NEW YORK, March 6 (UPI) -- Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, Osama bin Laden's son-in-law, was accused in court by prosecutors in New York of aiding in terror plots and providing material support.
In opening statements Wednesday in Abu Ghaith's trial on accusations of conspiring to kill U.S. citizens and providing support to al-Qaida, his job was portrayed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Lewin as as helping to "provide al-Qaida with its very life blood, fighters."
Lewin accused Abu Ghaith of broadly taking part in a global conspiracy, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Neither side claimed Abu Ghaith, 48, helped plan the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center, and neither mentioned his relationship to bin Laden.
Defense attorney Stanley Cohen said while prosecutors will attempt to link Abu Ghaith to the World Trade Center catastrophe, his client had nothing to do with it, adding the government's case is nothing but "words and associations."
"This is not a trial about 9/11, no matter how painful it is for this city," Cohen said.
Abu Ghaith was seized in Jordan in 2013 and flown to New York for the trial. He could face life imprisonment if convicted.
Lewin promised jurors they will see videos of Abu Ghaith warning the United States a "great army is gathering against you" and "the storms of airplanes will not abate."
Lewin mentioned al-Qaida's name more than 70 times in the course of his remarks, Courthouse News Service noted.
