The testimony came in the opening day of the trial. Reynolds is accused of, among other charges, attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization, and soliciting to commit a crime of violence. According to the government, Reynolds' goal was to plunge the country into economic chaos by disrupting the flow of gas and oil. This would, in Reynolds' view, help end the war in Iraq by forcing the recall of troops to quell panic in America, the government has alleged.
For his part, Reynolds has said that he, like Rossmiller, was hunting terrorists on the Internet, and that it was never his plan to blow up pipelines. Reynolds and Rossmiller simply "bumped into each other" on the Internet, each trying to thwart al-Qaeda, said Reynolds' lawyer, Joseph O'Brien, during opening statements.
Reynolds was frustrated by the government's inability to stop al-Qaeda, and, like Rossmiller, wanted to uncover terrorist activity himself, O'Brien said.
Rossmiller told a different tale. In clipped, precise language, she read from e-mail she exchanged with Reynolds in October and November of 2005. Rossmiller had pretended to have links to al-Qaeda with the power to carry out the plot the government has accused Reynolds of masterminding.
After Sept. 11, 2001, Rossmiller learned Arabic and developed various personae on the Web who say they are terrorists, she testified. People bent on the destruction of the United States have contacted her, believing that she is working with al-Qaeda, she testified.
Rossmiller testified that she has been working with the FBI on various cases, including this one.
