lived in London 
starting about 1995 and married there twice.  After his 
divorce in 1998, he stayed one or two months with Noureddine 
in London.  Boukhari said he originally wanted to donate 
money to the Algerian freedom struggle but instead used it 
to go to Afghanistan (September 1999 - early 2000, but dates 
unclear) where he trained in light and heavy weapons, 
electronics and religion.  He moved to Germany in mid- 
November 2000. 
 
Boukhari Tries to Implicate Beandali in Knowledge of Target 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
8.  (SBU) Boukhari refused to answer questions from the 
prosecution and only responded to those from the judges. 
Boukhari's statements were often confusing and inconsistent. 
Boukhari said that he intended to return to London in 
December 2000 and it was uncertain whether he would be 
present at the time of the attack.  Boukhari admits he was 
the point of contact for Nourredine in London.  Boukhari 
claims, however, that Nourreddine did not give orders or 
designate a target but gave "only ideas."  Boukhari's 
statements showed frequent inconsistencies in describing 
Beandali's role and advance knowledge of the target.  First 
Boukhari insisted Beandali knew about the bombing plans as 
early as November, 2000.  Beandali vigorously denied this. 
Then Boukhari changed this to say, "Beandali knew about a 
phone call with Nourredine (in November)."  Again, Beandali 
denied it, and seemed to want to distance himself from 
Noureddine, whom he apparently distrusted as an informant 
(see para 5). 
 
Was Boukhari the Leader?  He Admits Contact with London 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
9.  (SBU)  Boukhari contradicted Beandali on a question 
about the use of the Baden Baden apartment.  Beandali said 
the apartment was intended as a kind of "storage place" for 
the materials for the bomb that was to be built in 
Frankfurt.  Boukhari said he had intented actually to build 
the bomb in Baden Baden.  Aknoush, a witness in detention in 
Paris, stated that Boukhari was in contact with Abu Doha in 
London.  Boukhari said he had spoken with Abu Doha but only 
on the subject of renting rooms in Baden Baden.  Aknoush 
also said that Boukhari was the assigned leader of the 
Frankfurt cell. 
 
Sabour and Maroni: Maroni says Beandali was the Leader, 
Sabour says Beandali was in Touch with London 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
10.  (SBU)  Fouhad Sabour's statement came haltingly and was 
sometimes inconsistent with previous statements by the other 
defendants.  Sabour's role in the plot is unclear. 
Boukhari, in his statements, denied that Sabour had any 
detailed knowledge of the advance planning of the bombing. 
It seems Sabour was assigned some duties to help in carrying 
out the attack together with Boukhari or Beandali.  Sabour 
admitted having accompanied Boukhari on their trip to 
Strasbourg to videotape the target.  Sabour also stated that 
Beandali was assigned to participate in the attack together 
with him.  In response to the question of who planned the 
attack, Sabour delivered yet another version: the plan to 
attack the synagogue in Strasbourg was entirely the decision 
of the Frankfurt group.  But Sabour also mentioned that 
Beandali was in frequent phone contact with London. 
"Beandali phoned London," was among Sabour's favorite 
phrases.  (Comment: Sabour seemed to regard Beandali as head 
of the cell, though he did not specifically say so.  End 
Comment.)  Maroni confirmed Sabour's statements and also 
indicated he viewed Beandali as the group's leader.  Lamine 
Maroni has not yet formally testified, though he announced 
he would do so in the near future. 
 
Busid Karimou Released, Continues to Attend Trial 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
11.  (SBU) Busid Karimou was released from detention on 
August 30, 2002.  The court could not find any evidence he 
was involved in the preparations for the bomb attack, thus 
he was only charged with membership in a terrorist 
organization.  This carries a one-to-ten year sentence. 
Since Karimou has already served 17 months in detention and 
the court apparently felt he would not get more than a two- 
year sentence, he was released.  (Note: It is common 
practice in the German legal system to release a well- 
behaved prisoner after two-thirds of his sentence is over. 
Further justification is required to keep Karimou for his 
full length of sentence.  End Note.)  Born in Morocco, 
Karimou went to Germany in February 1999, but later moved to 
London.  From there he went to Afghanistan for training, a 
fact that he denied in his previous statements.  He returned 
to London after only three months of training and from there 
moved to Frankfurt in July 2000.  Apparently his apartment 
there was used as a meeting point for the group.  Karimou 
refused to acknowledge any prior knowledge of the attack. 
 
Witness Mohammed Sadikki Claims Beandali had Al Qaeda 
Contact in London: Abdul Rachman 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
12.  (SBU) Mohammed Sadikki, who was not very impressive in 
recalling details, was an inmate along with Maroni and 
Beandali in two German prisons.  His statement revealed  the 
rather lax conditions regarding contact between prisoners. 
In both Kassel and Weiterstadt prison he easily established 
contact with Maroni and Beandali, who both tried to win him 
over for their group.  They also asked Sadikki to deliver 
messages to contacts after his release.  Maroni told Sadikki 
that Maroni knew secrets he had not told police.  Maroni 
also admitted having participated in a number of terrorist 
operations in the U.K.  According to Sadikki, Beandali asked 
Sadikki to deliver a message to a mosque in Frankfurt and 
talked of the need to fight Christians and Jews.  Beandali 
mentioned a synagogue in Lille, France as a potential 
target.  Beandali also said that his group planned further 
attacks in Germany, France and Spain.  Beandali never 
mentioned the Strasbourg Christmas market to Sadikki, but 
Beandali said he would like to turn Rome, the cradle of 
Christianity, into ashes. 
 
13.  (SBU) Sadikki verified Beandali's role as bomb expert 
and indicated that Beandali and other members of the group 
coordinated their testimonies in prison before the trial 
started.  Sadikki mentioned Usama Bin Laden twice.  Beandali 
asked Sadikki to contact a man named Abdul Rachman in London 
after his release.  Beandali described Rachman as "Usama bin 
Laden's representative" in London, who had also promised to 
take hostages to force the release of the members of the 
Frankfurt cell from prison.  Beandali told Sadikki that the 
camp in Afghanistan at which he was trained was run by Usama 
bin Laden.  Sadikki said the Frankfurt group had 38 million 
Deutsche marks at their disposal (which caused the other 
defendants to laugh).  Sadikki also said that the group used 
forged and stolen credit cards. 
 
Comment: Beandali Against the Rest 
---------------------------------- 
 
14.  (SBU)  Several rounds of testimony have not resolved 
key questions of the prosecution: What was the structure of 
the group?  Who was the leader?  Was there an external (i.e. 
London-based) leader, who gave instructions?  Whose idea was 
the bombing plan and what exactly was its goal?  Did the 
group intend to kill people at the Christmas market or did 
they "only" want to bomb an empty synagogue?  This question 
is crucial for deciding their sentence.  What has indeed 
changed over the previous weeks is the strategy of the 
defendants and the defense.  After first appearing to be a 
concerted effort by the defendants, the trial now looks more 
like a game of "Beandali against the rest."  Boukari, Maroni 
and Sabour (who apparently dislikes Beandali) state that 
Beandali was the group's leader.  It is relatively clear 
that Beandali and Boukari are the key responsible figures, 
though their exact roles are still shadowy. 
 
15. (SBU) Comment Continued: Another trend we noted in 
recent trial sessions is that Beandali's lawyer, Diebrucks, 
has developed into a leading voice for the defense.  He has 
played a very proactive role.  This was shown, for instance 
in the meeting between Diebrucks and the lawyer for Aknoush, 
another key witness now in detention in France.  (Note:  To 
add to the confusion, some journalists observing the trial 
believe Aknoush may have been the leader of the Frankfurt 
group.  End Note.) 
 
Comment Cont: Beandali's Statements May Help Prosecution 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
16.  (SBU) Comment Continued: Despite the confusing 
allegations by others, Beandali's statements were the most 
consistent.  Beandali claimed that Boukari planned the 
attack and that he himself was "just the bomb builder." 
Beandali's is the only one who, in his statements, has cast 
doubt on the synagogue as the actual target.  His strategy 
may be to save his skin by discrediting the other 
defendants, which would also explain the opposition he faces 
from the other accused.  Beandali's early cooperation with 
the court could also work to his advantage.  In addition to 
the strong evidence of the videotape, the prosecution has 
found in Beandali's statements support for their case that 
the target was the Christmas market -- and human victims. 
After a rough start, the prosecution seems to be gaining 
ground, though they still have a long way to go to make 
their case.  The story of an attack on a synagogue has been 
used consistently by all other defendants and witnesses 
testifying thus far.  Aknoush's future testimony, and 
eventually Maroni's, may result in better evidence for the 
prosecution.  End comment. 
 
16.  (U) This message has been coordinated with Embassy 
Berlin. 
 
BODDE