New York judge to bin Laden kin: Lawyer might be trouble

NEW YORK - A judge in New York has warned Osama bin Laden's son-in-law that there could be conflict-of-interest problems with a lawyer he hired to represent him on charges he conspired to kill Americans.

Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan issued the warning verbally Wednesday to Sulaiman Abu Ghaith.

Abu Ghaith insisted he wants attorney Stanley Cohen to represent him at a trial next January, even though Cohen faces a criminal tax case of his own in Syracuse, N.Y. Cohen says he can handle both.

Abu Ghaith has been charged with conspiring to kill Americans in his role as al-Qaida's chief spokesman. He's has pleaded not guilty. He was brought to the U.S. this year to face charges that he urged the death of Americans after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

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