Alleged Hizballah 'Fighter' Snuck Into U.S. from Mexico

Human Events ^ | 1/23/04 | Human Events

[Cyropaedia]

Alleged Hizballah 'Fighter' Snuck Into U.S. from Mexico

Posted Jan 23, 2004

An indictment returned by a federal grand jury on November 19 alleges that a Hizballah "member, fighter, recruiter and fundraiser" snuck across the Mexican border into the United States in 2001, and then conspired here in the U.S. to "provide material support" to Hizballah, which is designated by the State Department as a foreign terrorist organization. The indictment was unsealed January 15.

Nabih Ayad, lawyer for the accused man, Mahmoud Kourani, told the Detroit Free Press that the charges against his client were wrong. There is "no shred of evidence" Kourani has any ties to Hizballah, said Ayad. "This is another ploy by the government to attack a vulnerable community after 9/11," he told the Free Press after his client pleaded not guilty. "They're going after someone because of his blood relations," he said. "That's unconstitutional. It's guilt by association."

The indictment alleges that Kourani's brother "was the Hizballah Chief of Military Security for Southern Lebanon."

"Hizballah's goals," the indictment says, "include the eradication of 'western imperialism' from the Middle East represented in part by the United States ('the Great Satan') and Israel ('the little Satan'). Hizballah has conducted numerous high profile terrorist attacks including the abduction, torture, and murder of U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel William R. Higgins from February 17, 1988 through July 1989."

The indictment says: "At all times material to this indictment, Mahmoud Yousseff Kourani was a member, fighter, recruiter and fundraiser for Hizballah. Operating at first from Lebanon and later in the United States, Kourani was a dedicated member of Hizballah who received specialized training in radical Shiite fundamentalism, weaponry, spy craft, and counterintelligence in Lebanon and Iran. Kourani also recruited others within Lebanon to become members of Hizballah, overseeing their applications and detailed background checks. Among other duties, Kourani held the position of fund raising solicitor for Hizballah in the vicinity of Tyre, Lebanon.

"Kourani," the indictment continues, "surreptitiously entered the country via the U.S./Mexico border on or about February 4, 2001, took up residence in the Dearborn, Michigan area, and continued his allegiance and support of Hizballah. Kourani's activities within the United States were overseen by his brother, an unindicted co-conspirator, who at all times material to this indictment was the Hizballah Chief of Military Security for Southern Lebanon."

The Free Press reported: "Kourani has been in custody since May 3, when he was arrested for harboring an illegal immigrant. He was sentenced to 6 months in jail in that case and was set to be released Dec. 31. A federal judge also ordered him deported."

The Free Press further reported: "The indictment in the earlier case said Kourani concealed a man identified as Ghaleb Youssef Kdouh at his home in Dearborn for two months in 2003. Kourani said the man was his cousin. Prosecutors said the house-sharing arrangement was part of a continuing scheme to smuggle illegal immigrants from Lebanon to the United States through Mexico."

[Cyropaedia]

A copy of the indictment can be found here :

http://news.findlaw.com/cnn/docs/terrorism/uskourani111903ind.pdf

[WayneM]

Don't worry. He was just longing for a little piece of the American pie. President Bush assures me that he only wants to become a contributing member of our society.

[Cyropaedia]

Yes, I think you are probably right. What right did we have to deny him entry...? ;>)

[boris]

gnip

[Cyropaedia]

WOW....GOLLY GEE, We actually the caught the foreign terrorist who was trying to sneak across our border. It's time to proclaim victory in the War on Terror and move on...

[discostu]

I didn't say that. Boris keeps pinging me to threads because last month he made the asinine claim that we've already lost the war on terror, included in this celebration of Boris' Velcro shoes was a prediction that 9-11 redux would happen by new years day and an assertion that the only way to defend our nation would be a mile wide minefield on the border. Living in a border state and having been to border towns I found that idea particularly stupid beyond all belief and am surprised that someone with that little capacity for thinking can run something as complex as a computer.

And here you come putting words in my mouth. Don't be a Boris. Rise above, it's not that hard.

[Mr. Mojo]

Ah, yet another "willing worker."

[GOP_1900AD]

Borders, language, culture. Amnesty is a travesty. Tell Fox to eat my shorts. etc.

[Cyropaedia]

Sorry. I didn't understand the nature of the attacks between you and Boris.

Regardless, this guy could not have been the only A.Q. type trying to sneak across our border...

[GrandMoM]

An indictment returned by a federal grand jury on November 19 alleges that a Hizballah "member, fighter, recruiter and fundraiser" snuck across the Mexican border into the United States in 2001, and then conspired here in the U.S. to "provide material support" to Hizballah, which is designated by the State Department as a foreign terrorist organization.....enough said BUMP!!!!!

[Gritty]

Ah, yet another "willing worker." M

Yeah, just doing jobs no Americans want to do - like blowing up buildings or mailing anthrax.

[boris]

They caught one...and how many more did they not catch?

[RippleFire]

bump

[Itzlzha]

They caught one...and how many more did they not catch?

Gee, maybe we should check all those "Toilets" that need "Scrubbing"....maybe we'll find some more "sleepers"...unless they decide to wake up in time for the election!

[discostu]

I doubt he was but the fact that we actually can catch them shows we're doing all right. The danger is still there, but I never denied that (inspite of Boris might say). Things could be better but they don't call for draconian measures that would destroy the essence of our nation.

[discostu]

We caught one, that was here illegally so your mass deportation plan wouldn't have helped. Every thread you ping me to shows your plan is WRONG in every possible way. I've never denied there are bad guys trying to hurt us, I deny two things:
1 - that we've already lost the war
2 - that any of your foolish ideas would help at all

Every time we catch a bad guy your statement that we've already lost the war falls apart again. Every time one of these guys would be here INSPITE of your ideas they are proven to be idiotic. Now do the entire forum a favor and STOP PINGING ME. Shaming you has grown boring, you aren't interesting, your hit and flee in terror tactic should embarass you, your obvious innability to understand English should keep you off FR completely for a few semester, and your attempts to change my argument into something it's not are the most pathetic of lies. GO AWAY, I already know you're wrong, I don't need you to prove yourself wrong on a daily basis to know the simple fact that anybody thinking we should put a 3000 square mile minefield on our border wears a bike helmet when he walks.

STOP PINGING ME NOW, don't reply to this, don't freepmail, don't ping to a new thread. Just buzz off.

[Marine Inspector]

Ping.

[Stew Padasso]

Wasn't he the guy cleaning toilets at WalMart?

[gubamyster]

ping