Pakistani who took photos of WTC sentenced

outlookindia.com ^ | SEP 13, 2002

[syriacus]

A Pakistani man who spent hours photographing the World Trade Center days before it was destroyed was sentenced to six months in jail for immigration violations exactly one year after suspicions over the pictures prompted his arrest.

Ashar Butt, 22, acknowledged that he entered the country illegally last year using an altered British passport, but his lawyers said he only came to the United States to start a new life.

"He was an innocent individual taking pictures," said his attorney, Anser Ahmad. He added that Butt has already spent a year in jail and is eligible for release within a few weeks, at which time he has agreed to be deported.

"He just wants to leave the country," Ahmad said.

Butt was working at an Intrigue Jewelers kiosk in suburban Allentown when he was arrested Sept. 12 after a clerk at a photo developing shop saw he had taken an entire roll of pictures at the World Trade Center complex days before the towers were destroyed.

A second worker at the kiosk was later detained on immigration charges, and in late June and early July, FBI agents raided about 75 additional Intrigue Jewelry stores in at least 10 states.

More than a dozen foreign-born men and women were taken into custody on immigration charges during the sweep. Several of those questioned by the FBI have told The Associated Press they were asked whether the stores were sending money to foreign organizations and whether they supported the al-Qaida terrorist network.

[syriacus]

The wheels of justice grind slowly, sometimes.

[thegreatbeast]

Then everybody is in agreement. He leaves the country.

[mombonn]

"He was an innocent individual taking pictures,"

That would make me the Tooth Fairy.

"He just wants to leave the country,"

Don't forget to write.

[Cindy]

Wheels of Justice? I hope they are rolling.

[AdvisorB]

And I hope they role over this little terrorist swine.

[Shermy]

FYI, "Intrigue" Jewelers was prominent is an illegal alien sweep last July

FBI and INS Raid Dozens of Jewelry Stores in Search for Terrorist Financiers

[A CA Guy]

Put him in jail for twenty more years for not recycling!

[syriacus]

Now here's a case in which the wheels ground especially slowly.

Tracking down war criminals

The wheels of justice grind slowly. Anton Malloth could be the last Nazi war criminal in Germany to stand trial for events that happened six decades ago.

Why did it take so long? According to some critics, the postwar West German judiciary had too many ex-Nazis working for it.

 

[syriacus]

Very interesting thread you linked to. Thanks.

Makes me wonder about the jewelry kiosks at our local mall.

And I was only worried about the workers at the nearby 7-11s and gas stations.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks Shermy!

Miss Marple and Mo1 fyi!

[Grampa Dave]

fyi

[Grampa Dave]

fyi

[Grampa Dave]

Good Find! Apparently our judicial system is loaded with these illegals and justice is sending most back to their Islamakazi hell hole of origin. A few are going to jail as they may have some data we want.

The wheels are grinding slow.

The left wing mediots will start screaming about the injustice of all this and how we must change what we are doing to protect the very dangerous amongst us.

[Mo1]

Butt was working at an Intrigue Jewelers kiosk in suburban Allentown when he was arrested Sept. 12 after a clerk at a photo developing shop saw he had taken an entire roll of pictures at the World Trade Center complex days before the towers were destroyed.

Well isn't that interesting

Thanks for the Ping Gramp Dave

[Squantos]

Good deal........Mr Butt gets it in the end :o)

Stay Safe GD !

[Grampa Dave]

Now we know why the FBI made raids on these Kiosks/stores of Intrigue Jewelers across the country.

Didn't those raids come after a lot of discussions here on FR about Intrigue in Florida and other places?

[Grampa Dave]

The EndofButt.

Another Islamakazi gets it in the end! :)

Poetic justice, but, I won't go there!

[Mo1]

Geez .. I can't remember the exact timing but is was around that time

A lot of stuff was found out about these folks .. Miss Marple was really keeping up on this .. maybe she'll remember better

[Miss Marple]

There was a little article in a Florida paper about the jewelry kiosk being raided. Then I think there was another story in Pennsylvania. Pretty soon we were finding those stores all over the country.

However, much as we would like to take credit, the feds were onto them first, in one of O'Neill's secret investigations with his terror teams that have no Clintonistas in the loop.

[aristeides]

I'm not sure taking these pictures such a short time before 9/11 would have had an operational purpose.

More likely, I think, the guy took the photos as souvenirs, in the knowledge that the attack was going to occur. In which case he's guilty for not relaying his knowledge to the authorities.

More grounds, in any case, for wondering how widespread among Moslems in this country that knowledge was. This guy was in Allentown, not Brooklyn or Jersey City or Paterson.

[Ukiapah Heep]

Some people get the last names they deserve. This guy is a prime example.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

...but his lawyers said he only came to the United States to start a new life.

"He just wants to leave the country,"

Nothing contradictory here. Let's give him door #3: military tribunal followed by execution.

[Dog]

Thanks for the heads up Grampa Dave..

[Trickyguy]

Mr. Butt should spend a lot of time in the hole.

[syriacus]

More likely, I think, the guy took the photos as souvenirs, in the knowledge that the attack was going to occur

My thoughts, too.

[syriacus]

The left wing mediots will start screaming about the injustice of all this and how we must change what we are doing to protect the very dangerous amongst us.

Too bad that, in these cases, the lefties have their hopes of speedy resolutions thwarted by our v-e-r-y s-l-o-w justice system. (/sarcasm)

(Come to think of it, the foot-dragging actions of many lefties helped slow our system in the first place.)

Recently, I'm having problems refraining from writing all sorts of platitudes. They seem to apply in so many cases lately.

You shall reap what you sow.

Slow and steady wins the race.

[Grampa Dave]

We have a female relative who lives back in the midwest. She like many of the females on both sides of the family has been your basic conservative but very non political and very tolerant of those on the left and their verbage.

9/11 changed that for her. On a recent visit back, my wife heard this relative say basically what you just said and tried to say to her 30 something semi liberal daughter at a dinner. The daughter was trying to blame 9/11 on our greed as a nation.

After her mother used some these platitudes, her daughter told her that she was just using old and trite platitudes. The response of her mother, "The reason those platitudes are still around and still valid are liberal idiots like you on 9/11! Being nice and tolerant to these a$$holes is what enabled them to be able to carry out 9/11!"

The daughter did shut up, and the conversation went to something else.

[Grampa Dave]

Oh I know that we had minimal if any effect.

I found that it was interesting that after a few long threads on the Floriduh Kiosks, that the Feds started the busts up in Pa and other areas.

You and I know that some darn good investigative police work has happened since 9/11 inspite of what the profession detractors would have us believe.