I’ve referred to Ali Timimi’s religious mentor, the distinguished and widely published Dr. Bilal Philips, as an unindicted WTC 1993 conspirator. Here is his side of the story in a 2007 interview. He explains that he has not entered the US since 1995.
He explains:
“It is also worth noting that the other claim that I was an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing is really a joke, because well over 100 names of active Muslim leaders, teachers, and lecturers in the New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia areas were put on a supposedly leaked report of the then attorney general, Mary Jo White, back in 1994. Since then, none of the ‘unindicted co-conspirators’ have been charged but the ‘list’ remains.”
[Comment: that seems a sound observation. It is a very long list.]
He continues: “Guilt by association has become a defining characteristic of the American intelligence community’s activities in dealing with Western Muslims.”
[Comment: that seems a sound observation.]
His message would be:
“’don’t judge the book by its cover,’ especially when the cover is prepared by the media and the powers that be.”]
[Comment: that seems a sound observation.]
He notes:
“Cultural sensitivity is the need of the hour. If it is not adopted, the very fabric of society will be torn apart.”
[Comment: that seems a sound observation.]
Given that we can all agree he makes many sound observations while speaking in the secular realm, and given he is both fluent and articulate, I would invite Dr. Philips to address the factual issues relating to the proselytization effort in the early 1990s (sponsored by the Saudi government) that I’ve described. More particularly, I would ask that he provide an account of his contacts with Dr. Al-Timimi so that we can better understand the man who has been sentenced to life plus 70 years. The sentence seems unduly harsh sentence for the crimes charged by most any measure.
Dr. Philips, what is the extent and nature of your contacts with Ali in recent years? With Sheik al-Hawali? With Sheik Abdel-Rahman? Did you know that Ali worked alongside the leading bioweaponeering experts? Did you caution your religious protege that he might (unfairly or not) come under suspicion? Particularly given his (unfair or not) association with you and in light of the widely circulated court testimony about your dawah efforts with US Army personnel?
Let’s turn the page in this chapter so we aren’t judging the book by the cover.
Finally, did you know al-Balucchi in the UAE?
Did you know Mohammed Ali?
Did you know Aafia Siddiqui?
Did you know OBL’s brother-in-law Khalifa while in the Philippines?
Did you know Ramzi Yousef?
Did you know the JI operative indicted yesterday?
http://austrolabe.com/2007/04/09/exclusive-interview-with-dr-bilal-philips/
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2007/s1890050.htm
Here is a good explanation in today’s news of why a terrorism law based on association, rather than the individual’s actions, is inappropriate.
Six degrees of association
ABC Online, Australia - 7 hours ago
A person that has prepared a bomb, written up plans for a terrorist attack, is
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/03/1996156.htm
The question of “who knew who” is only an aid in divining “who did what.”
Moreover, in the US, “pure speech” is protected by the First Amendment.
(It seems that Ali’s email celebrating the destruction of the Columbia as a harbinger of the destruction of Western Civilization might have been excluded under a balancing test of relevance versus probativeness.)
As for the practice of recruiting followers from the ranks of Armed Forces, EIJ leaders Dr. Zawahiri and Dr. Sharif were the ones who set the gold standard.
Ayman’s mentor Qamari was in the Army. And, of course, Sadat’s assassins were in the Army.