NEW YORK – Defense lawyers for an Egyptian Islamic preacher say a judge should ban mentions of Osama bin Laden and the Sept. 11 attacks at his terrorism trial.
The lawyers said in papers Wednesday that references to the attacks and the deceased founder of al-Qaida "would completely" deprive Mustafa Kamel Mustafa (muh-STAH'-fuh kah-MEHL' muh-STAH'-fuh) of a fair trial. An April 14th trial is scheduled on charges that he conspired with Seattle men to set up a terrorist training camp in Oregon. Prosecutors also say he helped abduct two American tourists and 14 others in Yemen in 1998.
Mustafa's lawyers had earlier asked that bin Laden's name be excluded from the trial. Prosecutors opposed the request and the judge said she would handle complaints about inflammatory language at trial on a case-by-case basis.
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