Here is more news on that raid in Virginia, reported here yesterday. Note that CAIR “observed the raid.” What on earth does that mean? Were they invited along by the FBI? Were they tipped off by someone? And ultimately, is there or has there ever been an anti-terror investigation that CAIR did not consider a “fishing expedition”? From AP, with thanks to LGF:
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) – Federal agents Thursday raided the Fairfax offices of a Saudi-based institute that served as a meeting point for men convicted of conspiring to support terrorism.
A task force of federal agents, including the FBI, carried out boxes but made no arrests in the raid of the Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences.An FBI spokeswoman did not immediately return calls seeking comment Thursday.
The institute was a meeting point for a group of Islamic men who played paintball games in 2000 and 2001 as preparation for holy war, according to prosecutors. Nine of the 11 men charged in what prosecutors called a “Virginia jihad network” were convicted in federal court for their roles in the group. …
Lawyers for the Council on American-Islamic Relations observed the raid.
“We’re concerned that this may be perceived in the Muslim community as a fishing expedition,” council spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said.
One last thing: why doesn’t AP note that three CAIR officials have been arrested on terror-related charges in the past year or so? More fishing expeditions? Then why did Ismail Royer, who worked at CAIR during a five-year period, plead guilty to “aiding and abetting the carrying of an explosive during the commission of a felony”?