DATE: 2006-07-18
COUNTRY: IRAQ (IQ); GERMANY (DE)
TOPIC: TERRORISM; MONEY; INTERNATIONAL
SUMMARY: AN IRAQI MAN TESTIFYING AT THE TRIAL OF 3 SUSPECTS WHO ALLEGEDLY PLOTTED TO KILL FORMER IRAQI PRIME MINISTER AYAD ALLAWI DENIED KNOWINGLY RAISING FUNDS FOR ISLAMIC MILITANT GROUP ANSAR AL-ISLAM. THE MAN STATES HE WAS ASKED SIMPLY FOR CREDIT AND GAVE 360 EURO THAT WAS IN PART SENT TO ANSAR AL-ISLAM IN IRAQ.
BODY: 1. ON 18 JULY 2006 AN IRAQI MAN NAMED OMAR ISMAEL TESTIFIED AT THE TRIAL OF 3 SUSPECTS WHO ALLEGEDLY PLOTTED TO KILL FORMER IRAQI PRIME MINISTER AYAD ALLAWI. IN ISMAEL'S TESTIMONY HE DENIED KNOWINGLY RAISING FUNDS FOR ISLAMIC MILITANT GROUP ANSAR AL-ISLAM.
A. ATA ABDOULAZIZ RASHID, MAZEN ALI HUSSEIN AND RAFIK MOHAMAD YOUSEF FACE CHARGES OF CONSPIRACY AND MEMBERSHIP IN A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.
B. ANSAR AL-ISLAM IS A GROUP LINKED TO AL-QAIDA AND A SERIES OF VIOLENT ATTACKS ON U.S. AND ALLIED FORCES IN IRAQ.
2. PROSECUTORS ARE ALSO TRYING TO PROVE CHARGES THAT THE SUSPECTS HELPED TO RAISE FUNDS AND ORGANIZE RECRUITS FOR ANSAR AL-ISLAM. 
3. A JUDGE AND PROSECUTORS INTERROGATED OMAR ISMAEL REGARDING 360 EURO (455 U.S. DOLLARS) HE GAVE TO RASHID THAT IN PART WAS SENT TO ANSAR AL-ISLAM IN IRAQ.                  
A. ISMAEL IS AN UNEMPLOYED 36-YEAR-OLD IRAQI. 
B. CONFRONTED WITH WIRETAP EVIDENCE FROM LATE 2003 ISMAEL ACKNOWLEDGED ONLY THAT RASHID HAD ASKED HIM FOR CREDIT.
C. ISMAEL DISPUTED EARLIER TESTIMONY IN WHICH PROSECUTORS STATE HE CONFIRMED THAT RASHID HAD ASKED HIM TO RAISE MONEY FOR ANSAR AL-ISLAM. SPEAKING TO THE COURT ISMAEL DENIED STATING THAT THE MONEY WAS FOR ANSAR AL-ISLAM. 
4. LONGTIME GERMAN RESIDENT ISMAEL WAS CONVICTED AND JAILED IN 2005 FOR OFFENSES THAT INCLUDED VIOLATING GERMAN EXPORT LAWS BY MAKING THE PAYMENT THROUGH RASHID. ISMAEL IS TO BE DEPORTED 28 JULY 2006.
5. THE 3 DEFENDANTS WERE ARRESTED IN PRE-DAWN RAIDS ON 03 DECEMBER 2004.
6. ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT YOUSEF PHONED HUSSEIN AND RASHID ON 02 DECEMBER 2004 TO ASK FOR APPROVAL FOR AN ATTEMPT TO KILL ALLAWI DURING ALLAWI'S APPEARANCE AT A BUSINESS FORUM IN BERLIN. 
A. HUSSEIN AND RASHID ARE DESCRIBED AS MORE SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE GROUP. 
B. HUSSEIN ALLEGEDLY CONVEYED RASHID'S APPROVAL TO YOUSEF AND PROMISED FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
C. THE BUSINESS FORUM IN BERLIN WAS CANCELED FOLLOWING THE ARRESTS.
7. AT THE SESSION ON 18 JULY 2006 THE COURT ALSO BEGAN HEARING TESTIMONY ON ANSAR AL-ISLAM FROM AMIN LOKMAN MOHAMED. AMIN LOKMAN MOHAMED IS AN IRAQI IMPRISONED IN GERMANY FOR ALLEGEDLY AIDING ANSAR AL-ISLAM. 
A. AMIN LOKMAN MOHAMED'S INITIAL COMMENTS IN COURT DID NOT RELATE TO THE DEFENDANTS.