Fort Dix witness cites terrorism threat

CAMDEN, N.J., Dec. 10 (UPI) -- U.S.-based Muslim terror groups don't need to be sophisticated to be effective, says a prosecution witness at the terrorism trial of five New Jersey men.

The five are accused of plotting to enter the Fort Dix U.S. Army base in New Jersey and kill as many soldiers as they could, but defense attorneys say the naturalized Muslim immigrants never carried out any planning unless goaded to by a paid FBI informant who had infiltrated their group.

Wrapping up their case Tuesday, prosecutors called a terrorism expert to the stand in Camden, N.J., who said jihadists can learn to cause mayhem merely by watching video instructions on the Internet, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Evan Kohlmann, a researcher, writer and analyst, told jurors training videos found on two of the defendants' computers were "some of the classics put out by (al-Qaida)," adding, "You don't have to be very sophisticated to kill people. Guys who have very simple weapons and a very simple plan can cause a lot of damage."

Defense attorneys, meanwhile, argued the men never formulated an actual plan of attack, the Inquirer said. They said some of the defendants often were unaware of what the others were doing.