Military: Suspect tried to endanger soldiers

FORT LEWIS, Wash. – Military prosecutors attempted Tuesday to show that information a National Guardsman shared with undercover agents – men he believed were with the al Qaeda terrorist network – could have endangered the lives of his fellow soldiers.

Some expert testimony offered in the second day of Spc. Ryan G. Anderson’s court martial was considered sensitive or classified and the session was intermittently closed to reporters.

Anderson, a Muslim convert, is charged with five counts accusing him of trying to provide al Qaeda with information about U.S. troop strength and tactics, as well as methods for killing American soldiers. A military spokesman has said the charges amount to attempted treason.

Anderson could face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A conviction requires agreement by two-thirds of the jury of nine commissioned officers.

The jury heard from an expert on military vehicles and the protection they offer. Rene Gonzalez said his primary focus is Humvee and heavy-equipment transport vehicles.

After he outlined his background for 15 minutes, Judge Col. Debra Boudreau cleared the courtroom for a 45-minute closed session.

Boudreau and the acting secretary of the army deemed Gonzalez’ testimony sensitive because it concerned soldiers’ safety, said Capt. Jay Stephenson, a spokesman with the Judge Advocate General’s office.

Anderson, a 27-year-old tank crewman with the Washington National Guard’s 81st Armor Brigade, is accused of trying to give terrorists sketches and other information on the M1A1 Abrams, the Army’s primary battle tank.

His unit is now in Iraq.

Prosecutors showed the jury a videotape of Anderson’s Feb. 9 meeting with undercover agents he believed were al Qaeda members.

“I have no belief in what the American Army asked me to do,” Anderson said on the video. “They sent me to die.”

Anderson was shown revealing drawings of the Abrams and identifying the crew compartment, main gun and other components he described as vulnerable.

During certain segments, the audio was muted and a gray blur obstructed Anderson’s mouth to block what he was saying.

The judge denied a request by Anderson’s lawyer, Maj. Joseph Morse, to exclude the video because witnesses had already testified about what it showed.

Al Qaeda expert Christopher Wallace testified that the details Anderson shared would have been helpful to terrorists, but acknowledged during cross-examination that the information also could be found on the Internet.

In testimony earlier Tuesday, Abrams tank expert John Rowe confirmed Anderson’s contention that a tank’s hull could be weakened by damaging panels on either side of the tank.

He also affirmed that the driver’s windows could be shattered, leaving the driver vulnerable. The driver would then have to stand in the open hatch to see properly, said Rowe, a survivability engineer.

The judge cleared the courtroom for more than an hour of Rowe’s testimony because it involved classified information.

Prosecutors contend Anderson jeopardized the safety of his country and fellow soldiers.

Morse has told the jury his client often embellished the truth or lied to impress people. The defense lawyer contends the government has no proof that Anderson had criminal intent when he contacted the undercover agents he thought were al Qaeda.

Anderson, a Washington State University graduate, was raised Lutheran but began studying Islam while attending college.