Scientist's mental state at issue in NYC hearing (AP)

[Yahoo!_news]

AP - A U.S.-trained Pakistani scientist accused of helping al-Qaida and shooting at FBI agents may be forced to appear in court Monday when a judge is to consider if she is competent to stand trial.

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Aafia Siddiqui may have to appear by video or in person in federal court in Manhattan after a judge days ago granted authorities permission to take her to court against her will, defense attorney Dawn Cardi said.

"Her choice is not to come," Cardi said. "I don't want her traumatized any more than she has to be, being strip-searched and all."

Siddiqui has reported seeing her children in her jail cell and has stated she died after being strip-searched.

Prosecutors accuse Siddiqui of having ties to al-Qaida and say she grabbed a U.S. Army officer's M-4 rifle in Afghanistan, pointed it at an Army captain and cried "Allahu akbar," Arabic for "God is great." They say she fired at U.S. soldiers and FBI agents before she was shot and wounded by an Army officer.