Mr. Padilla, an American citizen, was charged in November after more than three years in military custody as an enemy combatant. American officials have said he was plotting to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" or blow up apartment buildings in an American city, but those accusations are not part of the criminal case expected to go to trial in September.

One of Mr. Padilla's lawyers, Michael Caruso, said at the hearing on Thursday that there was scant evidence to link Mr. Padilla to the form. "Weak is not the right word," Mr. Caruso said of the government's case. The form, translated from Arabic by the F.B.I., contains questions about education, languages spoken and marital status. It also asks about religious training and whether the applicant has military experience. In an answer to one question, Mr. Padilla allegedly said he traveled to "Egypt, to study--Saudi Arabia for hajj--Yemen, as a way to go through for jihad."

Update (TL): The Miami Herald also reports, with more comments from Padilla's attorneys.

Padilla's attorney, Michael Caruso, questioned the authenticity of Padilla's alleged mujahadeen application, saying there was ''no direct evidence'' he filled out the form. He asked [Judge] Garber three times if he could call an FBI agent to the witness stand to ask about the document. Garber rejected his requests.

Caruso went on to describe the indictment against his client as ``vacant.''

''No evidence . . . shows that José Padilla has ever engaged in any violent [terrorist] actions toward anybody in this country or anyone in any other country overseas,'' Caruso said. ``The government is trying to build a circumstantial case.''