U.S. Probes 350 Reported Bias Crimes

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department ( news - web sites) has investigated 350 reports of crimes against people of Middle Eastern or South Asian origin since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, including alleged threats, assaults, bombing plots and vandalism, an assistant attorney general said Tuesday.

Among the crimes prosecuted was an alleged plot to blow up the district office of Rep. Darrell Issa ( news, bio, voting record), R-Calif., who is of Arab descent.

In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee ( news - web sites), Assistant Attorney General Ralph Boyd said several federal attorneys have been ordered to review all new allegations of hate crimes and to monitor investigations.

"The incidents have consisted of telephone, Internet, mail and face-to-face threats; minor assaults, as well as assaults with dangerous weapons," Boyd said.

Boyd said the reports included vandalism and plots to bomb homes, businesses and places of worship.

On Sept. 26, 2001, a grand jury in Washington state indicted Patrick Cunningham on charges of shooting two Islamic worshippers. Prosecutors accused Cunningham of dousing two cars with gasoline in an effort to blow up a mosque. Cunningham pleaded guilty May 9.

In February, prosecutors in Massachusetts charged Zachary Rolnik with threatening in a voicemail message to kill the leader of the Arab-American Institute. Rolnik pleaded guilty in June.

U.S. prosecutors charged Irving Rublin and Earl Krugel with trying to blow up a mosque with a bomb in December. The two were also charged with plotting to blow up Issa's district office.

Boyd said the Justice Department is working with local authorities and is ready to step in if needed.

"The department is aware that, in rare instances, local authorities may not have the tools or the will to prosecute a particular bias-motivated crime fully," Boyd said. "In those rare instances, the department will be prepared to initiate federal proceedings, if appropriate."

Profiling, right or wrong: Thoughts for frequent
travelers

To ensure we Americans never offend anyone - - - -particularly
fanatics intent on killing us - airport screeners will not be allowed to profile people. They will continue random searches of 80-year-old women, little kids, airline pilots with proper identification, Secret Service agents who are members of the President's security detail, 85-year old Congressmen with metal hips, and Medal of Honor winning former Governors. Let's pause a moment and take the following test.

In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred
by:

(a) Olga Corbett
(b) Sitting Bull
(c) Arnold Schwartzeneger
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1979, the U.S. embassy in Iran was taken over by:

(a) Lost Norwegians
(b) Elvis
(c) A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon
by:

(a) John Dillinger
(b) The King of Sweden
(c) The Boy Scouts
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1983, the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:

(a) A pizza delivery boy
(b) Pee Wee Herman
(c) Geraldo Rivera making up for a slow news day
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.

In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked, and a 70 year
old
American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard by:

(a) The Smurfs
(b) Davy Jones
(c) The Little Mermaid
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.

In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a U.S. Navy diver
was murdered by:

(a) Captain Kid
(b) Charles Lindbergh
(c) Mother Teresa
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:

(a) Scooby Doo
(b) The Tooth Fairy
(c) Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid who had a few sticks of
dynamite left over from the train job.
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:

(a) Richard Simmons
(b) Grandma Moses
(c) Michael Jordan
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1998, the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:

(a) Mr. Rogers
(b) Hillary, to distract attention from Wild Bill's women problems
(c) The World Wrestling Federation to promote its next villain:
"Mustapha the Merciless"
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked and destroyed and thousands
of
people were killed by:

(a) Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck, and Elmer Fudd
(b) The Supreme Court of Florida
(c) Mr. Bean
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:

(a) Enron
(b) The Lutheran Church
(c) The NFL
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:

(a) Bonnie and Clyde
(b) Captain Kangaroo
(c) Billy Graham
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

Hmmm . . . nope, no patterns anywhere to justify profiling.

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