"Most likely to become a martyr"

Thursday, December 01, 2005

FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- An American citizen whose father worked for the Saudi Embassy is convicted for conspiring with Al Qaida operatives to assassinate President George W. Bush.

Ahmed Abu Ali, of Falls Church, Va., admitted to the crime in a videotaped confession.

As a boy, Abu Ali attended the Saudi Islamic Academy in Alexandria. He even became a member of the National Honor Society. In his senior year, Ali's classmates voted him "the most likely to become a martyr."

In the video, the 24-year-old said he went to Saudi Arabia in 2002 to study Islam, and met an Al Qaida operative who invited him to join the Jihad against America.

"I immediately accepted because of my hatred of the U.S., for what I felt was its support of Israel against the Palestinian people," Abu Ali said on the tape.

Abu Ali also admitted that he suggested blowing up American warplanes, warships, or targeting hi-ranking U.S. officials.

He also said it was his Al Qaida contact's idea to kill the president.

Ali Abu went on to say on the videotape, "I preferred this idea because it was easier to carry out since the U.S. president often appears in pubic places."...

During his trial, Ali testified that the Saudis beat the confession out of him. But jurors saw him on tape pretend to cock a rifle and laugh.

"What was striking was how relaxed he looked, almost carefree...[he] didn't look like someone tortured, pressured into confessing," said Roger Cressey, an NBC News Terror Analyst.