New York:
British hate preacher Abu Hamza clashed angrily with a US prosecutor at his New York terror trial on Tuesday, denying claims that bomb-making plans had once been found in his prison cell.
Taking to the witness stand for a fourth day, Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, 56, better known in Britain as Abu Hamza al-Masri, sparred repeatedly with federal prosecutor John Cronan during a gruelling cross-examination.
Abu Hamza is on trial for 11 kidnapping and terror counts that pre-date the 9/11 attacks, including the 1998 abduction of Western tourists in Yemen.
He is also charged with providing material support to Al-Qaeda, assisting the Taliban and sending terror recruits to Afghanistan.
He faces life in prison if convicted and denies all the charges.
Cronan peppered the former imam with a barrage of questions on Tuesday, and told the court a document showing how to make improvised explosive devices was found in his cell at London's maximum security Belmarsh Prison after his conviction for incitement to murder and racial hatred.
"Three years ago you violated UK rules and were found with a document in your prison cell about how to manufacturer IEDs," Cronan said.
Abu Hamza denied the allegation.
"I never heard about the documents," Abu Hamza said. "I would like you to show me the documents -- I was not allowed a stapler or even a tin opener. Let's talk sensibly."
Trial judge Katherine Forrest intervened repeatedly during Tuesday's exchanges.
"Just answer, don't make speeches," Forrest told Abu Hamza. "Let him ask the questions," she said, referring to Cronan.
Abu Hamza remained defiant however, accusing Cronan of "cutting and pasting" parts of his old speeches and videos to support the prosecution.
"You're not after justice, you're after conviction," he told the court.
The prosecution meanwhile cited former speeches by Abu Hamza where he describes foreigners as "dumb animals" and said non-Muslims were "pigs" who could be sold or killed.
The imam apologized for the statements, which helped to earn him a prison sentence in Britain.
He also said he threw away draft plans to set up a terror training camp in Oregon, while insisting he had knowledge that a former attendee at his Finsbury Park mosque had traveled to Afghanistan.
Abu Hamza also reiterated his admiration for Osama Bin Laden, but said he had disagreed with the late Al-Qaeda leader's 1998 fatwa calling for the death of Americans.
He also maintained he had never met convicted shoe-bomber Richard Reid nor Zacharias Moussaoui, sentenced to life in prison for being a member of the 9/11 plot.
Taking to the witness stand for a fourth day, Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, 56, better known in Britain as Abu Hamza al-Masri, sparred repeatedly with federal prosecutor John Cronan during a gruelling cross-examination.
Abu Hamza is on trial for 11 kidnapping and terror counts that pre-date the 9/11 attacks, including the 1998 abduction of Western tourists in Yemen.
He is also charged with providing material support to Al-Qaeda, assisting the Taliban and sending terror recruits to Afghanistan.
He faces life in prison if convicted and denies all the charges.
Cronan peppered the former imam with a barrage of questions on Tuesday, and told the court a document showing how to make improvised explosive devices was found in his cell at London's maximum security Belmarsh Prison after his conviction for incitement to murder and racial hatred.
"Three years ago you violated UK rules and were found with a document in your prison cell about how to manufacturer IEDs," Cronan said.
Abu Hamza denied the allegation.
"I never heard about the documents," Abu Hamza said. "I would like you to show me the documents -- I was not allowed a stapler or even a tin opener. Let's talk sensibly."
Trial judge Katherine Forrest intervened repeatedly during Tuesday's exchanges.
"Just answer, don't make speeches," Forrest told Abu Hamza. "Let him ask the questions," she said, referring to Cronan.
Abu Hamza remained defiant however, accusing Cronan of "cutting and pasting" parts of his old speeches and videos to support the prosecution.
"You're not after justice, you're after conviction," he told the court.
The prosecution meanwhile cited former speeches by Abu Hamza where he describes foreigners as "dumb animals" and said non-Muslims were "pigs" who could be sold or killed.
The imam apologized for the statements, which helped to earn him a prison sentence in Britain.
He also said he threw away draft plans to set up a terror training camp in Oregon, while insisting he had knowledge that a former attendee at his Finsbury Park mosque had traveled to Afghanistan.
Abu Hamza also reiterated his admiration for Osama Bin Laden, but said he had disagreed with the late Al-Qaeda leader's 1998 fatwa calling for the death of Americans.
He also maintained he had never met convicted shoe-bomber Richard Reid nor Zacharias Moussaoui, sentenced to life in prison for being a member of the 9/11 plot.
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