Sears Tower terror trial begins

Seven men who plotted to destroy America’s tallest building Chicago’s Sears Tower, hoping to start a revolution which would pave the way for an Islamic regime, went on trial today.

FBI agents vidoed and taped the “Liberty City Seven” hoped to use street gangs as soldiers who would stage attacks ranging from large-scale bombings to poisoning restaurant salt cellars.

On one of the 15,000 recordings leader Narseal Batiste is overheard saying he would make sure no one survived destruction of the 1,353 feet tall Sears Tower in Chicago because his soldiers would be ready to shoot anyone who escaped.

“These defendants wanted to wage jihad against the United States, and they tell us so in unequivocal detail,” government lawyer Richard Gregorie told the Miami court.

“They say ’the war has to be fought here. And it can’t be just a bombing. It’s got to be chaos.”’

Each of the seven defendants from a poor Miami district faces up to 70 years in prison if convicted of all charges, including conspiracy to levy war against the US and conspiracy to provide material support to al Qaida. All seven have been in custody since their arrests in June last year.

Evidence against the group includes a March 2006 ceremony, recorded by the FBI, in which each man swears allegiance to al Qaida and Osama bin Laden.

The group also took pictures of the FBI office in Miami and other government buildings they were told al Qaida was interested in targeting in a separate plot.

“In this case, all of the conspirators, on tape, walk up, take this oath, give their name and swear their loyalty to a foreign terrorist organisation,” Mr Gregorie said. “They do it voluntarily.”

Lawyers for the men deny they were terrorists and insist their main motivation was to get money promised by FBI informants.

The group never acquired any explosives or military weaponry and only a single handgun legally purchased and registered by one of them was found at the group’s warehouse by the FBI.

The trial is expected to last the rest of the year.