The recent terrorism indictment issued against a California man shows links between a Philippine insurgent group and Islamic extremists tied to al-Qaida.
This is not the first connection we’ve seen between Philippine insurgent group and Northern California. The last involved an employee at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and had top access to labs there.
According to the evidence from a trial in Egypt in 1999, Bin Laden first arranged to purchase anthrax through the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (”MILF”) in 1997 (from a supplier in North Korea). In light of the detention by Philippine authorities of the former heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (”HVAC”) technician with top-level security clearance from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California — and because of the alleged contacts with MILF leaders — authorities needed to address whether the lab had virulent Ames and whether the individual had access to it.
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency launched anthrax research at the Livermore lab in 1998 precisely because of the Bin Laden anthrax threat. Research at the lab included, for example, work relating to biodetector sensors and decontaminating gels, as well as later work on the genetic sequencing of the Ames strain.
Philippine authorities announced at a press conference in December 2003 that the former Livermore employee, Michael Ray Stubbs, 55, and his brother, James Stubbs, 56, had been detained and were being deported to the US because they met with charity groups believed to be fronts for Al Qaeda.
The brothers were arrested December 13 in a Manila suburb. Authorities said they violated immigration rules by soliciting charitable funds while having only a tourist visa. They reportedly were in the Philippines visiting their wives, who are Filipina. Mujahid, a Muslim convert and a former teacher in California, had been in the country since February 2003. Immigration Commissioner and the Philippine Navy flag officer in command announced that African America brothers were arrested by a joint military and immigration team.
“Actually Mujahid’s name has been coming up in a lot of intelligence reports way back and he has been on the alert list since September 11 and this is based from international intelligence information as well as our local information. Surveillance shows that they [Stubbses] have been meeting with MILF and ASG [Abu Sayyaf Group] members,” said Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo.
“In fact, only recently, he has been in constant communication through cellular phone with a known ASG member detained in Muntinlupa, Ibrahim Sali, and he has been monitored as saying that he was a classmate of bin Laden in a theological seminary in Saudi Arabia, and they are so close that he even named his son Osama,” said Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Teodosio, Marines commandant. As for the MILF personalities allegedly met by the two, authorities refused to reveal their identities, saying there is an ongoing follow-up operation.
James Carl Stubbs Jr., who adopted the name Mujahid, was a teacher in California before traveling to Sudan, where he studied Arabic and converted to Islam. Intelligence officers alleged that in May 2003, Mujahid met with several leaders believed to be fronts of the al-Qaeda network in the country that were founded by bin Laden’s brother-in-law.
The fronts were reportedly being used as conduits to channel funds to terrorists cells allied with al-Qaeda in the Philippines. Mujahid said he met with various private organizations here to set up financing from US-based Muslim groups to build schools, homes and improve farms in Muslim communities in Mindanao. A solicitation letter and letters of endorsements for solicitation of funds were found on Mujahid.
Michael Ray Stubbs and James Stubbs denied any wrongdoing when they appeared at a news conference in handcuffs. James Stubbs, who became a Black Panther in the 1960s, called out that the allegations were a fabrication and noted his brother was not even muslim.
The brothers attended high school in Indianapolis before moving to California in the early 1980s. Their sister, Pamela Thornton, of Indianapolis, told The Indianapolis Star that her brother James has radical political ideas, but that neither of the brothers is a terrorist. Intelligence officers reportedly claim Stubbs is a computer expert who maintains suspiciously substantial bank deposits. For what charities was Michael Ray Stubbs and his brother soliciting?
Michael Ray Stubbs was a HVAC technician at Lawrence Livermore near San Francisco until March 2000. Since 1998 Lawrence Livermore scientists have participated in the Department of Energy’s program to improve response capability to biological (as well as chemical) attacks on the civilian population. A 1999 Internal Livermore communication (available on-line at the LLNL website) discussed the anthrax threat posed by Bin Laden and the program that had been launched at Livermore to combat the threat.
Did that lab have the virulent Ames strain that was used in the anthrax attacks in the Fall of 2001? In October 2001, Lawrence Livermore scientist explained on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” that they tested their decontamination method using the simulant BG in field tests conducted at Dugway.
Mr. Stubbs left the lab on medical leave with a back problem in March 2000. According to an Environmental Assessment relating to a proposed BL-3 lab being constructed there, the lab has worked with “a number” of different strains since the Spring of 2000. One on-line account, quoting a “Frequently Asked Questions” list reportedly faxed by the lab’s communications department, says that the lab had used “25 different strains.” Was one of those strains from the Spring of 2000 the US Army “Ames” strain that was used in the attacks? If so, was it avirulent or virulent (an avirulent strain has a key plasmid removed) Dead (irradiated) or alive? Was it obtained from the same Northern Arizona University lab that later sent the Ames strain to the University of California-run facility at Los Alamos in October 2001? (The shipment included a small number of live spores). The Lawrence Livermore lab worked on the genetic sequencing of the Ames strain with that Northern Arizona University lab. The Northern Arizona University lab helped the FBI in the genetic signature of the strain.
The DOE standard badge is the key to the complex. The standard badges in 2000 were blue for Q-cleared employees, yellow for L-cleared employees and gray for uncleared employees. Foreign nationals with Q- and L-clearances had a red strip on their badges behind their names, while uncleared foreign nationals had red badges. Michael Ray reportedly had the high security clearance — “Q level” — and a blue badge.
Why post after lengthy post to yourself?
We’ve had trolls do that, quite often.
One known as Jimmy Clyde.
Update-
Falls Church imam picked up at request of CIA -
Al-Timimi would speak alongside another Falls Church imam Awlaqi (Aulaqi) at conferences such as the August 2001 London JIMAS and the August 2002 London JIMAS conference. They would speak on subjects such as signs before the day of judgment and the like. (see dozens of linked lectures below)
http://www.themadina.com/archives/year2001/2663.html
Falls Church imam Awlaqi (Aulaqi), who met with hijacker Nawaf, reportedly was picked up in Yemen by Yemen security forces at the request of the CIA last summer. British and US intelligence had him and others under surveillance. Yemeni authorities insist they dismantled an al-Qa’ida cell Awlaqi apparently was picked up 6 weeks earlier, at the end of August.
http://muslimapple.com/2006/11/08/anwar-al-awlaki-jailed/
Awlaqi (Aulaqi) is allegedly a protege of Abdul al-Majid al-Zindani, who the US wants arrested on terror charges.
http://muslimapple.com/2006/11/08/anwar-al-awlaki-jailed/
In March 2002, Awlaqi had suddenly left the US and went to Yemen, thus avoiding the inquiry the 9/11 Commission thought so important.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/040621/21plot.htm
(Eventually Aulaqi would be banned from entering both the UK and US because of his speeches on jihad, martyrdom and the like).
In 2001, Awlaqi came to Falls Church from San Diego shortly before Nawaf did.
Activists urge on his behalf that the public
-Appeal for the immediate release of Anwar Al Awlaki unless he is to be promptly charged with a recognizable criminal offence and given a fair trial without further delay in accordance with international fair trial standards
-Call on the authorities to respect the rule of law
-Remind the authorities of their obligations under both national and international human rights law and allow Anwar Al Awlaki access to legal counsel, his family and the opportunity to challenge the legality of his detention
Comment: In addition to human rights and due process issues, given the frequency of jailbreaks from the Sana’a jail (for example, by Buffalo NY’s Elbaneh), transparency and more attention to the rule of law probably would be a good thing from any perspective.
Question: What is Aulaqi telling questioners, if anything, about his fellow Falls Church imam and fellow Salafist conference lecturer Ali Al-Timimi?
Additional sources:
Ali At-Tamimi (59 Lectures)
http://www.thepathtoparadise.com/pages/Left%20Menu%20Pages/Ali%20Al-Tamimi.html
Anwar Al-Awlaki (35 Lectures)
http://www.thepathtoparadise.com/pages/Left%20Menu%20Pages/Imam%20Anwar%20Al-Awlaki.html
“Two Muslims in U.S. may have aided Sept. 11 terror attacks”
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-06-27-hijacker-help_x.htm
“Why Did The Imam Befriend Hijackers?” TIME, Aug. 11, 2003
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1005415,00.html
D.C. mosque tied to 9-11extols martyrdom virtues [January 2003 JIMAS conference]
Associate imam says Muslims who die for Allah no different from Marines, September 11, 2003
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34540
Beach reading -
Although the thriller “Faithful Spy” by NYT correspondent Berenson, likely will remain my favorite, for some more anthrax beach reading, I see at my local library that there is also The Wrong Abraham, released late in 2006. Protagonist Shelby Baskin, and her fiancé return again to the streets of Boston, this time to prevent a terrorist attack on the city that includes a threatened deadly release of anthrax powder at Fenway Park.