Shoe-Bomber Is Denied Use of Radio in His Jail Cell

A federal judge Thursday rejected Richard Reid’s request to keep a radio in his jail cell after the U.S. government argued that giving such a device to the convicted shoe-bomber posed a national security risk.

In a courtroom hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge William Young sided with the government against Reid, a British citizen who last year publicly pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden and admitted to being an enemy of the United States.

Prosecutors argued in a court filing last month that Reid, whom they called a “committed and dedicated international terrorist,” should not be allowed to have a radio in his cell because it might prompt him to send messages to the outside world.

Giving Reid a radio would violate the special terms of his imprisonment that are designed to prevent him from “directing terrorist acts outside the prison that could harm national security,” federal prosecutors said.

To support their argument that Reid might try to contact someone outside of prison, prosecutors said jail officials in June discovered a metal object in Reid’s cell that could have been used “as an antenna in a radio frequency receiver or transmitter.”

Prosecutors added, however, that FBI investigators had been unable to determine the intended use of the object, which comprised a wire wrapped around a small metal disk that had a circuit board glued to its bottom.

Reid, who is being held in a Massachusetts jail, has extremely limited access to the outside world.

The government allows him to receive Time magazine on a weekly basis, but only after it vets the publication for possible terrorism-related material.

Reid’s lawyer, Owen Walker, did not return a telephone call seeking comment.

Reid pleaded guilty in October to trying to bring down American Airlines Flight 63 on Dec. 22, 2001, as it flew to Miami from Paris.

Passengers and flight attendants overpowered Reid as he tried to ignite explosives in his athletic shoes.

He was tied up with belts and headphone cords, and the plane landed in Boston under escort from fighter jets.

Reid is scheduled to be sentenced this month. He faces from 60 years to life in prison.

Prosecutors said the Briton will most likely serve out his sentence at the Federal Correction Center in Florence, Colo.