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Qaeda Suspect Facing Trial in New York Over Africa Embassy Bombings Dies Qaeda Suspect Facing Trial in New York Over Africa Embassy Bombings Dies
(about 3 hours later)
A suspected operative for Al Qaeda who was captured by United States commandos in Libya in 2013 and brought to New York to face trial died in government custody on Friday night after complications from longstanding medical problems, prosecutors said. A Libyan suspected of being an operative for Al Qaeda who was captured by United States commandos in Libya in 2013 and brought to New York to face trial died in government custody on Friday night after complications from longstanding medical problems, prosecutors said.
The man, Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai, 50, who had liver cancer, was taken to a hospital on Wednesday from the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where he was being held pending a trial that was to begin in Manhattan a week from Monday. The Libyan, Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai, 50, who had liver cancer, was taken to a hospital on Wednesday from the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where he was being held pending a trial that was to begin in Manhattan a week from Monday.
“We write now to inform the court that despite the care provided at the hospital, his condition deteriorated rapidly,” the office of Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a letter filed early Saturday morning to the judge overseeing the case.“We write now to inform the court that despite the care provided at the hospital, his condition deteriorated rapidly,” the office of Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a letter filed early Saturday morning to the judge overseeing the case.
Mr. Ruqai’s lawyer, Bernard V. Kleinman, said in an interview that in a bedside meeting at the hospital on Wednesday, his client was lucid and gave him his health care proxy, in case he was unable to communicate his wishes if his condition worsened. “He recognized the seriousness of his condition,” Mr. Kleinman said, adding that his client wanted “extraordinary measures taken” — and they were, he said.Mr. Ruqai’s lawyer, Bernard V. Kleinman, said in an interview that in a bedside meeting at the hospital on Wednesday, his client was lucid and gave him his health care proxy, in case he was unable to communicate his wishes if his condition worsened. “He recognized the seriousness of his condition,” Mr. Kleinman said, adding that his client wanted “extraordinary measures taken” — and they were, he said.
Over the next two days, Mr. Ruqai was placed on a ventilator and had his blood pressure medication increased to a maximum dosage, Mr. Kleinman said. Over the next two days, Mr. Ruqai, who was also known as Abu Anas al-Libi, was placed on a ventilator and had his blood pressure medication increased to a maximum dosage, Mr. Kleinman said.
Mr. Kleinman said that he spent almost the entire day Friday with his client, who was given C.P.R. when his heart ultimately failed in an unsuccessful effort to revive him. He said representatives of the Libyan Embassy were present, as was an imam, who, after Mr. Ruqai died, turned his body in a northeast direction, to face Mecca. Mr. Kleinman said that he spent almost the entire day Friday with his client, who was given C.P.R. that night in an unsuccessful effort to revive him. He said representatives of the Libyan Embassy were present, as was an imam, who, after Mr. Ruqai died, turned his body to face Mecca.The Libyan government had taken an interest in Mr. Ruqai’s case since his capture, calling it the “kidnapping of a Libyan citizen,” and paying for his legal defense.
Mr. Ruqai had faced trial on charges of conspiring with Osama bin Laden in Al Qaeda’s nearly simultaneous 1998 bombings of two United States embassies in East Africa, which killed 224 people, as well as in plots to attack United States forces in Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia. Mr. Ruqai had faced trial on charges of conspiring with Osama bin Laden in Al Qaeda’s nearly simultaneous 1998 bombings of two United States Embassies in East Africa, which killed 224 people, as well as in plots to attack United States forces in Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia.
But he was perhaps best known for the extraordinary piece of evidence — a terrorism manual — that was found at his residence in Manchester, England, by the authorities investigating the embassy attacks. The manual, a detailed treatise of how to carry out terrorist missions and what to do if caught — has been introduced by prosecutors against terrorist defendants in trial after trial. But he was perhaps best known for the extraordinary piece of evidence — a terrorism manual — that was found at his residence in Manchester, England, by the authorities investigating the embassy attacks. The manual, a detailed treatise of how to carry out terrorist missions and what to do if caught, has been introduced by prosecutors against terrorist defendants in trial after trial.
Mr. Ruqai, who had remained a fugitive from the authorities far longer than many of his co-defendants in the 1998 attacks, was considered a potential intelligence gold mine because he was believed to possess knowledge of Bin Laden and Al Qaeda dating from its early days in Sudan in the 1990s through its more scattered elements today. Mr. Ruqai, who had remained a fugitive from the authorities far longer than many of his co-defendants in the 1998 attacks, was considered a potentially valuable source of intelligence because he was believed to possess knowledge of Bin Laden and of Al Qaeda dating from its early days in Sudan in the 1990s through its more scattered elements today.
Just last month, prosecutors asked the judge in Mr. Ruqai’s case to allow them to introduce at trial letters Mr. Ruqai had sent directly to Bin Laden in 2010 after he was released from prison in Iran, where Mr. Ruqai was held for eight years. Just last month, prosecutors asked the judge in Mr. Ruqai’s case to allow them to introduce at trial letters they said Mr. Ruqai had sent to Bin Laden after being released from prison in Iran.
“You may know the place you hold in my heart, and so I ask Allah to bring us together,” Mr. Ruqai told Bin Laden in one letter, dated Oct. 13, 2010.“You may know the place you hold in my heart, and so I ask Allah to bring us together,” Mr. Ruqai told Bin Laden in one letter, dated Oct. 13, 2010.
In another letter, a top deputy to Bin Laden writes to the Qaeda leader, recommending Mr. Ruqai for a position of responsibility within the terrorist organization.In another letter, a top deputy to Bin Laden writes to the Qaeda leader, recommending Mr. Ruqai for a position of responsibility within the terrorist organization.
The government said the letters showed that as recently as 2010, Mr. Ruqai had “both the means and the motivation” to communicate directly with Bin Laden, and the materials were “powerful direct proof” of Mr. Ruqai’s “knowing and intentional participation” in Al Qaeda’s conspiracies to kill Americans. The judge, Lewis A. Kaplan of Federal District Court, had scheduled a hearing for Tuesday. The government said the letters showed that Mr. Ruqai had “both the means and the motivation” to communicate directly with Bin Laden, and the materials were “powerful direct proof” of Mr. Ruqai’s “knowing and intentional participation” in Al Qaeda’s conspiracies to kill Americans. Mr. Kleinman denies his client wrote the letters. The judge, Lewis A. Kaplan of Federal District Court, had scheduled a hearing for Tuesday.
Mr. Ruqai had been described as a computer expert for Al Qaeda. And according to an indictment filed in 2000 by prosecutors in New York and evidenced at trials, he helped conduct surveillance of the United States Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, before the attack there. Mr. Ruqai had been described as a computer expert for Al Qaeda. And according to an indictment filed in 2000 by prosecutors in New York and evidence at trials, he helped conduct surveillance of the United States Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, before the attack there.
It is not known whether Mr. Ruqai was the author of the terrorism manual, which discusses surveillance, codes, assassinations and interrogation techniques, and talks about “blasting and destroying the embassies and attacking vital economic centers.”It is not known whether Mr. Ruqai was the author of the terrorism manual, which discusses surveillance, codes, assassinations and interrogation techniques, and talks about “blasting and destroying the embassies and attacking vital economic centers.”
A co-defendant of Mr. Ruqai, Khaled al-Fawwaz, who was also charged in the bombings conspiracy and has pleaded not guilty, is still scheduled for trial on Jan. 12.A co-defendant of Mr. Ruqai, Khaled al-Fawwaz, who was also charged in the bombings conspiracy and has pleaded not guilty, is still scheduled for trial on Jan. 12.
A family member of Mr. Ruqai could not be reached for comment on Saturday. But Mr. Ruqai’s son, Abdel Mouin, told CNN from Tripoli that the family holds the United States government “fully responsible” for what happened to Mr. Ruqai. Mr. Ruqai’s son, Abdel Mouin, told CNN from Tripoli that the family holds the United States government “fully responsible” for what happened to Mr. Ruqai. Mr. Ruqai’s family could not be reached for further comment on Saturday.
Mr. Kleinman praised his client’s treatment at the hospital where he had been taken, saying he was “thoroughly impressed with the professionalism of the staff,” and that they had done “an excellent job.” Mr. Kleinman praised his client’s treatment at NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital, where he had been taken, saying he was “thoroughly impressed with the professionalism of the staff,” and that they had done “an excellent job.”
But he expressed concern about how the government had handled his client’s medical care, an issue he raised in court at least as early as last summer, when he told the judge that his client was “terminally ill.”. But he expressed concern about how the government had handled his client’s medical care, an issue he raised in court at least as early as last summer, when he told the judge that his client was “terminally ill.”
“My concern is with the Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. attorney’s office, which continually resisted my efforts to have my client placed in the appropriate medical treatment centers,” Mr. Kleinman said. Mr. Bharara’s office declined to comment; a federal prisons spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment. “My concern is with the Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. attorney’s office, which continually resisted my efforts to have my client placed in the appropriate medical treatment centers,” Mr. Kleinman said. Mr. Bharara’s office and the Bureau of Prisons each declined to comment.
Coming two years after Bin Laden was killed, the capture of Mr. Ruqai was the latest blow to Al Qaeda, whose leadership has been largely decimated.