by Lydia Adetunji and Jimmy Burns
Financial Times
Sep 19, 2002
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Zacarias Moussaoui (pictured), accused of conspiring with al-Qaeda to hijack aircraft on September 11, has pinned his hopes of avoiding a potential death sentence on a man he claims is a secret informer working for the British government.
The self-professed al-Qaeda member, who will represent himself when his trial begins in January in the US, wants to engage a British lawyer to investigate Atif Ahmed, a 30-year-old man from Tooting, south London, whose name he has repeatedly mentioned at pre-trial hearings and in court filings.
According to court papers filed by US prosecutors, Mr. Moussaoui has asked that the US allow him to meet Sadiq Khan, a well-known human rights solicitor.
Though he has put forward conspiracy theories, the case Mr. Moussaoui appears to be making is that western intelligence services knew he was an al-Qaeda member who was in the US for some purpose other than the September 11 attacks.
Mr. Moussaoui apparently wants Mr. Khan to investigate Mr. Ahmed, an acquaintance who he claims was an informant for the British security service MI5 and had prior knowledge of the September 11 attacks. In July, he told a Virginia courtroom that Mr. Ahmed was a "British agent who took an important role in the conspiracy".
If Mr. Moussaoui is successful in pursuing an investigation of Mr. Ahmed, he could be called as a witness at the trial.
UK security sources describe Mr Ahmed as a minor figure in the London Islamist underground who they believe had nothing to do with the September 11 attacks.
Mr. Ahmed was arrested last November during the anti-terror sweeps that took place in their wake in Britain, but was released without charge a few days later.
Were Mr. Ahmed to have worked as a "British agent" as suggested by Mr. Moussaoui, it is likely that MI5 would attempt to restrict whatever evidence he might be prepared to give in a court of law on the grounds of national security and possible compromising of sources.
This argument would find some sympathy within the FBI, which has a mutual assistance agreement on criminal and counter-terrorism with UK law enforcement and intelligence organisations.
However, UK security sources appear to be unruffled by Mr. Moussaoui's claim that Mr. Ahmed is a British agent, which they say has no evidential basis.
Mr. Ahmed could not be contacted for comment.
Mr. Khan, who attended one of the pre-trial hearings a few weeks ago, confirmed he had been contacted by Mr. Moussaoui, but declined to comment further.
However, as a foreign national, it is unlikely he would get security clearance to visit Mr. Moussaoui in his jail cell.
Mr. Moussaoui has also attempted to get his court-appointed standby defence lawyers to try to secure Mr. Ahmed as a witness.
His most recent court motions have been kept under seal, after prosecutors successfully argued he was using the often inflammatory writings as a conduit for messages to fanatical followers.
A number of news organisations are currently fighting to have the restrictions lifted.