Shoe bombing suspect requests Time, radio

The Associated Press

BOSTON -- A British national who pleaded guilty to trying to blow up a trans-Atlantic flight last year has asked a judge to let him have an uncensored subscription to Time magazine.

Prison officials recently removed an article titled "Al Qaeda: Alive and Starting to Kick Again" from Richard C. Reid's copy of Time. Reid in October pleaded guilty to trying to blow up an airliner with explosives hidden in his shoes.

"Restricting a prisoner's access to mainstream news media, aside from being short-sighted, lacks any valid penological objective," federal defender Owen S. Walker said in a motion filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Boston.

Reid, 29, also asked for a radio in his prison cell, but the Justice Department forbids him from having batteries.

Reid, whose sentencing is scheduled Jan. 8, acknowledged in open court that he's a member of al-Qaida and pledged his support to Osama bin Laden. He faces between 60 years and life in prison.

Passengers and crew members aboard American Airlines Flight 63 on Dec. 22 overpowered Reid after he tried to ignite the explosives. The Paris-to-Miami flight was diverted to Boston. Reid has been in custody since then.

Federal prosecutors plan to respond in court papers.