Trial to begin in New York, New Jersey pipe bomb attacks

NEW YORK – A trial is scheduled to begin on Monday for a man accused of setting off a pipe bomb in New York City that injured 30 people.

While Ahmad Khan Rahimi has not been charged with terrorism, federal lawyers say his interest in jihad, terrorist attacks and terrorist organizations vastly influenced his plans.

The government said it is seeking to have an expert witness testify about al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden and other terrorist leaders as a primer for jurors and to help explain some writings he made in a journal.

Defense lawyers have argued the government is trying to wrongly paint a picture of Rahimi, an Afghanistan-born US citizen, as an extremist. They say federal lawyers have drummed up a "radicalization" theory.