Accused Qaeda operative faces U.S. trial, despite refusal to appear
Source: Reuters
U.S. | Mon Mar 6, 2017 | 6:23am EST
Accused Qaeda operative faces U.S. trial, despite refusal to appear
By Joseph Ax and Nate Raymond | NEW YORK
An accused al Qaeda operative charged with engaging in attacks on U.S. forces that killed at least two American servicemen in Afghanistan is set to face trial on Monday in federal court in Brooklyn, New York.
Ibrahim Suleiman Adnan Adam Harun, also known by the nom de guerre Spin Ghul, or White Rose in the Pashto language, is accused of conspiring to kill Americans and providing support to a terrorist group, among other charges. An anonymous jury will hear the case, which is not uncommon in national security trials.
Harun, 47, is not expected to be in court. Since his extradition from Italy in October 2012, the Saudi-born defendant has insisted he is a "warrior" who should face a military tribunal rather than criminal proceedings and has registered his dissent through increasingly aggressive courtroom behavior.
Before one appearance last May, Harun scuffled with U.S. marshals, tore off his clothes, then disrupted the hearing by screaming from an adjacent holding cell.
He has refused to speak with his court-appointed lawyers for two years. At their request, U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan is permitting Harun to monitor his trial by video from a jail cell.
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