Posted on 07/14/2005 9:09:10 PM PDT by mhking
HOUSTON — When Bassam Khalaf raps, he's the Arabic Assassin. His unreleased CD, "Terror Alert," includes rhymes about flying a plane into a building and descriptions of himself as a "crazy, suicidal Arabic ... equipped with bombs."
Until last week, Khalaf also worked as a baggage screener at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
"I've been screening your bags for the past six months, and you don't even know it," said Khalaf, who also said Thursday that he is not really a terrorist and that his rhymes are exaggerations meant to gain publicity.
Andrea McCauley, a spokeswoman for the regional Transportation Security Administration office in Dallas, said the agency checks criminal records before hiring screeners, but it does not investigate what people do in their spare time.
"We have eyes and ears in the workplace," McCauley said. "Once we discovered these Web sites, we fired him."
An Internet search of Khalaf's name brings up Web sites that feature his obscene, violent and misogynistic raps that threaten to fly a plane into a building on Sept. 11, 2005.
Khalaf, 21, was hired on Jan. 16 and fired July 7, according to a TSA termination letter that cited his "authorship of songs which applaud the efforts of the terrorists on September 11th, encourage and warn of future acts of terrorism by you, discuss at length and in grave and alarming detail various criminal acts you intend to commit, state your belief that the U.S. government should be overthrown, and finally warn that others will die on September 11, 2005."
Khalaf, who was born in Houston and is of Palestinian descent, said working as a baggage screener was the best paying job he's ever had. He said he hoped to use any extra money he earned to produce his CD.
"I kept my music and my job separate. I told a couple of people who I thought was cool with me at work that I rapped, but I never sat there and told them lyrics or anything," said Khalaf. "I guess somebody probably told them that I had a Web site."
Khalaf said his terrorist-themed rhymes are more about marketing. He called his songs art and pointed to other rappers who have rhymed about terrorism. He specifically cites Eminem's song, "My Dad's Gone Crazy," which discusses blowing everything on the map up except Afghanistan and says: "There's no tower too high, no plane that I can't learn how to fly."
"Controversy sells," Khalaf said. "It brings a lot of attention. Everybody wants to label all Arabics terrorists just because a couple of people messed up. Well, I'm going to play along with that character. I'm going to let you think I'm one."
Time to put Bassam on one of those flights he screens (not the kind he raps about!) to wherever, one way. And good riddance to his sorry behind.
Well, with me he's going to get exactly what he wants. I'm goin to enlarge his bad arse pic, and use it for the range! POS!
This guy is just askin for an a$$ kickin!
There is a famous old Chinese "curse" (may not be the right word for that, but give this some thought, and you'll know what I'm getting at...)
"May you live in INTERESTING times..."
Sure is getting "interesting"....
Stay safe, everyone...and watch yer backs if you've gotta go to the airport. You never know WHAT might happen.
In the meantime:
(cue the loud music, please)
THIS 'Savage Rapper' say:
"this motha&^*%$ need a cap in da a$$..."
=;>
Over-sized clothing is for dorks.
Sorry, I just had to get that out of my mind.
I rapped above using "a$$", but on his website, he said "a**"
OK, I realize that mine is probably more correct, because he's probably gonna make a ton of bling-bling off the CD because of the publicity, (and probably wear a big gold US dollar sign on a big fat gold chain around his neck...)
but that aside, I DO want to SINCERELY apologize to all my loyal readers, and to Mister ex-Baggage Screener, for the very insensitive MISTRANSLATION.
Apparently in my rush to judgement, I forgot about my obligation to promote multiculturalism, and use his words alone, rather than my biased interpretation of them. I do not speak or read Palestinian Arabic myself, and apparently this is the source of the error.
I do apologize, and henceforth, will be sure to have the staff of the Multicultural Affairs Committee downstairs proofread all of my work.
You can tell I don't work for the Times, huh??? ;)
<\massive sarc>
I think I am going to go take a nice shower. Or maybe sit in the hot tub for a while.
You a screener? You got a little weiner?
Thought your rap was "A" list ? I'm the realist
Twas C-list,yes yes
It was pap, let's call it like it is ... it's c-rap
To the Gitmo Hilton.
I think I have, too. I flew out of Bush three times in that time period and I remember someone like that. As I recall, he had a surly air about him.
Houston had a Pakistani working for the city who got caught sending emails to a co-worker after the 9-11 attacks boasting that he laughed on that day and was happy for the attacks.
It may be an unpopular notion to expose those who stand on the side of evil and think nothing is wrong but it must be done.
Unbelievable! They hired an angry, extremist Muslim to screen baggage at the airport. What's next, they'll hire a pedophile to frisk children?
Wrong, stupid. People have no choice but to consider that "Arabics" might be terrorists because nineteen people "messed up" over three thousand Americans.
What REALLY would have sold would have been if he identified himself as an Arabic and condemned terrorism. THAT would have endeared him to a lot of non-Arabics, but might have been so controversial among his fellow Muslims that he might have gotten hate mail pinned to his chest with a knife a la Theo Van Gogh.
Well, I'm going to play along with that character. I'm going to let you think I'm one."
Then you shouldn't be bitching about being treated like one. Enjoy your unemployment checks.
Nice. I had to post a comment in the message board.
LOL...
The TSA is more than happy to root around in Grandma's underwear. But what sort of background checks are they doing on their own prospective employees who have the potential ability to make the system ineffective to an organized and planned catastrophic attack?
How many Islamic moles are out there hired and collecting big bucks in the TSA program who have kept their mouths shut instead and aren't advertising their murder desires on the internet - where it takes over 6 months to discover them?
It's obvious the TSA screening has fallen down when vetting their own employees!
I prefer an economy-class half-way ticket (think HALO without the Low Opening).
Now THAT's music.
Arabic Assasin...this guy is a first class idiot and possibly a sleeper.
Has katie kouric booked him yet? /sarcasm
It wouldn't surprise me if Qadie Al-Qoriq books him sometime next week...
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