Posted on 11/13/2001 10:21:59 PM PST by kattracks
Edited on 07/12/2004 3:35:59 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
FBI agents armed with search warrants raided two houses in a southwestern suburb of Philadelphia yesterday, backed by members of a hazardous-materials squad wearing full protective gear.
Located less than two blocks apart in Chester, Pa., some 15 miles southwest of Philadelphia, the houses are owned by Dr. Irshad Shaikh, a Pakistani physician and specialist in epidemic diseases who is Chester's city health commissioner, and by Asif Kazi, the Chester city accountant, who also is a Pakistani native.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Yup. Wonder how he is connected to the VRWC? (How many 'right-wingers' houses have been raided?)
MASSOUD ANSARI
> in Karachi
> DOZENS of people gathered at the home of Dr. Moazim Shaikh in an > upmarket locality of Karachi on hearing the news of his > death. None of them was crying; in fact they appeared relaxed. > Moazim's father, Hafeez Shaikh, proudly hugged everyone who > entered the house and served them sweetmeats, as was desired by his > son. This was followed by a feast in the evening. Hafeez > Shaikh, an engineer, believes that Moazim, his only son, is a shaheed > (martyr). Shaheeds never die; they pass from one world to > another. "I'm glad that my son departed like a true Muslim," he told > those who came to condole the death.
> > > Twenty five-year-old Moazim was involved in an encounter on April 7 > with the Indian troops near Doda Baniyal district in the Jammu > sector. (According to his family, about 18 Indian soldiers died in > the battle that lasted 10 hours.) He is one of the hundreds of young > militants who have died in Kashmir, one of the world's hottest spots > of Islamic jehad (holy war). He was motivated to join the "holy > warriors" in Kashmir when he was studying in Chandka Medical College, > Larkana. He became a member of the Lashkar-e-Toiba. Recalls Hafeez > Shaikh: "In fact he wanted to go for jehad when he was in his third > year of MBBS, but his mother convinced him to postpone it till he had > graduated."
> > Moazim did not return home after he appeared for the final year > examinations. He went to the rugged mountains of > Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) to get trained as a militant. He came > home six months later, only to seek his parents' permission > to go to the Valley for jehad.
> > Moazim, who operated in Kashmir under the name Abu Hamza, had crossed > the Indian border at least twice and returned > successfully. But this time, he was selected for a fidai (suicide) > mission by the Lashkar high command. His mother says that when > he left he asked her to do two things - to put henna over his hands > and to pray for his martyrdom. "He was all set to sacrifice his > life for the cause of Islam."
I suppose the next spin cycle will have these guys as part of the homegrown "vast right wing conspiracy." Otherwise, their "impeccable credentials" will be expounded from Johns Hopkins to Berkeley ... from Chester Pa. to the CDC in Atlanta.
Mr. Pileggi said Dr. Shaikh had served as the city's health commissioner since 1994 and described him as "well respected." He added that Dr. Shaikh had done "a fine job" for the city and doubted he would be involved in anything nefarious.
Why does Pillegi have doubts? Has he been in contact with terrorists before and hence knows their profile? Has this very small town mayor really become an expert in the field? You always hear the same thing-MrX, a mass murderer of dozens and a cannibal, is described by his neighbors as such a nice man, all the children loved him, he couldn't be a mass murderer and a cannibal because he went to church every Sunday, blah,blah,blah...The mayor has to ask himself, did the FBI pick out Chester's phone book from all the gazillion books across the country and then started looking for Pakis. names? Rather than being a character witness when no one asked for one, the mayor should try sucking a pacifier.
The Pakistani connection seems to have grown overnight. I heard about this on the news last night, but with sparse details.
FBI, hazardous materials team search houses near Philadelphia, but won't say why
By DAVID B. CARUSO
06:40 ET
Associated Press Newswires
Copyright 2001. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
CHESTER, Pa. (AP) - About 30 FBI agents and a hazardous materials team seized several items from the houses of two city officials who are natives of Pakistan, but authorities wouldn't say why the homes were searched.
FBI spokeswoman Linda Vizi refused to identify what items were seized. Federal court documents used to obtain search warrants were sealed.
Neighbors told The Philadelphia Inquirer that some agents had their guns drawn as battering rams were used to break through the front doors at both homes.
Agents entered a house owned by Dr . Irshad Shaikh , a Pakistani native who has been city health commissioner since 1994 and teaches part-time at Johns Hopkins University. He and his brother, Masood Shaikh , who works in Chester's lead abatement program and lives with Shaikh , were interviewed by the FBI.
Agents interviewed both men and searched the home.
"They were here, they asked some questions, they left. I fully cooperated from this side and they left," Dr . Shaikh said. He declined to reveal what he was asked about.
"There's nothing to be found," Masood Shaikh said.
The FBI also searched a house occupied by Asif Kazi, the city accountant. Mayor Dominic F. Pileggi said Kazi is a native of Pakistan. There was no listing for Kazi and he could not be reached for comment.
Vizi said the searches were conducted without incident and nobody was arrested. Decontamination tents were set up in the area, but Vizi would not say why they were needed.
"We are very concerned about the safety of people who make entry into any facility. I'm not going to be specific as to what we're looking for," she said.
She said there was "no public safety issue" and that neighbors were safe.
Agents were seen removing stuffed green trash bags from both houses, and they searched at least one vehicle parked behind the home where Kazi lives.
Irshad Shaikh , 39, is a faculty associate at Johns Hopkins University's school of public health, where he has taught since last year, Hopkins spokesman Dennis O'Shea said.
Shaikh , who earned a master's and doctorate in international health at Hopkins, has no access to labs where biological agents were present, university officials said.
"Not only is he not in labs, our labs do not have anthrax," O'Shea said.
Chester is about 15 miles southwest of Philadelphia.
The route from Chester, PA to Franklin Park, NJ, would be pretty easy - cross the Delaware right below Chester, and get on I-295 toward Trenton.
On the way, take a little stop in Bellmawr to mail a letter!
Then once you reach Trenton, stop off and visit some friends in Hamilton.
Get back on Route 1 and drive straight up the road to the Islamic Center in Franklin Park to visit more friends!
A cakewalk.
But would he have had no access to CDC facilities?
Note how the AP is now reporting this story. I guess that now, with the Afghanistan campaign winding down, the government feels able to let the public in on some of the facts about the anthrax investigation.
...duh...He has some type of connection to something....the FBI searched his home Mayor!
Wonder when they'll let us in on the anthrax swab results of those PREVIOUS "private residence" raids?
Like the one on Tonnele Ave in Jersey City (Azmath and Khan) on October 15. And the two apartments in Hamilton a couple of weeks ago.
The second thing we noticed is how he smiled during the whole interview, seeming not at all perturbed at the FBI presence in his home. If I were innocent of such a suspicion and was entirely innocent, I'd be incredibly angry. It just didn't smell right.
Have known a lot of Pak physicians, many rabid muslim.
They keep a lid on their craziness because you have to to function as a physician.
Always and above all, their loyalty to other muslimes is paramount and their contempt for the United States is unfathomably deep.
Just so happens some of them can pass tests.
What are they doing here?
Deport this affirmative-action goon raghead.
(Supposedly seen mailing suspicious envelopes.)
We have heard nothing about this story for several days.
Was it a false alarm??
Why do these stories NOT get followed up?
Smurf Terrorist?
If he's the perp (or one of the perps), we execute, we don't deport.
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