Algerian pilot sues US over terror charges

[ze_dscherman]

September 11 'suspect' seeks $20m and apology

Audrey Gillan
Tuesday September 16, 2003
The Guardian

An Algerian pilot wrongly accused by the United States government of training some of the September 11 hijackers is to sue the FBI and the Department of Justice for $20m (about £13m), his British lawyers announced yesterday.

Lotfi Raissi, 29, who spent five months in Belmarsh high security prison following the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, had originally been told by the US that he was likely to be charged with conspiracy to murder and could face the death penalty.

SNIP

Mr Raissi was the first person to be accused of participating in the September 11 attacks and was described as the key suspect in the biggest investigation in history. All serious allegations against him were dropped, but the US continued to try to extradite him on the grounds that he lied on a form for his pilot's licence by failing to declare an old tennis injury.

SNIP

... he said: "We are not suing for the money, we are suing for the principle of the thing. My family and I, we want justice and we want an apology and to make sure that something like this will never happen again. They destroyed my life and my family's life. It's not about the money, the money is symbolic ... they destroyed my career and they destroyed my life. In all the time since this happened, I have never asked for any money from anybody and I have never had an apology."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/september11/story/0,11209,1042915,00.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Justice? With Ashcroft in power?

If the Dept. of Justice has its way, people like this guy will rot in jail forever without a trial, being able to confront their accusers, or have access to an attorney. It won't matter if it is a mistake-more important that the government save face. I hope this guy wins his suit, and wins it big!

[dArKeR]

2. Are Bush or Cheney named as defendants?

Why shouldn't the media also be named in a RICO combination suit? A Christiane Amanpour revelation type! The colusion is obvious for anyone who watches or understands 30% of the Whore Media.

[loudnclear]

3. I sure hope he wins!

The rest of the poor chaps who were wrongly accused an imprisoned should also get compensation.