College Refuses Admission to Former Sept. 11, 2001 Suspect

The Hamburg College of Applied Sciences has refused permission for Abdelghani Mzoudi, a Moroccan cleared by a German court of involvement in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, to resume studies in electronics. A spokeswoman for the college confirmed on Monday that the institution wanted to prevent Mzoudi from continuing his studies there and had applied to the administrative court to push through its demand. The college had been ordered by a Hamburg court last week to reconsider its decision on permitting Mzoudi to study. The Associated Press reported on Monday that the college feared its reputation would be damaged if Mzoudi was admitted again. The 31-year-old Mzoudi was a friend of Mohammed Atta's, one of the suspected Sept. 11 suicide pilots and a student in Hamburg when he was charged in 2002. However last month, Mzoudi was cleared of more than 3,000 counts of accessory to murder and membership in a terrorist organization because of lack of credible evidence. University enrollment is essential for Mzoudi to be allowed to stay in Germany, and he risks expulsion back to Morocco if he fails to obtain permission.