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Guardsman denies revealing secrets


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FORT LEWIS, Washington (CNN) -- A National Guardsman accused of trying to pass information about American tanks to al Qaeda told federal agents posing as terrorist operatives that he wasn't giving them anything they couldn't find publicly.

The comments were recorded on a videotape played Tuesday in the court-martial of Spc. Ryan G. Anderson, a 26-year-old tank crew member from the National Guard's 81st Armored Regiment.

"I hate to tell you, brother, but I have not told you anything that has not been on the news numerous times," he told the agents.

Anderson has pleaded not guilty to charges that he tried to give intelligence to the enemy by passing information to federal agents posing as al Qaeda members.

He brought computer disks, diagrams of the tanks and training manuals he found online to the February 9 meeting with undercover agents.

On the videotape, he said he believed U.S. ideals had been corrupted by the war in Iraq and he feared his own government.

"While I love my homeland ... I think the leaders have taken a wrong turn," he said.

Sources said Anderson was caught in the sting while trying to communicate to al Qaeda in an Internet chat room. It is not believed he made contact with al Qaeda members, the sources said.

Anderson, a Muslim convert, is also known as Amir Abdul Rashid, according to military documents.

He told the agents that he could not fight "brothers." His unit was mobilized as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and was preparing for deployment to Iraq when he was taken into custody in February.

"I will fight for this country if I have to fight here," he said, but did not want to go overseas.

If convicted, Anderson faces a maximum penalty of life without parole.

John Rowe, an engineer testifying as an expert witness, said Anderson gave accurate information about the M1A1 Abrams tank's vulnerabilities to the undercover agents.

Rowe used a model of the tank to show Col. Debra Boudreau, the court-martial's presiding officer, and a nine-person jury that Anderson had properly described areas where the tank was vulnerable to attack.

Anderson told agents on the videotape that he got most of the information from Pentagon Web sites. Though the information was available on the Internet, prosecutors argued it still could be useful to enemy forces.

Rowe said he agreed with Anderson that placing an explosive in the road and detonating it as the tank passed above was a particularly effective way to destroy a tank, since its undercarriage is not as heavily armored as are other parts. And shooting out the "vision block" would force the driver to put his or her head out of the vehicle, rendering the driver vulnerable to attack, Rowe said.

On video, Anderson also described vulnerabilities in the tank's engine compartment, which he said could be targeted to disable the vehicle with less risk of killing its crew.

But Rowe said that Anderson's claim that the tanks contain a handle that, if pulled, pushes fire retardant into the engine, causing it to stall, was incorrect.

Part of the hearing was closed to reporters and the public for the court to hear testimony involving "sensitive information."

According to Pentagon officials, Anderson was the sole target of the sting, which involved passing sensitive information about capabilities and vulnerabilities of tanks and armored Humvees.

CNN producer Kristin Fraser contributed to this report.


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