The trial of U.S. terrorism suspect Jose Padilla, indicted for conspiring to "murder, kidnap and maim" people overseas and providing material support to terrorists abroad, opened on Monday in Miami, Florida, U.S. media reported.

Federal prosecutors accused Padilla and two codefendants of providing money, recruits and military equipment to terrorism, while defense lawyers said Padilla was a peaceful Islamic convert interested in studying his religion overseas.

U.S. Assistant Attorney Brian Frazier said in his opening statement that Padilla, Adham Amin Hassoun and Kifah Wael Jayyousi were members of "a secret organization, a terrorism support cell, based right here in South Florida," and had taken concrete steps to support and promote violence.

Defense attorneys argued that the Hassoun ad Jayyousi were simply assisting oppressed Muslims in war-torn regions and that Padilla, a U.S. citizen and a former gang leader in Chicago, was a peaceful Islamic convert interested in studying his religion overseas.

The trial might last into August. If convicted of the major charge of conspiracy to "murder, kidnap and maim" people overseas, they could face life in prison.

Padilla, born in New York in October 1970, was arrested in Chicago in May 2002 upon his return from an overseas trip. He was detained as a material witness until June 2002, when President George W. Bush designated him an illegal enemy combatant and transferred him to a military prison. On January 3, 2006, he was transferred to a Miami, Florida jail to face criminal conspiracy charges.

Padilla was initially accused of plotting to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" in the United States, but when he was indicted by a federal grand jury in Miami in November 2005, the charges did not include any allegations of a "dirty bomb" plot or other plans for U.S. attacks.

Source: Xinhua