Abu Ghaith: Bin Laden's Son-In-Law Guilty

Osama bin Laden's son-in-law, Suleiman Abu Ghaith, has been found guilty of plotting to kill Americans by a New York court.

The 48-year-old was al Qaeda's spokesman and "principal messenger" in the wake of the 9/11 attacks but now faces life in jail after the three-week trial.

The Kuwaiti testified that he agreed to Bin Laden's request to speak on videos to inspire new recruits for suicide missions.

"The storm of airplanes will not stop," Abu Ghaith warned in one October 2001 video played in court.

Another video, made the day after 9/11, shows him sitting next to Bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders as they try to justify the attacks.

As well as conspiracy to kill, Abu Ghaith was also convicted of providing support for terrorists.

He is the most senior al Qaeda figure to go on trial in America and will be sentenced on September 8.

Assistant US Attorney John Cronan said Abu Ghaith was a key figure in the terror group's hierarchy.

"Going to that man was the very first thing Osama Bin Laden did on September 11 after the terror attacks," he said.

"The defendant committed himself to al Qaeda's conspiracy to kill Americans, and he worked to drive other people to that conspiracy."

Abu Ghaith married Bin Laden's eldest daughter, Fatima, five years ago. He was captured in Jordan last year.

During the trial he testified that he had met Bin Laden in a cave on the night of 9/11.

"I didn't go to meet with him to bless if he had killed hundreds of Americans or not. I went to meet with him to know what he wanted," Abu Ghaith said.

He denied being an al Qaeda recruiter and said his role was a religious one to encourage Muslims to fight oppression.

The prosecution countered the claims by repeatedly showing the videos featuring Abu Ghaith's bloodthirsty rhetoric.

One video - titled Convoy of Martyrs - shows him preaching over footage of a plane flying into the Twin Towers.

Another showed him with Bin Laden as the terror leader boasted about the attacks, which killed almost 3,000 people.

British terrorist informant Saajid Badat also gave evidence to the New York court.

Speaking by video link from the UK, Badat described how he went to Afghanistan and plotted with senior members of al Qaeda to blow up planes using bombs concealed in shoes.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of 9/11, was denied the right to testify.

Abu Ghaith's lawyers said that is one of the reasons why they plan to appeal, and they also accused the judge of being "coercive" in his instructions to the jury.

Defence lawyer Stanley Cohen said: "He has confidence that this is not the end but the beginning. We think there are a number of compelling issues for an appeal."