Wednesday, March 19, 2003

More American Terrorists

In a single-day bench trial on Monday, the defense argued that Mr. Kopp had shot Dr. Slepian in the hope of merely wounding him and making him unable to abort fetuses the next day. But the prosecution countered with a litany of evidence portraying a man who meticulously planned to kill, not maim.


Mr. Kopp bought a Soviet-made assault rifle under a false name, and used full-metal-jacket bullets that tore into Dr. Slepian, obliterating two inches of his spine. After the bullet struck him, the doctor fell to the floor as his wife and four sons crouched over him, desperately trying to stanch the flow of blood gushing out of him.

...

Abortion rights advocates were also looking forward to the trial, hoping it would expose what they believe is a vast network of people who helped Mr. Kopp and who planned to recruit others to harm abortion doctors if Mr. Kopp was convicted. A Brooklyn couple, Dennis J. Malvasi and Loretta C. Marra, have been charged with giving Mr. Kopp money and support before his arrest.

...

The short trial did, however, provide a fascinating account of the shadowy life Mr. Kopp led as a roving anti-abortion activist, moving from town to town, assuming multiple identities and making friends among fellow travelers. Over the years, Mr. Kopp had made dozens of fake identification papers, lied many times about who he was and worked at odd jobs to support himself.

How about going after these terror networks, Mr. Attorney General?

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