Men were punished for planning a 9/11 style attack asking a new lawyer in sentence

The punishment of Cholo Abdi Abdullah, a Kenyan citizen who was sentenced to planned a 9/11 style attack in the United States, was postponed Monday after he asked for a new lawyer.

“I think of having a new lawyer who will represent me,” said Abdullah, who represented him during the trial last year which ended with him was sentenced to the six federal charges.

The judge has appointed Alert advice but Abdullah said he did not want them to represent him on the sentence.

“I don’t want these two lawyers to represent me. I want to start fresh,” said Abdullah, who appeared in a cream prison gap that was wrinkled on a bright orange t-shirt and spoke slowly and softly in responding to some judges’ questions.

Judge Analysis Torres closed the courtroom for a personal conference with Abdullah. When the court continued, Torres announced that he would appoint a new advisor and postpone the sentence until April 7.

Prosecutor Federal has asked the court to imprison Abdullah for life.

“The crime of the defendant’s terrorism, combined with his specialized pilot skills and al -Shabaab, which he will have for the rest of his life, underlines that he has a real and sustainable threat to an innocent life throughout the world. He remains a skilled terrorist.”

Abdullah wanted to fly a plane to the “highest building” in Atlanta, including 55 Floors of the Bank of America Plaza, on behalf of the Al-Shabab terror group, the Federal Prosecutor said.

As explained by the Federal Prosecutor, Abdullah tried to “carry out a terrible plan to hijack commercial aircraft, crashed into a building in the United States, and re -created a terrible terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 Al Qaeda.”

He was first trained with Al-Shabaab for months in Somalia, learning to fire AK-47 assault rifles and make deadly explosives, the prosecutor said. Then, he registered at the flight school in the Philippines and devoted hundreds of hours to produce flight certification needed to fly large commercial aircraft, the prosecutor said.

“All said, the defendant got a license to his personal pilot and almost got a commercial pilot license before he was arrested,” said the prosecutor.

Abdullah joined Al-Shabaab in 2015 after becoming more religious and listening to the teachings of Anwar Al-Awlaki. Facebook messages show routine communication between group members regarding training, prayers, planning attacks, getting money and plans for Abdullah to attend flight schools, said the prosecutor.

After living in a safe house and receiving training for three months, Abdullah was sent to the flight school in the Philippines. When he left, some of his safe house members made a bombing and shot the dusitd2 complex in Nairobi, Kenya, according to the Federal Prosecutor.

Abdullah was arrested by officials in the Philippines in July 2019. During his interrogation, he told his mother that he had joined Al-Shabaab and that he told the authorities, the prosecutor said. Abdullah cooperates with the FBI, giving details about who communicates with, how he is trained and other information.