Federal prosecutors have told a judge that a Tunisian-born man who stabbed a police officer at a Michigan airport subscribes to Osama Bin Laden's ideology and celebrated the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
The assertions were made in a court filing against 49-year-old Amor Ftouhi of Montreal, Quebec.
Prosecutors are opposing a request from the federal defender representing Ftouhi for names, addresses, and telephone numbers of witnesses in the case. They say that it would risk "future cooperation of witnesses" and impact "their willingness to testify."
Defense attorneys say they need the information to adequately represent Ftouhi in the criminal case.
Lt. Jeff Neville was stabbed June 21 at Flint's Bishop International Airport. Ftouhi has been indicted on charges of committing an act of violence at an international airport and interfering with airport security.