Feds won't appeal sentence in millennium bomb plot

November 28, 2012 @ 2:43 pm

Ahmed Ressam
A federal appeals court on Monday overturned a 22-year prison sentenced for convicted "millennium bomber" Ahmed Ressam, calling it unreasonably lenient. (AP Photo) | Zoom

SEATTLE (AP) - A 37-year prison sentence will stand for an Algerian man convicted of plotting to bomb Los Angeles International Airport at the turn of the millennium.

The Justice Department said Wednesday it won't appeal the punishment for Ahmed Ressam (AH'-med rehs-AHM'), an al-Qaida-trained terrorist who was arrested driving into Washington state from Canada with a trunk full of explosives in December 1999.

U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour (KOO'-now-ur) sentenced Ressam for the third time last month, after two prior attempts were struck down by appeals courts.

Federal prosecutors argued for a life sentence. But Seattle U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan says the 37-year term will keep Ressam in custody until he's over 60, and at that point he'll be deported and could face additional charges in Algeria.

Ressam's lawyers also decided not to appeal.


(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Comments (5)


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  • Fuego wrote...
    The world is coming to an end...
    March 12, 2012 11:32 am
    if the 9th Circuit court is saying the sentencing is too short.I would have expected the court to release the dirt bag because the FBI's handcuffs were too tight.
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Fuego - remember, Obama is still president.
    September 17, 2012 3:44 pm
    the 9th Circuit court will never do that with a sitting democrat.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • flipper wrote...
    Still to Lenient
    March 12, 2012 12:40 pm
    If this was an american citizen we'd be talking treason and the death penalty. This guy is a war criminal. Hang 'em high.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • messiah101 wrote...
    flipper
    September 17, 2012 3:43 pm
    "War criminal"????Good grief don't bring that "war criminal" stuff up because many political big shots as well as US Military people may very well be brought up on charges.This guy is a career criminal who made a deal with the US government to give info in exchange for 27 years in the pokey.We need to only honor that 27 yr deal.Lock the PIG up and hopefully some Supremacist will end his life.A lucky scenario would have BOTH PIGS dying in the struggle
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Snout wrote...
    Lock him up for life.
    September 17, 2012 3:39 pm
    And force him to watch that offensive and poorly filmed internet video about Muhammad over and over again with his eyelids taped open like in "The Clockwork Orange."
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }