Suspect's wife 'watched in horror'

The wife of the Algerian pilot accused of training the 11 September hijackers has vehemently denied he was involved in the terror attacks.

Sonia Raissi said she and husband Lotfi had watched live TV in complete disbelief as the planes crashed into the World Trade Center.

Mrs Raissi, a French dancer, said: "We were shocked and horrified. We sat side by side watching the news and we couldn't believe what was happening. We couldn't understand it, it was awful.

"Lotfi was on the phone to his brother saying, 'Have you seen this? This is terrible.' And like everyone, he was trying to contact friends in the United States because he was worried about them."

Ten days later, however, Mrs Raissi and her husband were arrested at their home in Colnbrook, Berks, by anti-terrorist police. While Mrs Raissi was later released, her husband, 27, who trained as a pilot in the United States, remains in custody.

Lawyers for the US government have accused him of being the "lead instructor" for the suicide hijackers in the run up to the attacks.

He faces one charge of falsifying an application for a pilot's licence, although investigators have told Bow Street magistrates they also want to charge him with conspiracy to murder.

The authorities have until 27 November to provide further evidence on which to build a case for extraditing him to America.