The terrorism case against Miami’s “Liberty City Seven” appeared weak from the beginning. And after two mistrials, it appears even weaker.
Nevertheless, a federal judge last week announced that he would allow a third trial against the six remaining inner city defendants.
All charges against the seventh defendant were dropped after the first mistrial.
The men from a low income Miami neighborhood are accused of conspiring with Al-Qaeda to blow up buildings in America including Chicago’s Sears Tower.
The prosecutors say their aim was to bring down the U.S. government. Although critics accused the government of engaging in “over-charging” the defendants, prosecutors maintain the alleged plot was serious even though it was only in the talking stages.
The defense, on the other hand, says the alleged Al-Qaeda operative was actually a government informant and the men only pretended interest in carrying out terrorist attacks in order to con the informant out of money.
Thus far, the government has been unable to convince a jury that the plot was serious. The date for the start of the third trial has not yet been announced.
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