(10 of 10)
Hassen Ibn Abdellah, Abouhalima's lead attorney, contends that the case against him is weak because FBI probes of his client both before and after the bombing failed to produce the kind of physical evidence agents have gathered against the other alleged bombers. For example, Nidal Ayyad's saliva matches the traces left on an envelope containing a letter claiming responsibility for the bombing. Fragments of hydrogen tanks found in the wreckage were traced to a manufacturer and ultimately to Salameh, sources told TIME.
Abouhalima's defenders may decide to put him on the witness stand to charm the jury. His former lawyer, Jesse Berman, says he comes across as very bright and "very human," has an excellent sense of humor and even knows some Yiddish. Abdellah, a former prosecutor, intends to argue before the jury that religious persecution is a motivating force behind the case. "This trial is about Islam; it's not about the World Trade Center," he declares.
The defense will also portray Abouhalima as a devout Muslim and family man. Since his arrest, Abouhalima has twice phoned his mother-in-law in Germany, asking her to help care for his family. "I know that my husband is innocent and that gives me strength," Marianne declares. "Allah is testing us. He will give us justice now or in the next life. I'm patient."