Accused N.Y attacker says U.S. court's judgement 'not important'

By Brendan Pierson

 

FILE PHOTO - Sayfullo Saipov, the suspect in the New York City truck attack, is seen in this handout photo released November 1, 2017. St. Charles County Department of Corrections/Handout via REUTERS/File Picture

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Uzbek national accused of killing eight people by driving a speeding truck along a New York City bike path last October spoke of a "war" led by Islamic State at a pre-trial hearing on Friday and dismissed the court's judgement as not important.

 

The statement by Sayfullo Saipov, a legal permanent resident of the United States, came at the end of a hearing at which U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick set an Oct. 7, 2019, trial date in the case.

 

"The judgements that are made here are not important for me," Saipov, 30, said through an interpreter. "They are not Allah's judgements."

 

Saipov continued speaking even after Broderick interrupted to remind him that anything he said could be used against him.

 

"The Islamic State, in order to impose sharia (Islamic law) on Earth, is leading a war," Saipov said. He had previously told law enforcement that he was inspired by the militant group.

 

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty against Saipov. Saipov's lawyers have proposed a plea deal in which he would accept life in prison to avoid the death penalty.

 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Houle said at Friday's hearing that Saipov's attorneys are scheduled to meet with the U.S. Department of Justice on July 23 as part of the decision-making process on the death penalty. A final decision is expected by September, she said.

 

Saipov was arrested immediately after police said he ploughed a truck down a bike lane on Manhattan's West Side. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the deadliest assault on New York City since Sept. 11, 2001.

 

On Nov. 21, Saipov was charged in an indictment with eight counts of murder, 12 counts of attempted murder, one count of providing material support to Islamic State and one count of violence and destruction of a motor vehicle resulting in death. He pleaded not guilty on Nov. 28.

 

On Tuesday, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment adding six charges of attempted murder and charges of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. Saipov pleaded not guilty to those charges at Friday's hearing.

 

Following the attack, Saipov told investigators he was inspired by watching Islamic State videos and began planning the attack a year earlier, according to a criminal complaint filed by prosecutors the day after the attack.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-06-23

"The Islamic State, in order to impose sharia (Islamic law) on Earth, is leading a war," Saipov said.

 

 Thank you Saipov, you may be a brutal murderer but at least you are honest. Many of us have been trying to say the same thing and wish our leaders would formulate some defense strategy to the takeover of or countries by this ideology. 

 

 I can't help but wondering what his family and friends mindset is? Do they want a democratic USA or do they want the caliphate? How many of them in the US really want the democratic status quo to continue? And still the liberals are agitating more and more for open borders. What a mess.

I agree. It's not important.

 

Give him a bullet in the head and be done with.

1 hour ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

I agree. It's not important.

 

Give him a bullet in the head and be done with.

Too quick...put him in gitmo til death...solitary confinement.

Not GITMO, Obama will be elected in 2020 and will empty all Prisons including GITMO.

 

In the dungeon with him but personally I would like him to be pig fodder and don’t let trump label all with the same brush because they disagree with that fool

Death penalty by electrocution.

Then Trump can lead in with "You're fried."

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Sayfullo Saipov, a legal permanent resident of the United States

He received a diversity visa. Another reason to limit immigration.

 

A five and one half foot WORM with a beard. He killed 8 people. As sack of feces in a human skin, will never ever see the outside of jail, I'm told.

 

He is just one bad apple however. More Americans  are harmed by natural born American criminals

 

Most American Muslims condemn extremism, and provide information to the Police about radicals among the population. Thus America should  bring in more Muslims to make the people safer and more secure and free!

16 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The Islamic State, in order to impose sharia (Islamic law) on Earth, is leading a war," Saipov said. 

Something to remember, given that,  as a 'soldier', he could be shot on sight. No need of a trial. 

'... he was inspired by watching Islamic State video ...'

 

Amazing that these religious fanatics from the middle-ages have more success with old-style communication combined with new-style technology than do the western powers they are so desperate to undermine.

He looks like Rasputin. Who in his right mind would want to wear a beard like that and identify with that scum?