An Egyptian cleric defended the September 11 terror attacks in a broadcast interview, saying it left Muslims and non-Muslims around the world happy.
According to a tape played for the jury at his terrorism trial, Mustafa Kamel Mustafa could be heard casually speaking of the attacks in the undated interview with a Canadian broadcaster, even equating what al-Qaeda did to the hero in American movies.
"Everybody was happy when the planes hit the World Trade Centre," Mustafa said in the interview. "Anybody who tell you he was not happy, they are hypocrites."
He said the World Trade Centre was a legitimate target because of its role in globalisation.
"It's the centre of, of, of evil," Mustafa said. "Political and financial evil for the whole world."
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The interview was played after US District Judge Katherine Forrest last week refused a request by defence lawyers to exclude it from trial on the grounds that it would unfairly prejudice their client.
"Expressing clear and unequivocal support for terrorism is no doubt prejudicial," the judge said. "However, the defendant is charged with just those sorts of crimes."
Mustafa has pleaded not guilty to charges that he conspired to support al-Qaeda by trying to set up a terrorist training camp in 1999 in Oregon. He also is accused of helping to abduct two American tourists and 14 others in Yemen in 1998. Four hostages died.
"This is what you teach your people in cowboy films when you see the aggressors being, doing bad things, and then the hero comes and gives him a couple of punches in his face," Mustafa said during the interview. "That's exactly like this. So I would be hypocrite if I tell you no. All Muslims are happy, even non-Muslims are happy."
