ROME: A court yesterday acquitted three Egyptians accused of planning an attack on an American military cemetery near Rome and other US interests in Italy, dealing a second blow this week to anti-terror prosecutors.
The defendants were in the high-security courtroom when the verdict was handed down after about two hours of deliberations. Two of them had tears in their eyes.
“In the court, at least justice is done – outside perhaps not,” said defence lawyer Giovanni Destito.
Prosecutors said they would appeal the ruling, which came two days after nine Moroccans accused in a separate case of allegedly planning an attack on the US Embassy in Rome were acquitted.
Three other suspects tried with the Moroccans were also acquitted.
The three Egyptians had been arrested in October 2002 in the port town of Anzio, about 50km south of the Italian capital, and have been detained since then.
At the time of the arrest, a search of their apartment turned up 2kg of TNT, a belt that could be packed with explosives, a handgun and a map indicating the American cemetery in nearby Nettuno, with two of its entrances marked.
Prosecutors alleged the men were planning an attack on the cemetery, on McDonald’s restaurants and on Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport.
The three were charged with illegal possession of weapons and “subversive association aimed at international terrorism” – a charge introduced after the Sept. 11 attacks as part of Italy’s efforts to crack down on suspected Islamic terrorists.
Prosecutor Erminio Amelio had asked for a prison terms of 12 years apiece, and for a $1,200 fine from each of the three suspects.
He said he would appeal the ruling, as prosecutors can do in Italy. He declined further comment, saying only: “We will wait to see what the judges’ decision is,” referring to the written explanation of the ruling expected in a few weeks.
The defendants have always denied any wrongdoing.
n OSLO: The founder of suspected terror group Ansar al Islam lost his temper for the second time in a week yesterday when he wrenched a camera away from a journalist.
The incident occurred as Mullah Krekar, former leader of a Kurdish an Islamic group in northern Iraq, was headed to a police station to file an assault complaint against a female comedian.
The comedian, Pakistani-born Shabana Rehman, had grabbed Krekar by the hips and lifted him into the air on Tuesday during a stage appearance. The incident was recorded on TV cameras.
Krekar, a refugee in Norway since 1991, lost his temper outside the police station when a journalist took his picture. – Agencies



photo: Egyptians Magdi Shalabej, Ali El Gammal and Mohamed El Zahed shake hands with their lawyer during the trial which sees them accused of planning an attack on an American military cemetery near Rome, and other US interests in Italy. The three Egyptians were acquitted by the court. – AP
Last update on: 1-5-2004