Two US-settled Moroccans cleared of terrorism charges

The US justice department cleared Two US-settled Moroccans, Karim Koubriti and Abdelilah El Mardoudi, from all terror-related charges.

The two Moroccans had been arrested and charged for involvement in terror plots, part of the post-9/11 investigations on immigrant populations.

They were accused of belonging to the so-called "Detroit Sleeper Cell," of helping terrorists target sites in Las Vegas, Disneyland and military bases in Turkey and Jordan and of documents forgery.

In a self-critical filing, Justice Department attorneys asked a judge to throw out the June 2003 convictions of the Moroccans and to permit a new trial on lesser, nonterrorism-related charges.