What is your point? That no one should ever learn anything new because it might cause them to change their mind about something or learn that what they said in the past may not have been entirely correct?
Let’s consider whether there is a connection between GMU microbiology student Al-Timimi, who the FBI has said they think may have been involved in the anthrax crimes, and the attempt to establish shariah in northern Iraq or plots to conduct terrorist acts of violence against US targets. Yesterday it was revealed that in October 2001, a CI claims that a message from Bin Laden to Albany imam asked him to check out flight schools and asked how close he could get to a [redacted] aircraft.
In briefing before the District Court judge in the Aref matter, the prosecutors explained the connection between Aref and Al-Timimi’s IANA colleague Rafil Dhafir, a respected oncologist in Rome, NY, and the Syracuse-based IANA spin-off/dba Help The Needy.
“Aref’s [Albany imam in 2001] 1999 journal also shows a series of contacts with Mullah Krekar (who, as discussed infra, subsequently founded the terrorist organization Ansar al Islam). Meetings in 1999 with Mullah Krekar and others, in Damascus on August 10, and in Arbil on August 27,
were followed by discussions on August 28 of “M Krekar lectures, like a center abroad,” and on August 29 of “Our resistance for abroad M. [center] for M. Krekar.” On September 15, 1999, discussions of an “American plan” are noted. (Previously, on January 24, 1999, an entry noted
“We had our daily meeting at the center we talked about the following points: 1- Changing program in America let’s keep quiet and not answer anyone. ...
Prior to meeting with Mullah Krekar, Aref already had applied for refugee status in the U.S. Less than four months after meeting with Mullah Krekar, Aref departed Syria for the U.S. (on October 26, 1999). One week earlier, an October 18, 1999 letter from the Islamic Center in Arbil (recovered in 2002 from the premises of “Help the Needy,” a charity run by Dr. Rafil
Dhafir in Syracuse, New York), introduced Aref as “our representative,” and instructed, “We expect cooperation from all of you.”
[Dr. Dhafir was the Vice-Chairman of the Islamic Assembly of North America and was close to GMU microbiology student Dr. Ali Al-Timimi and, for example, spoke alongside him in Toronto in July 2001 and in London in August 2001, as did “911 imam” Awlaki from Falls Church, VA, the fellow who met with hijacker Nawaf.
Aref’s 1999 journal reflects contacts with Dhafir on November 8 (“Dr. Rafil called me and gave me his address and offered his help”), and on November 21 (“Dr. Rafil called me and asked me for some things and talked about some plans of action”). Earlier this year, Dhafir was convicted in U.S. District Court in Syracuse of illegally sending nearly $4 million to Iraq in violation of the Iraqi embargo. United States v. Dhafir, 03-CR-064 (N.D.N.Y.) (NAM), docket 458 (jury verdict) (February 10, 2005). Dhafir is awaiting sentencing; the government calculates his sentencing guidelines range as 324-405 months. Following his arrival in the U.S., Aref maintained contact with the IMK center in Damascus. According to his Journal, on November 23, 1999 Aref “called center and spoke to Mr Azad.” Toll records for Aref’s Albany telephone reflect a call on November 23, 1999 to the IMK center in Damascus; as well as 13 other such calls, the last call in October 2001.
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According to Aref’s Journal, he was meeting with Mullah Krekar in Arbil, where the “our representative” letter to Dhafir originated, on August 27: “we arrived to Arbil at 10:30” and “tonight I saw Mamosta Sheikh Ali . . . and Mamosta Krekar ... “ The August 28 and 29 entries refer to discussions of an “abroad center” for Mullah Krekar.
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The foregoing history brings the matter full circle to the Rawah notebook. Aref has had contacts with terrorists and discussions about terrorist acts. He was introduced to the U.S. as a representative of the IMK, and had contact with someone from whom cooperation was expected, someone who illegally sent nearly $4 million to Iraq in violation of the embargo (and who faces a guideline range of 324-405 months). In June 2003, Aref’s name and telephone number were found in a notebook recovered from a terrorist camp at Rawah. The foregoing facts demonstrate dangerousness.”
Thus, the USG suspected Al-Timimi of having rock star status in a charity that was proposed to serve as the American base of a group that then joined with others to form Ansar al-Islam. The go-between was a guy who (according to an unnamed CI) was asked a few weeks after 9/11 to report back to Bin Laden about flight schools and how close he could get to a [redacted] aircraft.
So under the government’s theory of the case, the next 9/11 was indeed at stake and warranted their aggressive prosecution of these individuals.
Those not familiar with the evidence, secret and otherwise, thought it seemed like it was selective prosecution. It was selective prosecution. And thank goodness for that.