GERMANY: Germany's second September 11th trial faces collapse after a new witness said in a statement that the Moroccan man on trial had nothing to do with the plot.
Mr Abdelghani Mzoudi (31) was accused of helping plan the attacks on New York and Washington as a member of the Hamburg al-Qaeda terrorist cell, but was released from custody yesterday.
The dramatic twist came after a three-page fax arrived at Hamburg High Court from Germany's Federal Criminal Police with a statement from an unnamed witness claiming that only himself and the three pilots were involved in the plot.
"There is a serious possibility that Mzoudi was left out of the attack plans on purpose despite his links to the Hamburg group and his stay in Afghanistan, and that his supportive actions were not consciously made," said Judge Klaus Rühle, who ordered Mr Mzoudi to be immediately released.
The court will meet again in a week, when members of the Federal Criminal Police will be questioned about the surprise statement.
Sources in Hamburg said yesterday that the statement most probably came from Ramzi Binalshibh, the contact man between the Hamburg cell and al-Qaeda, who is currently in US custody.
"The decision is very regrettable and questionable.
"The fact remains that Mzoudi is a trained al-Qaeda terrorist and moved in the same circles," said Dr Kai Hirschmann, a criminologist and terrorism expert.