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Hiding in Plain Sight (Al Arian at the White House)
Newsweek ^
| March 3rd, 2003
| Michael Isikoff
Posted on 02/23/2003 8:53:24 AM PST by Sabertooth
For George W. Bush, it was just another campaign stop. But for Sami Al-Arian, a University of South Florida engineering professor, it was a golden opportunity. When Bush appeared at Tampas Strawberry Festival in March 2000, Al-Arian sidled up to the candidate and had his picture taken.
< -snip- >
Al-Arians politics took on a decidedly darker cast last week when federal agents arrested him at his home in south Florida and charged him with being a top leader of one of the worlds most violent terrorist organizations: Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
< -snip- >
Al-Arian certainly didnt act like a sponsor of suicide bombings. Far from keeping to the shadows, he repeatedly lobbied Congress on civil-liberties issues, made thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to influential members of Congress and renounced violence during appearances on TV talk shows. In June 2001 Al-Arian was invited to a White House briefing for 150 Muslim American activists, at which political director Karl Rove talked about the Bush administrations "outreach" efforts. A law-enforcement official told NEWSWEEK the Secret Service had flagged Al-Arian as a potential terrorist prior to the event. But White House aides, apparently reluctant to create an incident, let him through anyway. Such access had its advantages. "He always told me the charges were garbage," said Khaled Saffuri, chairman of the Islamic Institute. "When you hear hes going to the White House, you figure what hes saying must be true." In fact, federal prosecutors charged last week, Al-Arian carried out his secret terrorist agenda "under the guise of promoting and protecting Arab rights"making his public profile a critical part of his MO. "It was the perfect cover," said Steven Emerson, a terrorism analyst who has followed Al-Arian for years.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.com ...
TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alarian; alitulbah; enemywithin; grovernorquist; islamicinstitute; khaledsaffuri; norquist; saffuri; suhailkhan
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Comment #181 Removed by Moderator
To: Darkdrake
OTOH comments like yours and the posse's might make one think it hasn't seen enough light yet.
182
posted on
02/23/2003 8:21:56 PM PST
by
bvw
Comment #183 Removed by Moderator
To: Bob J; Sabertooth
Bob J
What would you say if its not really about a White House visit years ago its about now and since the charge is that it is still going on with Grover providing the White House with terrorist muslims not people that the President should be meeting with let alone taking pictures with.
Sabertooth is not wrong on this and anyways how many Trent Lott threads was there and this is more important than that was.
184
posted on
02/23/2003 8:26:01 PM PST
by
TLBSHOW
(God Speed as Angels trending upward dare to fly Tribute to the Risk Takers)
To: Darkdrake
Not on FR.
185
posted on
02/23/2003 8:27:14 PM PST
by
Bob J
(Join the FR Network! Educate, Motivate, Activate!)
To: bvw
You know this new person maybe Grover LOL signed up today and zeros in here.
186
posted on
02/23/2003 8:27:42 PM PST
by
TLBSHOW
(God Speed as Angels trending upward dare to fly Tribute to the Risk Takers)
To: Darkdrake
"Buying in" -- cute.
Norquist is s sponsor of Money for Blood. You don't play around with that.
187
posted on
02/23/2003 8:28:49 PM PST
by
bvw
To: TLBSHOW
Don't know DD -- but the graphic image allows him to figure out who I am.
188
posted on
02/23/2003 8:31:22 PM PST
by
bvw
To: bvw
I haven't seen enough of it yet. How's Grover Norquist handling his new found infamy?
To: bvw
I didn't check the image cute isn't it?
190
posted on
02/23/2003 8:36:21 PM PST
by
TLBSHOW
(God Speed as Angels trending upward dare to fly Tribute to the Risk Takers)
To: Sabertooth
I dunno, but if the initials "Grover Norquist" aren't involved I'll be surprised.
191
posted on
02/23/2003 8:38:10 PM PST
by
Pelham
To: Darkdrake
Welcome to FR.
To: Fred Mertz
I kept waiting for his response. He seems a bit sluggish in that regard.
193
posted on
02/23/2003 8:39:04 PM PST
by
Torie
To: Fred Mertz
Evening Fred hows lucy?
194
posted on
02/23/2003 8:39:20 PM PST
by
TLBSHOW
(God Speed as Angels trending upward dare to fly Tribute to the Risk Takers)
To: TLBSHOW
Evening Fred hows lucy? It's Ethel
195
posted on
02/23/2003 8:41:03 PM PST
by
Mo1
(FREE HOWLIN!!)
To: Mo1
No, tonight Lucy is on the docket.
196
posted on
02/23/2003 8:43:03 PM PST
by
Fred Mertz
(FREE JAEL)
Comment #197 Removed by Moderator
Comment #198 Removed by Moderator
To: Fred Mertz
199
posted on
02/23/2003 8:53:05 PM PST
by
TLBSHOW
(God Speed as Angels trending upward dare to fly Tribute to the Risk Takers)
To: Darkdrake
Welcome to FR DarkDrake.
Regards
FreeReign
A.K.A Dark Warrior Duck
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