Posted on 09/14/2002 6:23:26 PM PDT by syriacus
LACKAWANNA, N.Y. -- Members of the Yemeni community in this western New York city struggled Saturday to reconcile their identity as a hardworking and vital part of their town with allegations of a terrorist cell in their midst.
Yemenis started coming to the Buffalo suburb in 1922, finding work in the steel mills that churned on the Lake Erie shore.
They remain a growing part of this city of 20,000. But the community of about 1,000 Yemenis living in Lackawanna has been shaken by the arrests of five men -- all U.S. born -- who federal authorities say aided the terrorists who planned the Sept. 11 attacks.
The five men lived just a few blocks from each other and were discovered through recent investigation and intelligence suggesting they were part of a terrorist cell, officials said.
Members of the Yemeni community are doubtful.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
In 1994 I made a site visit to an Arab-American center in the formerly predominantly Polish town of Hamtramck, Michigan. The vast majority of the people there were non-citizen Yemenis. The conversation indicated that they were resolutely anti-American and overly focused on Jews (one of them was obsessed with the idea that Democratic Congressman Bob Carr, running for the US Senate, was Jewish--actually Carr isn't, but that didn't matter to him).
Yeah...I think they're right...might be time for them to go back to Yemen.
The arrests also deeply troubled their Disneyland laison, Yemeni Cricket.
Justice officials thanked Muslim-Americans in the Buffalo area and elsewhere with helping them to crack the suspected U.S. al-Qaida ring, but did not specify what assistance law enforcement agencies got.
I would be surprised that people whose families were here for 80 years would be involved in terrorism. Maybe it was long established residents turning in newer arrivals. How many Muslims immigrated 80 years ago, anyway? Christian Arabs did.
Two 14-year-old boys confessed to phoning in a 2 February [1999] anthrax threat to a high school in Lackawanna, New York.
I noticed that upstate NY had quite a few Anthrax Hoaxes in 1999
Summary: An anonymous phone call threatening anthrax, placed to the central switchboard of the West Seneca, New York, Town Hall on 21 January, resulted in the building's closure for the lunch hour.
Summary: A 22 January Buffalo News report stated that Niagara County, New York, sheriff's deputies arrested two high school students and charged them with falsely reporting an anthrax incident to a high school principal.
Summary: On 22 January, employees at a food market in East Aurora, New York, found a letter in the rear entrance threatening anthrax exposure.
Summary: At around 6 a.m. on 25 January, an individual telephoned a company in Alden, New York, claiming that anthrax was in the office building.
February
Summary: Two 14-year-old boys confessed to phoning in a 2 February anthrax threat to a high school in Lackawanna, New York. [repeat of hoax mentioned at top]
Summary: Three boys were arrested on 5 February and charged with aggravated harassment and falsely reporting an anthrax incident the day before in Cattaraugas County, New York.
Summary: On 5 February, a school in East Aurora, New York, was closed following the discovery of an anthrax threat written on the front door.
Yemen had an anthrax hoax around the same time, too.
Summary: On 16 February, a letter threatening to use anthrax to kill US and British citizens living in Yemen was faxed to the London, United Kingdom, office of an Arabic newspaper.
Notice they are always doubtful. Nothing wrong ever happens! The woman the other day lied. Amenricans (they say) blew up the towers themselves and so forth.
These stupid statememts in these communities is what fuels problems for them. They are their own worst enemy. They don't accept resposibility ever for anythng.
They are natural born Democrats!
;-)
God bless those who came here and worked honestly and gratefully. Those who came to the US to harm it should be condemned, regardless of religious affiliation.
Dew tell. Tsk tsk tsk.
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