Judge Drops 3 Charges Against Suspect in Beirut Jetliner Attack

WASHINGTON —  Three charges against a suspected terrorist accused of hijacking a Jordanian airliner were dismissed Friday when a judge ruled that the government lacked jurisdiction to prosecute him for allegedly destroying the plane.

U.S. District Judge Barrington D. Parker ruled that Fawaz Younis could be charged with leading the June 11, 1985, hijacking but not prosecuted for allegedly assaulting passengers and blowing up the Royal Jordanian Airline jet at Beirut International Airport.

The judge refused to dismiss six conspiracy and hijacking counts of the indictment and upheld the use of Navy vessels that transported Younis after his arrest aboard an FBI-chartered yacht Sept. 13 in the Mediterranean.

Younis, who later told the FBI that Lebanese Justice Minister Nabih Berri approved the hijacking, was lured aboard the yacht by the prospect of making a drug deal, authorities said.

20-Year Sentences

Each of the three charges that Parker dismissed carried potential 20-year sentences and fines of up to $100,000. The hijacking charges still pending carry life sentences.

Parker ruled that the Aircraft Piracy Act of 1984 provided no jurisdiction for U.S. authorities to prosecute Younis for the jetliner bombing. The plane was blown up after the passengers had been released.

The judge ruled, however, that the Justice Department had jurisdiction to prosecute Younis on the six other charges of conspiracy and hijacking under the Hostage Taking Act, also passed by Congress in 1984 as part of a legislative package to combat terrorism.