Posted on 06/22/2012 8:54:34 AM PDT by kristinn
Terrorists aren’t supposed to get visas. But Hani Nour Eldin was apparently invited to D.C. this week to meet with top officials. Did no one Google him?
It was supposed to be a routine meeting for Egyptian legislators in Washington, an opportunity for senior Obama administration officials to meet with new members of Egypt’s parliament and exchange ideas on the future of relations between the two countries.
Instead, the visit this week looks like it’s turning into a political fiasco. Included in the delegation of Egyptian lawmakers was Hani Nour Eldin, who, in addition to being a newly elected member of parliament, is a member of the Gamaa Islamiya, or the Egyptian Islamic Group—a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. The group was banned under former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, and is now a recognized Islamist political party. Its spiritual leader, Omar Abdel Rahman—also known as the “blind sheik”—was convicted in 1995 of plotting attacks on New York City landmarks and transportation centers, and is serving a life sentence in a North Carolina federal prison.
Eldin, according to his Facebook page, was born in 1968 and resides in Suez, near the canal that unites the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. He was arrested in 1993 on terrorism charges after members of Gamaa Islamiya got into a shoot out with Egyptian security officials at a mosque. He has proclaimed his innocence in the shooting and says he was arrested because of his political activism against Mubarak.
In an interview, Eldin confirmed he is a member of Gamaa Islamiya. By U.S. law, that means he would be denied a visa to enter the country. Nonetheless, he says, he got a visa from the State Department. A State Department spokesman said, “We have no information suggesting that he or anyone else in the delegation is a member of the Egyptian Islamic Group.”
Eldin said in the interview that he is not a terrorist. "I have taken the American visa from the embassy as a member of the parliament representing a political party that has been elected and is a legitimate party," he said. "I was personally not involved in any violent action or terrorism against the United States or any other country. The years I spent in prison were under the regime of Mubarak, these were political charges and there was no judicial basis for them."
In his meetings with senior Obama administration officials, Eldin says, he asked Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough about transferring Abdel-Rahman to an Egyptian prison. He said his request was declined. “When I raised this issue in the White House I was told it was not in their authority and all judicial issues relating to sentences must be discussed with the Department of Justice,” he says. Transferring Abdel-Rahman, says Eldin, “would be a gift to the revolution.” McDonough didn’t reply to requests for comment made Thursday afternoon.
In addition to being convicted of planning the 1993 World Trade Center attack, Abdel-Rahman is also a cause celebre for radical Islamic fundamentalists, including al Qaeda, who have at times demanded his release.
SNIP
Transferring Abdel-Rahman, says Eldin, “would be a gift to the revolution.”
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He is telling the truth there.
But do we really want to give gifts to terrorists who are responsible for American bombings.
Interesting these scum never tried to show up in D.C. begging for their blind parasite back during the Bush years. Interesting that they think now they’ve got a sucker in the White House who’d be willing to honor the wishes of a bunch of terrorist goons. I bet they wouldn’t be showing their faces here if we had President McCain instead of President Hussein.
Transferring Abdel-Rahman, says Eldin, “would be a gift to the revolution.”
Will Obama be a part of this “revolution”?? I think I will follow this story as closely as I can. This could be earth shattering if Obama releases this terrorist.
I wouldn’t be suprised though if it happens and nothing is said about it on the news.
ONce Obama loses in Novermber don’t be surprised to see him pardon losts of convicted terrorists as his way of giving us the finger as he walks out the door.
I’d release him.
Release him, track him, wait until he’s in a mosque or his house is full of “well wishers” then drop a 3000lb bomb on him.
Seems the answer is, 'yes'...
We should have shackled this guy to OBL’s body and lobbed them off a catapault.
Has anyone discussed how the Egyptian/Cairo riots could have something to do with Hani Nour Eldin’s June visit to the WH? Maybe they aren’t as understanding as Dmitry Medvedev was when obama tried to explain how he has to wait until AFTER the election to release the Blind Sheikh (Rahman).
According to an arabic blog last February, obama was negotiating with Egypt for a prisoner swap. Source: http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/02/al-arabiya-us-in-talks-to-swap-jihad-terror-sheikh-omar-abdel-rahman-for-19-americans-held-in-egypt.html
This has probably been talked about here already, i’m sure.
see previous reply
Never mind. I see this is old news. Although this article below doesn’t come out and say it, that seems to be what it’s alluding to (i.e., islam extremists got tired of waiting for Blind Sheikh’s release so they’re burning Europe).
State Department Considering Talks to Transfer ‘Blind Sheikh’ to Egypt
September 17, 2012
McCarthy explained that Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has been calling for the release of the Blind Sheikh ever since he was elected earlier this year. He said it is a matter of “great importance” to the radical Islamists in Egypt and throughout the Middle East, adding that his transfer to Egypt would undoubtedly lead to the terrorist’s release.
“I think the plan has been to agree to the Blind Sheikh’s release but not to announce it or have it become public until after the election. That is consistent with Obama’s pattern of trying to mollify Islamists,” he added. “Obviously, they did not want this information to surface yet… but sometimes a situation can spin out of control.”
old times’ sake bump
bump
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