Posted on 07/20/2005 6:41:28 PM PDT by Splatter
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Investigators probing the London terror bombings are focusing on an elusive British Muslim suspect who is connected to a previous plot to set up a terrorist training camp in rural southern Oregon, according to U.S. counterterrorism officials.
Officials told both NBC News and CNN Wednesday that Haroon Rashid Aswat, believed to be a mastermind of the London bombings, is the same British-born Muslim of Indian descent who scouted a Bly, Oregon ranch to set up a terror camp.
These officials said Aswat, a Pakistani national being sought for questioning as a person of interest by British authorities, was among three unindicted co-conspirators in the Oregon incident.
U.S. officials said a 2002 indictment in the Bly case links Aswat directly to Abu Hamza al-Masri, a fiery, one-eyed radical cleric from a London mosque who is now on trial in Britain for possessing al-Qaida literature and inciting the killing of Jews and other non-Muslims.
"I think this just gives us a glimpse into what might be happening inside the United States," said retired Air Force Lt. Col. Rick Francona, an NBC News terrorism expert. "We were able to uncover one operation — how many others are out there?"
"What's very scary is not only can they travel very easily through Europe, they could travel very easily to the United States because of their British citizenship," added retired Portland State University professer Gary Perlstein, a KGW terrorism expert.
The documents reveal Aswat worked with a Seattle man, James Ujaama, who pleaded guilty in 2003 to a charge of providing support to the Taliban for his role in trying to set up the "jihad training camp." Ujaama is now cooperating with federal prosecutors.
The southern Oregon ranch that may have been scouted as a potential terrorist training camp. (KGW Photo)
Court documents in the Ujaama case said a conspirator, whom U.S. officials identified as Aswat, arrived in New York City in November 1999 on Abu Hamza's orders. He made his way to Oregon, according to the documents, "for the purpose of evaluating the Bly property as a jihad training camp."
In the indictment, prosecutors also alleged the conspirators "met potential candidates for jihad training ... established security for the Bly property ... and they and others participated in firearms training and viewed a video recording on the subject of improvised poisons."
The documents also said Aswat, along with another conspirator, lived in Seattle in early 2000 and "expounded on the teachings" of Abu Hamza.
Aswat, in his early 30s, has family that lives in Leeds in northern England, where three of the four suspected London suicide bombers resided. At his family's house, neighbors said they haven't seen Aswat in nearly 10 years.
Aswat's believed to be hiding out in Pakistan, where government officials said he wasn't in custody and remained at large as of Wednesday night.
See my reply #99...
THANK YOU.
That's a lot of work, I know.
...but at least it's inside work, sitting at the keyboard.
You know about my adventures building a generator so Miss Emily can ride out hurricanes in air-conditioned comfort, but I spent yesterday ripping out and replacing rotten porch decking in the 96 degree, 100% humidity of the Deep South.
I note with amusement that Lipton commercials are now touting their iced tea as having some sort of "health benefit," so I should be brimming and rippling with good health since I drink it by the gallon in hot weather.
One of those earliest lessons I learned from "the old guy in the shop" was to always have a huge glass of strong iced tea handy to sip on.
I hear you.
Ice Tea with a slice of lemon.
It sounds like you got your work out today.
ON THE NET...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002393231_aswat21m.html
SEATTLE TIMES.com: "LONDON BOMB SUSPECT LIVED AT SEATTLE MOSQUE"
by David Heath and Hal Bernton
July 21, 2005
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/233455_ujaama21.html
SEATTLE PI.com - SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER: "LONDON BOMB SUSPECT MAY HAVE OREGON LINK"
July 21, 2005
http://www.johnathangaltfilms.com
JohnathanGaltFilms
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1132469/posts
stepping back in time...
FREEREPUBLIC.com: "PORTLAND, OREGON, HUB OF TERROR?
Some Surprising Connections"
-Various FR links
May 9, 2004 (This site has been updated.)
PRICELESS!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,163168,00.html
"Pakistani Cops Questioning Al Qaeda Leader Linked to London Attacks"
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
By Zahid Hussain, Daniel McGrory and Sean O'Neill
LONDON —
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Aswat is believed to have had a ten-year association with militant groups and met Usama bin Laden while attending an Al Qaeda training camp at Khalden in Afghanistan.
FBI documents obtained by The Times reveal details of how a London-based cleric sent Aswat to America in 1999 to set up camps in Oregon for U.S.-born recruits.
The papers indicate that Aswat spent three months in America and engaged in firearms and poisons training but decided against using a remote ranch in Bly as an Al Qaeda camp. The CIA is keeping in close touch with Aswat’s interrogation and British detectives are seeking permission to speak to him.
The FBI is to question a number of figures held in the United States, including James Ujaama, an American convert to Islam who met Aswat, and a second Al Qaeda emissary in Seattle.
Ujaama has pleaded guilty to assisting the Taliban and is now a “co-operating witness” who has given details of Aswat’s activities in the United States."
That's the first thing that popped into my mind this morning when I hear the guy they caught in PAK. had tried to set up a camp in OR.
I trust that this countries law enforcement agencies have a clue. We need to kick these thugs asses now!
We ought to be calling our representatives and letting them know that we want the Patriot Act strengthened not weakened.
FYI for your ping list
Show your good home training, Baynative. Ron Sims helped promote that punk Ujama.
Oregon...where they legalize marijuana for medical reasons...
...and yank cold medicine off the shelves to fight drug abuse.
So many questions about so many things.
__________________________________________________________
Officials lay bricks in symbolic start for Muslim center
Dallas Morning News
June 14, 2005
PLANO TEXAS – The Ismaili Muslim community announced Tuesday that it is building a $6.5 million worship and community center in Plano, where it has found a warm welcome.
Gov. Rick Perry flew in to lay the first ceremonial brick for the center's foundation.
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