'Millennium Bomber' Ressam Gets 22 Years

Wed, Jul 27, 2005 at 4:04:31 pm PDT

Ahmed Ressam, the would-be “Millennium Bomber” who was caught with a trunk full of explosives in 1999 on his way to blow up Los Angeles International Airport, has been sentenced to 22 years in prison—with credit for the 5 years he’s already spent in jail.

SEATTLE (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced Ahmed Ressam, the “millennium bomber” convicted of plotting to blow up Los Angeles’ airport, to 22 years in prison for conspiracy to commit an international terrorist act, explosives smuggling and other criminal counts.

U.S. Western District Judge John Coughenour had been expected to sentence Ressam, who stopped cooperating with federal authorities in 2003, to 35 years behind bars. Prosecutors say his failure to work with them further jeopardized cases they were building against other terror suspects.

Ressam, who will get credit for the more than five years he already has spent in jail, did not speak at the hearing but offered a slight smile as he shook hands with his attorneys and interpreter after the sentencing.

“This period of confinement recognizes the seriousness of the crimes and the cooperation of Mr. Ressam,” Coughenour said in sentencing Ressam, adding that he hoped the decision would reflect the fairness and transparency of the U.S. justice system.