DATE=1/8/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-225006
TITLE=YOUSEF SENTENCING (L) -- UPDATE
BYLINE=MAX RUSTON
DATELINE=NEW YORK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
/// EDS: TWO ACTUALITIES ADDED. ///
INTRO: THE MAN CONVICTED OF MASTERMINDING THE 1993 BOMBING OF
NEW YORK'S WORLD TRADE CENTER WAS TODAY (THURSDAY) SENTENCED TO
LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT ANY CHANCE OF PAROLE. V-O-A'S MAX RUSTON
REPORTS FROM NEW YORK.
TEXT: DURING THE HOUR-LONG SENTENCING, JUDGE KEVIN DUFFY
DESCRIBED RAMZI YOUSEF AS A COWARD AND A MAN WHO WORSHIPS DEATH.
HE SENTENCED YOUSEF TO MORE THAN 240 YEARS IN PRISON,
RECOMMENDING THE TERM BE SERVED IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT. HE
ORDERED YOUSEF TO PAY 250 MILLION DOLLARS IN RESTITUTION TO THE
FAMILIES OF THOSE KILLED AND MAIMED IN THE 1993 WORLD TRADE
CENTER BOMBING. JUDGE DUFFY COMPARED YOUSEF TO A TERRIBLE VIRUS
THAT WOULD CAUSE PLAGUE AND PESTILENCE AROUND THE WORLD IF SET
FREE.
U-S ATTORNEY MARY-JO WHITE WELCOMED THE SENTENCE.
/// WHITE ACT ///
THE HEINOUSNESS OF RAMZI YOUSEF'S CRIMES ARE WITHOUT
PARALLEL AND CLEARLY DESERVING OF THE SENTENCES IMPOSED
TODAY BY JUDGE DUFFY.
/// END ACT ///
YOUSEF WAS CONVICTED IN NOVEMBER OF MASTERMINDING THE BOMBING,
WHICH KILLED SIX PEOPLE AND INJURED MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND.
BEFORE THE SENTENCING, YOUSEF, WHO IS OF MIDDLE EAST ORIGIN,
ADMITTED TO BEING A TERRORIST, SAYING HE WAS PROUD TO FIGHT ANY
COUNTRY THAT SUPPORTS ISRAEL. HE CHARGED THAT THE UNITED STATES
SUPPORTS TERRORISM AGAINST PALESTINIANS.
YOUSEF'S LAWYER, ROY KULCSAR, SAID THE REMARKS WERE CONSISTENT
WITH YOUSEF'S EARLIER STATEMENTS.
/// KULCSAR ACT ///
I DO NOT THINK IT IS VERY DISSIMILAR IN TONE OR STYLE OF
WHAT HE INITIALLY SAID AFTER HE HAD BEEN HERE FOR A
WHILE IN TERMS OF HIS POLITICAL BELIEFS AND PERSONAL
BELIEFS, SO I DO NOT THINK I AM SURPRISED BY ANYTHING HE
SAID IN THAT REGARD.
/// END ACT ///
JUDGE DUFFY RESPONDED TO YOUSEF BY READING PASSAGES FROM THE HOLY
BOOK OF ISLAM, THE KORAN. HE SAID THE PASSAGES SHOWED YOUSEF
ACTED OUT OF HIS OWN SELF INTEREST, NOT IN THE INTERESTS OF
ISLAM.
YOUSEF IS THE FIFTH PERSON SENTENCED IN CONNECTION WITH THE WORLD
TRADE CENTER BOMBING. A SIXTH MAN, CONVICTED IN NOVEMBER, IS
SCHEDULED FOR SENTENCING NEXT MONTH. AUTHORITIES ARE CONTINUING
THEIR SEARCH FOR A SEVENTH MAN, ABDUL RAHMAN YASIN, WHO IS ALSO
SUSPECTED OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE BOMBING.
/// REST OPTIONAL ///
JUDGE DUFFY DESCRIBED YOUSEF AS SMART, AND BLAMED HIM FOR
CONVERTING OTHER PEOPLE TO SUPPORT TERRORIST ACTS. CALLING
YOUSEF AN APOSTLE OF EVIL, JUDGE DUFFY SAID HE WAS CERTAIN YOUSEF
WOULD COMMIT FURTHER TERRORIST ACTS IF GIVEN THE CHANCE.
THE SENTENCING IN NEW YORK DEALT WITH TWO SEPARATE CONVICTIONS ..
THE WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBING AND A PLOT TO BLOW UP U-S
AIRLINERS OVER ASIA. IN PREPARING THE PLOT TO BLOW UP AIRLINERS,
YOUSEF SET OFF AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE ON AN AIRPLANE IN 1994 IN THE
PHILIPPINES, KILLING A JAPANESE BUSINESSMAN. (SIGNED)
NEB/NY/MPR/LSF/PT
08-Jan-98 3:56 PM EST (2056 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
