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Jurors begin deliberation of terrorist plotter
Posted: 06.27.2012 at 12:35 PM
Brandon Carpenter

Brandon Carpenter is the Assignment Editor for Pronews 7 and ConnectAmarillo.com

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Closing arguments were presented in the case of a Saudi man accused of plotting and collecting materials to make a weapon of mass destruction. Jurors will begin deliberating the case at the scheduled lunch break.

Defense attorney Dan Cogdell argued that Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari never took the "substantial step" to carry out any kind of attack.

To convict Aldawsari, jurors must decide from the evidence presented if he did in fact take such step.

Cogdell says jurors are being played with by the prosecution in a "game of 'Fear Factor'.

"Hate him to his core, hate him to his dying day, but don't convict him on misinformation they failed to prove," Cogdell said. "Khalid Aldawsari is not guilty on what he is charged with."

Aldawsari's defense attorney's provided no evidence and called no witnesses to the stand.

Prosecutor Jeffrey Haag presented evidence with journals, over 200 pages of notes and web searches that Aldawsari had spent much time planning and learning how to make bombs.

FBI agents secretly searched his apartment and found two of the necessary chemicals to make picric acid, an explosive, and the equipment needed to make a 15 pound bomb.

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