The Enemy Within
by Daniel Pipes
New York Post
January 24, 2003
The day after 9/11, Texas police arrested two Indian Muslim men riding
a train and carrying about $5,000 in cash, black hair dye and
boxcutters like those used to hijack four planes just one day earlier.
[The police held the pair initially on immigration charges (their U.S.
visas had expired); when further inquiry turned up credit card fraud,
that kept them longer in detention. But law enforcement's real
interest, of course, had to do with their possible connections to
Al-Qaeda.]
To investigate this matter - and here our information comes from one
of the two, Ayub Ali Khan, after he was released - the authorities put
them through some pretty rough treatment.
Khan says the interrogation "terrorized" him. [He recounts how "Five
to six men would pull me in different directions very roughly as they
asked rapid-fire questions. . . . Then suddenly they would brutally
throw me against the wall." They also asked him political questions:
had he, for example, "ever discussed the situation in Palestine with
friends?"]
Eventually exonerated of connections to terrorism and freed from jail,
Khan is - not surprisingly - bitter about his experience, saying that
he and his traveling partner were singled out on the basis of
profiling. This is self-evidently correct: Had Khan not been a Muslim,
the police would have had little interest in him and his boxcutters.
Khan's tribulation brings to attention the single-most delicate and
agonizing issue in prosecuting the War on Terror. Does singling out
Muslims for additional scrutiny serve a purpose? And if so, is it
legally and morally acceptable?
In reply to the first question - yes, enhanced scrutiny of Muslims
makes good sense, for several reasons:
In the course of their assaults on Americans, Islamists - the
supporters of militant Islam - have killed nearly 4,000 people since
1979. No other enemy has remotely the same record.
Islamists are plotting to kill many more Americans, as shown by the
more than one-group-a-month arrests of them since 9/11.
While most Muslims are not Islamists and most Islamists are not
terrorists, all Islamist terrorists are Muslims.
Islamist terrorists do not appear spontaneously, but emerge from a
milieu of religious sanction, intellectual justification, financial
support and organizational planning.
These circumstances - and this is the unpleasant part - point to the
imperative of focusing on Muslims. There is no escaping the
unfortunate fact that Muslim government employees in law enforcement,
the military and the diplomatic corps need to be watched for
connections to terrorism, as do Muslim chaplains in prisons and the
armed forces. Muslim visitors and immigrants must undergo additional
background checks. Mosques require a scrutiny beyond that applied to
churches and temples.
Singling out a class of persons by their religion feels wrong, if not
downright un-American, prompting the question: Even if useful, should
such scrutiny be permitted?
If Americans want to protect themselves from Islamist terrorism, they
must temporarily give higher priority to security concerns than to
civil-libertarian sensitivities.
Preventing Islamists from inflicting further damage implies the
regrettable step of focusing on Muslims. Not to do so is an invitation
to further terrorism.
This solemn reality suggests four thoughts:
First, as Khan's experience shows, Muslims are already subjected to
added scrutiny; the time has come for politicians to catch up to
reality and formally acknowledge what are now quasi-clandestine
practices. Doing so places these issues in the public arena, where
they can openly be debated.
Second, because having to focus heightened attention on Muslims is
inherently so unpleasant, it needs to be conducted with utmost care
and tact, remembering, above all, that seven out of eight Muslims are
not Islamists, and fewer still are connected to terrorism.
Third, this is an emergency measure that should end with the War on
Terror's end.
Finally, innocent Muslims who must endure added surveillance can
console themselves with the knowledge that their security, too, is
enhanced by these steps.
Arrests and Convictions
Following is a partial listing of those arrested in the United States
in connection to militant Islamic terrorism:
Eagon, Minn. August 2001: Zacarias Moussaoui, accused of being the
intended 20th hijacker on 9/11.
Detroit and Dearborn, Mich. September 2001: Karim Koubriti, Ahmed
Hannan, Farouk Ali-Haimoud and Abdel-Ilah Elmardoudi (Abdella),
accused of being part of a sleeper operational combat cell for a
militant Islamic movement allied with al Qaeda. Specifically, they are
accused of trying to cause economic harm to the United States, recruit
and train terrorists, set up safe houses and gather intelligence about
terror targets.
Peoria, Ill. December 2001: Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, accused of
falsely denying his contacts with Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi, one of the
9/11 organizers based in the United Arab Emirates;
Ann Arbor, Mich. December 2001: Rabih Haddad, accused of funneling
money to terrorists via the Global Relief Foundation;
Northern Virginia and Georgia. March 2002: 15 warrants executed
against several businesses (including MarJac Investments, Mar-Jac
Poultry, Reston Investments, SAAR Foundation, Safa Trust and Sterling
Management Group); nonprofit organizations (including the Fiqh Council
of North America, Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences,
International Institute of Islamic Thought, International Islamic
Relief Organization and Muslim World League), and four homes, all
connected to M. Yaqub Mizra, accused of laundering money for al Qaeda
or other terrorist groups.
Justice, Ill. April 2002: Enaam Arnaout, accused of funneling money to
al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations;
New York. April 2002: Mohammed Yousry, Ahmed Abdel Sattar and Yassir
Al-Sirri accused of passing messages between Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman
(serving a life sentence for his part in an attempt to blow up New
York City landmarks) and his followers;
Chicago. May 2002: Jose Padilla, accused of being an al Qaeda member
who was plotting to release a dirty bomb in a U.S. city;
Sunrise, Fla. June 2002: Adham Hassoun, suspected of organizing al
Qaeda operatives in the United States;
Detroit. July 2002: Omar Abdel-Fatah Al-Shishani, accused of smuggling
$12 million in bogus cashiers checks into the United States, possibly
on behalf of al Qaeda (his name appeared on documents found in
Afghanistan);
Seattle. July 2002: James Ujaama, accused of conspiracy to provide
material support and resources and resources to al Qaeda;
Paterson, N.J. August 2002: Mohamed Atriss, accused of connections to
known terrorists;
Lackawanna, N.Y. September 2002: Yahya Goba, Shafal Mosed, Yasein
Taher, Taysal Galab, Mukhtar al-Bakri and Sahim Alwan, accused of
providing material support to al Qaeda, and several of them are
accused of training in al Qaeda camps. Taysal Galab has confessed;
Portland, Ore. September 2002: Mohamed Kariye, accused of financial
links to al Qaeda via the Global Relief Foundation;
San Diego. September 2002: Syed Saadat Ali Faraz, Muhammed Abid Afridi
and Ilyas Ali, accused of trading drugs for Stinger anti-aircraft
missiles to sell to al Qaeda (and caught in Hong Kong, then
extradicted to the United States);
San Diego. October 2002: Syed Shah, Muhammed Apridi and Ilyas Ali,
accused of conspiring to distribute illegal drugs and to provide
material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization;
Portland, Ore., and Detroit. October 2002: Jeffrey Battle, Patrice
Ford, Ahmed Bilal, Muhammad Bilal, Habis Al Saoub and October Lewis,
accused of forming an al Qaeda suspected terrorist cell to levy war
against the United States, conspiring to provide material support and
resources to al Qaeda and to contribute services to al Qaeda and the
Taliban and possessing firearms.;
Orlando, Fla. November 2002: Jesse Maali, accused of ties to Middle
East groups advocating violence;
Buffalo, New York. December 2002: Mohamed Albanna, Ali Albanna, Ali
Elbaneh, accused of operating an illegal money transfer business to
Yemen.
There have also been two major arrests connected to rogue states.
Richardson, Texas. December 2002: Five brothers—Ghassan, Bayan,
Basman, Hazim and Ihsan Elashi—accused of selling computers and
computer parts to Libya and Syria, both designated state sponsors of
terrorism;
Seattle, Nashville, St. Louis, Dallas, Phoenix and Roanoke, Va.
December 2002: Hussein Al-Shafei, Ali Noor Alsutani, Kaalid Amen,
Salam Said Alkhursan, Ali Almarhoun and Malik Almaliki, accused of
sending $12 million in cash and goods to Iraq via AlShafei Family
Connect Inc. of Seattle.
In addition, there has been at least one conviction:
Hollywood, Fla. August 2002: Imran Mandhai and Shueyb Mossa Jokhan,
pleaded guilty of planning to engage in jihad by destroying electrical
power stations, Jewish institutions and other targets in southern
Florida with the goal of attracting other Islamists, linking up to al
Qaeda and creating a state of anarchy. At the appropriate moment, they
would issue their demands, which included no help for Israel, freeing
all Muslims in U.S. jails and U.S. withdrawal from the Middle East.
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| User: "tw" |
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| Title: Re: The Enemy Within (Jihadists in America) |
06 Apr 2005 03:15:09 AM |
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<itwill@happen.com> wrote in message
news:1112717037.9f012b3fc7facb3be226071d38524ef2@teranews...
The Enemy Within
by Daniel Pipes
New York Post
January 24, 2003
<schnip>
So how many people have been convicted of criminal behaviour on behalf of Al
Qaeda/ being members of Al Qaeda in the US? Anyone know tha actual numbers?
As an aside, how many people have been arrested as Al Qaeda suspects and
subsequently found not guilty or released for lack of evidence?
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| User: "MonsieurStat" |
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| Title: Re: The Enemy Within (Jihadists in America) |
06 Apr 2005 10:25:08 PM |
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"tw" <no@no.com> wrote in message
news:d305h0$jup$1@newstree.wise.edt.ericsson.se...
<itwill@happen.com> wrote in message
news:1112717037.9f012b3fc7facb3be226071d38524ef2@teranews...
The Enemy Within
by Daniel Pipes
New York Post
January 24, 2003
<schnip>
So how many people have been convicted of criminal behaviour on behalf of
Al
Qaeda/ being members of Al Qaeda in the US? Anyone know tha actual
numbers?
Four convictions of the so called Detroit Four, which was overturned because
prosecution was withholding evidence from court that would have exonerated
them, and was also using witnesses that were lying in court... They actual
numbers of people being held is not known, because they are not being
released (they say National Security could be threatened if they did...).
The most conservative estimates from the Center for Constitutional Rights is
5,000 in the United States have been arrested with no charges. Some have
been released, others deported, a few sent off for torture in other
countries, and the rest are still being held without charges. The more
radical estimates are 25,000 to 30,000 people. I think this is only the
beginning. If you want to make a bundle, invest in companies building and
maintain concentration camps...
Stat.
As an aside, how many people have been arrested as Al Qaeda suspects and
subsequently found not guilty or released for lack of evidence?
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| User: "Marvin The Paranoid Android" |
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| Title: Re: The Enemy Within (Jihadists in America) |
06 Apr 2005 07:30:15 AM |
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tw wrote:
<itwill@happen.com> wrote in message
news:1112717037.9f012b3fc7facb3be226071d38524ef2@teranews...
The Enemy Within
by Daniel Pipes
New York Post
January 24, 2003
<schnip>
So how many people have been convicted of criminal behaviour on behalf of Al
Qaeda/ being members of Al Qaeda in the US? Anyone know tha actual numbers?
As an aside, how many people have been arrested as Al Qaeda suspects and
subsequently found not guilty or released for lack of evidence?
I don't believe there's been a single conviction.
It's a testament to how well Homeland Security has scared off the
terrorists.
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| User: "tw" |
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| Title: Re: The Enemy Within (Jihadists in America) |
06 Apr 2005 07:37:14 AM |
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"Marvin The Paranoid Android" <marvin@galaxy.com> wrote in message
news:d30kot$ur8$4@domitilla.aioe.org...
tw wrote:
<itwill@happen.com> wrote in message
news:1112717037.9f012b3fc7facb3be226071d38524ef2@teranews...
The Enemy Within
by Daniel Pipes
New York Post
January 24, 2003
<schnip>
So how many people have been convicted of criminal behaviour on behalf
of Al
Qaeda/ being members of Al Qaeda in the US? Anyone know tha actual
numbers?
As an aside, how many people have been arrested as Al Qaeda suspects and
subsequently found not guilty or released for lack of evidence?
I don't believe there's been a single conviction.
Same here.. hence the question about how many poor bastids got hauled in for
wearing a turban and subsequently released.
It's a testament to how well Homeland Security has scared off the
terrorists.
Indeed, my patent anti - lion ritual is also 100% efficacous. I have
performed it every night since moving to Sweden and haven't seen a lion
once! Send a cheque for only 10.00 canadian dollars (+ $2,000 sales and
handling) to receive my book "How To Keep Lions Away ( Can your Family
Afford Not To Have This Information?)" by return of post.
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| User: "WH" |
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| Title: Re: The Enemy Within (Jihadists in America) |
06 Apr 2005 11:17:39 AM |
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wrote:
The Enemy Within
by Daniel Pipes
New York Post
January 24, 2003
While most Muslims are not Islamists and most Islamists are not
terrorists, all Islamist terrorists are Muslims.
WOW! Now there's a conclusion and a half!
WH
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