Looks like our government is putting up any liar they can find to railroad Jose Padilla

http://www.bradenton.com/331/story/62561.html

Ex-con says he knew Padilla, Hassoun at Florida mosque

<snip>Atwell wrote letters from prison to the FBI and then-Attorney General John Ashcroft offering to share his experiences at the mosque about Padilla. In a subsequent interview with FBI agents, Atwell also told them about a man he called "Ibrahim," a Palestinian who gave fiery speeches and recruited mujahedeen fighters at the Florida mosque.

It wasn't until January of this year - nearly five years after he wrote those letters and with trial about to start - that the FBI returned to interview him about the case. Atwell said he then remembered that the Palestinian's name was Adham Hassoun, not Ibrahim.

Under questioning from Hassoun attorney Jeanne Baker, Atwell admitted that his motivation for contacting the FBI was to get out of prison. But he insisted he never asked for any benefits and never got any promises from anyone in the U.S. government.

"On no occasion did I discuss any benefits with them," Atwell said.

Atwell's testimony was inconsistent in several areas. For example, he said he recognized both Padilla and Hassoun from the 2002 newscast, but at the time Hassoun was only being held on an immigration charge and hadn't become linked to Padilla.

"Those two things cannot exist together in a truthful universe," Cooke noted.


http://www.miamiherald.com/509/story/125074.html

Witness in Padilla trial tells of time at mosque

<snip>The trial is in its third week. During Thursday's hearing Hassoun's lawyer Jeanne Baker challenged Atwell, who is currently on probation for aggravated battery and drug convictions. She said he initially told the FBI in 2002 that a Palestinian man named ''Ibrahim'' was the one who gave speeches in the Sunrise mosque advocating that members fight for embattled Muslims.

But in January 2007, Atwell said that Ibrahim was actually Hassoun, identifying him in a photo for the FBI.

Baker said Atwell contacted the bureau to gain his freedom.

Atwell admitted that he hoped to go free from prison, but did not discuss a deal when he reached out to the FBI five years ago after seeing news about Padilla on television.

He was denied nearly all of his rights. THAT is the issue.