Witness Describes Training Padilla Reportedly Received

MIAMI, May 18 — Despite vigorous defense efforts to bar his testimony, a cooperating witness in the case against Jose Padilla was allowed on Friday to describe a Qaeda training camp that prosecutors say Mr. Padilla attended.

The witness, Yahya Goba, said the “mujahedeen data form” that Mr. Padilla is charged with filling out in 2000 was identical to one Mr. Goba filled out after reaching Al Farooq camp, near Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2001.

Mr. Goba, a Yemeni-American who was among the six men from Lackawanna, N.Y., who pleaded guilty to attending a terrorist training camp, described how with the help of a Qaeda associate, he traveled to Afghanistan in the summer of 2001 to train for jihad. NYTimes

The prosecution is really hard-pressed to present any "real" evidence against Padilla, since there are no witnesses who either saw him at the camp or who saw him fill out the entrance form. They ( the prosecution) claim that Padilla used a "camp name", an alias to protect his identity, but since there is no corroborating evidence, I doubt they will be able to presuade the jury that he did anything illegal. The defense, on the other-hand, seemed to partially discredit the witnesses testimony on the grounds that he is seeking a reduced sentance and placement in the Witness Realocation Program on his release, in return for his testifying for the government.

Unless the Government has witnesses or evodence that they have not shared with the defense, I find it hard to believe this trial could last more than another 2-3 weeks. Stay tuned. More updates to come.