[AdvertisingPo]

NEW YORK — A gunfight at an Afghan police outpost that resulted in attempted-murder charges against a U.S.-trained Pakistani scientist created friction within the U.S. Army over how she got her hands on a soldier’s assault rifle, according to testimony at her trial.

The testimony in federal court in Manhattan also has offered a window into tensions between U.S. and Afghan authorities battling militant forces near the Pakistani border.

Army Capt. Robert Snyder told a jury on Tuesday that the unnamed soldier, a chief warrant officer, created a deadly risk by not securing his weapon. He described seeing the soldier put down the rifle and turn away to shake hands with police before the gunfire erupted.

He said he recoiled when another captain later approached him about awarding the soldier a medal for valor.

“I told the captain I would not support it — absolutely not,” Snyder said on the first day of testimony at the trial of reputed al-Qaida supporter Aafia Siddiqui.

Prosecutors allege Siddiqui, while detained in a dingy room full of Afghan and U.S. personnel on July 18, 2008, grabbed the unattended rifle and shot at them before she suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach. She has vehemently denied any wrongdoing — sometimes in courtroom tirades that have interrupted the proceedings.

One outburst followed Snyder’s testimony that Afghan police discovered in Siddiqui’s purse handwritten notes mentioning a massive attack and listing landmarks such as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and Wall Street.

“I was never planning a bombing! You’re lying!” the 37-year-old Siddiqui yelled as she was rushed out of court.

A second government witness, FBI agent John Jefferson, testified Tuesday that he and another agent were dispatched to the Afghan police station in Ghazni after U.S. authorities were first told about Siddiqui’s capture.

Jefferson, whose testimony was to resume Wednesday, had orders to take her into U.S. custody. But he said Afghan officials refused to turn her over, instead saying U.S. authorities including Snyder could question her and take a DNA sample at the police station.

Snyder testified he was seated in a 300-square-foot room when he looked toward a yellow curtain and saw a woman kneeling on a bed and pointing the rifle.

“I could see the inner portion of the barrel, which indicated to me it was pointing straight at my head,” he said. “I was absolutely certain there was nothing I could do to get out of her line of fire.”

He said he jumped from his seat, heard the rifle go off more than once and rushed for the door, the last to escape the room. He said he returned seconds later to see an interpreter for the Army struggling to subdue Siddiqui. After that, prosecutors say, the chief warrant officer shot her with a pistol.

Once the shooting stopped, about 150 Afghan security personnel — some wielding rifles and looking “very agitated” — began swarming as about 15 U.S. authorities tried to carry away a still-kicking Siddiqui on a stretcher outside the police station, Snyder said.

“The situation was very tense to say the least,” he said.

The captain said he later “compared notes” with the chief warrant officer and was surprised by his attitude.

The soldier “felt he had saved the day,” the witness said. “He had returned fire, so to speak. ... I felt that some of the actions or inactions he took contributed to the situation.”

Synder credited the interpreter who first lunged at Siddiqui with being the real hero.

“I expressed my overwhelming gratitude for what he did,” he said.

Besides the defendant, no one was seriously injured.


Article: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/20...ddiqui_012010/

[kuklame]

Afghan interpreter: Woman tried to shoot GIs (http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/0...trial_012010/)


NEW YORK — An Army interpreter recounted Wednesday how he subdued a U.S.-trained Pakistani scientist prosecutors say tried to kill Americans during a chaotic shootout in an Afghan police station in the summer of 2008.

Ahmad Gul told a jury in federal court in Manhattan that he heard someone shout, “She got the gun!” before turning to see Aafit Siddiqui pointing an assault rifle at U.S. soldiers and FBI agents in a tiny office.

“I right away lunged toward her and I pushed her toward the wall ... and I pushed the [gun barrel] toward the ceiling,” he said on the second day of Siddiqui’s attempted murder trial.

Authorities allege Siddiqui, 37, is an al-Qaida supporter who was detained on July 18, 2008, after being caught carrying handwritten notes referencing a “mass casualty attack” and listing the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty and other New York City landmarks. They say before she could be interrogated, she managed to grab an M4 rifle set down by a chief warrant officer and open fire.

As Gul said Siddiqui struggled, she fired the weapon twice, he said. The chief warrant officer pulled a pistol and shot her in the stomach.

“When she got shot ... she jerked and I snatched the gun away from her,” Gul said.

Siddiqui, a specialist in neuroscience who trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University, has insisted in courtroom rants that she’s innocent. She also has refused to work with her defense attorneys, including some paid for by the Pakistani government.

U.S. District Judge Richard Berman warned her Wednesday that no more outbursts would be tolerated.

“I’m just going to be quiet, but it doesn’t mean I agree,” she said before draping herself across the defense table.

FBI agent John Jefferson testified Wednesday that he heard her yelling, “I’m going to kill all you Americans” after she was shot. He said he surprised it was in “perfect English.”

Jurors have heard another eyewitness, Army Capt. Robert Snyder, criticize the unnamed chief warrant officer for not securing his weapon.

The officer “felt he had saved the day,” the captain said. “He had returned fire, so to speak. ... I felt that some of the actions or inactions he took contributed to the situation.”

As for the interpreter, “I expressed my overwhelming gratitude for what he did,” he said.

[KongoSan]

If it was the CWO's weapon, then he certainly bears some responsibility for what happened.

[jinnamys]

NEW YORK — An Army interpreter recounted Wednesday how he subdued a U.S.-trained Pakistani scientist prosecutors say tried to kill Americans during a chaotic shootout in an Afghan police station in the summer of 2008.

Ahmad Gul told a jury in federal court in Manhattan that he heard someone shout, “She got the gun!” before turning to see Aafit Siddiqui pointing an assault rifle at U.S. soldiers and FBI agents in a tiny office.

“I right away lunged toward her and I pushed her toward the wall ... and I pushed the [gun barrel] toward the ceiling,” he said on the second day of Siddiqui’s attempted murder trial.

Authorities allege Siddiqui, 37, is an al-Qaida supporter who was detained on July 18, 2008, after being caught carrying handwritten notes referencing a “mass casualty attack” and listing the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty and other New York City landmarks. They say before she could be interrogated, she managed to grab an M4 rifle set down by a chief warrant officer and open fire.

As Gul said Siddiqui struggled, she fired the weapon twice, he said. The chief warrant officer pulled a pistol and shot her in the stomach.

“When she got shot ... she jerked and I snatched the gun away from her,” Gul said.

Siddiqui, a specialist in neuroscience who trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University, has insisted in courtroom rants that she’s innocent. She also has refused to work with her defense attorneys, including some paid for by the Pakistani government.

U.S. District Judge Richard Berman warned her Wednesday that no more outbursts would be tolerated.

“I’m just going to be quiet, but it doesn’t mean I agree,” she said before draping herself across the defense table.

FBI agent John Jefferson testified Wednesday that he heard her yelling, “I’m going to kill all you Americans” after she was shot. He said he surprised it was in “perfect English.”

Jurors have heard another eyewitness, Army Capt. Robert Snyder, criticize the unnamed chief warrant officer for not securing his weapon.

The officer “felt he had saved the day,” the captain said. “He had returned fire, so to speak. ... I felt that some of the actions or inactions he took contributed to the situation.”

As for the interpreter, “I expressed my overwhelming gratitude for what he did,” he said.


Article: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/20..._trial_012010/

[JetePlentuara]

NEW YORK — A U.S.-trained Pakistani scientist linked to al-Qaida got into trouble again Monday in federal court after twice interrupting the sometimes tearful testimony of an American solider who claimed he shot her in self defense in Afghanistan in 2008.

“I feel sorry for you,” Aafit Siddiqui blurted out at one point at her attempted murder trial in Manhattan. After a judge had deputy U.S. marshals remove her, she pointed at the witness and muttered something else before disappearing behind a side door.

U.S. District Judge Richard Berman allowed Siddiqui to return later, but kicked her out again amid another rambling tirade about injustice. At the end of the day, the defense argued that the removals made her look bad in front of the jury and asked for a mistrial, which the judge denied.

“It’s highly appropriate for her to be escorted out of the courtroom when she acts out,” he said.

Siddiqui, a specialist in neuroscience who trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University, has insisted in previous courtroom rants that she’s innocent. She also has refused to work with her defense attorneys, including some paid for by the Pakistani government.

Authorities allege that Siddiqui, 37, is an al-Qaida supporter who was detained at an Afghan police station on July 18, 2008, after being caught carrying handwritten notes referencing a “mass casualty attack” and listing the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty and other New York City landmarks.

Before she could be interrogated in an Afghan police office, prosecutors say she managed to grab a military assault rifle set down by a U.S. soldier and open fire at American personnel, but missed. The soldier, a chief warrant officer, shot her with his pistol during a struggle.

On Monday, the officer appeared in uniform and used a cane as he limped into court to testify on condition that he not be identified. He began weeping as he recounted how a roadside bomb had left him severely injured and killed three fellow soldiers in the fall of 2008.

“Sometimes it’s a little hard to talk about this,” he said.

The officer was part of a team, including FBI agents, dispatched to investigate Siddiqui and negotiate her release into U.S. custody. Once there, he said he set down his rifle — a move characterized as a dangerous mistake in previous testimony by an Army captain.

The witness, however, said it was customary among Afghans to set aside weapons while conducting business.

“It was a show of trust, a show of respect,” he said.

He testified Afghan authorities had told him Siddiqui had been restrained, and was shocked when she sudden appeared from behind a curtain wielding his M4 rifle and yelling, “Allah akbar,” Arabic for “God is great.”

“It was pretty amazing she got that thing up and squared off,” he said. “She was looking at me and aiming dead at me.”

Hearing the rifle go off, the officer said he followed his military training and pulled his pistol. Siddiqui was wrestling with an interpreter when he shot her in the stomach.

“I operated within the rules of engagement to eliminate the threat,” he said.

Siddiqui’s outbursts weren’t the only disruptions of the day: The judge removed two jurors who told him in private that they had an exchange with an audience member on a break that would make it hard for them to be impartial. They were replaced with alternates.


Article: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/20..._trial_012510/