A judge said he found it "stunning" to hear Monday that federal budget woes could delay the start of a terrorism trial for Osama bin Laden's son-in-law.

U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan's comment came as he set deadlines for lawyers to submit pre-trial arguments regarding Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, who pleaded not guilty last month to charges that he conspired to kill Americans in his role as al-Qaida's top propagandist after Sept. 11.