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Where did he learn that this might be a good idea? Has anyone investigated what he was taught in the Saudi academy he attended and from which he graduated with honors? If not, why not? Ahmed Omar Abu Ali Update. "N.Va. Man Indicted in Plot Against Bush: Torture Allegation Hangs Over Case," from the Washington Post, with thanks to Jeffrey Imm:
An American student was charged yesterday in an al Qaeda plot to kill President Bush, with prosecutors alleging that Ahmed Omar Abu Ali and his confederates planned to use multiple snipers to shoot Bush or to blow him up in a suicide bombing.The expanded indictment of Abu Ali, returned by a federal grand jury in Alexandria, also claimed for the first time that he proposed a plan to bring members of an al Qaeda cell into the United States through Mexico. They would then link up with Abu Ali to conduct terrorist operations in this country, the indictment said.
Abu Ali, 24, of Falls Church was first charged in February with terrorism counts that included trying to establish an al Qaeda cell in the United States. That indictment referred to the plot to kill Bush, but Abu Ali was not charged with conspiring to assassinate the president until yesterday. The case is among the highest-profile terrorism prosecutions in the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.The new nine-count indictment also adds charges of conspiracy to commit aircraft piracy and destroy aircraft, part of the Justice Department's allegations that Abu Ali was plotting with al Qaeda to conduct a Sept. 11-style attack in the United States that would include hijacking planes.
If convicted on the assassination count alone, Abu Ali faces up to life in prison. Earlier, his maximum penalty on all counts had been 80 years in prison.
An attorney for Abu Ali, who has pleaded not guilty, did not return telephone calls late yesterday, and a White House spokesman referred calls to the Justice Department. Prosecutors would not comment beyond the indictment.
Abu Ali was arrested by security officials in June 2003 while studying at a university in Saudi Arabia. His family mounted a highly public campaign in the United States for his release. He was held until he was flown back to the United States in February to face charges.
Defense attorneys and Abu Ali's family have contended that any statements he made in Saudi custody were obtained through torture. Two doctors who examined Abu Ali found evidence that he was tortured in Saudi Arabia, including scars on his back consistent with having been whipped, defense lawyers have said in court papers.
Prosecutors have denied that Abu Ali was tortured. But if a federal judge concludes that he was, much of the evidence against him could be thrown out because it was obtained under duress. The torture allegations are expected to play a key role in a hearing scheduled to start Sept. 19.
Remember: torture allegations are right out of Al-Qaeda's playbook.
Posted by Robert at September 9, 2005 7:52 AM
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The Islamic Saudi Academy sits a few scant miles from our nation's capital. Daniel Pipes and Sen. Charles Schumer have repeatedly called for an investigation of the school, but the power of the Saudi lobby seems to prevent such an investigation. Several times, the school has come under scrutiny for its anti-Semitic curriculum: the world maps there do not even show the nation of Israel on the map!
In addition, CAIR and MAS support the family of Abu Ali, despite Abu Ali's association with the paintball jihadists.
Another interesting event associated with ISA happened in April of 2005 but received scant attention. See the information about the schoolbus accident @
http://sixthcolumn.blogspot.com/2005/04/you-dont-say.html
The driver of the ISA bus was driving on a suspended license and had been under investigation by DHS.
Posted by: WatchfulEye![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at September 9, 2005 8:55 AM
This dude is busted, exposed, followed by all the usual suspects (CAIR et al).
Regret that a more severe penalty cannot be invoked.
This president saved our backsides and every president must be protected. Developing a real dislike for the Bush bashers.
Posted by: dgene at September 9, 2005 10:06 AM
Yet another one of our "model" citizens who's Muslim!
The Wall Street Journal is unlikely to be printing articles crowing about the likes of his 'model' citizenhood anytime soon...
Posted by: pythagoras at September 9, 2005 1:18 PM
Well, if the Feds haven't done anything it must be because he's only a moderate assassin.
Quit expecting anything from the Justice Department when it comes to Saudi Arabia (or any other alleged ally). If the academy has any tax exempt status (i.e., for its real property and business assets), or state licenses, then the state of Virginia has all the authority it needs to take a look at the school and its curriculum, personnel, and finances.
An aggressive action would include arresting one or two of the finance people on a fraud charge, seizing all "evidence" and going over it thoroughly, then, if necessary, saying "Oops, excuse us, here you can have it back." This is what I believe the FBI did to the lawyer believed to have been involved with the Madrid bombers.
After two or three days in the Federal Detention Center, the "business manager" will be mighty happy to be let go.
Posted by: texan
at September 9, 2005 1:42 PM
Texan,
Virginia does indeed have the power to close down ISA. In fact, Virginia has revoked ISA's membership in a particular organization of private schools; nevertheless, ISA continues to advertise its membership and to play various athletic games with other private schools in that particular association. Here's an irony: many of the schools in that association are private Christian schools, which continue to trust ISA's word as to membership.
As a citizen of Virginia, I believe that part of the problem with the state's investigation has been our governor, Mark Warner. He has another agenda--namely, that of running for President or Vice President. I believe that he doesn't want to take the chance of losing Muslim votes. Gov. Warner often curries favor with CAIR, by the way--as does Sen. John Warner.
ISA does have tax-exempt status as do most private parochial schools in the state of Virginia. Also of interest here is Virginia's hands-off policy when it comes to private religious schools. The name "Islamic" gives ISA the religious status it needs in order to avoid significant investigation and proper overseeing by the state.
Also of interest is the school's Alexandria location--what used to be Mount Vernon Public High School. Saudi has use of that property--AT NO CHARGE! The only stipulation made by Fairfax County, which owns the site, is that Saudi should renovate the building; I believe that the agreement is due to expire in 2007. Interestingly enough, every other private school which tried to rent Mount Vernon High was quoted an exorbitant rate of rent. Only Saudi got the freebie, so to speak. The other ISA location, which is for younger students and houses some 500 pupils, is on Popes Head Road in southern Fairfax County. In 1981, Saudi paid $3.1 million for that site, which used to be Fairfax Christian School. Another irony--Muslims buying Christian-consecrated ground.
Both ISA sites are gated (which they weren't before Saudi acquired them) and appear to be more like fortifications than like institutions of learning.
BTW, already one finance officer of ISA has gotten into some trouble for funding Palestinian terrorism. I believe his punishment was deportation.
Meanwhile, a former teacher at ISA now supervises the world-studies curriculum for most of the major textbook publishers. Her name is Susan Douglass, and her husband teaches at an Islamic school which has been referred to as some as "a madrassah in the D.C. area."
Many of the children of Saudi's Embassy officials attend ISA. I believe that the school also has its own bank, on the very grounds of the school. Therefore, there is no identification control such as we see under the Patriot Act at regular commercial banks.
In fact, ISA is like having a little bit of Saudi right here in the D.C. area, and falls under many of the diplomatic-immunity regulations.
And how do I know so much about ISA? I used to attend Fairfax Christian School, so when ISA bought that property, I took note of developments.
Posted by: WatchfulEye at September 9, 2005 3:09 PM
WatchfulEye, thank you for that interesting and informative reply about ISA. You have a wealth of information on this joint, and the whole thing makes more sense, in spite of the ironies.
"Many of the children of Saudi's Embassy officials attend ISA." That goes a long way towards explaining why the Feds are not very keen to investigate.
And, of course, the facade of a Religious School is absolutely perfect cover in our society. It is the ancient sanctuary turned to murderous use, and with money-changers thrown in. Irony everywhere. Nobody could make this up. It just keeps getting stranger and stranger, and then it gets weird.
BTW, all the muslim facilities in my area are gated. They ARE fortresses. In fact, if one looks at them tactically, it seems as though they were designed with that in mind. Doors are offset or protected from the street, enfilades are interrupted, etc.
Thanks for keeping a Watchful Eye on this deal.
Posted by: texan
at September 9, 2005 4:19 PM
Another D.C.-area Muslim assassination connection:
On July 21, 1980, in Washington, D.C., Dawud Salahuddin, a twenty-nine-year-old African-American convert to Islam who was born David Theodore Belfield, shot Ali Akbar Tabatabai, a former press attaché at the Iranian Embassy in Washington who had become an outspoken opponent of Ayatollah Khomeini. Salahuddin shot and killed Tabatabai at his home, three times point-blank with a Browning semi-automatic pistol.
According to Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi (an Iranian activist and writer in exile), this Muslim assassin was recruited by Bahram Nahidian, a pro-Khomeini Iranian Muslim, and this same Bahram Nahidian now runs what Ms. Zand-Bonazzi calls a "shady madrassa" in the D.C. area! (and I don't think she means it is pleasantly shaded with date palms to make its students feel more at home).
For more on the story, here's a link:
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?020805fa_fact
at September 9, 2005 4:55 PM
Deported imam feels 'betrayed'
http://ansa.it/main/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2005-09-08_1212741.html
According to press reports, Bouchta threatened "bombs" against anyone who watched van Gogh's film .
Several members of the centre-left opposition have also condemned the Interior Minsistry's actions as a violation of human rights and dignity
The Left lost an idol. It has always been tied to controversial and terror-enabling 'imams'
demands grew for the government to expel another imam based in Bologna after he made controversial comments about suicide bombers and bin Laden .
Imam Nabil Bajoumi said in a television interview aired on Wednesday night that he did not condemn all suicide bombers, "particularly Palestinian ones" .
"They are fighting a war of freedom because in a country like Israel there are no civilians... and no-one is innocent, not even babies... A baby born in a country which attacks another country cannot be innocent," the imam said .
"As for bin Laden, he isn't wrong - as they fully realise in the United States - when he says that the Americans and bootlicking Western governments should get out of Arab countries," he said .
"This intolerable person should be kicked out of the country," said one AN lawmaker .
Mr. Pisanu, deport Mr. Bajoumi as soon as possible.
Posted by: stefania at September 9, 2005 5:01 PM
Shouldn't the punishment for treason and sedition be death by firing squad?
Posted by: Bohemond_1069 at September 9, 2005 5:58 PM
One of the reasons there were multiple Arab-Israeli wars and decades of mass murder is because there has never been a serious consequence for those that direct the behaviour. No Arab government even changed after successive defeats in the field.
Arafat waged war on the Israelis, the Jordanian monarchy, and Lebanese Christians and still was allowed to continue jihad from the comfort of Tunis. Saudi and Iranian financiers of jihad suffer no consquences at all.
Jihad must be made a source of failure, humiliation and loss to the Muslims. I don't know off hand how this would be communicated but all Muslims must be aware that jihad agaist the West will result in the demolition of the Dome of the Rock, Medina and Mecca.
The hue and cry would be that the destruction of these symbols would recruit all Islam to jihad but I disagree. Such devasting losses would mean that Allah was a false god who deceived Mohammend or that Allah was weak and not worthy of devotion and sacrifice.
Posted by: Peter Boston at September 9, 2005 6:31 PM
Peter, I agree, but I think that is how the we in the West would perceive it. Muslims fanatics would simply interpret it as a failure on their part to do enough and that they would have to redouble their efforts, try harder, and resort to even more drastic forms of terrorism to bring the world under Islamic domination. Ever since Franklin Delano Roosevelt made treaties with King Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud on an oil-for-security pact, Saudi Arabia has been using US petrodollars to spread Wahhabism. Roosevelt told King Abd al-aziz that "I will take no action which might prove hostile to the Arab people.", basically declaring the US to be a dhimmi of the Islamic state. In 1947 Prince Faisal took the US reversal on its' stance that it would vote to keep Israel from becoming a nation as a personal insult, since he was told by General George Marshall that the US would vote against the UN proposal. Ever since then Saudi Arabia has viewed the US with suspicion, if not outright hostility.
Posted by: Bohemond_1069 at September 9, 2005 9:24 PM
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