Court reinstates Padilla charge

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/6315759.stm

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An appeals court in the US has reinstated a key charge against Jose Padilla, a US citizen suspected of being an al-Qaeda conspirator.

A lower court judge had thrown out a murder-conspiracy charge against Mr Padilla, who was held for more than three years an "enemy combatant".

The appeals court agreed with federal prosecutors that the charge does not duplicate other charges against him.

Mr Padilla now faces a possible life sentence if convicted.

The reinstated charges are "conspiring to murder, kidnap and maim persons in a foreign country".

The other charges against him allege he was part of a North American terror cell that provided support to radical Islamists around the world.

His trial is scheduled to begin on 16 April with two co-defendants - Adham Amin Hassoun and Kifah Wael Jayyousi - who also had the murder-conspiracy charge reinstated against them.

The co-defendants also face charges of providing material support to terrorists and conspiring to do so.