News for March 31, 2005

From Yahoo! Groups: dc-terror, Probe Investigates Charge DC School Official Recruiting Jihadists:

Discusses how the "wall" between intelligence and criminal investigation enabled Kifah Wael Jayyousi to be hired to manage facilities for DC public officials, when the Federal government had been tracking him for years on account of ties to terrorism. Also discusses Jayyousi's ties to Adham Amin Hassoun, who might have recruited Jose Padilla, the "dirty bomb" suspect:

"A federal judge in South Carolina last month ordered that Padilla be either charged or released - a decision that Justice is appealing. One way out of their box, law-enforcement officials tell NEWSWEEK, is to somehow get Hassoun, or now possibly even Jayyousi, to plead guilty and then use their testimony as grounds to finally bring criminal charges against Padilla."

From Jihad Watch, CAIR conference to tackle Islamophobia, anti-Americanism:


Siddiqi

"Among the luminaries speaking is the infamous Muzammil H. Siddiqi of the Islamic Society of North America. A Harvard educated, highly influential imam who serves on several boards of national Muslim groups, he was the Muslim representative at the prayer service for victims of 9/11 at the National Cathedral. He has visited with President Bush in the White House, where he assured the President that the Muslim community "unanimously condemns" the terrorist acts of 9/11."

The conference will be held May 13-15, 2005 at the Sheraton Premiere Hotel, 8661 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA.

Judge grants Abu Ali's request for medical examination

Suspect Can Be Examined for Signs of Torture
Judge Grants Request for Physical, Mental Evaluations

Reuters
Wednesday, March 30, 2005; 1:20 PM



A U.S. man accused of plotting with al Qaeda to kill President Bush can be examined by doctors for any evidence of torture while he was being held in Saudi Arabia, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee granted Ahmed Abu Ali's request for physical and mental evaluations to see if there is any evidence of torture.

Lee said Abu Ali had to inform the court by April 25 if he was planning to introduce evidence of torture or claims about his mental and physical health as part of pre-trial motions or during the trial.

Abu Ali has pleaded not guilty to a six-count indictment charging him with providing support and resources to al Qaeda.

In June 2003, Saudi officials arrested Abu Ali, then a student at a Saudi university, and him held in Riyadh for 20 months until his return to Virginia last month after being indicted by a federal grand jury.

Abu Ali and his family have claimed he was tortured during his detention in Saudi Arabia. His lawyers have said Abu Ali has scars from whip marks on his back.

Federal prosecutors said there was no credible evidence to support the claims and said Abu Ali never mentioned that he was being treated badly to U.S officials who visited him in jail in Saudi Arabia.

His family filed a lawsuit last year claiming the U.S. government had Abu Ali arrested and held unlawfully by Saudi Arabia without charges. That pending case in Washington is separate from the case being heard by Lee in Virginia.

In a hearing earlier this month, an FBI agent testified that Abu Ali had admitted he joined al Qaeda while studying in Saudi Arabia.

The agent said Abu Ali admitted to Saudi officials that he discussed plans to kill Bush. He said he also admitted discussing with al Qaeda members plans to carry out possible Sept. 11-like hijackings and other attacks on or in the United States.

REUTERS Reut13:20 03-30-05

Former D.C. School Official Charged With Terror Conspiracy

Former D.C. Official Charged With Terror Conspiracy
Jayyousi Ran School System's Facilities From 1999-2001

By Mary Beth Sheridan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 30, 2005; 5:09 PM

A former top official in the D.C. school system has been charged with conspiracy to support terrorism because of his alleged efforts for Muslim fighters in Chechnya and other areas, officials said today.

Kifah W. Jayyousi, 43, the chief facilities officer for D.C. schools between 1999 and 2001, plans to plead not guilty, according to his attorney. Jayyousi was in U.S. District Court in Detroit today seeking release on bond, said lawyer William Swor in a telephone interview.

Jayyousi, a Jordanian-born U.S. citizen, was arrested Sunday at Detroit International Airport when he arrived on an overseas flight, according to FBI officials. He and Kassem Daher, a Canadian resident, were charged on Monday with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to commit acts such as murder or kidnapping outside the United States.

According to an FBI affidavit, Jayyousi and Daher belonged to a North American network that raised funds and recruited Islamic militants to fight in such places as Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechnya and Somalia.

The affidavit suggested that Jayyousi was under surveillance by the FBI even as he worked as a District school official. On Nov. 15, 1999, several months after starting the job in the District, Jayyousi assured an acquaintance by phone that funds were being provided to Chechen fighters through the Global Relief Foundation, according to the affidavit. Global Relief, a major U.S. Islamic charity, was designated by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2002 as a supporter of terrorism.

That is the latest event in the affidavit linking Jayyousi to the foreign fighters. Spokespersons at FBI headquarters and in Miami, where the investigation has based and the criminal complaint was unsealed, declined comment on the case.

According to the affidavit, Jayyousi was a follower of Omar Abdul Rahman, the "blind sheik," who was convicted in 1995 of directing supporters to bomb New York City landmarks. From 1994 to 1996, Jayyousi published a newsletter, Islam Report, that provided updates on Rahman's legal case and promoted "jihad" overseas, the affidavit said.

Jayyousi also ran two charities, the American Islamic Group and American Worldwide Relief, which were described in the affidavit as vehicles to raise money and find fighters for foreign Muslim causes. In 1995 and 1996, Jayyousi allegedly recruited at least two people to fight in Chechnya and arranged for equipment to be sent to Chechen commanders, including satellite phones, the affidavit said.

Swor, the attorney, said that the former District official was "really being prosecuted for his constitutionally protected speech."

"This is another one of those 'We've got secret evidence that's so secret we can't tell you about it' cases," he said.

Jayyousi was fired from his school job in April 2001 by then-Superintendent Paul L. Vance, who accused him of failing to properly manage his department and of endangering children's health. That latter charge was related to a botched renovation project that resulted in asbestos being released from a school ceiling.

The FBI affidavit said Jayyousi had been living in Egypt in recent years. His attorney, however, said that Jayyousi maintained a home in Detroit and had been working temporarily outside the country for a U.S. firm, which he declined to identify.

Update on Trial of Ali Al-Timimi

Trial tied to 'jihad' cases
Al-Timimi, prosecutors say, served as a spiritual leader to some Va. group members
BY MATTHEW BARAKAT
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tuesday, March 29, 2005

ALEXANDRIA -- Ali al-Timimi, a Virginia Islamic scholar with an international reputation, admits he counseled other Muslims after the Sept. 11 attacks to leave the United States and live in countries where they could more freely practice Islam.

At his trial, which began yesterday with jury selection, prosecutors intend to prove that he did much more, urging followers to go to Afghanistan, join the Taliban and take up arms against U.S. troops.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema gave a brief synopsis of the case yesterday to a jury pool of about 110 men and women before they filled out 25-page questionnaires asking about their views of Islam and American foreign policy, among other things.

The government's case against al-Timimi is closely linked to its earlier prosecution of 11 men that prosecutors said were part of a "Virginia jihad network" -- a group of men who played paintball games in 2000 and 2001 in the woods of Northern Virginia as a means of training for holy war around the globe.

[Northern Virginiastan] While I refer to these men as the "Virginia paintball gang," the paintball issue is a red herring that trivializes the serious charges against these men. For example, Randall Todd "Ismail" Royer, a CAIR official, possessed an AK-47 type rifle and 219 rounds of ammunition (more firepower than police are allowed to carry) when he was stopped by Alexandria police in September 2001 (refer to U.S. v. Randall Todd Royer, et al). In this context, it's particularly revolting that the Chief, Fairfax County Police played host to CAIR.


Randall Todd "Ismail" Royer, CAIR official, sentenced for his role in jihadist activities.

Nine of the 11 people prosecuted in those cases were convicted and received prison sentences ranging from three years to life. Several who struck plea bargains are expected to testify against al-Timimi.

According to prosecutors, al-Timimi, 41, of Fairfax served as a spiritual leader to several members of the Virginia group.

Prosecutors say it was al-Timimi who turned the group's focus against the United States.

At a meeting on Sept. 16, 2001, just days after the terrorist attacks, al-Timimi urged his followers to defend the Taliban regime led by Mullah Omar from a looming U.S. invasion, prosecutors say.

In response, three group members traveled to Pakistan and trained with a militant group called Lashkar-e-Taiba, hoping to put their training to use on behalf of the Taliban, according to the government's case. None actually ever made it to Afghanistan.

Brinkema, in summarizing the case to prospective jurors, offered a brief outline of al-Timimi's defense.

"Dr. Ali al-Timimi denies that he is guilty," she said. "He says that he only counseled the young men at issue to leave the United States and [migrate] to an Islamic country where they could practice their religion freely."

At the Virginia jihad trials, witnesses had different recollections of exactly what al-Timimi said at the Sept. 16 meeting, some agreeing with the government's version and others with the defense.

Brinkema's summary also indicated that the defense believes much of the government's evidence is constitutionally protected free speech and that First Amendment issues will be a significant factor in the case.

Al-Timimi's lawyers, Edward MacMahon and Alan Yamamoto, would not comment yesterday. Before trial, they had sought to suppress several pieces of government evidence on free-speech grounds, including an e-mail al-Timimi sent after the fatal Columbia space-shuttle disaster, praising it as a "good omen" of the downfall of Western supremacy.

[Northern Virginiastan] Edward MacMahon of Edward B. MacMahon of Middleburg is also Ahmed Omar Abu Ali's defense lawyer.

Brinkema ruled the e-mail was relevant to show al-Timimi's hostility to America because he is charged with inducing others to levy war against the United States.

Al-Timimi, who recently obtained a doctorate from George Mason University in a field related to cancer research, is a U.S. citizen, born in Washington, D.C. He studied under a prominent Saudi cleric, Safar al-Hawali, who was once close to Osama bin Laden and has been serving as an intermediary between Saudi militants and the government there.

Many of al-Timimi's own speeches and writings are posted on various Islamic Web sites.

Al-Timimi's trial is expected to last up to three weeks, with opening statements tentatively scheduled for Monday.

"Ve Have Our Vays" - 6th Column Against Jihad weighs in on Sayyid M. Syeed

In his column Playing Us Like a Wurlitzer at 6th Column Against Jihad, George Mason (a pen name, I presume?) comments on the way the illustrious (hurl) Sayyid M. Syeed (Secretary General of the Islamic Society of North America; member, International Board, International Institute of Islamic Thought; member, Advisory Board, CAIR) threatened Sherrie Gossett of Accuracy in Media:

'You can almost hear a caricatured German accent from a grade B movie involving Nazis, “Ve have our vays.” If you look at the history of Islam and follow current events, and you will see the ways.

Then to underscore his power: “Syeed emphasized that ISNA is a mainstream organization and he invited AIM to meet with them at their headquarters and to get involved. “ We would be very pleased to host you," he said, indicating individuals from various organizations have offered workshops at their conferences.

And, for the piece de resistance, he added, "We are only getting bigger," he said, "You have to work with us."

Subversives do not yet have to resort to mafia-like techniques beyond implied and explicit threats. Too often, our government is on their side.

Physical force comes when power is sufficient, and they think they can get away with it against ordinary Americans. If they get away with making us such “offers we cannot refuse,” they can move into overt jihad, like the Sturmabteilungen.

Moussaoui Going to Trial

From the March 29, 2005 WaPo's Crime & Justice column:



Moussaoui Case The long-delayed case of accused Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui will proceed toward trial after a federal judge yesterday lifted a stay she had imposed on pretrial proceedings.

U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema in Alexandria had halted virtually all activity in the case while higher courts decided whether Moussaoui could interview top al Qaeda witnesses. A federal appeals court concluded that he could not, and the U.S. Supreme Court last week declined to intervene.

Moussaoui is the only person charged in the United States in the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. In her order yesterday, Brinkema said she would set a trial date "in the near future." '

Readers can subscribe to updates to the Moussaoui case from the U.S. District Court - Eastern District.

Question about last week's arrest of Louay Habbal

Who's Funding the Terrorists? is an article by Annie Jacobsen, the same woman who reported on unseemly behavior of Middle Eastern passengers on a flight she took between Detroit and Los Angeles. Many people reviled Ms. Jacobsen as an alarmist, a racist, and a demogogue.


Nawaf al Hazmi and Khalid al Mindhar

While the main thrust of the article is about companies that do business with states supporting terrorism, she opens the article by recounting this anecdote:

When cancelled checks written from the account of Her Royal Highness Princess Haifa -- wife of Prince Bandar, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United States -- to a Saudi woman who was passing them directly to Al Qaeda agent Omar al Bayoumi were discovered, Her Royal Highness claimed a combination of naiveté and good intention. She thought she was giving the money to a needy Saudi woman living in San Diego (at the Princessly sum of $3,500 a month for four years). Instead, the funds were passed from the Saudi woman and her husband directly to al Bayoumi, the San Diego "host" of two of the 9/11 hijackers. We know now that al Bayoumi directed those funds into the accounts of his terrorist guests, Khalid al Mindhar and Nawaf al Hazmi, two of the men who flew flight 77 into the Pentagon as part of the 9/11 terror plot.

The Princess's account was held at Riggs Bank. Noting that Louay Habbal, the Vienna resident arrested last week for running an unlicensed money transfer service, was a former Managing Director, Middle East, with Riggs Bank, is the stated reason for his arrest the real reason?

Supreme Court Refuses Moussaoui's Request to Interview Terror Witnesses

High Court Declines To Hear Terror Case



Zacarias Moussaoui is the French national who is charged with conspiring with Al Qaeda in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The Supreme Court declined his request to interview captured Al-Qaeda operatives such as Ramzi Binalshibh and former al Qaeda operations chief Khalid Sheik Mohammed, thereby paving the way for trial this fall.

TimesDispatch.com | Abu Ali may receive exam

TimesDispatch.com | Abu Ali may receive exam



Ahmed Omar Abu Ali may receive undergo medical and psychological examinations at his lawyer's request subject to the following restrictions:

* that government doctors may conduct their own exam.
* the government may videotape the defense examination, and allow the defense to videotape the government's exam.
* that Abu Ali's lawyers undergo a security check.

One detail in an earlier report that caught my eye:

' " The defense motion seeking forensic examinations includes affidavits from Ashraf Nubani and another lawyer who have seen the scars. Human rights lawyer Jenny Brooke-Condon described them as "muted linear discolorations of Mr. Abu Ali's skin that looked to me like scars ... in a scattered direction and appeared to be of various lengths." '

So, did Ms. Brooke-Condon personally examine Abu Ali? There's something that doesn't wash about this, given the gender apartheid that Abu Ali's brand of Islam practices: for example, his mother not only wears hijab (head covering) but also niqab (face covering).

DiscoverTheNetwork.org, a site documenting leftist groups, contains a profile of Ashraf Nubani and other individuals and organizations discussed on Northern Virginiastan. While some information is spotty, this web site is a valuable source for understanding links among individuals and organizations.

CAIR/MD-VA announces its annual fundraiser & banquet

CAIR, of course, is the organization that masquerades as a civil rights group. The MSM and government officials continue to be suckered by that claim, even though two CAIR officials have been convicted and sentenced on terrorism-related charges. Even before 9/11, I was alarmed by the witchhunts carried out by CAIR to threaten the lives and livelihoods of anyone who had anything critical to say about Islam.

From CAIR's website:

News Releases
Thursday, March 17, 2005

Save The Date For CAIR-MD/VA Dinner

On June 4, the Maryland and Virginia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MD/VA) will host its annual banquet and fundraiser at the Sheraton Premiere at Tyson’s Corner, Vienna, Va.

For more information, contact: 301-986-1900

Creating the climate for Ahmed Omar Abu Ali

Victor Davis Hanson notes in his latest column "Little Eichmanns" and "Digital Brownshirts": Deconstructing the Hitlerian slur:

"... it was no accident that Alfred A. Knopf published a novel, Checkpoint, about musing how to kill Bush. Nor was it odd to hear of a New York play, “I’m Gonna Kill the President,” apparently centered around killing Bush. Late last year, a columnist in the Guardian, Charles Brooker, wrote to his British readers on the eve of the election :

On November 2, the entire civilised world will be praying, praying Bush loses. And Sod's law dictates he'll probably win, thereby disproving the existence of God once and for all. The world will endure four more years of idiocy, arrogance and unwarranted bloodshed, with no benevolent deity to watch over and save us. John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley Jr. — where are you now that we need you?

All this venom is not so funny when we now witness a Saudi American young man, Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, currently under indictment for allegedly planning just such a murder. After all, when it becomes a cheap and easy thing to compare a president to a century’s great criminal, then it becomes even cheaper and easier to dream — or plan — to kill him."

COMMENT: Northern Virginiastan (NV) does not think that this type of Bush-hatred inspired Abu Ali to plot to assassinate the President, but it did de-sensitize people from feeling indignation and outrage. Rather, NV thinks it was the Islamist indoctrination that he received at ISA, Dar al Hijrah, and in Saudi Arabia that inspired Abu Ali. Recall the close ties that Dar al Hijrah has with the Muslim Brotherhood, and never forget that it was Muslim Brotherhood-inspired renegades within the Egyptian Army who assassinated Anwar Sadat, another international leader!

An anguished letter to Northern Virginiastan

We're getting noticed by other residents ...

I recently discovered your blog. Like my father before me, I am a lifelong resident of Fairfax County. I was glad to see your blog, which indicates that you are "on watch" for our area.

Since 9/11, which fortunately my father did not live to see, I have been doing research on my own so as to understand just what were the motives for the terrorist attacks. Well, I found out--by reading Anis Shorrosh, Daniel Pipes, Robert Spencer, Ibn Warraq, Oriana Fallaci, and others; and the motives had nothing to do with what is being taught in our schools and universities today. The truth: muslims, moderate or extreme, intend to make the United States a caliphate.

Below are two items of recent concern in our Northern Virginia area:

1. Are you aware of the volume of materials that CAIR is donating to the Fairfax County Public Library System? Without actively looking, I found two within just the last year, at the Tysons-Pimmitt Regional Branch: (1) "The Servants of Allah" (a book) and (2) PBS's DVD "Islam, Empire of Faith." Both of these have plates indicating CAIR donated the materials. And--no surprise here--both the book and the DVD cast America, and Western Civilization in general, in the worst possible light.

As a taxpayer, I am appalled that our public libraries are accepting materials endorsed by CAIR, which is the equivalent of the Wahabbi Lobby!

Last night, I visited CAIR's website and reviewed their library plan. SUBVERSIVE!!! We are being manipulated. I'd like to see these materials removed from the library system, but don't know how to go about doing so. Perhaps you have access to avenues for such removal.

2. While looking around on the CAIR website, I noticed some information about the Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Here's a copy and paste of what I found:

CAIR ATTENDS COMMUNITY FORUM WITH FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE CHIEF AND FAIRFAX COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CHAIRMAN

On Tuesday, January 25th, 2005, CAIR attended a VA-SCOPE Community Forum with Fairfax County Police Chief David Rohrer and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Gerry Connolly on law enforcement issues impacting the immigrant communities of Fairfax County at the George Mason Library in Annandale, VA. Local district supervisor Penelope Gross was also present along with several local police officers and representatives from Fairfax County Police Department's Internal Affairs Division and the Herndon Police Department.

The Community Forum was the first in a series of similar events planned by VA-SCOPE, a coalition of VA organizations seeking to improve the relationship between local law enforcement and immigrant communities. During the meeting, representatives from the Muslim, Korean, Vietnamese and Hispanic communities raised questions about the enforcement of a recent VA law that increased the authority of VA law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law. Chairman Connolly iterated that Fairfax County police officers are not an arm of Federal Immigration enforcement agencies. Board Member Gross also stressed the county's dedication to diversity while Chief Rohrer stated that his department is looking for ways to do more outreach to various communities, including to various faith communities. Attendees questioned the government officials on the techniques employed by police officers in interacting with non-English speaking community members, and stressed the importance of more cultural awareness training of police officers in dealing with many community issues including domestic violence.
>
[Northern Virginiastan]Does this mean that police should look the other way in case of wife beating, because the Koran sanctions it under certain circumstances? What about honor killings?
>
CAIR is pleased to report that several leading local Muslims accepted CAIR's invitation to attend the event and contributed their ideas and questions to the discussion. For more information on future VA-SCOPE activities, please contact us at CAIR at HYPERLINK "mailto:info@cairmd.org" info@cairmd.org.

One additional item here: Have you driven by the Islamic Saudi Academy on Popes Head Road? I had occasion to do so this past summer, when I was out that way for a birthday party. The Academy looks like a fortress now! Nothing like the way it appeared several years ago when it was purchased by the Saudis in the 1980's. Before Saudi acquired this property, this property on Popes Head Road was Fairfax Christian School, 1965-1984 (if I have my dates correct), and it had a very open look. Not so any longer.

I check your blog every day. Keep up the watch!

Vienna man arrested for unlicensed money transfer business

Vienna resident Louay Habbal, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Syria, was arrested yesterday for operating an unlicensed money transfer service. Download the press release and indictment from The Department of Justice Press Room. While the indictment does not link Habbal to terrorism, it notes that he transferred over $23 million to Syria and other countries between November 2001 and July 2004.

Habbal advertised his financial services through a website menaexchange.com, which also promotes Islamic financial services. The address for Mena Exchange is 344 Maple Avenue West, No. 241, Vienna, VA 22180.

Habbal is a former Managing Director, Middle East, with the Riggs International Private Banking Division of the embattled Riggs Bank. He is also with SHAPE Financial of Falls Church, VA, a company offering Sharia-compliant financial and real estate services.

Yemeni Cleric, Aide Convicted in New York

Remember Mohammed Alanssi? The man who set himself on fire outside the White House last November? Although the prosecution dropped Alanssi as the star witness and the defense argued that Sheik Mohammed Ali Hassan Moayad and Mohammed Mohsen Yahya Zayed were victims of an entrapment set up by Alanssi, both Moayad and Zayed were convicted of funneling money to Al-Qaeda and Hamas on March 10.

IIIT Board Member Threatens Media Journalist - Updated 2005-03-17

Sherrie Gossett is a media reporter with Accuracy in Media, a conservative media watchdog group - and I know that the "C" word will be enough to turn leftists off from reading further :-). In her article Federal Money Goes to Controversial Muslim Group, she writes how the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) used grants from the faith-based initiative of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services not for social services, but to train Muslim organizations how to apply for grants.

While that is bad in and of itself, what is appalling is how Sayyid M. Syeed, Secretary General of ISNA and a member of the International Board of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) based in Herndon, threatened Ms. Gossett.



Ms. Gossett notes that Ramadan Shallah identified IIIT as the main financial backer of the World and Islam Studies Enterprise (WISE) founded by Sami al-Arian, when Shallah served as administrative director. Shallah later emerged as the head of Islamic Jihad. The affidavit used to procure the search warrants described WISE as a front for Islamic Jihad.

Ms. Gossett writes,

'Syeed rejected any hint of impropriety in his affiliations and contacts, telling AIM, "You cannot pick up these small things. You will repent when you do these things." ... Syeed told me, "You will be hurt, you will be pained by this if you continue to write such things." [italics added - ed.]

Dr. Syeed is also a member of the Advisory Board to the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). More evidence of the incestuous relationships among Muslim organizations.

COMMENT: As Lawrence Auster noted in his November 2000 article The Clintons, Abdurahman Alamoudi, and the Myth of "Moderate" Islam,

But the ineluctable problem remains: If the members of a certain group routinely engage in or approve of such bloodthirsty threatening language, how can they realistically be expected to be participants in a Western democratic society based on common allegiance to reason and the rule of law?

The Clintons are out of the White House (barring a 2008 run by Hillary!) and FOH (Friend of Hillary) Alamoudi is now in prison, but the question Auster asked in 2000 is still relevant in 2005.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Conquest of Europe - Middle East Quarterly - Winter 2005

The Muslim Brotherhood's Conquest of Europe - Middle East Quarterly - Winter 2005:

Many of the recent posts on Northern Virginiastan have focused on the Muslim American Society, the U.S. arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is rallying behind indicted terrorist suspect Ahmed Omar Abu Ali. The referenced article shows how various fronts of the Muslim Brotherhood have become the face of Islam in Europe and serve in advisory capacities on Islamic affairs to various governments in Europe. It's a long read, but worth it.

There's even a reference to Northern Virginia in this article:

"... [Sa'id] Ramadan [personal secretary of Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna] ... cofounded the Muslim World League, a well-funded organization that the Saudi establishment uses to spread its radical interpretation of Islam throughout the world. The U.S. government closely monitors the activities of the Muslim World League, which it accuses of financing terrorism. In March 2002, a U.S. Treasury Department-led task force raided the group's Northern Virginia offices looking for documents tying the group to Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad."

Ashraf Nubani and the Abu Ali courtroom circus

Exam Sought to Prove Saudis Tortured Va. Man (washingtonpost.com)


NOTE: Picture comes from another case Nubani defended - not the Abu Ali case

Defense lawyer Ashraf Nubani calls for an "independent" medical examination of Ahmed Omar Abu Ali to prove that he was tortured in Saudi custody.

"... Normally a routine proceeding, the arraignment set off a round of courtroom fireworks that reflected the combative -- and complicated -- nature of the case."

"...As yesterday's hearing began, defense lawyer Ashraf Nubani immediately proclaimed his intention to seek a medical and psychological examination of Abu Ali.

U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee said that required a written motion and said he would be happy to review such a motion. He then tried to proceed with the arraignment.

Nubani persisted, and he and Lee repeatedly cut each other off. "Can you hear me okay? Are you having trouble hearing?'' Lee said at one point. "What I want you to do is conform with the rules of this court.''

COMMENTS: Nubani, of Busch & Nubani Pc, Annandale, is acquiring a reputation almost as dubious as that of Stanley Cohen (defense lawyer for Musa Abu Marzook, among others - and yes, Cohen is Jewish) for defending terrorist suspects. When is holding a lawyer in contempt of court warranted? Was there any effort to discipline Abu Ali's supporters from the Muslim American Society who laughed as the charges were read?

Over 100 MS-13 Members Arrested in Sweep - 25 in DC

Yahoo! News - 103 Alleged Gang Members Arrested in Sweep

103 Alleged Gang Members Arrested in Sweep

Mon Mar 14, 2:24 PM ET

By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The government on Monday announced the arrests of 103 alleged members of MS-13, a street gang rooted in Central America where members have been known to behead enemies and attack with grenades and machetes.

The arrests, in seven cities since early January, are the first of a nationwide crackdown on Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, which is one of the largest and most violent street gangs in the United States. Federal officials estimate between 8,000 and 10,000 MS-13 members live in 31 states — the majority of them in the country illegally. There have been machete attacks in U.S. cities along the East Coast.

Agents with the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement used information from state and local law enforcement authorities to target MS-13 activities in the New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Newark, Miami and Dallas metropolitan areas.

... MS-13 began in El Salvador (news - web sites) and now includes members from Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.

Last month, former Homeland Security Deputy Secretary James Loy called MS-13 an emerging threat to the United States, referring to the gang and the al-Qaida terrorist organization in the same breath in testimony to Congress. Garcia said Monday that while there is no definitive link between MS-13 and al-Qaida, the gang's operations show that "you have to accept that as a homeland security risk as well."

Officials arrested 30 alleged gang members in the New York metropolitan area, the most of any of the seven cities targeted. Twenty-five were arrested in Washington, 17 in Los Angeles, and 10 each in the Baltimore, Newark and Miami areas. The last arrest came in Dallas, officials said.

COMMENT: MS-13 gang members who attacked a youth in Alexandria with a machete and severed four fingers on one hand and a thumb on the other (which was reattached) were sentenced to between 12-15 years - too light a sentence for the crime and the suffering inflicted on the victim. The FBI has downplayed any connections between MS-13 and al-Qaeda, although there have been persistent rumors of meetings between suspected al-Qaeda operative Adnan El-Shukrijumah and MS-13 members in Central America.

The Jawa Report: Abu Ali Pleads Not Guilty to Bush Assassination Plot

The Jawa Report: Abu Ali Pleads Not Guilty to Bush Assassination Plot


Some words about erstwhile Abu Ali supporter Shaker El Sayed:

"...CNN then goes on to describe Shaker El Sayed as "a local Muslim leader":

Shaker El Sayed, a local Muslim leader and Abu Ali family friend, told reporters the case against Abu Ali was based on a confession to Saudi authorities he termed "laughable."

"They didn't have the evidence. They don't have the evidence. The fishing expedition continues," he said.

They fail to mention that El Sayed was a leader at a radical salafi mosque with ties to convicted terrorists. A radical mosque supported by the Muslim Brotherhood. A mosque that teaches women to put on the veil, as Ali's mother does."

Actually, El Sayed has been identified as Secretary-General of the Muslim American Society. For more, refer to our recent posting Must-read on Muslim American Society, Muslim Brotherhood, and KSA

Ahmed Omar Abu Ali to be arraigned in court today

FOXNews.com - FOX & Friends - Guests and Topics for March 14

FOX & Friends, FOX News's morning show, announced that Ahmed Omar Abu Ali will be arraigned in court today.

Local Muslim Leaders on suicide bombing of Shi'ite mosque in Iraq

Yahoo! Groups : dc-terror Messages : Message 175 of 176

--- In dc-terror@yahoogroups.com, Jeffrey Imm wrote:
> < As a DC resident, I am wondering why we have not heard this more
often? >

[Northern Virginiastan]see my deconstruction about a previous effort.

>
> Area Muslims slam suicide bombing
>
> March 11, 2005
>
> By Jon Ward
> THE WASHINGTON TIMES
>
> http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20050310-105612-1198r.htm
>
> Muslim leaders in the Washington area condemned yesterday's suicide
bombing at a Shi'ite mosque in northern Iraq, saying such actions
violate the heart and soul of Islam.

> "This does not help the Iraqis, it does not help Islam, and it does not help the children of Iraq looking for a future," said Imam Mohamed Magid, leader of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS), one of the area's largest Sunni mosques.

> "It would not be fair if it was criticized as a problem with Islam," Mr. Magid said. "You can have violence among the people of religion, but that does not mean the religion endorses that."

[Northern Virginiastan] Once again, it's the harm that such actions do to the image of Islam - not genuine sympathy towards the victims. For more about Iman Mohamed Majid, see our entry Herndon-based Imam at Reagan's funeral.

> Imam Hameed Asghar of the Dar-ul Huda mosque in Springfield said Muslims around the world know "that to attack or kill or harm any peaceful person or citizen, regardless of whether they are Muslim or
non-Muslim, is not permissible."

> ... "It is bad. It is extremely bad," said Zahid Bukhari, director
and principal co-investigator of the Muslims in the American Public Square (MAPS) project at Georgetown University. "It's the extreme nature of ignorance and the extreme nature of violence, when people
are willing to kill in the name of religion."

[Northern Virginiastan] Project MAPS is based at the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, founded by Professor John Esposito, well-known apologist for Islam (never met a terrorist he didn't like), and now headed by John Voll.

> ... Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims have clashed violently in Pakistan and India before, including in mosques and holy places, Mr. Bukhari said. "But it never came to here in the United States."

> Most D.C.-area mosques are Sunni, Mr. Bukhari said.

[Northern Virginiastan]Of course, this is due to Saudi funding of these mosques.

> Imam Adil Khan of the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, said a Shi'ite mosque stands near MCC. He said Muslims at his mosque
have good relations with Muslims from the Shi'ite mosque.

WETA deals a blow to dead white men's culture*

90.9 FM Update - WETA TV 26/ 90.9 FM - Washington, D.C.

WETA 90.9 FM abandons classical music in favor of an all news and public affairs format. Sharon Percy Rockefeller elaborates,

"The new format, debuting February 28, features news reports, public affairs programs and newsmagazines with global reach from news sources that include two of the most respected newsgathering organizations in the world: National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corporation."

Hmmm...she must have never read Biased BBC.

Ms. Rockefeller describes the format change as the "right choice for our diverse, cosmopolitan community."

As though we can turn to audio streaming! In reality, many offices ban audio streaming on account on the demands on bandwidth. DC doesn't need another news and public affairs radio station when it's already served by WAMU and other stations. We do need classical music without obnoxious commercials or announcers.

* the term "dead white men's culture" has probably been used by other people, but Northern Virginiastan is attributing it to actor John Rhys-Davies who raised alarms about the threat of Islam to European culture and civilization: "[hang it all], I am for dead-white-male culture!"

Our Rogues' Gallery - The Hall of Beards

Greetings! Northern Virginiastan has set up a rogues' gallery of photos - visit Yahoo! Photos - northernvirginiastan's Photos.

Ahmed Omar Abu Ali!
Omar and Faten Ali!
Abelhaleem Hasan Abdelraziq Ashqar!
Ismael Selim Elbarasse!
Musa Abu Marzook!
Abdurahman Alamoudi!
Shaker El-Sayed
*NEW* Ashraf Nubani - Abu Ali's attorney

Must-read on Muslim American Society, Muslim Brotherhood, and KSA

From the September 19, 2004 issue of Chicago Tribune (free registration required), A rare look at secretive [Muslim] Brotherhood in America

This article focuses on Ahmed Elkadi of Sterling, VA, a former personal physician to King Faisal, who was instrumental in bringing the Muslim Brotherhood to America.

Here are some bon-bons from that article:

"Leading the U.S. Brotherhood during much of this period was Ahmed Elkadi, an Egyptian-born surgeon and a former personal physician to Saudi Arabia's King Faisal. He headed the group from 1984 to 1994 but abruptly lost his leadership position. Now he is discussing his life and the U.S. Brotherhood for the first time. … Once one of America's most influential Muslims, Elkadi now spends most of his days in front of the TV in his two-bedroom condominium in Sterling, Va., across the Potomac River from Washington."

"By 1990, U.S. Brotherhood members had made headway on that plan by helping establish many mosques and Islamic organizations. Some of those efforts were backed financially by the ultraconservative Saudi Arabian government, which shared some of the Brotherhood's fundamentalist goals. … Some of those organizations eventually would distance themselves from the Brotherhood. The Islamic Society of North America, the umbrella group for the Muslim Youth of North America and the Muslim Students Association [mailing address: P.O. Box 1096; Falls Church, VA 22041], says Brotherhood members helped form those groups but that their overall influence has been limited."

"In recent years, the U.S. Brotherhood operated under the name Muslim American Society, according to documents and interviews. … Shaker Elsayed (photos), a top MAS official [who was photographed walking alongside Faten and Omar Abu Ali when the judge ordered that their son be detained before trial], says the organization was founded by Brotherhood members but has evolved to include Muslims from various backgrounds and ideologies.

"MAS says it has about 10,000 members and that any Muslim can join by paying $10 a month in dues.

But to be an "active" member--the highest membership class--one must complete five years of Muslim community service and education, which includes studying writings by Brotherhood ideologues al-Banna and Qutb."

In the timeline, the article has this item:

"2003: U.S. authorities investigating alleged terrorism funding describe Virginia businessman Soliman Biheiri as the Brotherhood's "financial toehold" in the U.S. Biheiri denies any terrorist links." As noted on Northern Virginiastan, Biheiri was sentenced to 13 months in prison this past January for lying about his business dealings with HAMAS leader and former Falls Church resident Musa Abu Marzook (photos).

Federal judge denies bail to Abu Ali

From Yahoo! Groups : dc-terror Messages : Message 171 of 171

[The Abu Ali Case and] Balancing Liberties, Security

Today's New York Sun article [The Abu Ali Case and] Balancing Liberties, Security by Daniel Pipes shows that the MSM (including the WaPo) cares more about Abu Ali's individual liberties rather than the charge that he was in a conspiracy to assassinate the President. Has Bush hatred descended to such a level that we feel no outrage or even indignation that someone wanted to assassinate the President?

It bears noting that the Muslim Brotherhood was charged in the assassination of Anwar Sadat. The Muslim American Society is the U.S. arm of the Muslim Brotherhood (MAS was founded by Muslim Brotherhood militants). MAS urged Muslims to attend Abu Ali's arraignment, and attendees laughed when the charges were read.

Was judge's ruling inspired by indictment of Abu Ali?

From Yahoo! Groups : dc-terror Messages : Message 170 of 170, Federal judge rules that the U.S. Government shall charge "dirty bomb" suspect Jose Padilla aka Abdullah Al Mujahir or let him go. Another case of "shit or get off the pot"? Recall that Abu Ali was indicted only when the campaign to return him to the U.S. (as a free man) reached critical mass, with the WaPo's February 21 editorial and what all.

Northern Virginiastan (referring to the author of this blog) cannot get too excited about Padilla's U.S. citizenship availing him certain rights under law. His Islamic name Abdullah Al Mujahir means "Abdullah the Foreigner." That shows you the regard Padilla had for our country.