This morning I asked, about the Detroit terror convictions that were overturned, whether the fault lay with the prosecutors or the judge. Looks like it’s the judge: Walid Phares, one of today’s most knowledgeable authorities on jihad terror, says the tapes were jihadist in nature.
Terrorism expert Walid Phares made the following comments in reaction to the US Government statement dropping Terrorism charges against what was known as “Detroit sleeper cell.” Phares was one of the US Government experts on Islamic Fundamentalism and radical ideologies.
Phares said: “Since I have served as an expert on Islamic Fundamentalism on behalf of the US Government in the “Detroit sleeper cell” case, (2002-2003) and since I have reviewed the 105 audiotapes calling for Jihad and violence found with the defendants, and after I have read the Justice Consolidated response issued today, here are my remarks:
1. While the questions related to the legal procedures are not of my field, there are multiple points related to the audiotapes, the ideology that is contained in these tapes, which must be addressed by the experts first and conveyed to the public and the Justice Department.
2. The content of the tapes, regardless of the fate of the case itself, should be revealed to the American public and Government, as they are Jihadist in nature, and are found in other cases around the world.
3. I shall write to the Justice Department to remind them about my own findings regarding the tapes and their authors and informing them about the ideological link existing between these tapes and their authors and the world Jihadist movement. Some points made in the US Goivernment consolidated response in the Kabriti case, while made as legal points are in fact expertise matters regarding the Islamic Fundamentalist movement in the US, and should have been reviewed by experts first.
4. It is my expert opinion that the audiotapes found in that case, are indicative of the violent Jihadist movement worldwide and serves as indoctrination tool.
My future report analysis will cover all these points.
Walid Phares