Berlin
A German court this week convicted a Moroccan man of belonging to the Hamburg terrorist cell that planned the 9/11 attacks. Mounir el-Motassadeq, 31, was a friend of lead hijacker Mohamed Atta, and paid rent for two other hijackers to conceal their whereabouts after they left for the U.S. He was convicted in 2003, but an appeals court ordered a new trial. One reason was the U.S. refusal to let German officials interview other al Qaida prisoners to confirm Motassadeq’s involvement. Prosecutors said Motassadeq knew of the plot, but a defense lawyer insisted his client was not a terrorist. The court found Motassedeq didn’t play a direct role in the attacks, and sentenced him to seven years in prison.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The marvelous powers of mucusThe Explainer It's snot just a pesky cold symptom
-
What to know about the 'no tax on tips' policyThe Explainer The new bill would make tip income exempt from federal income taxes
-
Dehorning rhinos sharply cuts poaching, study findsSpeed Read The painless procedure may be an effective way to reduce the widespread poaching of rhinoceroses
