Syrian Convicted in Sudan Terrorism Trial
KHARTOUM, Sudan, Aug 28, 2003 (AP) — A Sudanese court has convicted a Syrian and sentenced him to a month in prison for training Palestinians and Saudis to carry out attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq.
The court also convicted two Sudanese of helping the Syrian and providing information to help others plan attacks on government and Jewish targets in Eritrea, according to a statement released Thursday.
The court gave few details about the unidentified defendants or the investigations, and officials refused to comment – a possible reflection of the country’s nervousness that it could once again be seen as a terrorist haven.
Sudan has a history of giving refuge to Islamic extremists. Saudi-born Osama bin Laden lived in Sudan for several years until 1996, when he left for Afghanistan. Egypt and the United States accused Sudan of sheltering terrorists in the 1990s, but in recent years Khartoum has attempted to distance itself from militants and improve ties.
In a statement Wednesday, the court said it convicted the Syrian for holding classes in Sudan to train Saudis and Palestinians to carry out anti-American attacks in Iraq.
A Saudi was to be expelled to Saudi Arabia, the court said. There were no details on how many Saudis and Palestinians were involved in the classes.
The court said the Syrian and two Sudanese were convicted of aiding a foreign group and plotting attacks abroad. The Syrian was sentenced to one month in prison and fined $192,000. One Sudanese was sentenced to five months in prison and the other to six months.
Prosecutor Mohammed Farid, who handled the case, refused to comment Thursday when contacted by The Associated Press.
Two other Sudanese men were at large and were thought to be a source of funding and the link between the Saudis and Palestinians and the three convicted men.
U.S. officials have said several foreign fighters have been apprehended by U.S. troops in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq and that papers found with them indicate they came into Iraq from countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Syria. The officials said U.S. investigators were still trying to determine their identities, origins and travel route.
Sudan is across the Red Sea from Saudi Arabia, which shares a long and porous border with Iraq.
In recent years, the Sudanese government has provided information to the West about extremists. Relations with Washington have improved, although the country remains on the State Department list of terrorist-supporting states.
Recently, Sudanese authorities handed over 13 Saudi terror suspects to Saudi officials.