Ahmed Ressam, the man convicted of attempting to blow up Los Angeles International Airport on January 1, 2000 was sentenced today to 22 years in prison by a Federal Court judge in Seattle. The sentence was reduced because Mr. Ressam cooperated with American officials and gave them information about terrorist training camps inside Afghanistan and other helpful information about potential terrorists in the United States and abroad.
Ressam, a native of Algeria, was arrested by American authorities in December 1999 in Port Angeles, Washington. In the trunk of his car, he was carrying materials that could be used to make a bomb.
Prosecutors had asked the judge to sentence Ressam to 35 years for his crime while Ressam's attorneys had asked for a 12 1/2 year sentence.
U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour was set to sentence Ressam in April but gave him three additional months to give prosecutors more assistance.
Judge Coughenour explained that federal courts were a successful place to try suspected terror defendants.
'I would like to convey the message that our system works. We did not need to use a secret military tribunal, or detain the defendant indefinitely as an enemy combatant, or deny him the right to counsel, or invoke any proceedings beyond those guaranteed by or contrary to the United States Constitution.
'I would suggest that the message to the world from today's sentencing is that our courts have not abandoned our commitment to the ideals that set our nation apart. We can deal with the threats to our national security without denying the accused fundamental constitutional protections.'
Judge Coughenour took a final swipe at the Bush administration's present policy of dealing with suspected terrorists when he added, 'Unfortunately, some believe that this threat renders our Constitution obsolete. This is a Constitution for which men and women have died and continue to die and which has made us a model among nations. If that view is allowed to prevail, the terrorists will have won.'
Ressam remained stoic in the courtroom. Prior to sentencing, he handed a note to the judge which was read aloud. It said he has renounced terrorism. Because he has already served 5 1/2 years of his sentence, Ressam may be out of jail in another 14 years.
