September 11 accused makes link between al Qaeda and Chechnya

A MOROCCAN charged with supporting the September 11 suicide hijackers told a German court yesterday some alleged plotters wanted to fight against Russians in Chechnya.

Mounir El Motassadeq, the first suspected Sept. 11 conspirator to stand trial, said the men headed to Afghanistan to train in hopes of later combating what they regarded as Russian crimes in Chechnya.

The four included Mohammed Atta, Marwan Al Shehi and Ziad Jarrah, who US authorities believed piloted three of the hijacked planes on September 11. The fourth was Ramzi Bin Al Shaibah, an alleged accomplice arrested in Pakistan last month.