Court to Let Iranian Ex-Spy Give Evidence at 9/11 Trial
HAMBURG, Germany — A judge in the trial of an accused Sept. 11 plotter agreed Thursday to hear last-minute testimony from a former Iranian spy claiming to have inside evidence about the plot and about an alliance of Al Qaeda, Hezbollah and Iranian intelligence.
The ex-spy also told German federal police he was a longtime double agent for the CIA and had contacted U.S. and French intelligence before the Sept. 11 attacks to warn about an impending Al Qaeda strike, according to testimony Thursday.
The description by two German investigators of the Iranian's wide-ranging story drew questions from the judge and defense lawyers, who cast doubt on his trustworthiness. A prosecutor testified that the Iranian had aided German authorities in a separate case involving Iranian spies but admitted that police were still assessing his credibility as a witness against Abdelghani Mzoudi, a Moroccan suspected of being an associate of the hijackers based in Hamburg.
Judge Klaus Ruehle urged prosecutors to have the new witness testify next Thursday. The former spy is between 30 and 35, goes by the alias Hamid Reza Zakeri and has given several interviews to journalists since fleeing Iran in July 2001, according to testimony.
But it was not clear whether Zakeri would actually take the stand in the five-month trial. In addition to doubts about his credibility, prosecutors said they want to ensure that they can protect his anonymity.
The cloak-and-dagger story was superimposed on the trial on the day originally set for announcement of the verdict. Mzoudi, who is charged as an accessory to murder, allegedly trained at an Al Qaeda camp and later paid bills and helped provide apartments for the Hamburg hijackers, prosecutors charge.
Zakeri told police that a top Iranian intelligence official last month identified Mzoudi as a communications specialist for the Hamburg plotters, according to testimony. Defense lawyers scoffed at the accusation.
"An acquittal for my client is not in danger," lawyer Guel Pinar said. The defense cited a U.S. magazine article that quoted an American intelligence official describing Zakeri as "a fabricator of monumental proportions."
The world of espionage and counter-terrorism often produces figures who blur the lines between fact, fiction and manipulation.
- Judge Wraps Up Probe of Alleged Terrorist Cell Jun 16, 2004
- Moussaoui Is Granted Access to Witnesses Sep 04, 2003
- Prosecutor in Terror Case Sues Justice Department Feb 18, 2004
