Yahya Goba, 30, of Lackawanna, N.Y., who is serving a 10-year prison sentence, testified that he filled out a similar form [to the one allegedly signed by Jose Padilla]before attending the al-Farooq camp run by al-Qaeda. This was just as prosecutors had hoped because his statement linked the form to al-Qaeda.
....Then Goba testified that he attended the camp not to commit terrorism but to get military training so that someday he could possibly defend Muslims under attack in Chechnya, Kosovo and Kashmir. That stated motivation is very similar to what Padilla's defense is asserting in his case.
"This was not a terrorist training camp, was it?" asked Michael Caruso, one of Padilla's attorneys.
"No," Goba replied.
"It was just a military training camp?"
"Yes."
The Government wasn't happy with that answer and wants to introduce a video of the training camp. The Judge has refused to allow the video because it would be unduly prejudicial to the defense.
So the Prosecution has an application it says was submitted by Jose Padilla to attend the training camp, but it may be that Padilla's prints are on it because he was handed the form by interrogators during his 3 1/2 years in the Navy brig.
And Padilla's lawyers have given the same explanation of military training camps -- the training wasn't to fight the U.S., it was "to get military training so that someday he could possibly defend Muslims under attack in Chechnya, Kosovo and Kashmir."
Lewis Koch is blogging the trial for Firedoglake. Here's his take.