Descent into Evil (John Muhammad suspected of attack on US troops during Gulf War)

Newsweek ^ | Nov 4 2002 issue | Evan Thomas

[spycatcher]

"...[John Muhammad] Williams’s unit was sent to Operation Desert Storm to clear mines and bulldoze holes in enemy lines. A few nights before the invasion of Iraq, Sergeant Berentson awoke in the early hours to find his tent, with 16 sleeping men inside, on fire. Someone had tossed in a thermite grenade. Berentson, who was fed up with Williams’s insubordination, immediately suspected Williams and told the Army’s Criminal Investigative Division. Berentson says he last saw Williams being led away in handcuffs. Williams’s military records make no mention of the incident; indeed, they suggest Williams had a distinguished gulf-war stint. But Berentson always kept Williams’s name and dog-tag number in his wallet. He says he was not surprised to see Williams’s face on television..."

Back to the current attacks:

"...A witness outside the Fredericksburg, Va., Michaels craft store, scene of a shooting on Oct. 4, reported a “dark-colored vehicle with New Jersey tags” leaving the scene. A woman calling the tip line on Oct. 7 said she had spotted a black man crouching beneath the dashboard in a dark Chevy Caprice. The woman was struck by the intensity of the man’s stare. The agent on the tip line brushed her off. “We’re looking for a white truck,” she said.

[null and void]

...or CS...

[TexKat]

Yesterday Chief Moose got back at Wolf Blitzer in an interview on CNN. Moose asked Blitzer why CNN did not report to LE that the snipper had made a phone call to them. First time I had seen Moose smile. Evidently one of the snippers called CNN when they could not get through to LE, and CNN blew the phone call off as a prank also.

[Grampa Dave]

Some of the Nation of Islam fanatics will find out about what President Bush wisely said over a year ago, "You are either with us or against us!"

Before this mess is over, we will know a lot about the intents of the Nation Of Islam Fanatics. It will not sit very well with most Americans, including the good Blacks who have not trusted nor like the NOI fanatics since they showed up.

[xJones]

Particularly, how many converted during the Gulf War?

I wish I could remember the source but I remember reading after the Gulf War that 212 American military personnel had converted to Islam while over there.

[Grampa Dave]

He is no different from Loopy Farrakrazikhan and thousands of other Nation of Islam black racists.

They have had a free ride to say anything and often do anything for over two decades. It got worse during the Jake Reno reign of injustice.

I take anyone very seriously if they continuously threaten me and my family for being white. Those who don't have been infected with the fatal Political Correctness Virus which can be fatal.

[Aquinasfan]

I can't believe Newsweek used the "E" word.

Next thing you know they'll be using the "E" word and the "M" word. Or maybe not.

[Eva]

There is a story on MSN, Newsweek by Eleanor Cliff, entitled, Not the UnClinton. There is an opportunity to rate the story. I think that everyone should go back and rate it -1- (the lowest). Don't bother to read it. It's just a partisan hit piece.

[Aquinasfan]

In other words, the guys in the tent would all be dead.

I had to reread it carefully myself. It sounds like the tent was set on fire by the grenade. I saw one of these things demonstrated on a cable show. It's not an anti-personnel device or a napalm equivalent. It's designed to create extreme heat (molten metal) in a very small area. It's designed for sabotaging equipment.

[Deb]

There was an interesting letter to the editor, this morning, in the LA Times. It said that victims of Timothy McVeigh and John Muhammad should be added to the Gulf War dead count.

Incredible how minds on the Left work. Everything is seen as a way to push their agenda.

[TexKat]

From the Civil War to the battlefield of Desert Storm Muslims have served with Honor, Courage and Commitment in the United States Armed Forces.


Serving Muslims who are members of the United States Armed Forces and Veterans

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Second Pentagon Iftar






Military Service: Religious Orientation of Muslim Soldiers in the United States Armed Forces

Posted by mmm on Monday, October 29 @ 21:58:51 HST


By EAS Bokhari
June, 1999
Original Article: http://defencejournal.com/jun99/orientation.htm

I do not possess the TO&E (Table of Organisation and Equipment) - of the US Army as a whole - but my own estimate is that there should be no less than 10,000 Muslim troops in the US Forces presently notwithstanding its downsizing.


HRH Gen Prince Khalid Bin Sultan has indicated that during the Gulf War 1991 there were a fair amount of US troops who embraced Islam mainly due to the purity of this religion. And some of the figures which he had provided in his most readable book are only about the personnel who took part in the Gulf War - 1991. Incidently the recruitment in the US Armed Forces is independent of religious faith - and it is not obligatory to indicate this at the time of entering services.

Gen Khalid writes in his scintillating book "The Desert Warrior" a second issue on which Schwarzkopf showed welcome sensitivity was that of Muslims in the American Forces. During the month crisis lasted, I learned with interest that quite a large number of American servicemen and women had converted to Islam, no doubt influenced by the contacts they had made with our civil population. They would visit the religious authorities and declare themselves publicly as Muslim ... Schwarzkopf would come to me at intervals and say 'Now you have got 175'. Eventually there were more than 2000 of them.

Purely from management point of view - and the rapid conversion to Islam (notwithstanding Schwarzkopf) seems to have made a very rational request to Prince Khalid. "Khalid, I'm upset. I have a complaint to make. I hear you are sending all Muslims troops to Makkah. I want the Muslims in my forces to go too". This was in 1991- and the number as I have indicated above relates to troops assigned to Gulf war.

Dec 3 - 1994 could be considered as historic day at the Pentagon when Imam Abdul - Rasheed Muhammad was commissioned as the first Islamic chaplain in the US Armed Forces. (In the US armed forces, a leader of any religion officially assigned to a military unit is called a 'Chaplain'.)

After this momentous event - Imam Ghayith-Nur-Kashif of the Masjid al-Shura in Washington called Muhammad's appointment as 'one of the finest hours' for the Army, and for America. The reserve captain took the oath of his office and displayed the lapels - the silver Islamic crescent which was the newest military insignia. And thus he spoke on his commissioning "... that his commissioning will be symbol of the future in terms of building the bridge of peace and prosperity throughout the world amongst great religions..."

His first sermon (Khutba) on 3 Dec 1994 to the army was focussed on finding sacredness amid chaos. Muhammad will also be a director of the Armed Forces Chaplain's Board outside Christianity and Judaism. Army Colonel Herman Keizer also said "... This reflected the growing number of Muslims in the services over the past 10 years. It mirrors growth in the US society ... Where Islam is the fastest growing religion in the United States."

One cannot be sure of the figures as of 1994 - the comments of Air Force Lt Col Dough Hart are interesting. Hart said "... the Defence Department estimates that approximately 3,000 Muslims are in uniform." But then Mr Abdul Rahman Alamoudi - executive director of the American Muslims Council, believes the number is closer to 10,000. While the number of Muslims is increasing in the military, some Muslims do not publicly disclose their religion - and the services do not require them to do so.

As I have indicated earlier on conversion to Islam achieved a great fillip during the Gulf War 1991 - but then the linkage of Muslims with the bombing of the World Trade Centre apparently put some brake on this too - and some soldiers did not openly practice their true religion i.e. Islam for fear of persecution.

Muhammad the chaplain is a highly qualified man - with a master degree in counselling from San Diego State University and a second one in social work from the University of Michigan. He was enlisted as chaplain's assistant in 1982. He will have to undergo further training in the US Army Chaplain Center and School - where grounding is provided in diverse disciplines like pluralism, world religions, land navigation and worship in the combat environments.

His wife and six children - they are expecting the arrival of yet another - will follow him to his new assignment in North Carolina, and after completion of his training he will report to 18th Air Borne Corps where there are 100 Muslim soldiers in uniform at Fort Bragg. He is a Sunni Muslim and has been an Imam since 1978.

In his new role as a goodwill Islamic ambassador - he envisions a "tremendous opportunity to present the message of Islam in the correct manner ... to the military population." He is keen that the service needs of the Muslim soldiers are met - and the women can use the traditional 'Hejab' as long as it does not affect their health. Of course he will ask the Muslim soldiers that their diet should be Islamic.

He would also recommend to the authorities that less rigorous physical training should be carried out in the month of fasting.

US Navy will also follow the army lead - and the first such Naval Chaplain is Legalman First Class Malik Noel who had served in the Gulf War 1991 - but could not perform Hajj.

Finally interest about Islam is increasing in the Military in USA which should do a lot of good to the religion and Islamic tolerance the world over.

[TexKat]

Islam In America

By Dima Zalatimo

March 1991, Page 68

American Muslim Council Discusses with Pentagon Needs of Muslim US Soldiers in Gulf War

A delegation from the American Muslim Council (AMC) recently met with Col. Meredith R. Standley, executive director of the US Armed Forces Board of Chaplains, to discuss the status of Muslim American soldiers stationed in the Persian Gulf area.

During the meeting, Standley assured AMC members that "every effort is being made to see that every soldier is allowed to carry out his or her customary religious practices. " For Muslim GIs, who total 2,700 in all divisions of the armed forces, this included the rights to perform customary prayers, on and off military sites, and to receive boxed religious materials properly posted through US Centcom Headquarters.

The AMC delegation, which included Abdurahman Alamoudi, Isa Smith and Ghayth Kashif, raised other concerns regarding the welfare of Muslim GIs stationed in Saudi Arabia. Standley said the delegation's request for the accommodation of the desires of Muslim soldiers to perform Haj and Umra rituals at the Islamic holy sites in Saudi Arabia would be considered. When the AMC delegates also requested that Muslim soldiers be permitted to monitor Saudi television for religious programming and counseling, they were informed that permission already had been granted.

The question of a Muslim chaplain was raised, as there presently are none in the armed services. Standley provided the delegation with the procedural format for recommending qualified applicants for accreditation.

"We are presently reviewing such a request from the Buddhist community," said Standley. A possible war-front visit by an American Muslim religious delegation, as requested by AMC members, was ruled out due to the war situation at the time of the meeting.

Given the nature of military life, Standley was asked about the military's sensitivity to the possibility of anti-Muslim epithets, jokes, or parodies. He said he would look into media reports of such incidents.

Another issue, this one raised by the chaplain, concerned current reports of scores of US soldiers in the Gulf converting to Islam.

"We have received a number of letters from congressmen about this issue," he stated. Standley cited a report that 25 soldiers reportedly accepted Islam after hearing an "overzealous lecturer" describe Islamic culture at one camp site.

AMC sources seemed to confirm these reports of new Muslim converts in the Saudi desert, saying they had heard that as many as 325 American soldiers had converted to Islam since the first deployment of troops to the Persian Gulf in August.

"Our conversation with Col. Standley was encouraging, " said AMC director Alamoudi. "We believe him to be a man of his word and we look forward to assisting him and the board in providing religious guidance and support for all of the American soldiers, regardless of their religious persuasion."

Following these discussions, AMC began consultations with other Muslim organizations in an effort to facilitate the process of accrediting a Muslim chaplain. AMC is also seeking to include Muslims in armed forces informational and promotional material.

In related developments, the Department of Defense held a meeting on religious and dietary accommodations for the troops. The meeting was attended by representatives of Christian denominations and Jewish and Muslim groups, including Ghayth Kashif of AMC, and Sgt. Lyndon Bilal of the US Air Force and Saleem Abdul-Mateen of the US Navy, both representing the Muslim Military Members (MMM).

The discussion centered on how to meet a high-level order to provide the service members with foods meeting their religious requirements. Recognizing the special dietary requirements of Adventists, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews and Muslims, steps were taken to provide soldiers with halal (Islamic dietary standards), kosher and vegetarian food rations. For Muslim GIs, however, arrangements for the distribution of halal meals were already underway in conjunction with the Saudi government, Information the Pentagon solicited regarding Muslim dietary requirements was provided by the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFNCA).

Muslims are prohibited from consuming pork, alcohol, intoxicants (other than for medicinal reasons) and meat upon which the mention of Allah was not made during slaughter.

According to the IFNCA report, exceptions can be made under emergency situations. A soldier who is cut off from his or her supply lines in wartime is considered such an exception.

Dima Zalatimo is the features editor for the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.























US Army Personnel By Religion, September 1990

Protestant… 427,000

Catholic… 166,000

No religious preference… 141,000

Jewish… 2,316

Muslim… 1,174

Total… 737,490

Source: US Army Public Affairs Office

US Armed Forces Personnel by Religion, September 1990

Protestant… 54-70%

Catholic… 26.19%

No religious preference… 14-69%

Jewish… 37%

Other (includes Muslims)… 3.99%

Atheist… .06%

Source: Department of Defense Public Affairs Office

[cake_crumb]

"A few nights before the invasion of Iraq, Sergeant Berentson awoke in the early hours to find his tent, with 16 sleeping men inside, on fire. Someone had tossed in a thermite grenade. Berentson, who was fed up with Williams’s insubordination, immediately suspected Williams and told the Army’s Criminal Investigative Division. Berentson says he last saw Williams being led away in handcuffs. Williams’s military records make no mention of the incident; indeed, they suggest Williams had a distinguished gulf-war stint. But Berentson always kept Williams’s name and dog-tag number in his wallet. He says he was not surprised to see Williams’s face on television..."

So THAT'S the story behind the grenade in the tent. I'd dearly love to know why Williams wasn't court-marshalled and stuck into Leavenworth...maybe he refused to cooperate then too, and they couldn't prove it.

Thought I posted this stupid reply an hour ago or more...too many windows open, doing too many things at once. Sheesh.

[Grampa Dave]

How about those innocents being considered our casualties of Desert Storm due to Saddam and his buddies over here.

Not to many starving Iraqi children killed in Oklahoma City or in the DC metro area by these cowards. So they are our casualities. It is time to end this war by killing Saddam and all who support him over there and here!

[browardchad]

For Muslim GIs, however, arrangements for the distribution of halal meals were already underway in conjunction with the Saudi government

Saudi Arabia: exporter of Wahabbi terrorism to the world and favored "friend" of the U.S.

From "Militant Islam Reaches America," by Daniel Pipes:

"The U.S. military has been forthcoing to Muslims. In 1992 a military aircraft took seventy-five enlisted Muslim soldiers to Mecca for the pilgrimage...The armed forces provide halal meals for Muslims and do not require daily physical training during Ramadan."

[TexKat]

Some quotes about Islam from the President and First Lady:

"Islam is the fastest-growing religion in America, a guide and pillar of stability for many of our people..." First Lady Hillary Rodman Clinton, Los Angeles Times, May 31, 1996, p.3

"...there is much that the world can learn from Islam. It is now practiced by one of every four people on Earth." President Clinton, White House Eid ul-Fitr presentation, Jan. 10, 2000.

[Destro]

I know of at least 2 posts by our Balkan watchers about GIs who converted to Islam in Kosovo by Albanians now serving in Afghanistan! Kosovo is an al-Qaeda strong hold.

[TechJunkYard]

I wonder if the sniper perch and holes were there when Muhammad bought the car?

Bordentown Township Mayor Mark Roselli said the municipality sold the car at a public auction in October 2001 to Robert Bercy of Columbus for $220. Roselli said the township routinely auctions off unwanted vehicles and equipment. "Any alterations made to the trunk of the vehicle to accommodate the heinous acts of the alleged snipers did not occur while Bordentown Township owned this vehicle," Roselli said.

[ARCADIA]

Does anyone have Muhammad's SSN? With it I know how to get his Army record (all perfectly legal)...

The post previous to yours states he had a DC license. This could have his SSN; also the New Jersey car registration.

I think you need special software to access these, thought. You can't get it off the net.

[holden]

I've heard there's quite a bit of Muslim proselytizing
going on in prisons. The recidivists among these could
really leave a mark for their newfound Religion of Peace (TM)!

HF

[Destro]

I know of at least 2 posts by our Balkan watchers about GIs who converted to Islam in Kosovo by Albanians now serving in Afghanistan! Kosovo is an al-Qaeda strong hold.