Posted on 09/17/2005 10:39:06 AM PDT by FeeinTennessee
U of M Student Arrest: Investigated for Ties to Terrorism Posted: 9/16/2005 10:31:30 PM
The FBI wants to know if a University of Memphis student has ties to terrorists. The man is now is in jail. His arrest came after FBI agents searched his apartment near the campus.
29 year-old Mahmoud Maawad was arrested for using a fake social security number, but the FBI is investigating whether he took part in far more serious crimes. What makes investigators suspicious is what they found in his apartment. Maawad has been a student in the Business School at the University of Memphis since last spring. He transferred there from two other community colleges.
An FBI investigation shows 29 year-old Mahmoud Maawad ordered more than $3,000 dollars worth of aviation materials from "Sporty's Pilot Shop."
Some of the things Maawad bought include a U.S. navy flight jacket, flight simulator software, a flight computer, an aviation timer, maps and lots of instructional DVDs Some of the titles of the DVDs are "The Ups and Downs of Take-Offs and Landings," "How an Airline Captain Should Look and Act" and "Maneuvering Flight: Hazardous to Your Health?"
Records show Maawad came to the United States from Egypt on September 17, 1998 using a visitor's visa. He was supposed to leave on March 16, 1999 but got an extension to stay until September 17th. There are no records to show he left or asked for another extension, but federal documents show he's been using a fake social security number up until his arrest this month.
Maawad was a student at the University of Memphis and worked at a gas station in North Memphis.
Another Icelander nailed.
And I'm flying out of Memphis Int'l soon ... lock him and all his friends up ASAP!
This is different than border policies. We need the nation's schools to contribute the names of students on visas and the government needs to follow up when a visa runs out.
The guy in this case got a fake identification and using a fake name and SS number he essentially became a citizen. Now the schools and government don't have a reason to track him down. But I wonder how well the SS number and admission papers were checked. Schools should be doing this you know. If the first school he enrolled in with the SS number, (it seems this was a community college) had verified that the name on the SS card was the same in the government's record, he would have been found out at once.
"The Feds aren't on anyone." Amen, murmurs the choir. Perhaps we could hire some bill collectors and retask them to finding these dudes. They won't be able to hide behind a 7 year-old expired visa.
Memphis Terrorist Updates
Can anyone explain why the Feds can't cross-check ALL visas from Islamic countries with exit records, then actively persue and evict every illegal alien? If not, why do we pay these people to keep records at all?
This is different than border policies. We need the nation's schools to contribute the names of students on visas and the government needs to follow up when a visa runs out.
Hmmm, yes. Good point
Sporty's is awesome. My boyfriend is a pilot, I also had some flight time, Sporty's is one of the catalogs that has everything a pilot needs. Buying up $3,000 dollars worth of stuff....geez! That's enough to throw up warning signs. And the guy was a student...hmm.
...and, he is a 29 yr old, Egyptian, Muslim, here in the country illegally...
Question for all the IT types: Won't the FBI be able to trace all the internet sites he has visited and the addresses of those he has sent messages to?
He's 29 and was studying how to look like an airline captain. My guess is that he was looking to take over a smaller commuter plane. They tend to have younger captains.
This clown had a map of Memphis Int'l Airport. Hub for FedEx air operations, BTW. Coincidence? Don't think so. Keep your eyes open and your powder dry!
Hey, not the first guy to spend big one his hobby. Us guys can't let this criticism get too far out of hand.
"How an Airline Captain Should Look and Act"
Obviously a ladies man.
I believe they can do this, but by the time the visa has expired, the person is not at his last known address and has changed his identity. (Why do Muslims have so many names? )
This is a reason for profiling when and if the Muslim person tries to do something like enroll in flight school. And this goes for Mexicans and OTMs too.
This was part of the reason California once passed a law that required verification of citizenship to enroll in public school or receive public medical care. (except emergency care). The justice department found this to be unconstitutional as it is part of the enumerated powers of Congress. Congress OTOH has never taken it up and uses every excuse (Katrina now) to avoid taking it up. A weaker excuse for a governing body could not be found.
Yep! If they are here illegally, kick 'em out!
The "wannabees" do look like dorks. And so do some of the pilots, once they get their license, they strut around thinking they are all that, and they look really dumb.
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