Opinion ID: 2295861
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Electronic Surveillance; Tapes played before the jury

Text: During the trial, the government introduced evidence of nine conversations intercepted by emergency wiretaps placed upon the telephones at B'nai B'rith Headquarters. One of these conversations was not recorded because the monitoring equipment had not been properly connected. Officer Warren Hurlock, who had listened in on the call, related the substance of that conversation to the jury. The call was placed at 7:48 p. m. on March 9 from a telephone at B'nai B'rith to a telephone number at the District Building (established to be the phone that Muzikir and Nuh were using). A deep-voiced man at B'nai B'rith called the party at the District Building and asked, How many you got there, brother? The party at the District Building stated, I got eleven . . .. The party at B'nai B'rith then stated, Tie their hands and feet up and let them go to the bathroom one at a time! Tapes of the remaining eight telephone calls were played for the jury. One conversation was between Khaalis and Aziz, his son-in-law, at the family home. Khaalis asked Aziz, whether they had stopped the movie and Aziz responded affirmatively. Khaalis told Aziz: And we're going to get the murderers too, you know that . . . or some heads are going to come out of here. . . . [I]f the murderers are more important than these people in here, then it doesn't matter to me. Khaalis asked, Who is down there at the District Building?, referring (as Khaalis testified at trial) to the identities of the hostages. In another recorded conversation between Khaalis and Police Chief Rabe, Khaalis demanded communications with the District Building. Rabe informed Khaalis that the money (which Khaalis believed was a fine for contempt of court) was on the way to his wife. Khaalis told Rabe that he would release any of the hostages who were badly harmed. One call came into B'nai B'rith from Mark Elfin of WTOP radio. When asked, Mr. Khaalis is this connected at all with the District Building . . . incident that's going on now, Khaalis responded, It certainly is. Elfin asked Those are your people also? Khaalis responded, That's right. Another conversation took place between Khaalis and Mr. Dobkin of the Associated Press. Khaalis insisted on being identified as Hanafi Muslimans, and responded affirmatively when asked whether those at the District Building and the Islamic Center were with him. The next conversation heard by the jury was a call from Penny Crone of ABC News in New York City. Khaalis repeated his demands about stopping the showing of the movie. He indicated that his actions were in defense of the faith, that Allah had granted them permission for retribution. There was a phone call from Khaalis to his wife, Khadyja, in which she reported that all the city's traffic routes had been changed. Khaalis responded, Well, I have all these high power rifles here, just I can just blast indiscriminately from sharp shooters[;] blow will be deadly. The next tape played was a call from Khaalis at B'nai B'rith to the District Building, where an unidentified male answered. Khaalis: They try to rush in there put the people in front of you. A: Yes Hamaas. Khaalis: You fight to the death. A: Yes Hamaas. Khaalis: You barricaded in there good. A: Yes Hamaas. Khaalis: Got your windows blocked out. A: Windows blocked out, . . . yeah.       Khaalis: . . . you keep the men tied hand and feet because there's only two of you there . . . you got a bathroom in there. A: Yes Hamaas. Khaalis: One man at a time and one woman at a time okay. A: Yes. Khaalis: Tell Muzikir, I said Islamic Mayhem [Islamic greeting].       Khaalis: All right. Ismalomic Mayhem, we kill but we kill in the name of Allah you understand. The next tape was of another call from Khaalis at B'nai B'rith to the District Building phone number. Khaalis was informed by an unidentified male that there were no problems at the District Building. Khaalis warned the man to be extra on guard there . . . you fight to the death if you have to.