Translator sentenced in Guantanamo documents case

Boston Globe ^ | Feb. 19, 2005 | Shelley Murphy

[FairOpinion]

An Arabic translator who took classified documents from the US military base at Guantanamo Bay yesterday received a 20-month sentence in US District Court in Boston and said he was trying to do a good job by working on the material at home.

Ahmed Mehalba, 32, a linguist, admitted he removed a computer disk containing 368 secret documents from the military base, but his lawyers urged leniency, because he was off his medication for bipolar disorder at the time.

In the summer of 2003, Mehalba took the disk with him to his native Egypt during an emergency leave from the job to visit his family.

On Sept. 29, 2003, Mehalba was arrested at Logan International Airport, after customs inspectors discovered the disk in his luggage when he arrived from Cairo.

[FairOpinion]

Sure, it was just all an innocent mistake. He just kind of accidentally put the disk into his luggage, when he was going to Egypt. (/sarcasm)

[sd-joe]

>> "said he was trying to do a good job by working on the material at home. Ahmed Mehalba, 32, a linguist," <<

Ahhh. Another case of a cunning linguist.

[Waco]

Bipolar disorder? That's what it's called now?

[Marano NYC]

Where is the trial of Hassan Ahkbar ? There was an article on the SF version of Indy Media about that case. The wheels of Justice seem slow when a Muslim is the perpetrator.

[CLS]

Bi-Polar disorder ????

and this TRAITOR had a security clearance? The clintonoids definitely damaged our nation's security system - hopefully not permanently, but it seems to be irreparable if it's still happening.

[gitmo]

OK. Is Sandy Berger next?

[jocon307]

"...his lawyers urged leniency, because he was off his medication for bipolar disorder at the time."

Oy vey.

It's stories like this that convince me we are DOOMED, DOOMED!

[Valin]

Mehalba was arrested at Logan International Airport, after customs inspectors discovered the disk in his luggage when he arrived from Cairo.

Disk? What disk...oh you mean that one....now how did that get there?

[Liberator]

The "penalty" for 'Treason' these days is a stay at the 'Ramada Inn', and a book deal.

The Founders would be sick at the lack of courage of this kind of necessary law enforcement.

A Catholic nun from the 50s exacts more punishment upon undisciplined students, than does than does the U.S. government upon a traitor who jeopardizes U.S. lives.

Question: Is the U.S. already abiding by the guidelines of the International Criminal Court?

[fish hawk]

Too funny!!! good one.

[Drango]

Taking it home and taking it to Egypt are two different things...

[sd-joe]

Thanks for getting it.

Congratulations on being a native conservative. Wish there were more.