Posted on 07/06/2002 8:39:42 AM PDT by Jethro Tull
July 5 2002
A gunman who killed two people before being shot by an Israeli agent at the counter of Israel's airline El Al at Los Angeles airport was an Egyptian immigrant on an FBI watchlist, officials said today.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified the gunman as 41-year-old Hesham Mohamed Hadayet who moved to the United States 10 years ago and worked as a limousine driver, FBI spokesman Matthew McLaughlin said.
The identity of the gunman, who was overpowered and shot by an EL AL security agent after killing a check-in clerk and a middle-aged man yesterday, fuelled fears that the attack could be a terrorist strike against Israel.
"There might be some terrorist links," McLaughlin told reporters, adding that Hadayet was "heavily" armed with two pistols and a knife.
However he stressed that the investigation was in its early stages, and that at this point the incident would probably be characterised as a hate crime.
The FBI and local police officers were meanwhile searching the suspect's home in Orange County, near Los Angeles, after recovering evidence from his car at Los Angeles International Airport.
"We went through the normal procedures of investigation, we ran weapons, we ran vehicles, and we got into his residence," McLaughlin said, adding that authorities would pursue the investigation "aggressively."
A senior Israeli official in Jerusalem meanwhile said Israel had "no doubt" that the fatal shooting attack Los Angeles was a terrorist attack.
"There's no doubt (for Israel) that the shooting at El Al counter at Los Angeles airport was a terrorist attack," the official said on condition of anonymity. "We're now waiting for the official results of the investigation."
Earlier FBI officials had said there was no indication that the attack was a terror strike targeting the Jewish state, even as the United States was under an "elevated" level of alert as it celebrated its first July 4 independence day since last year's September 11 terror attacks on US targets.
"We have no reason to believe this was an act of terrorism," said Ronald Idem, assistant director of the Los Angeles FBI Office, adding that the man had no air ticket or identification in his possession.
Hadayet was not an American citizen but had a "green card" (given to US residents) allowing him to work as a limousine driver, McLaughlin said. Reports said his wife and children were currently in Egypt and that a search was underway for other relatives.
Police said the suspect, who opened fire in the terminal around 11:30 am, was gunned down by an El Al security officer in the skirmish, the full details of which remain unclear.
A 46-year-old orthodox Jewish man who was seeing off friends and a 25-year-old El Al check-in clerk, identified as Victoria Hen of Los Angeles, died later in hospital. Some seven other people were injured.
FBI agents said the gunman was armed with a .45 calibre handgun and had another 9mm handgun and a 15-centimetre knife in his possession.
One of the seven people injured in the attack was El-Al's security chief at Los Angeles airport Chaim Safir, whom reports said had shot and killed the gunman and was being treated for a stab wound.
The other injured included a woman shot in the leg and another woman who complained of chest pains.
"Witness accounts indicate that no words were spoken," by the gunman before he opened fire, Ron Idem, assistant special FBI agent in charge, told reporters, adding that the attack appeared to be an "isolated incident."
Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn and Los Angeles Police Department chief Martin Pomeroy had also described the incident as isolated.
But initial Israeli reaction was to assume the incident as a terrorist attack.
"When a gunman opens fire on El-Al passengers at an international airport, you have to assume it is terrorism," Transportation Minister Ephraim Sneh said on CNN.
Yuval Rotem, the Israel consul general in Los Angeles, said all indications pointed to terrorism.
"It would appear to be a terrorist attack," he told a press conference , recalling that in December 1985 Arab militants attacked El Al ticket counters in Rome, killing 13 people, and Vienna, killing three.
A Federal Aviation Administration official said the level of security alert at the airport had not been raised as a result of the shooting and five hours after the incident the airport resumed normal operation.
However some 20 flights were delayed by as much as eight hours, affecting around 10,500 passengers, airport officials said.
This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/07/05/1025667057580.html
I think statements like this are just absurd. What difference does it make if it WAS a "terrorist attack?" Does that mean it MIGHT indicate there are terrorists who want to target Israel? LOL!
To me this is like the statements you read from time to time such as: "The murder is being investigated on suspicion that it might have been a 'hate crime'". What bullsh*t! What difference if it was a "hate crime" or not? The person is dead, and hate is everywhere.
Just PC semantics.
I think we need an emergency Israel-US lend-lease program. We can start with the FBI, they desperately need to borrow a clue.
I believe several persons are dead. Funny how you left out the victims.
Maybe he should have been on the FBI follow list. Or the FBI stop if he has a gun and is heading to the airport list.
Personally I think the FBI should just have one list, Shot the piece of $hit list.
Good question.
Liberals.
This also is an important piece of info. There is lots of misinformation going around that he was in some sort of argument before he shot.
As far as being on a watch list, that was reported Thursday night. Garcia seems to be two things, one a moron, but second a PR agent who spews meaningless drivel.
How much do you want to bet that the authorities in Egypt give his family a substantial reward?
Because we are a nation of laws, including those which govern immigration. We have entire law firms whose primary business is immigration work, including fighting deportation. If someone has a green card, deporting them (if they choose to fight it) can take years.
I have an in-law who is a Canadian citizen, although she's married to an American and has worked here for years. Her daughters are American citizens. Should the decision of some person at the FBI to put her on a "watch list" cause her to be immediately deported and break up that family?
I agree that we are not deporting a lot of people who may be a potential threat. But we need to change the laws. It would be nice if we could talk a Democrat into sponsoring a bill to toughen up our immigration laws. If a Republican did it, they would be branded as racist.
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