Jury Chosen in Trial of Terrorism Suspect

A jury of eight women and four men was selected Monday in the trial of terrorism suspect Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian man accused of conspiring with other Islamic extremists to bomb Seattle and other U.S. cities during millennium celebrations.

After a marathon day of interviewing prospective jurors, prosecution and defense lawyers agreed on the racially and ethnically mixed jury, paving the way for opening arguments to begin today.

Dressed in khakis and a designer sweater, Ressam sat quietly during the proceedings, which took place under heavy security in the Roybal federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. He fidgeted, smiled occasionally and listened intently through earphones to an Arabic translation of the proceedings.

On several occasions, the diminutive, Montreal-based grocer and terrorism suspect received a supportive pat on the back from the head of his defense team, chief Seattle public defender Tom Hillier.

Ressam, 33, has pleaded not guilty to terrorism, explosives and other felony charges. He faces more than 100 years in prison if convicted on all charges. The complex case is expected to last more than three weeks and involve 100-plus witnesses.

U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour ordered the proceedings moved from Seattle to Los Angeles, saying that he was concerned about security in the aging courthouse up north and that he believed Ressam could not get a fair trial there because of massive publicity surrounding the case.

Ressam, alleged to be a veteran of accused terrorist leader Osama bin Laden’s training camps, was arrested Dec. 14, 1999, as he drove a car loaded with bomb materials off the ferry from Canada into Washington state.

His lawyers say Ressam was an unwitting courier; prosecutors say he and others plotted the scheme for months, if not years.

Ressam’s arrest ultimately made headlines worldwide, and prompted the cancellation of Seattle’s New Year’s Eve festivities.

On Monday, it was clear that far fewer people in Southern California have been following the headline-grabbing case. More than half the prospective jurors said they had barely heard anything about Ressam’s arrest or his alleged ties to other Islamic extremists and terrorist organizations in Canada, France and even bin Laden.

Those who said they had heard about the case promised that they would “exclude what you’ve heard outside the courtroom and concentrate on the facts,” as Coughenour requested.