Moroccan stands trial in France on terror charges

PARIS, Sep 27 (Reuters) The trial opened today of a suspected Islamic militant, Karim Mehdi, believed to be an associate of two of the September. 11, 2001 hijackers.

Mehdi, a Moroccan citizen, is accused of ''associating with wrongdoers in connection with a terrorist undertaking'' -- a generic charge that covers a wide variety of militant activity.

He was arrested in June 2003 at a Paris airport after arriving on a plane from Germany.

Police suspect Mehdi, 37, was in contact with the so-called ''Hamburg cell'' which included some of the Arab hijackers behind the 2001 attacks on the United States.

Specifically, police believe he knew Ramzi bin al-Shaibah, suspected coordinator of the 2001 operation, and Ziad Jarrah, the hijacker who took over the controls of the plane which ultimately crashed in Pennsylvania, killing 40 passengers and crew.

Three other hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington in coordinated al Qaeda attacks which killed almost 3,000 people.

Mehdi told the court that he had met the pair, but ''only once, for half an hour, during a meeting with a friend''.

He also denied knowing anything about their plans or having any ties to radical Islam. ''I have nothing to do with these things,'' he said.

There is no evidence to link Mehdi directly to the September. 11 plot.

At the time of his arrest, Mehdi was en route from Germany to the Indian Ocean island of La Reunion.

He told police that it was meant to be a reconnaissance mission ahead of a possible attack on a tourist complex on the French territory, but later went back on the confession, saying he had given it under pressure.

If found guilty he could face up to ten years in prison.

REUTERS BDP RK2108