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)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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