New York – An FBI agent who posed as an al-Qaida recruiter in a terrorism investigation testified today at a doctor’s trial, recalling that a key conspirator in the case showed him how he could strangle somebody with his prayer beads.
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The agent, Ali Soufan, is a key witness in the terrorism trail against the doctor, Rafiq Abdus Sabir, 52, who was charged two years ago with pledging to provide material support to al-Qaida by offering to treat the group’s injured fighters.
Most of Soufan’s testimony revolved around conversations he had with Tarik Shah, a martial arts expert and jazz musician who said he wanted to introduce him to Sabir.
During one talk, Shah showed him long prayer beads of the type worn by martial arts masters, and said Shah demonstrated that he could strangle someone with the prayer beads — “that he could kill with these beads,” and that members of al-Qaida had already used martial arts effectively in attacks “and were very successful.”
Soufan said he was referring to the hijackers involved in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Sabir’s lawyer, Ed Wilford, said there was very little evidence, if any, related to his client. [AP]