Jihadist Gets Life for Killing U.S. Airmen

(Frankfurt, Germany) In March 2011, Kosovo national Arid Uka, 22, approached several U.S. Air Force Airmen at the Frankfurt airport and opened fire.

A Muslim jihadist radicalized by propaganda in Germany, Uka killed Senior Airman Nicholas J. Alden, 25, and Airman First Class Zachary R. Cuddeback, 21. Two other Airmen were wounded and a third was only threatened because Uka's gun jammed.

Yesterday, Uka was convicted of two counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder. As a result, he was sentenced to life in prison.

The verdict had already been postponed twice since the trial opened with Uka apologising to his victims and their families.

"On March 2, I killed two people and opened fire on three others. Today I can't understand myself how I could have acted this way," he said.

He said he had been influenced by "lies" and "propaganda" after seeing a video on the Internet purporting to show US soldiers in Afghanistan raping a local woman.

Since Uka apologized, defense attorney Michaela Roth said Uka wasn't a true jihadist, who never ask for forgiveness. Roth also said Uka was molested as a young boy which traumatized him. Therefore, Roth said Uka should be eligible for parole after 15 years.

Judge Thomas Sagebiel read the sentence in court and indicated that aggravating circumstances would prevent Uka from seeing early release after 15 years.