9/11 retrial denied key witness
The US says it will not allow its al-Qaeda susxects to testify at the retrial of a man charged with helping to plot the 11 September 2001 attacks.
The decision was announced as Moroccan Mounir al-Motassadek appeared in court in Hamburg, Germany, yesterday.
The stance is seen as a major blow for the prosecutors.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. They had hoped to use testimony from Ramzi Binalshibh, an al-Qaeda suspect in US custody, to reverse the quashing of Motassadek's earlier conviction.
A letter from the US Justice Department read in court said terror suspects in American custody would not be allowed |o testify.
The letter cited security concerns, as well as the need to protect secret information.
The Justice Department also said an FBI agent would be sent to give evidence at the retrial.
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