Pakistani Pleads Not Guilty in Delaware ArmsCase (Was Carrying GPS System Near Salem Nuclear Plant)

Reuters | 10/18/01 | Rita Farrell

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

Thursday October 18 11:54 PM ET

Pakistani Pleads Not Guilty in Delaware Arms Case

By Rita Farrell

WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) - A Pakistani man with an expired visa pleaded not guilty in federal court in Delaware on Thursday to illegal possession of firearms, charges for which he has been imprisoned for nearly a month.

His roommate and fellow Pakistani, Syed Hassan, 23, told Reuters that Raza Nasir Khan was arrested on Sept. 25 because of the hijack attacks on New York and Washington two weeks earlier.

``This is because of Raza's skin color and his goatee. He looks more like Arabic people than Pakistani,'' Hassan said.

On Sept. 19, a Delaware Fish and Game ranger became suspicious when Khan asked for maps of the Cedar Swamp Area hunting park to locate deer stands deep in the woods.

The ranger said he called the FBI (news - web sites) because Khan was dark-skinned and was carrying a small Global Positioning System device and because Cedar Swamp was directly across the Delaware River from the Salem Nuclear Power Plant in New Jersey.

``With these facts and with the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (news - web sites), the (ranger) felt he needed to notify a federal agency,'' Special Agent Veronica Hnat of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said in court papers.

Hnat signed a criminal complaint against Khan days after the FBI and U.S. marshals searched his Wilmington apartment with his consent and said they found four long guns and a handgun.

Kahn, 29, was arrested because it is against the law for illegal immigrants to possess firearms.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Pat Thynge denied Khan bail in his initial appearance before her on Sept 28. On Thursday, Thynge said she would reconsider the detention ruling at a hearing on Oct. 26. If convicted of illegal possession, Khan, who has no criminal record, would probably serve no more than 12 months of a maximum possible sentence of 10 years, his attorney, John Malik, said.

[JeepInMazar]

Kahn, 29, was arrested because it is against the law for illegal immigrants to possess firearms.

This is classic. Nevermind arresting him for being an illegal immigrant, that's no problem. But because he is an illegal immigrant with a firearm, now that's crossing the line. Are we a nation of idiots or what?

[John Valentine]

I'm sorry, but if this man was not in uniform when he was caught, he should be tried before a military tribunal and shot if found guilty of spying.

There is no way he belongs in a civilian court.

[Sabertooth]

Paki-bump

[Nogbad]

Kahn, 29, was arrested because it is against the law for illegal immigrants to possess firearms.

You mean it is not against the law for illegal immigrants to be illegal immigrants???

You mean they can't be arrested for that?

[Travis McGee]

First, extract every bit of information from him.

Then put him to work at the prison's hog farm shoveling hog slop and manure.

[GeronL]

``This is because of Raza's skin color and his goatee. He looks more like Arabic people than Pakistani,'' Hassan said.

It didn't have anything to do with the illegal guns, the fact that he's an illegal or the suspicious behavior?

[Nogbad]

Kahn, 29, was arrested because it is against the law for illegal immigrants to possess firearms.

As a Canadian citizen (Christian), I can't help but feel very bitter reading this.

Several years ago I tried to enter the USA with a LEGAL work permit valid for one year.
(I had a teaching position at an American university.)
At the border, my car was stopped, searched thoroughly,
and I was taken off to a police office and denied bathroom privileges
while the immigration officers went through all my private correspondence
and questioned me in detail about it.

It seems clear to me now I would have had a much easier time
if I had been a Pakistani or Saudi on my way to flight training school.

[piasa]

He was arresting because he was an illegal immigrant as well... but about the only penalty for being illegal is deportation. We want more than deportation if he was up to no good. The firearms charge will get him jail time. In that time, information may come to light about other things he MIGHT have been involved in.

[Cindy]

Is there a link to this article you can post?

[chemicalman]

Raza Nasir Khan. You are the weakest link. Goodbye.

[DAnconia55]

No such thing as an illegal firearm.

At least under the only law that counts...

[brat]

Are we a nation of idiots or what? Apparently so.

[metesky]

It would be helpful if you'd post the results of his 10/26 hearing.

An arrest on 9/25 and a hearing on 10/18 is NOT breaking news.

[12B]

Well there are only two possibilities here. Either he's a terrorist or he's been in-country long enough to become a redneck like the rest of us.

I suggest investigators probe his knowledge of Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics and check his yard for rusting engine blocks. If by any chance he's married to his own sister I guess we'll have to release him immediately. ;-)

[WhiteyAppleseed]

Ultimately, this will be about firearms. His arrest is just another instance of our country over-reacting and yes, he was arrrested because he was "arabic-looking". I seriously doubt his asking for maps or whatever, and having a GPS (Mon Dieu!) has anything to do with terrorism. The man had four long guns. I have a gun cabinet full of them. He hunted. I hunt. I even have a GPS. If terrorists were going to target the nuclear plant, they sure in the hell wouldn't need a map listing deer stands.

[eno_]

Bingo! Two in the hat for a handful of these camelschtuppers will separate the men from the boys, who all go running home to mama Osama.

[First_Salute]

Give an illegal alien a break, in fact, give 'em a gun ... and then call the cops.

Viola!

Bye bye!