Algeria pilot arrested in London taught hijackers
An Algerian pilot arrested in Britain last week was a flying instructor for four of the hijackers involved in the September 11th attacks on Washington and New York, prosecutors told a court in London today.
They made the allegations against Mr Lotfi Raissi (27) during an extradition hearing.
He has denied any involvement in the attacks.
Mr Raissi was remanded in custody for another hearing next Friday.
He was arrested in Berkshire, west of London, last Friday under Britain's anti-terrorism laws. He was rearrested on an international warrant from the United States.
In Washington, the US Justice Department released an arrest warrant issued for Mr Raissi in Phoenix, which alleged he had lied in a medical form to the Federal Aviation Administration by not disclosing previous knee surgery.
In addition, the warrant said Mr Raissi had knowingly and wilfully made a fraudulent statement by not disclosing a 1993 conviction for theft at Uxbridge Magistrate's Court in England.
The accompanying affidavit by the FBI agent investigating the case said Mr Raissi was convicted in England in 1993 using the alias Mr Vincent Fa Brice. British authorities positively matched Mr Raissi to the alias via fingerprints, the affidavit said.
The warrant did not link Mr Raissi to the September 11 attacks, but the FBI agent said his duties were to investigate the terrorist acts that caused the collapse of the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Virginia .
Three other people, including Raissi's wife, Sonia (25) were freed by British police without charge.
Scotland Yard is investigating 11 people suspected of being involved in the hijacking of the planes which ploughed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Police said the 11 had passed through Britain before the attacks.