Details of the charges against the two Bahrainis were provided during a
hearing by the Supreme Criminal Court in Manama on Dec. 21. The defense has
claimed that the two machine guns, pistol, knives and swords were purchased
to protect Bahrain from an attack by neighboring Iran.
The prosecution has indicated that the two defendants were directed by
Al Qaida to attack the U.S. Navy in Bahrain. The two were said to have been
trained by Al Qaida-aligned instructors in Jordan and later awaited orders
to attack U.S. warships and sailors at the port of Mina Salman.
Security forces also seized photographs of what the prosecution said
were targets selected by the two defendants. They included photographs of
the U.S. embassy in Manama, U.S. naval facilities and residential towers.
Several
books on how to build rockets were also seized from the apartments of the
defendants.
"This situation is different from terror acts carried out by Al Qaida
because the defendants purchased small weaponry by saving up their monthly
salaries," defense attorney Farid Ghazi, who represents the customs
officer, said.
"In other terror plots, such as the Sept. 11, [2009] attack
on the Twin Towers, the terror cell used massive weaponry and completely
funded their members. The most important thing is that the case files lack
any solid evidence that the men were in contact with members of terror
organizations."
The defense also agreed with the prosecution's assertion that the
defendants used their weapons in Bahrain. Defense attorneys, however, said
their clients had been simply testing their newly-bought firearms.
"Yes, the weapons exist and they were purchased, but not to carry out
terror attacks," Ghazi said.