A man accused of plotting to detonate a dirty bomb in the United States can meet with his lawyers despite government claims that the meetings might spoil attempts to prevent future terrorist attacks, a judge ruled Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Michael Mukasey in Manhattan noted the heated rhetoric from both sides as he rejected a government plea to reverse his December decision to let defense lawyers meet with Jose Padilla, an American citizen accused of plotting with al-Qaida to detonate a radioactive dirty bomb in the United States. Although the judge had permitted Padilla, 31, access to counsel for the first time since he was designated an enemy combatant in June, Padilla was not allowed to see a lawyer while the judge was reconsidering the ruling. Defense lawyers are challenging his enemy combatant status. The government claimed in written arguments that letting Padilla meet lawyers “risks that plans for future attacks will go undetected” because they believed defense lawyers would persuade him not to share information with the government. Full Story
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