Prosecutor: Miami group had terror goals

MIAMI, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Seven Miami men formed an "unholy alliance" with al-Qaida to carry out a terrorist attack on the scale of Sept. 11, 2001, a prosecutor said Thursday.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Arango delivered her closing statement to a jury in federal court, The Miami Herald reported. The group, under the leadership of Narseal Batiste, allegedly planned to destroy the Sears Tower in Chicago.

"They were not going to be able to do it on their own," Arango said. "They had the same goal, the destruction of the United States."

Batiste's lawyer, Ana M. Jhones, said her client was a victim of entrapment, The New York Times reported.

"Manipulation cannot be tolerated because of the war on terror," Jhones said. "There are not enough people who want to do harm to the United States that we have to fabricate a crime?"

Arango, anticipating that argument, called it a fraud, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel said.

Jurors are expected to begin deliberations next week.