Islamists hoped to start a guerilla war in the US

Prosecutors say Liberty City 7 sought to topple U.S. government - 10/02/2007 - MiamiHerald.com

Narseal Batiste and six followers intended to destroy Chicago's Sears Tower and bomb FBI buildings to ignite a chaotic guerrilla war that would overthrow the U.S. government and pave the way for an Islamic regime, federal prosecutors said Tuesday as trial opened for the seven men.

FBI audio and video recordings show that the so-called "Liberty City Seven" hoped to use street gangs as soldiers who would stage attacks, ranging from large-scale bombings of major buildings to poisoning salt shakers in restaurants, Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Gregorie said in an opening statement.

On one of the 15,000 FBI recordings, Batiste is even overheard saying he would make sure no one survived destruction of the 110-story Sears Tower because his soldiers would be ready to shoot down anyone who escaped.

"These defendants wanted to wage jihad against the United States, and they tell us so in unequivocal detail," Gregorie told jurors. "They say 'the war has to be fought here. And it can't be just a bombing. It's got to be chaos.'"

Evidence against the group includes a March 2006 ceremony, recorded by the FBI, in which each man swears allegiance to al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden. Members of the group also took pictures of the FBI office in Miami and other government buildings they were told al-Qaida was interested in targeting in a separate plot.

"In this case, all of the conspirators, on tape, walk up, take this oath, give their name and swear their loyalty to a foreign terrorist organization," Gregorie said. "They do it voluntarily."

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