Germany train bomb trial begins

The trial has begun in Germany of one of the two main suspects accused of attempting to bomb two trains in July last year. The explosives failed to detonate, but prosecutors said that many passengers would have died if they had gone off. Germany train bomb trial begins A Lebanese citizen studying in Germany, Youssef Mohammed al-Hajdib, 22, is accused of attempted murder. Meanwhile, Hajdib was found guilty in his absence on Tuesday and sentenced to life in prison by a court in Beirut. The second suspect, Jihad Hamad, fled to his native Lebanon, where he was jailed for 12 years. Both were convicted of attempted murder. Hamad had admitted helping to plant the suitcase bombs, saying it was in response to cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, which had appeared in newspapers across Europe. Three other men on trial in the Lebanese capital were acquitted. At the start of Hajdib's trial in Dusseldorf, German prosecutors said the pair had planted identical suitcases containing propane gas and crude detonators on two trains in Cologne. Prosecutors accused Hajdib of planning the attacks with Hamad in an attempt to "kill an undetermined number of people". A lawyer for Hajdib said his client had deliberately designed the devices so they would not explode, adding that he was "not a dangerous terrorist". Hajdib was arrested at the main rail station in the Baltic Sea port city of Kiel in August 2006 after police made closed circuit TV footage of the two suspects public. A note written in Arabic, a telephone number in Lebanon and packets of starch with labels in Arabic and English were found alongside the devices. The identical suitcase bombs were fitted with timers set to go off 10 minutes before the trains arrived in Dortmund and Koblenz respectively. Police said they failed to detonate because of a construction flaw.

Germany train bomb trial begins

A Lebanese citizen studying in Germany, Youssef Mohammed al-Hajdib, 22, is accused of attempted murder.

Meanwhile, Hajdib was found guilty in his absence on Tuesday and sentenced to life in prison by a court in Beirut.

The second suspect, Jihad Hamad, fled to his native Lebanon, where he was jailed for 12 years. Both were convicted of attempted murder.

Hamad had admitted helping to plant the suitcase bombs, saying it was in response to cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, which had appeared in newspapers across Europe.

Three other men on trial in the Lebanese capital were acquitted.

At the start of Hajdib's trial in Dusseldorf, German prosecutors said the pair had planted identical suitcases containing propane gas and crude detonators on two trains in Cologne.

Prosecutors accused Hajdib of planning the attacks with Hamad in an attempt to "kill an undetermined number of people".

A lawyer for Hajdib said his client had deliberately designed the devices so they would not explode, adding that he was "not a dangerous terrorist".

Hajdib was arrested at the main rail station in the Baltic Sea port city of Kiel in August 2006 after police made closed circuit TV footage of the two suspects public.

A note written in Arabic, a telephone number in Lebanon and packets of starch with labels in Arabic and English were found alongside the devices.

The identical suitcase bombs were fitted with timers set to go off 10 minutes before the trains arrived in Dortmund and Koblenz respectively.

Police said they failed to detonate because of a construction flaw.