<p><span class="cnnStoryTime">Friday, January 31, 2003 Posted: 11:10 AM EST (1610 GMT)<br /></span></p>
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<td align="right"><!--===========IMAGE============--><img src="http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/LAW/01/31/reid.transcript/story.reid.sentence.sketch.jpg" border="0" alt="Richard Reid" hspace="0" width="220" height="168" align="top" /> <!--===========/IMAGE===========--></td>
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<div class="cnnStoryCaption"><!--===========CAPTION==========-->Richard Reid <!--===========/CAPTION=========--></div>
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<p><strong style="FONT-SIZE: 14px"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/01/31/reid.transcript/">(CNN)</a> – The following is a partial transcript of Thursday's court hearing in which Richard Reid was sentenced to life in prison for his confessed plan to try and blow up a jetliner with explosives he had hidden in his shoes. The exchange is between Reid and Judge William Young.</strong></p>
<p><strong>RICHARD REID</strong>: I start by praising Allah because life today is no good. I bear witness to this and he alone is right to be worshiped. And I bear witness that Muhammad Sa'laat Alayhi as-Salaam is his last prophet and messenger who is sent to all of mankind for guidance, with the sound guidance for everyone.</p>
<p>Concerning what the Court said? I admit, I admit my actions and I further, I further state that I done them.</p>
<p><strong>JUDGE WILLIAM YOUNG</strong>: I didn't hear the last. I admit my actions and then what did you say?</p>
<p><strong>REID</strong>: I further admit my allegiance to Osama bin Laden, to Islam, and to the religion of Allah. With regards to what you said about killing innocent people, I will say one thing. Your government has killed 2 million children in Iraq. If you want to think about something, against 2 million, I don't see no comparison.</p>
<p>Your government has sponsored the rape and torture of Muslims in the prisons of Egypt and Turkey and Syria and Jordan with their money and with their weapons. I don't know, see what I done as being equal to rape and to torture, or to the deaths of the two million children in Iraq.</p>
<p>So, for this reason, I think I ought not apologize for my actions. I am at war with your country. I'm at war with them not for personal reasons but because they have murdered more than, so many children and they have oppressed my religion and they have oppressed people for no reason except that they say we believe in Allah.</p>
<p>This is the only reason that America sponsors Egypt. It's the only reason they sponsor Turkey. It's the only reason they back Israel.</p>
<p>As far as the sentence is concerned, it's in your hand. Only really it is not even in your hand. It's in Allah's hand. I put my trust in Allah totally and I know that he will give victory to his religion. And he will give victory to those who believe and he will destroy those who wish to oppress the people because they believe in Allah.</p>
<p>So you can judge and I leave you to judge. And I don't mind. This is all I have to say. And I bear witness to Muhammad this is Allah's message.</p>
<p><strong>YOUNG</strong>: Mr. Richard C. Reid, hearken now to the sentence the Court imposes upon you.</p>
