(9 of 10)
Later that same evening, Marianne phoned her parents again, this time to scrap the plans. She and Mahmud had decided to stay in New York, she explained. In reality, her husband was already in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, having flown there three days earlier from New York's Kennedy airport. He then made his way to his hometown in Egypt, where he was hauled into custody by government agents, who, according to Mahmud's wife, stripped him naked, hung him by his feet and burned his genitals. "The Egyptians told him that if he didn't confess ((to the bombing)), they would rape me and his mother," says Marianne, who by then had arrived in Egypt with her children. Mahmud's 15- year-old brother Sayed was also abducted. According to the family, Sayed was severely beaten until Mahmud finally confessed. "Every time we ask Sayed what happened, he bursts into tears and refuses to speak," says their uncle Ali.
The arrest left neighbors in Kafr al-Dawar confused and angry. "This is a filthy, corrupt government," declares a local man. "It accuses everyone and is unjust." Abouhalima's family members claim they were warned that if they talk to foreign journalists they will be arrested and will face "serious" consequences.
THE CASE AGAINST THE CABDRIVER
A gag order has barred prosecutors from giving sneak previews of their strategy, but they have indicated that they will portray Abouhalima as a major player in the conspiracy. After the tower attack, they claim, he flew to the Middle East to escape. Abouhalima, for his part, says that during the bombing he was at home with his family in Woodbridge, New Jersey, observing the rituals of the Muslim holy season of Ramadan. His flight to the Middle East, he claims, was a pilgrimage to Mecca followed by a reunion with parents and siblings in Egypt.
Abouhalima admits to knowing two of his fellow defendants in the bombing case, Nidal Ayyad and Mohammad Salameh, both age 25. The government claims to , have evidence showing Abouhalima meeting on many occasions with other alleged plotters to prepare for the bombing. In one case, Abouhalima joined Salameh to remove explosives from a New Jersey apartment, the indictment claims. In another instance, prosecutors say they can prove Abouhalima participated in a "test explosion." The alleged test may have taken place in a remote part of Pennsylvania, where Abouhalima conducted weapons training with Siddig Ali, his fellow "commander" from the Afghan war, who will stand trial next year. Furthermore, the witnesses at the Jersey City filling station claim they saw Abouhalima and Salameh gassing up the yellow van just hours before the bombing. Their accounts are considered so crucial that they have been placed under federal protection.
Prosecutors will also rely on surreptitious tapes made by a Muslim informant, Emad Salem. However, the handful of typewritten drafts of tapes that have been obtained by journalists are sometimes vague about which Abouhalima brother they are referring to. When the tapes are introduced as evidence, defense lawyers will argue that Arabic is a language of fiery hyperbole and wild exaggeration.