Posted on 03/16/2006 6:12:09 AM PST by Dark Skies
IT WASN'T A CAR BOMB, but the University of North Carolina must now come to terms with its first potential case of vehicular terrorism after an Iranian born, recent UNC graduate confessed to authorities his motive for driving a rented Jeep Grand Cherokee across the UNC campus into nine students was to "avenge the deaths of Muslims around the world."
"The Pit" is a popular area on the UNC campus and on Friday, March 3rd, made a ripe target for 22-year-old Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, who simply said "Yes," when asked by reporters if he was trying to kill people. No one was seriously injured in the attack even though Taheri-azar admits to renting the heaviest model available to inflict the largest amount of damage.
Taheri-azar is already facing nine counts of "attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill." If convicted, he could face more than 100 years in prison and is currently being held on $5.5 million bail. No one appears to question the validity of his surrender and subsequent confession, which included his intent to "punish the government of the United States for their actions around the world." Nonetheless, there is a heated debate as to whether or not his actions amount to terror.
UNC professor and military historian Dick Kohn says the debate over Taheri-azar "almost instantly became politicized" following his attack. The campus student Muslim association quickly released a statement clarifying Taheri-azar was not a member of their organization and had only attended a few prayers, noting, "Regardless of what his intentions prove to be, we wholeheartedly deplore this action."
Kohn notes the attack, "really surprised and shocked the campus," but says it's too early to call it terrorism. "It's too early to make that judgment. We need to know what his links were, if any, to groups. We need to know his background, any statements he made. Until that time, we should not rush to judgment. It would be premature to do so."
One of Kohn's students disagrees with him and helped organize an anti-terrorism protest on campus. Jillian Bandes, a former student fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, put the event together with UNC senior Kris Wampler.
Wampler is no stranger to activism on the UNC campus. In 2002, he was part of a group that sued the campus over a rule obligating incoming freshman to read a book on the Koran. Wampler's group eventually lost their case but the university did agree to remove the "required" label from the book's recommendation. "The university is very pro-Islamic, and it's been that way the whole time I've been here," Wampler said in a phone interview.
According to press accounts, about 50 protesters showed up advocating a charge of terrorism against Taheri-azar last week. A number of counter-protestors showed up as well, some holding signs that read "forgive."
The same day of the protest Taheri-azar appeared in court to face his charges. When Orange County District Court Judge Patricia Devine asked him if he had any questions, he replied, "I actually don't have any questions. I am thankful you are going to hear this trial to learn more about the will of Allah, the creator." In addition, Taheri-azar said he intended to defend himself. Photographs showed him smiling as he left the courtroom as he described his attack as "the will of Allah, the creator."
I CALLED the UNC Department of Public Safety to discuss the charges against Taheri-azar. Though police Chief Derek Poarch did not address the issue directly, his office told me "the investigation remains open" and that they reserved the right to file additional charges.
As Taheri-azar's hearing approaches the lives of most UNC students appear to have returned to normal. Kohn tells me one of his students, who declined to be interviewed by the media, was the first victim struck in the attack. "I spent some time with him at the hospital until his girlfriend showed up. He was back at classes last Wednesday."
However, even as UNC's students resume their normal lives, the debate over whether they were the victims of a terrorist attack continues. "I think we are edging closer to that," said UNC professor Cori Dauber, "It's clear that he was trying to kill people." Dauber hopes the FBI will release details as to what was found inside Taheri-azar's apartment during their investigation and whether he received training from terrorist websites. "We need to know if he acted alone."
If there had been some explosives in the car, the authorities would have had no problem deeming it a terrorist act. I guess this guy was just acting out a little agression against the West,,,ho-hum.
Give me a break!
This guy is an Islamic Iranian....he is OBVIOUSLY innocent and just being crushed under a white racist, sexist, homophobic machine...
Prescribe him some Ritalin and send himon his merry way.
UNC at Chapel Hill has long been a bastion of liberalism and I am confident that the classroom and campus discussions are somehow blaming Bush for this incident and excusing Taheri-azar saying that "Bush made him do it."
i doubt that anyone could justify idiocy like this. Even the most liberal mind isnt addled enough to make this guy sound like a victim of any sort.
Well, a victim of too much pot, maybe.
From Lexico Publishing, Dictionary.com:
"Terrorism: The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons."
Terrorist Incident, UNC-CH: The unlawful use of violent force by Mohammed against unarmed civilians with the intention of intimidating or coercing the American people and US government, and all in order to "spread the will of Allah."
What precisely do the morons at UNC-CH not understand about this incident? This was terrorism pure and simple. Intentional use of violent force on an unarmed group of civilians in the name of the political ideology that is Islam.
It is an extreme case of injustice to the victims and their families to downplay this terrorist act.
It is terrorism.
Start profiling Muslims - either they take an oath to the US or deport them - enough is enough.
Let the "arab street explode."
You'd be surprised at the number of 'intellectuals' at the Chapel Hill campus that would probably do just that.
I went to NC State in Raleigh, NC back in the 70's and we would occasionally make the short trip to Chapel Hill. The place was full of hippies that were about as anti-American as the USSR was at that time. Those were the sorts that flew the North Vietnamese flag and idolized Ho Chi Min.
I can't imagine that it's changed all that much.
(BTW, when I was applying for schools, UNC at Chapel Hill was one of the ones that my pop wouldn't even let me consider.)
I clearly understand the reason your father wanted you to refrain from applying there.
Given the faculty's outright refusal to call this a terrorist act, one can only imagine what classifies as "intellectual" in that ridiculous school.
Chapel Hill terrorism ping.
I'd be more than happy to help them on their way to see satanallah for eternity! They want to blow up, we want to blow them up, what's the hold up??
Sura 9:5 of satans “Koranus,”
“Slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush.”
Aap aap ahh dap dap!!!!!
It's a religion of peace
It's a religion of peace
It aint Slim W, but this'll gitr done!
Kill A Commie For Mommie
The Arab gutter is always evploding..Maybe they should be sent to Antarctica, away from everyone else..
As Jesse Helms once said "we ought to build a fence around Chapel Hill".
Kohn notes the attack, "really surprised and shocked the campus," but says it's too early to call it terrorism. "It's too early to make that judgment. We need to know what his links were, if any, to groups. We need to know his background, any statements he made. Until that time, we should not rush to judgment. It would be premature to do so."
Meanwhile, police are investigating whether the AFLCA "duck" is really a duck by investigating ties to any known flocks. The so-called "duck" had no ID nor any membership cards found after a seach of his nest indicating membership to any known flocks.
lol! Great analogy!
Of course it's Bush's fault. If it wasn't for US government policies around the world, L'il Osama never would have turned his car into a missile.
To avenge the deaths of muslims all over the world, he should have run over a bunch of muslims, since muslims are responsible for the death of over 4mln other muslims over recent 20 years. Saddam alone can take credit for the death of about two mln muslims.
PING.
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