NYC-WTC_000230717

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

THE NEW VOEK TIMES, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2001

THE COURTS

In Terror Inquiry, Student Is Charged With Perjury By BENJAMIN WEfSER BgenL with the F.H.l, says Mr. Awa- and CHRISTOPHER DREW dallah was studying English as b A Jnr^anian siudenr was charged second language at Grossmont Col­ yesterday b Manhattan with lying lege in El Cajon, Calif., near San before a federal grand jury inveed- Diefio. where the authorities say he gallng the Sept 11 terror attacks. wrote about Mr. Mldhar in a class. Federal prosecutor# said that the T?ie complain! ouole5 dlreclJy student. Osama Awadallah. had lied from Mr Awadallah's exam book, aboul hia aaiMLfiCiona with Khalid al- ixiinpiete with mlaspelllngs. He Midhar, one of the suspected hijack­ wrote: "I have been In S.D. since ers who helped crash a jetliner into I9PS. I hflve always wanted ro meet the Peniagon. as much people as much as 1 can. 1 In court yesterday, a federal mag* hove mel many people from many Istraie judge. Gabriel W. Gorenstein, countries. One ol the qxiltesi people I ordered Mr. AwadaJlah, 21, held have met is Nawaf. Another one h|g without bond on two counts of perju­ name KhBlld. They have stayed In ry. He could face a total of 10 years in S.D. lor six monihi." prison it convicted. The judge acred ProsecQlora say Naval is Mr Al- a/ier a prosecutor, Robin l. Baker, hazmi, and Khalid Is iwr. Mldhar. said that Mr Awadailah's lies "pro­ In the Oct. 10 grand jury appear­ moted terrorism" and that if he were ance, Mr. Awadailah denied knowing released on ball, he might (lee. anyone named Khalid, or that the There were no allegations that Mr. handwriting In the book was hts. But Awadallah had any role in the hijack- in a second grand jury appearance Inga, and In court, one of his lawyers, on Oct. 15, he admitted that he had Jes^e airman, contended that Mr ivritfeo the passage, according Ifi the Awadallah was exhausted and con- complaint, and also recalled that (he fused when questioned before the person with Nawa! Alhaiml wai grand Jury. "He had nothing to do named Khalid with the terrible evenlfi of Sept. 11," "How sure or not sure are you that Mt. Berman lold the judge. the man who you Mmetlraes saw After the hearing, Mr. Berman as with Nawal was named Khalid?" he saied Lhe government’s decision to was asked, the complaint says, ‘ I'm charge hl9 client, saying II waA try- sure," he replied. Ing to justify the arrests of hundreds Mr. Berman said that one of Mr. of Arabs and Muslims. "The Justice Awadallah's teachers found the Departiiieni has to come up with exam book, and gave It co another delendsmts,” Mr. Berman said. "Ifs school ofllclal, who called the EBJ. been five weeks since (he hijackings Mt. Awadallah la one of three Mid- The public wants someone to be drawn and quartered. We've got 6.000 bodies. They've got to Justily doing their job." SoHie WlitinffS Mr. Awadallah had been held as a of “»iSS&Saa»i. “ hijacking suspect. haitBo. Mary Jo White, said yesier- --- ----------------------- day: "Every witness brought before a srand jury as pari o( the mvesilga- die Eisitrii men atlendlnB colHses lira of lhe horrific attacks on Sept. 11 San Diego who were delainri in - Indeed, s9 pari of any Inoestisa- hearings In Manhattan Um - has an ahsoliite ohllgalion to „,»«, as material wJreess- tell lie truth throughout his or her ,„ror,sni inve,ligation. One leslimcny.” Her office had no com- one, men, Taieed Al-Salmi. m«ni OT» Mr. Berman's criticism. released last week after testify

KJK2SS.SESK “TiSSiSSSliSiSU Hr vpuorrlav Mr?* • X'5!!‘wh»?!!?25? Awa(^alla^^ was SUSPSCt Mt. AlhazHli Iclt ill thC PBFlt-

Jury on oct 10, When he denied know- """ blade attached Illg Mr. Mldhar, The authoritleo suS- “* “t” peci Mr Awadallah knew him and ®’" “"S’ ‘V even hrtue atenl him In a college “ «« «««>I*'** exam, the complalnl says, .aid Mr, Awatmllah saU ha aaed It tn Mr. Mldhar has become a major Orpeis. focus of Lhe terror iiivestieation he- *“ »*» second man to face cause invetfilgators suspect Iw also criminal charges this week of lying had roles in two previous acts of f^rul invesilgailon. letrorism tied to Osama bin Laden, Mohammad Aslam Per- Uie 1998 bombings ol two American ® “*«’ E/nbass^es and fhe 2500 hombine of ferial witness warrant since he was the American destroyer Cole. taken into custody when the F.b.1. nwcompiaini says that Mr Awo- raided hiS Jersey City apartment dallah acknowledged knowing afler the attack. In a complaint un- other suspected hijacker wi ihe jei sealed on Tuesday. Mr, Pervez was that hit the Pentagon, Nawaf a1- charged with lying to federal agents hazmi, and thac he saw him 35 to to nhoui more than 151.OOf) in checks he , times Jasi year in San Diego. Mr. wrore in 1996 and nearly $63,0Wl in Awfldarfafi said he *05 somecimes chwkJ and money orders deposJied wirh another man. That man, pros- into his account In 1995,1996 and this eculois say. was Mr. Midhar. year. It was unclear whether ihcsc Mr. Awadallah's lawyer, Mr. Ber- iransaclions had any connection to man, said his client was a furdaman the invesitgation, citizen living legally in the United His roammaietf. Ayub AH Khan States who has neverhaq any trouble and MoJiammed Aiinnth, liuvc also with the law. been held on malerial witness 'war- The compfaini, which is signed by rants since they were arrested on on Thonios D. Rosato Jr., a special Amtrak train in Texas on Sept. 12

CITY_21MC100_011831337

NYC-WTC_000230717