NEW YORK CITY: US Department of Justice sentenced Christian Ganczarski against conspiracy to kill US nationals in his alleged involvement in 9/11 incident with al Qaeda for life imprisonment, officials reported on Wednesday (Jan 17).
A Superseding Indictment was unsealed on Jan 17 in the Southern District of New York, charging Christian Ganczarski, aka Abu Mohamed, aka Abu Mohamed al Amani, aka Ibrahim, aka Ibrahim the German (Ganczarski), 51-year-old, with conspiracy to kill US nationals, providing and conspiring for logistic support to al Qaeda – a designated foreign terrorist organization – and other terrorists. The United States is seeking Ganczarski’s extradition from France.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Dana J. Boente said that between 1999 and 2001, Ganczarski regularly interacted with members of al Qaeda leaders who were responsible for terrorist operations, and provided them with the knowledge and technology to carry out attacks against the U.S. military and its allies.
Boente said “This case demonstrates the National Security Division’s resolve to find and bring to justice, terrorists who target US interests in any part of the world. I want to thank all of the prosecutors, agents, and analysts who made this result possible.”
US Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman for the Southern District of New York said that “Christian Ganczarski, a German national, allegedly provided critical support to the most prolific terrorists of our time”.
Berman added, “Today (Wednesday) we publicly announce charges against Ganczarski alleging that he participated in the planning of plots to kill Americans with high-level al-Qaeda terrorists Khaled Shaikh Mohammad, Usama bin Laden, and others.”
The New York FBI Office Assistant Director William F Sweeney Jr said that “Ganczarski willingly supported the goals of al Qaeda, immersing himself in social circles that included the likes of Usama bin Laden and one of the future hijackers in the September 11 attacks, among others”.
According to Sweeney Ganczarski spent the past fifteen years behind bars in France. “the US will continue to work with international partners to mitigate the threat of global terrorism,” he added.
the New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner James P O’Neill told the media that Ganczarski was also involved with the men who planned and executed plots from the bombing of US embassies in East Africa that killed 225 people, to the 9-11 attacks that cost 3000 lives, most of them here in New York City.
O’Neill said that Ganczarski allegedly provided al-Qaeda with expertise in logistics, computers, radio communications and the maintenance of weapons systems that would be used against Americans soldiers after the 9/11 attacks.
Al-Qaeda
Al Qaeda is an international terrorist organization dedicated to opposing non-Islamic governments with force and violence. The organization was founded by Usama bin Laden and Muhammad Atef, aka Abu Hafs el Masri (Abu Hafs el Masri), and was headquartered in Afghanistan since approximately 1996. Bin Laden served as the leader or “emir” of al Qaeda until his death on or about May 2, 2011.
Al Qaeda has a command control structure that included a majlis al shura (or consultation council) that discussed and approved major undertakings, including terrorist operations. Bin Laden and Abu Hafs el Masri sat on the majlis al shura of al Qaeda, as did others, including Saif al Adel. Khaled Shaikh Mohammad, aka Mukhtar, devised, planned, and facilitated terrorist operations for al Qaeda, and he also assisted in the preparation of promotional media used by al Qaeda to advertise its terrorist agenda and attract recruits.
Christian Ganczarski
Ganczarski, a German citizen born in Poland, traveled from Germany to Pakistan and Afghanistan on at least five separate occasions between 1999 and 2001.
During these trips, Ganczarski became associated with al Qaeda and developed personal relationships with bin Laden, Abu Hafs el Masri, al Adel, and Mohammad.
Ganczarski lived at times with his family at al Qaeda’s fortified compound near Kandahar, Afghanistan. At other times, Ganczarski lived in guest houses and other facilities operated by al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
DOJ further said that Ganczarski attended a speech delivered by bin Laden at al Qaeda’s headquarters in Kandahar. The January 2000 speech was attended by at least 100 men, including, among others, many significant al-Qaeda leaders and terrorists, such as at least one of the plotters in the August 1998 bombings of the US Embassies in East Africa, and one of the future hijackers in the Sept 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. During the speech, Ganczarski sat in the front row with al Adel’s son in his lap.
Around March 2000, Ganczarski attended a meeting in Karachi, Pakistan, between Mohammad and a member of Jamaah Islamiyah (CC-1), a Southeast Asia terrorist organization, at which US and Israeli targets for terrorist attacks were discussed.
Following the meeting, Ganczarski helped transport CC-1 and a written communication from Mohammad to al Qaeda’s fortified compound in Kandahar, where Ganczarski spoke to bin Laden and took CC-1 to meetings with al Adel and Abu Hafs el Masri at which potential attacks on US and Israeli interests were further discussed.
During 9/11 incident Ganczarski was in Germany, and he indicated that he was aware of a significant event was about to occur. In October 2001, Ganczarski returned to Afghanistan and met with other members of al Qaeda, including al Adel.
Ganczarski was arrested in France in 2003 and subsequently convicted of offenses under French law relating to a 2002 al Qaeda attack on a synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia. Ganczarski has been incarcerated in France since being convicted.
Indictment charges against Ganczarski
The Superseding Indictment charges Ganczarski, with four counts: one count of conspiracy to kill US nationals which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; two counts of conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists, and provision of material support and resources to terrorists, which carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison on each count; and one count of conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization (al Qaeda) which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The maximum potential penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge. The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
