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.
The past two liberal mayors of Portland and the liberal city councils of Portland love the Jihadists who would kill all of us and our families if given the opportunity.
One of the problems our intel people had was how to identify someone often with no pictures or finger prints and maybe a dozen or more ways to spell their names.
Then of course many took Kuwaitee names after $addam invaded Kuwait and many Kuwaitees were slaughtered.
I think that we have computer programs for our field and analyst intel people that can shift and sift through all of these names in seconds.
Fortunately, this A$$hole has been fairly consistant with Haroon Rashid Aswat.
It drove a lot of us nuts just trying to use the correct or most common name as a keyword for Free Republic Searches and indexing.
Thanks for posting this.
Please ping Cindy, myself and few of the older Freepers on any new Oregon Jihadists, domestic and imported.
Thanks for the great links and index as usual, Cindy.
I can only imagine. Do you realize how many unrelated articles have the keyword "ASSHAT?"
Thanks to both of you tonight.
This old Grampa is heading to bed.
It is amazing how these Oregon connections with really bad Jihadists keeps coming back around.
As Splatter said, it could really bite a lot of Americans some day due to the Portlant connection.
bttt
Thanks, now I can to bed laughing: :)
"I can only imagine. Do you realize how many unrelated articles have the keyword "ASSHAT?"
BOL!
Yeah, the FIRST thing blubberbutt Vera Katz did as soon as she got her puss in the media in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks was to bleat nasally about how "we don't want any minorities to be hurt as a result of this" (I am NOT kidding; I HEARD it).
Like, forget the 3000 incinerated Americans, forget the war that just started, forget trying to safeguard the City of Portland, what we really need to do is wail piously about not "Hurting" "Minorities".
Subsequently, it was of course revealed that Katz was employing Islamikazi terrorists in her mayoral orifice oops excuse me office.
You're welcome Dave.
Rest well.
Oh, Vera she was a classic. Now they have another leftist Mayor. Rats breed rats.
Portland, much like Seattle has been under DEM-MOB control for many years. It is no wonder terrorists grow roots in the West. They are willing to do anything for the ideology and power, just like leftists.
I don't have the time to research this at the moment, but there was a mention of the name 'Bilal' involved with the London bombings. IIRC, 'Bilal' was also a surname and/or possibly the name of a mosque associated with those arrested for shooting guns at a rock quarry in Oregon shortly after 9/11. So much has transpired between now and then that the details are foggy in my mind, but 'Bilal' was an "aha!" moment for me.
I grew up around the hippie culture in Portland - Decent folk. Sad too see how that fine town is driving so many people away these days.
I have no idea who originally doctored that pic, but it is a keeper.
Quiz Answer:
In 1984, followers of Bhagwan Shri Rashneesh sprinkled homegrown salmonella bacteria on supermarket produce, door handles, and restaurant salad bars in Oregon. Nobody died, but 751 people became ill. The poisonings were preparation for attacks meant to keep voters home during a local election in which a cult member was running for a county judgeship. Prosecution of cult leaders led to the dispersement of the organization.
Biological and Chemical Terror History
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/61/67268.htm
Nope, certainly over-the-top, but the 'blame America first' crowd is well represented in PDX. I was born and raised in NW Portland. I escaped 'Moscow on the Willamette' twelve years ago.
Hey, its not that bad. Eighty-five degrees today without a cloud in the sky.
Portland, Oregon- hub of terror? Some Surprising Connections-
various FR links | 05-09-04 | The Heavy Equipment Guy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1132469/posts
Brandon Mayfield was indeed mistakenly fingered (pun intended), he has a legitimate beef with the F.B.I. The feds apologized, but of course that is not enough for this loony attorney. He is on a personal crusade to make sure we stop profiling mooselimbs.
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