Arid Uka, a 21-year-old ethnic Albanian from Kosovo, admitted to the murder of the two US airmen and wounding of two others at the outset of the trial.

On Monday, Prosecutor Jochen Weingarten told the Frankfurt state court in closing arguments that Uka deserved the maximum possible sentence due to the brutal nature of the crime. Uka's actions were deliberate and treacherous, Weingarten said.

The prosecutor said the defendant was blinded by Islamist propaganda and "wanted to participate in the so-called holy war." He couldn't travel to Afghanistan, so he chose victims in Germany, Weingarten said:" He hated soldiers, and he wanted to kill Americans."

Confession forthcoming

At the opening of the trial, Uka had read a statement in which he said he wanted "to apologize to everyone."

He confessed to the shooting and told the court: "Today I can't understand myself how I could have acted in this way."

Despite the suspect's confession, the court was still obliged by German law to review all the evidence in the case. Sentencing is expected to be announced January 19.

It was the first time people were killed and wounded in an attack with an Islamist background in Germany.

Author: Stuart Tiffen (AP, AFP, dpa)
Editor: Nancy Isenson