Mike Hawash charged with terrorism related crimes (Portland Six)

PORTLAND - A Hillsboro man is the latest from our area to be charged with terrorism related crimes. Mike Hawash, an independent contractor who had been working for Intel was charged this morning with conspiracy to wage war on the US and support terrorism.

The charges against him are related to the so-called "Portland Six" terrorism case, in which several men from our area went to china in an attempt to enter Afghanistan and join with al Qaeda and the Taliban in their fight against US troops.

Piasa's Timeline thingy :

1984 : (PORTLAND CELL : HAWASH, A PALESTINIAN BORN IN NABLUS AND RAISED IN KUWAIT, ARRIVES IN US & ATTENDS UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON) Hawash, born in the West Bank city of Nablus, grew up in Kuwait, McGeady said. He arrived in the United States in 1984 to attend the University of Texas at Arlington, where he earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering. - "FBI jails ex-Intel worker," by Matthew Yi, SF Chronicle Staff Writer, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/04/02/BU291043.DTL, Wednesday, April 2, 2003* 1984 : (HAWASH COMES TO US) Mr. Hawash, who was born in Nablus in the West Bank, first came to the United States in 1984, his family said, and graduated from the University of Texas. He became an American citizen in 1988. He is married to Lisa Hawash, a native of Roseburg, Ore. The Web site set up by supporters, freemikehawash.org, founded by two former Intel executives, shows a picture of Mr. Hawash's wife and three children.

1986 : (PORTLAND GROUP MEMBER FORD INTERNS FOR PORTLAND MAYOR BUD CLARK) Named after the African (communist) resistance leader Patrice Lumumba and first president of Congo, Patrice Lumumba Ford worked as an international relations intern in 1986 for then-Portland mayor Bud Clark and again in 1998 and 1999 for Portland Mayor Vera Katz. - "Latest U.S. Citizens Arrested on Terror Charges Have Varied Pasts; 1 Worked for Politicians, " by Gilian Flaccus, AP via TBO, October 5, 2002 Patrice Lumumba Ford is an intern in Mayor Bud Clark's office.- "Terror suspect worked at Mayor Katz's office," story.asp-ID=50869 katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=50869

1988 : (PORTLAND CELL : HAWASH BECOMES A US CITIZEN) Hawash became a U.S. citizen in 1988 - "FBI jails ex-Intel worker," by Matthew Yi, SF Chronicle Staff Writer, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/04/02/BU291043.DTL, Wednesday, April 2, 2003

1989 : (PORTLAND CELL : HAWASH GRADUATES, THEN LANDS JOB AT COMPAQ IN HOUSTON, TX) Hawash graduates and landed his first job at Compaq Computers in Houston. He was soon transferred to Seattle. - "FBI jails ex-Intel worker," by Matthew Yi, SF Chronicle Staff Writer, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/04/02/BU291043.DTL, Wednesday, April 2, 2003

1992 : (PORTLAND GROUP, KARIYE aka ABDIRAHMAN ON BOARD OF GLOBAL RELIEF FOUNDATION) However, a court document shows that in 1992, Kariye was one of five board of directors for a charity called the Global Relief Foundation. He is listed as Muhamed Abdirahman, a variation of one the several names he's used in the past. There is also Fareed Adlouni, another Portland resident and a member of the same southwest Portland mosque, the Islamic Center of Portland. He has not been charged, but his name surfaces on court documents as well. - "Terror Investigation Focuses on Portland, Oregon and Other Cities," KATU-TV Portland, September 17, 2002

1992 : (PORTLAND CELL : HAWASH HIRED BY INTEL) In 1992, he was hired to work at Intel's Multimedia Software Technology Group, said McGeady, who was Hawash's boss at the time. - "FBI jails ex-Intel worker," by Matthew Yi, SF Chronicle Staff Writer, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/04/02/BU291043.DTL, Wednesday, April 2, 2003*
1992 : (HAWASH WORKS AT INTEL) Mr. Hawash has worked at Intel since 1992, though he was laid off in 2001 and rehired as a contract employee.

1990s mid : (PORTLAND GROUP MEMBER FORD STUDIED IN BEIJING/NANJING, FLUENT IN CHINESE) Word now comes out today that suspect Patrice Lumumba Ford is world-traveled, apparantly a graduate of or attended the Johns Hopkins University’s Paul Nitze Center for Advanced Studies (SAIS), he studied in Beijing in the mid-1990s and has attained fluency in Mandarin Chinese. These are no small feats. Reports are that he spent about a year at Johns Hopkins University's prestigious program in China, earned a master's degree in Chinese studies and married a Chinese woman

1996 early: (PORTLAND GROUP, ADLOUNI, EL HAGE) Wadih el Hage, Osama bin Laden's personal secretary, sends a fax to a friend in Texas, asking him to transfer $1,000 to Fareed Adlouni's U.S. Bank account in Beaverton. - "Terror Investigation Focuses on Portland, Oregon and Other Cities," KATU-TV Portland, September 17, 2002

1996 : (PORTLAND GROUP, ADLOUNI, EL HAGE, BIN LADEN'S PERSONAL SECRETARY) A 1996 fax from Osama bin Laden's personal secretary, Wadih el Hage, asks Fareed Adlouni and other brothers at the Islamic Center of Portland for donations to an organization called "Help Africa People." - "Terror Investigation Focuses on Portland, Oregon and Other Cities," KATU-TV Portland, September 17, 2002

DECEMBER 1997 : (PORTLAND POLICE CHIEF SOULSBY RESIGNS) Chief Larry Soulsby resigns after he was found to be paying suspiciously low rent on his posh downtown apartment. His roommate, a lieutenant, was indicted for extorting money from people who frequented gay nightclubs. Soulsby may be indicted, as well.

FEBRUARY 18, 1998 : (PORTLAND POLICE CHIEF IS ALREADY JOB HUNTING) "Moose on the Loose? Charles Moose is job shopping." The city's popular but surly police chief reluctantly confirmed to WW that he has applied for a job as chief of the Washington, D.C., police force. "I wish I could just live my life," Moose told a WW reporter, refusing to comment any further on the move. Mayor Vera Katz's office refused to comment on the chief's job application and would not say whether the move is an indication that Moose has outlasted his welcome with the mayor.

MAY - JULY 1998 : (PORTLAND GROUP MEMBER FORD IS AN INTERN IN THE PORTLAND MAYOR'S OFFICE) Patrice Lumumba Ford is an intern in Mayor Vera Katz's office.- "Terror suspect worked at Mayor Katz's office," story.asp-ID=50869 katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=50869

AUGUST 16, 1998 : (PORTLAND POLICE SHUT DOWN BINNS PARTY) Officers shut down a party at Sellwood Park. The party was to be the third annual event held by Daniel Binns, a popular Northeast Portlander with a history of drug convictions in the 1980s. Police said the parties attract gang members and result in violence.

AUGUST 17, 1998: (ANGRY PORTLAND PARTIERS HARASS POLICE CHIEF) Daniel Binns and his supporters protested the police action by rallying a crowd on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and leading the people on a march that stopped in front of Police Chief Moose's house before continuing through the neighborhood. Officers fired beanbag projectiles at several members of the crowd when they would not disperse. Portland's politically-correct mayor Vera Katz, always on the side of the lawbreakers, asked the chief to present a detailed report on the incident at a city-council meeting--something she's never done before.

AUGUST 1998: (PORTLAND, PROTEST MARCH IN FRONT OF POLICE CHIEF MOOSE'S HOUSE) When protesters chanted, "Where's the black fucking chief?" outside his home in Northeast Portland last summer August 1998, Police Chief Moose and his wife, Sandy, were completely alone. "I felt captured," Moose said. "I was trying to assure her that the crowd was not going to shoot into our house, that they were not going to firebomb our house." Moose said he received just one supportive call after the event, and it did not come from anyone inside city hall. "They were all saying the chief needs to be commended and backed for this." Third, officers were sympathetic to the chief's distress during the protest at his house. One officer told WW that he moved outside the city because he was constantly called upon--or in some cases harassed--by neighbors because he was a police officer. "I think it's difficult on anyone who's a police officer to deal with the day-to-day grind of police work and then to go home and have the neighborhood depend on them again throughout his evening hours when he's supposed to be spending time with his family," Pluchos said.

AUGUST 1998: (PORTLAND MAYOR VERA KATZ HUGS CROOK) Protest leader Daniel Binns and Mayor Vera Katz and Binns hugged at a community meeting after the protest, disgusting Portland police officers who know Binn's past all too well. "To have Daniel Binns bring down Charles Moose, that would be amazing," one officer said.

1999 : (JEFFERY LEON BATTLE JOINS ARMY RESERVES) Battle became an Army reservist in 1999 and was assigned to a unit specializing in bridge construction, but was discharged when he didn't report for advanced training, Army officials said. An 11-page indictment released Friday said Battle "caused himself to be administratively discharged" in February 2001 while in Bangladesh, trying to reach Afghanistan. Attorney General John Ashcroft said Battle had obtained military training to use it against American forces. - "Latest U.S. Citizens Arrested on Terror Charges Have Varied Pasts; 1 Worked for Politicians, " by Gilian Flaccus, AP via TBO, October 5, 2002

SEPTEMBER 1999 : (PORTLAND GROUP, OCTOBER MARTINIGUE LEWIS & JEFFERY LEON BATTLE GET MARRIED) - "Latest U.S. Citizens Arrested on Terror Charges Have Varied Pasts; 1 Worked for Politicians, " by Gilian Flaccus, AP via TBO, October 5, 2002

SEPTEMBER 1999 : (PORTLAND GROUP MEMBER FORD IS AN INTERN IN THE PORTLAND MAYOR'S OFFICE) Patrice Lumumba Ford is an intern in Mayor Vera Katz's office.- "Terror suspect worked at Mayor Katz's office," story.asp-ID=50869 katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=50869

1999 late- 2000 early : (PORTLAND GETS A NEW POLICE CHIEF, MARK KROEKER) At first glance he wouldn’t pass muster with Portland’s “political correctness” gestapo. He fills no quotas. So how did a guy like Mark Kroeker get to be the police chief in a place so dominated by liberalism that it often referred to as the “People’s Republic of Portland.” More to the point, how long can he hope to last? Last winter as Y2K approached and the whole world was bracing for computers to crash, toilets to back up and the power grid to blow out; the city of Portland announced its choice to fill the power vacuum in the chief’s spot. Mark Kroeker, 55, a 35 year police veteran and former Deputy Chief in Los Angeles, was the person chosen to succeed Charles Moose. Moose had gone on to greener pastures in Virginia in what looked curiously like a “jump before you’re pushed” situation.The choice was a bit of a surprise. After all, Kroeker was preceded in the chief’s spot by an African American man and before that a woman. It was clear that, in the name of diversity, the city mothers and fathers wanted someone who could serve Portland well, but who could fill a quota, too. After three weeks of focus groups with community members from special interest groups — from the head of “Cop Watch” to the police union to the head of the gay and lesbian task force — and after a national search by a California firm; and vetting by a “Blue Ribbon” panel; three candidates emerged. Eventually Portland found what it was looking for: an experienced, polished, politically astute, heterosexual, religious white guy? Who would have guessed? Kroeker has also felt the sting of intolerance about his faith since he’s come to Portland. His Christian beliefs preceded him. They came with the package. - "Can This Man Survive?" by Victoria Taft OCTOBER 2000

2000 : (STEITIYE GETS US CITIZENSHIP, PORTLAND GROUP) Lebanese Ali Khaled Steitiye fraudulently obtains US citizenship.

2000 : (PORTLAND CELL : HAWASH DONATES TO GLOBAL RELIEF FOUNDATION) The only thing the couple can think of is a pair of donations that Hawash made in 2000 to Global Relief Foundation, he said. The Illinois Islamic charity came under FBI scrutiny after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. In December 2001, the Treasury Department froze the foundation's bank accounts and confiscated its computers. "This is really complete speculation on our part . . . but we can't think of any other reason," McGeady said. He said he isn't sure exactly how much was donated, but the Oregonian newspaper recently reported that Hawash made donations of $5,165 and $5,050, citing the foundation's federal tax return for 2000. "They made (the donations), but they thought it was a legitimate organization," McGeady said. - "FBI jails ex-Intel worker," by Matthew Yi, SF Chronicle Staff Writer, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/04/02/BU291043.DTL, Wednesday, April 2, 2003

FEBRUARY 2000 : (PORTLAND GROUP, LEWIS & BATTLE GET DIVORCED, LIVE TOGETHER) October Martinique Lewis, 25, and Jeffery Leon Battle, 32, get divorced just five months after their September 1999 marriage, but they continued to live together at a southwest Portland apartment complex flanked by two mosques. Lewis' mother, Vivian Lewis, told The Oregonian that the couple worked as nursing assistants at a Portland retirement home. A neighbor of the couple, Matt Hawkey, said he often saw men - sometimes in suits, sometimes in traditional Muslim garb - clustered in the parking lot near their apartment. They talked, listened to music from a car and sometimes shuffled large duffel bags between a Ford Blazer and the apartment, he said. - "Latest U.S. Citizens Arrested on Terror Charges Have Varied Pasts; 1 Worked for Politicians, " by Gilian Flaccus, AP via TBO, October 5, 2002

MAY 1, 2000 : (PORTLAND: MAY DAY PROTESTS) Activists met with the Police Chief Mark Kroeker and Mayor Vera Katz at Maranatha Church in northeast Portland with signs reading, “RIGHT WING CHRISTIAN GO BACK TO LA” and “CHRISTIANS ARE DIRT” it stung. “I’ve seen hurt in the chief’s eyes because people damn him for being a Christian and for being from LA,” says the mayor’s police liaison, Elise Marshall, who has constant contact with the chief. - "Can This Man Survive?" by Victoria Taft OCTOBER 2000

AUGUST 30, 2000 : Ahmed Bilal was working as a manager at Skewers, a Beaverton char-broiled chicken restaurant, when he first moved alone into landlord Anne Branch's Beaverton apartment complex on Aug. 30, 2000. He met and married his wife a few months later. She knocked on Branch's door one day and asked if they could move into an upstairs apartment, Branch recalled, because Ahmed Bilal wouldn't allow his wife to open their curtains unless she wore a veil. Branch agreed, but Correne Bilal still had to "frost" the front window to keep anyone from seeing her. Ahmed Bilal and his older brother, Muhammad, were raised in a large, strict Muslim household in Maryland. Their parents converted to Islam during a trip to Morocco, said Carol Conger, a maternal aunt who lives in the Portland area. She said the boys' mother had been a devout Christian before switching. "I don't know how they converted," she said of the Bilals' parents. "They liked the religion, studied it. That's all I know." The parents now live in Saudi Arabia. - "Terror Case Stuns Those Who Know Suspects," by JULIE SULLIVAN, The Oregonian , October 6, 2002

2001 ? : (PORTLAND GROUP, FORD TEACHES PE) Patrice Lumumba Ford also taught physical education at an Islamic school in the Portland suburb of Tigard, operated a private shuttle service and worked to resettle recently arrived Muslim refugees into the Portland community. - "Latest U.S. Citizens Arrested on Terror Charges Have Varied Pasts; 1 Worked for Politicians, " by Gilian Flaccus, AP via TBO, October 5, 2002

AUGUST 2001 : (PORTLAND GROUP, AHMED BILAL AND WIFE CORRENE MOVE) Ahmed and Correne Bilal move suddenly out of their Beaverton apartment. The Bilals' Beaverton landlord, Anne Branch, was irritated that they'd given less than two weeks' notice. And they still owed rent. But she had grown fond of the young couple. "Corrie called me several times and said she was trying to get help" to pay the rent, recalled Branch, "because Ahmed had left and gone overseas. She said it was for more schooling. I didn't know then what it was, but now I know. She kept contacting me, saying she was getting a job, and trying to get help from an organization, but didn't tell me what until I got the check." The $335.50 rent payment, she said, came from the American Muslim Foundation. They moved into another rental in Southwest Portland that the Fords had occupied. The Fords had turned their apartment over to the Bilals and moved into a larger one, according to rental records. - "Terror Case Stuns Those Who Know Suspects," by JULIE SULLIVAN, The Oregonian , October 6, 2002

AUGUST 17, 2001 : (PORTLAND GROUP, STEITIYE TRIES TO PURCHASE GUN) Ali Khaled Steitiye tried to buy a Romanian SAR 10 7.62mm rifle at The Gun Broker in Tigard. At the store he told the woman in charge of taking down background information that he had never been convicted of a crime that could have resulted in a sentence of a year or more, an affidavit filed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said. The background check with police blocked the sale. The Gun Broker tipped ATF agents to the attempt to buy weapons after Steitiye left with the purchase application form, which the dealer is required by law to keep for five years. He was told to return it but told the dealers he had thrown it away and objected in any case to having his personal information compiled, the affidavit states. "He tried to buy a gun like anybody of any nationality and it didn't matter to us because it was before Sept. 11," said Royd Jackson, owner of The Gun Broker. "But he lied on the federal report you need when you purchase a gun ... He never brought back the form so we turned it into the authorities," Jackson said. - "Jailed man faces more charges," The Associated Press, Sunday January 13, 2002

AUGUST- EARLY SEPTEMBER 2001 : (PORTLAND GROUP, FORD SENDS MESSAGES TO STAFFERS AT MAYOR'S OFFICE) At one point last year, Patrice Lumumba Ford sent messages to several members of Mayor Katz's staff that concerned them enough to notify the FBI a month before the Sept. 11 attacks, Portland Mayor Katz said. according to Katz, the FBI asked city officials not to comment further on the messages. - "Latest U.S. Citizens Arrested on Terror Charges Have Varied Pasts; 1 Worked for Politicians, " by Gilian Flaccus, AP via TBO, October 5, 2002 *
Patrice Lamumba Ford contacts some staffer in Portland Mayor Vera Katz's office, supposedly raises concerns so much that a list of Ford's contacts was forwarded tot he Portland Police Bureau. - "Terror suspect worked at Mayor Katz's office," story.asp-ID=50869 katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=50869

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 : (9/11 ATTACKS ON THE US)

SEPTEMBER 2001 : (AL HAZMI'S CREDIT CARD IS USED TO BOOK FLIGHTS FOR 911 HIJACKERS, SAN ANTONIO TO DENVER TO PORTLAND FLIGHTS) Saudi-born University of Texas Health Science Center doctor al Hazmi's credit card was used to buy a ticket for one of the September 11 hijackers who was on a plane which crashed into the WTC in NY, sources say. - " Terrorists Booked Flight to Portland, " By John Becker and Jim Parker, KGW Northwest News Channel Staff, September 19, 2001, 05:00 PM

SEPTEMBER 18, 2001 Tuesday : (SECOND WAVE OF TERRORISM PLANNED?) The Associated Press reported that federal authorities believe a second wave of terrorist violence was planned for September 22, 2001, just coming up. "We are looking at the possibility that there were additional planes [to be hijacked] but we are unable to confirm it," Attorney General John Ashcroft said Tuesday - " Terrorists Booked Flight to Portland, " By John Becker and Jim Parker, KGW Northwest News Channel Staff, September 19, 2001, 05:00 PM

SEPTEMBER 19, 2001 Wednesday : (AL HAZMI IN CUSTODY, NEWS IS TOLD ABOUT AL HAZMI TICKET PUCHASE FOR PORTLAND FLIGHT) Federal authorities told KGW Wednesday (Sept 19, 2001) that a credit card belonging to a Texas doctor may have been used to buy airline tickets for terrorist suspects to fly to Portland. Al-Badr Al Hazmi, 34, of San Antonio, was in FBI custody undergoing questioning Wednesday. Sources said his credit card was used to buy a ticket for one of the terrorist flights that crashed into the World Trade Center in New York, and now the FBI is looking into tickets he may have purchased for an upcoming flight to Portland. Al Hazmi booked a trip for up to five people from San Antonio, through Denver and on to Portland for Saturday, September 22, 2001 sources told KGW. ". Al Hazmi is a Saudi-born medical resident at the University of Texas Health Science Center. Federal agents raided his office and confiscated his computer, authorities said. He is being questioned by the FBI about technical and financial support he may have given hijackers responsible for the World Trade Center disaster a week ago, sources said - " Terrorists Booked Flight to Portland, " By John Becker and Jim Parker, KGW Northwest News Channel Staff, September 19, 2001, 05:00 PM

SEPTEMBER 22, 2001 : (DATE FOR RUMORED SECOND WAVE OF TERRORISM) The Associated Press reported that federal authorities believe a second wave of terrorist violence was planned for September 22, 2001. "We are looking at the possibility that there were additional planes [to be hijacked] but we are unable to confirm it," Attorney General John Ashcroft said Tuesday - " Terrorists Booked Flight to Portland, " By John Becker and Jim Parker, KGW Northwest News Channel Staff, September 19, 2001, 05:00 PM

SEPTEMBER 22, 2001 Saturday : (FLIGHT DATE FOR TERRORIST SUSPECTS TO FLY TO PORTLAND) Saudi-born University of Texas Health Science Center doctor Al Hazmi had booked a trip for up to five people to fly from San Antonio, through Denver and on to Portland for Saturday, September 22, 2001 sources told KGW. (*My note- When did he book the trip? Evidently some time before September 18, 2001) - " Terrorists Booked Flight to Portland, " By John Becker and Jim Parker, KGW Northwest News Channel Staff, September 19, 2001, 05:00 PM

SEPTEMBER 29, 2001: (WASHINGTON, PORTLAND GROUP MEMBERS PRACTICE WITH WEAPONS IN GRAVEL PIT AFTER 9/11/01) Following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the defendants acquired various firearms and engaged in weapons training and physical training in preparation to fight a jihad. - "Detroit FBI Arrest Alleged Terrorist, " WDIV NBC Detroit * The indictment said Jeffrey Leon Battle, Patrice Lumumba Ford, Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal, Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal, Habis Abdullah al Saoub and October Martinique Lewis engaged in weapons training in Washougal, Washington, starting in late September 2001, to prepare to fight with Taliban forces. . - "U.S. Arrests 6 on Terror Charges," by Ted Bridis, Friday, October 4, 2002 Associated Press *
The men engaged in weapons training in Washougal, Wash., starting in late September 2001, to prepare to fight with Taliban forces. Some of the men sent money to others overseas to support their efforts, the court documents charged. - "U.S. Charges 6 in al-Qaida Plot" by Ted Bridis, AP, October 4 2002 *
Battle, Ahmed Bilal and al Saoub engaged in weapons training in Washougal, Wash., starting in late September 2001, to prepare to fight with Taliban forces. - FBI Charges Six With Terrorism (one a member of US military) , Fox News , Friday, October 04, 2002 *
Federal officials say four of the suspects - including Jeffery Leon Battle and Patrice Lumumba Ford - also engaged in weapons training at a gravel pit in Washington state two weeks after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. - "Latest U.S. Citizens Arrested on Terror Charges Have Varied Pasts; 1 Worked for Politicians, " by Gilian Flaccus, AP via TBO, October 5, 2002

SEPTEMBER 29, 2001 : (WASHINGTON COUPLE NOTIFY POLICE ABOUT UNUSUAL GUNFIRE AT GRAVEL PIT) A couple alerted authorities to unusual gunfire at a Slamania County, Washington, gravel pit. Irma and Jack Collins live directly above the gravel pit where the alleged terrorists were practicing with weapons. “We heard some shots down there and then every once in a while there would be a brrrrrrr like a machine gun,” said Jack Collins. “We heard you could tell there were five or six guns, they were rapid fire guns.” The gravel pit is located in a secluded area at mile-post 26 on Highway 14 about a mile from a locked gate. The gravel pit is where Skamania County Deputy Mark Mercer confronted the men. He didn't arrest the men even though they were trespassing but he did get important information that he sent on to the joint task force. - "Skamania couple sounded alarm on suspicious activity, " story.asp-ID=50868 katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=50868

SEPTEMBER 29, 2001 : (WASHINGTON, PORTLAND GROUP IS OBSERVED WHILE PRACTICING IN GRAVEL PIT BY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY MERCER, LEBANESE STEITIYE RAISES SUSPICION) The investigation began on Sept. 29, 2001, when a sheriff's deputy in Washington state, responding to a noise complaint, discovered some people in "Middle Eastern attire" firing weapons at a gravel pit. The deputy made no arrests, since they were breaking no laws. But the clothing and foreign accent of one man, a Lebanese citizen named Ali Khaled Steitiye, stuck in his mind. (A later indictment in October 2002 said that after Sept. 11, Jeffery Leon Battle, Ahmed Bilal and al Saoub "engaged in weapons training in Washougal, Wash., to prepare to fight with the Taliban forces allied with Osama bin Laden." They allegedly fired weapons into a gravel pit.) - "FEDS BUST NEW BIN LADEN ‘CELL' " by Andy Geller, New York Post , 10/05/02*
A Skamania County, Wash., sheriff's deputy responding to a noise complaint discovered some people in "Middle Eastern attire" firing weapons at a gravel pit. The sheriff's department contacted the FBI, starting the investigation that led to the arrest of some "Portland group" members. - FBI Charges Six With Terrorism (one a member of US military) , Fox News , Friday, October 04, 2002 *

2001 post 911 : (PORTLAND GROUP, ADLOUNI) A Lake OswegoRotary group invited Fareed Adlouni and other members of his mosque, Islamic Center of Portland, to speak at one of their meetings last year to share their views on the September 11 attacks. “The first thing that annoyed people was his refusal to stand and salute the flag,” Rotary member Phil Engstrom said. “We begin our meetings with a flag salute and that tipped people off to what they might expect.” Engstrom says after a brief introduction about Islam, Adlouni went on to point out there was no direct proof Osama bin Laden was behind the September 11 attacks. Engstrom says Adlouni also criticized U.S. policy in the Middle East, blaming American sanctions for the lack of food and death of a million children in Iraq. “It was indeed shocking to the whole club, I think,” Engstrom said. “The reaction was quite uniform in one respect--that we didn't like what we heard.”- "Terror Investigation Focuses on Portland, Oregon and Other Cities," KATU-TV Portland, September 17, 2002

2001 late : (PORTLAND GROUP LEWIS & BATTLE'S NEIGHBOR CALLS FBI BECAUSE BATTLE'S SON APPROVED OF 911, GETS PLATE NUMBERS FOR FBI) Neighbor Matt Hawkey said he called the FBI about a year ago after Battle's young son told his children the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were a good thing. He said agents enlisted him to turn in 30 to 40 license plate numbers from the cars of people involved in the late-night meetings. "(The FBI) told me, 'Be careful. Do not approach these people,'" Hawkey said. - "Latest U.S. Citizens Arrested on Terror Charges Have Varied Pasts; 1 Worked for Politicians, " by Gilian Flaccus, AP via TBO, October 5, 2002 (* My note: this was probably before the Portland Group set out for China and Afghanistan)

2001 : (PORTLAND CELL : HAWASH LAID OFF AT INTEL, BECOMES CONTRACTOR) Hawash was laid off in 2001 but has since been working at Intel as a contract software engineer, he said. - "FBI jails ex-Intel worker," by Matthew Yi, SF Chronicle Staff Writer, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/04/02/BU291043.DTL, Wednesday, April 2, 2003

OCTOBER. 3, 2001 : In October, less than two months after moving into the apartment complex, Ahmed Bilal and Correne moved out of their southwest Portland apartment Ford had previously occupied. Correne Bilal told Elaghil that they planned to divorce. Recently (2002) , she dropped by the apartment to pick up some belongings and told Elaghil she was moving to New Jersey after an arranged marriage to a Middle Eastern man. - "Terror Case Stuns Those Who Know Suspects," by JULIE SULLIVAN, The Oregonian , October 6, 2002

OCTOBER 2001 - FEBRUARY 2002 : () Battle, Lumumba Ford and Muhammad Bilal went to Hong Kong in October 2001 and returned to Portland by February, the indictment alleges. Lewis is accused of remaining in Portland and wiring money to the men. - "Terror Case Stuns Those Who Know Suspects," by JULIE SULLIVAN, The Oregonian , October 6, 2002

OCTOBER 2001 ?: (HAWASH, LAID OFF BY INTEL, TRAVELS TO CHINA PERHAPS WHEN PORTLAND GROUP DOES?) Mr. McGeady, his boss there, said Mr. Hawash went back to Nablus to visit his family several years ago and had trouble returning to the United States until Intel officials intervened. (* Just when exactly did he go back home? I'm curious because according to the NY Times, he went via Hong Kong and I want to know if this trip occured when the peope in the Portland cell went. Was it in October 2001, when the Portland group was traveling via Hong Kong to Afghanistan, or was it perhaps in the mid 90s when Patrice Lumuba Ford was studying in Beijing? )

OCTOBER 2001 : (PORTLAND GROUP, SOME TRAVEL TO AFGHANISTAN VIA CHINA) As U.S. troops entered into battle against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, the defendants began to travel to Afghanistan to join forces with Taliban and al-Qaida troops. They also purchased airline tickets to Hong Kong with the intent of traveling to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan via China and Pakistan. - "Detroit FBI Arrest Alleged Terrorist, " WDIV NBC Detroit *
Some members of the "Portland Group" (Jeffrey Leon Battle, Patrice Lumumba Ford, Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal, Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal, Habis Abdullah al Saoub and October Martinique Lewis) began traveling to Afghanistan in October 2001 to fight with Taliban troops against U.S. forces. Some of the men sent money to others overseas to support their efforts, the court documents charged - "U.S. Arrests 6 on Terror Charges," by Ted Bridis, Friday, October 4, 2002 Associated Press *
Some of the men began traveling to Afghanistan to fight with Taliban troops against U.S. forces. - "U.S. Charges 6 in al-Qaida Plot" by Ted Bridis, AP, October 4 2002 * Jeffery Leon Battle, Lumumba Ford, Ahmed Bilal, Muhammad Bilal and Abdullah al Saoub set out for Afghanistan in October 2001 and tried to enter the country by way of China but failed, Ashcroft said. - FBI Charges Six With Terrorism (one a member of US military) , Fox News , Friday, October 04, 2002

OCTOBER 2001 : (PORTLAND GROUP, SOME FLY TO HONG KONG) In October 2001, Battle, Ford, Ahmed and Muhammad Bilal and al Saoub flew to Hong Kong, planning to enter Afghanistan by crossing the Chinese border. Lewis stayed behind and wired money to Battle eight times "with the knowledge the money would be used to support his attempt to reach Afghanistan," Ashcroft said. - "FEDS BUST NEW BIN LADEN ‘CELL' " by Andy Geller, New York Post , 10/05/02

OCTOBER 2001 : (PORTLAND GROUP MEMBER LEWIS WIRES MONEY TO BATTLE) October Martinique Lewis, Battle's ex-wife, stayed behind and wired money to Jeffery Leon Battle eight times "with the knowledge the money would be used to support his attempt to reach Afghanistan" to help Al Qaeda and the Taliban, according to the attorney general. - FBI Charges Six With Terrorism (one a member of US military) , Fox News , Friday, October 04, 2002

OCTOBER 2001 : (PORTLAND GROUP TRAVELS TO CHINA) According to the indictment, five of the suspects set out with the intention of helping al-Qaida fight U.S. troops but never made it through the Chinese border. October Martinique Lewis stayed in Portland and wired information and more than $4,000 to Jeffery Leon Battle, her ex-husband, as he tried to join the Taliban, the indictment states. - "Latest U.S. Citizens Arrested on Terror Charges Have Varied Pasts; 1 Worked for Politicians, " by Gilian Flaccus, AP via TBO

OCTOBER 24, 2001 : (PORTLAND GROUP, LEBANAESE HAMAS SUPPORTER STEITIYE ARRESTED) Ali Khaled Steitiye was arrested after a gun dealer alerted police a man had tried to fraudulently buy an assault rifle from him. Investigators later searched the man's car and his home. In the car, they found a fully loaded Russian-made 9mm pistol, a Romanian-made assault rifle, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition and a machete, Portland Police Chief Kroeker said. At the suspect's southwest Portland home police found Social Security cards, credit cards and an immigration green card that are also believed to have been fraudulently obtained, Kroeker said. Also found in the home was a calendar with the date Sept. 11 highlighted, the plaque with the word "Hamas," and $20,000 in cash, Kroeker said.- "Lebanese man who trained at guerrilla camps arrested in Portland," By William McCall, The Associated Press, 12/11/01 9:01 PM *
Ali Khaled Steitiye was arrested in Portland for having an illegal weapons cache. Steitiye is a Hamas sympathizer who was found to have circled the date Sept. 11 in red on his calendar.- "FEDS BUST NEW BIN LADEN ‘CELL' " by Andy Geller, New York Post , 10/05/02 *
Ali Khaled Steitiye was arrested Oct. 24 with a 9 mm pistol and a 7.62 mm assault rifle and more than 1,000 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition. Federal agents who searched his apartment found $20,000 in cash and a calendar with the date of Sept. 11 circled. His attorney, Dennis Balske, said authorities are overreacting to Steitiye because of post Sept. 11 hysteria and that the man was candid with police when he said he had received weapons training in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon as a boy, but that it was not a guerrilla training camp as some authorities alleged.- "Jailed man faces more charges," The Associated Press, Sunday January 13, 2002 *
Ali Khaled Steitiye was arrested in Portland, OR, after a gun dealer alerted police a man had tried to fraudulently buy an assault rifle from him. Investigators later searched the man's car and his home. Portland's joint terrorism task force -- which consists of federal agents and city police -- then placed the man under surveillance. In the car, they found a fully loaded Russian-made 9mm pistol, a Romanian-made assault rifle, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition and a machete, Portland Police Chief Kroeker said. At the suspect's southwest Portland home police found Social Security cards, credit cards and an immigration green card that are also believed to have been fraudulently obtained, Kroeker said. Also found in the home was a calendar with the date Sept. 11 highlighted, the plaque with the word "Hamas," and $20,000 in cash, Kroeker said. It was not clear whether the suspect had highlighted the date before or after the attacks on Sept. 11, or whether he had any links to the attacks, Kroeker said. Steitiye has been an American citizen since last year, but is believed to have obtained his citizenship fraudulently, Kroeker said. Steitiye was in federal custody at an undisclosed location, Kroeker said. Kroeker also said the suspect has told police he received training at Lebanese guerrilla camps, and that at the man's Portland home.- "Lebanese man who trained at guerrilla camps arrested in Portland," By William McCall, The Associated Press, 12/11/01 9:01 PM *

OCTOBER 2001 : (WASHINGTON DEPUTY CONTACTS FBI ABOUT STEITIYE AND THE GRAVEL PIT INCIDENT, PORTLAND GROUP) The Washington state sheriff's deputy who had investigated a noise complaint at a gravel pit in Washington state on September 29, 2001and seen the curious group in Middle Eastern attire there, contacted the FBI after he heard Steitiye was arrested in Portland for having an illegal weapons cache- "FEDS BUST NEW BIN LADEN ‘CELL' " by Andy Geller, New York Post , 10/05/02

NOVEMBER 2, 2001 : (PORTLAND GROUP UNABLE TO CROSS CHINESE BORDER) On Nov. 2, 2001, Jeffery Leon Battle told his ex-wife the five were unable to cross the Chinese border. - "FEDS BUST NEW BIN LADEN ‘CELL' " by Andy Geller, New York Post , 10/05/02

NOVEMBER 2, 2001 : In a November e-mail, Battle told Lewis that he and other members of the cell had "encountered difficulties in crossing the borders to accomplish their goal of entering Afghanistan to fight for al-Qaida and the Taliban against the United States and its allies. - "Six charged with trying to join Taliban, al-Qaida Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 10-9-02 | REBECCA CARR

NOVEMBER 21, 2001 : (PORTLAND, OREGON REFUSE DOJ HELP) Portland police have refused a U.S. Justice Department request for help in interviewing Middle Eastern immigrants as part of its sweeping terrorism investigation, saying it would violate state law. (AP)
From a freeper (lost screen name?) : Although initially Police Chief Kroeker took the heat for the decision, the refusal to conduct the investigation had Mayor Katz's fingerprints all over it. Even after Oregon's Attorney General Hardy Myers and Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Shrunk concluded that the Portland City Attorney was wrong, and that police questioning of foreigners would not violate Oregon law, despite a tidal wave of public criticism of the city's decision, Mayor Katz refused to back down. In an editorial, even The Oregonian disagreed with Katz and Rogers. In political terms, it is apparent from her refusal to rethink her position, that the Mayor is unfamiliar with the concept "Cut your losses."

NOVEMBER 30, 2001 : Battle sent Lewis another e-mail message announcing that "three of the brothers could have made it by now," referring to entering Afghanistan to fight for al-Qaida and the Taliban. - "Six charged with trying to join Taliban, al-Qaida," Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 10-9-02 | REBECCA CARR

DECEMBER 2001 : Lewis sent Battle a note a few days later, after November 30, warning him that the U.S. armed forces in Afghanistan had captured Americans fighting for the Taliban. "The US captured three (A)mericans out there trying to fight on you know who side," (sic) the e-mail stated, according to the indictment. - "Six charged with trying to join Taliban, al-Qaida," Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 10-9-02 | REBECCA CARR

DECEMBER 2001 : (PORTLAND, OR) Portland police have rejected U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's request for help in questioning thousands of young Middle Eastern men because the interviews likely would violate state law, the bureau's acting police chief said Tuesday. Andrew Kirkland, an assistant police chief who is in charge of the Portland Police Bureau while Chief Mark Kroeker is on vacation this week, said the bureau was immediately troubled by the request when it arrived late last week. Ashcroft has announced a plan to interview 5,000 men on an FBI list as part of the nation's developing anti-terrorism efforts. But Kirkland said the federal government's multiple-page document on the plan and a list of 200 men in the Portland area contained "no specific information" about crimes for which they might be suspected. "It was fairly general," Kirkland said, "and some of the things it asked of us we questioned if we could do them or if we wanted to do them." Without giving details, Kirkland said he, Kroeker and city attorneys were concerned the request violated Oregon law prohibiting local police from questioning immigrants when there is no evidence they are connected to a crime and foreign citizenship is the only issue. "You can't use personnel and equipment just to go out and randomly interview people solely on immigration," Kirkland said. Portland's is the only police department known to have refused to cooperate with Ashcroft's request for assistance in questioning people in an attempt to gather more information in the nation's intensifying terrorism investigation.
Because of the length of the national list, and Ashcroft's desire to complete the interviews within 30 days, the attorney general sees the help of local police departments as crucial. Kirkland said he had heard that police departments in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Tucson, Ariz., were beginning to raise similar concerns. Michael Mosman, the U.S. attorney for Oregon, said he wasn't concerned about the Police Bureau's decision and that other law enforcement agencies in the state "are more than willing to help." He added that he is confident the plan doesn't violate any state or federal laws.
Not all of the men on the list are from the Middle East and none is a suspected terrorist, Mosman said. "They're not people with a criminal history," he said. "As far as we know, every one of them is here lawfully and engaging in lawful lives... They didn't get on the list because of race or ethnicity." When asked how they wound up on an anti-terrorism list, Mosman said they had come to the United States in the past two years on tourism, student and business visas from countries with terrorist links. He said the effort was tantamount to a traffic officer arriving to the scene of a car wreck and attempting to interview everyone standing around. "We are interviewing a number of people nationwide just to get more information," he said. Portland's decision, he said, was "a tempest in a teapot," especially since the bureau is actively involved with other efforts to fight terrorism.
Kirkland said he was personally concerned that a city with a growing immigrant population might view the interviews as racial profiling. But the decision, ultimately, was based on "troubles with (Ashcroft's) directive," he said. Mayor Vera Katz had not seen the request, yet was aware of the bureau decision, calling it "a wise one." "I do have a concern when we're asked to do something that violates state law," she said .- Lars Larson, December 10,. 2001

DECEMBER 2001 early : (PORTLAND GROUP, STEITIYE INDICTED) Ali Khaled Steitiye was indicted by a federal grand jury for illegal possession of firearms and for lying on the federal form used to conduct a background check. In a search of his home, police found weapons, ammunition, $20,000 in cash, fake citizenship documents, and fraudulent social security cards. He had been arrested in Beaverton, Oregon after he attempted to purchase a gun from The Gun Broker, a federally licensed gun dealer in Tigard. Steitiye, a Lebanese native, has a long record of felony convictions from various states. (*My note: In other words, he shouldn't have been loose in the first place.)

DECEMBER 2001 : (PORTLAND POLICE SAY THEY ARE COOPERATING WITH FEDS) Kroeker was clearly proud of the arrest, whose announcement follows criticism of his police department for being the first in the nation to reject a federal request to participate in the nationwide interviews of 5,000 people as part of the anti-terror investigation. "We are not making the point that the Portland Police Bureau is any better than any other organization," Kroeker said at a news conference to announce the arrest. "The point I want to make is this organization is working in full cooperation" with federal agencies, Kroeker said. - "Lebanese man who trained at guerrilla camps arrested in Portland," By William McCall, The Associated Press, 12/11/01 9:01 PM

DECEMBER 2001 : (PORTLAND GROUP, GLOBAL RELIEF FOUNDATION SHUT DOWN) Global Relief Foundation was shut down by federal authorities, and it's being investigated for possibly funding al Qaeda's terrorist activities. - "Terror Investigation Focuses on Portland, Oregon and Other Cities," KATU-TV Portland, September 17, 2002

DECEMBER 2001 : (GLOBAL RELIEF FOUNDATION ASSSETS FROZEN) In December 2001, the Treasury Department froze the foundation's bank accounts and confiscated its computers. - "FBI jails ex-Intel worker," by Matthew Yi, SF Chronicle Staff Writer, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/04/02/BU291043.DTL, Wednesday, April 2, 2003

JANUARY 2002 : (BANGLADESH, PORTLAND GROUP, BATTLE GETS US ARMY RESERVE DISCHARGE WHILE IN BANGLADESH) Jeffery Leon Battle obtained an administrative discharge from the U.S. Army Reserve in January 2002. An indictment on October 4, 2002 said Battle had enlisted to receive training in U.S. tactics and weapons, which Battle ultimately intended to use against American soldiers.- "U.S. Arrests 6 on Terror Charges," by Ted Bridis, Friday, October 4, 2002 Associated Press*
He was discharged for failing to show up to advanced training.*
Jeffrey Leon Battle obtained an administrative discharge from the US Army reserves in January 2002 while in Bangladesh. Court papers identified the six as Battle, Patrice Lumumba Ford, Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal, Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal, Habis Abdullah al Saoub and October Martinique Lewis, the ex-wife of Battle. - "U.S. Charges 6 in al-Qaida Plot" by Ted Bridis, AP, October 4 2002

JANUARY 10, 2002 Thursday : (PORTLAND GROUP, SECOND STEITIYE INDICTMENT ON FRAUD) Portland, OR - A Portlander jailed since October on federal weapons charges has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a variety of fraud counts including unlawfully obtaining American citizenship. Ali Khaled Steitiye, 39, was indicted Thursday on the citizenship charge plus charges of credit card fraud, possessing a counterfeit resident alien card, making false statements in an application for Medicaid, food stamp fraud and misusing fraudulently obtained Social Security numbers. He was originally jailed on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and making false statements on an application to buy a firearm. A trial date has been set for May 7. He has pleaded innocent.- "Jailed man faces more charges," The Associated Press, Sunday January 13, 2002

SEPTEMBER 2002 approx : (PORTLAND GROUP MEMBER BILAL OF OR MOVES IN WITH SISTER IN MI) Muhammad Bilal lives with a sister in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn for about a month before October 4, 2002. Before that he had traveled to Hong Kong, to China, and to Indonesia. He had previously lived in Oregon. - FBI Charges Six With Terrorism (one a member of US military) , Fox News , Friday, October 04, 2002

SEPTEMBER 9, 2002 : (OREGON, SHEIK KARIYE ARRESTED FOR SS FRAUD, EXPLOSIVES RESIDUE ON LUGGAGE) Sheik Mohamed Abdirahman Kariye, a prayer leader at another Muslim site not far away from the mosque near where the Portland members of the Portland group resided, the Islamic Center of Portland, was arrested Sept. 9 2002 and charged with Social Security fraud. The FBI initially said traces of explosives residue were found on his luggage, but further tests ruled out the residue. Kariye remains in jail. - FBI Charges Six With Terrorism (one a member of US military) , Fox News , Friday, October 04, 2002

SEPTEMBER 2002 : (PORTLAND GROUP, STEITIYE SENTENCED, HAMAS INVOLVED IN 9/11) Lebanese citizen Ali Khaled Steitiye was sentenced to 21/2 years in prison. He had been arrested in Portland October 2001 for having an illegal weapons cache. He is the Hamas sympathizer who was found to have circled the date Sept. 11 in red on his calendar. - "FEDS BUST NEW BIN LADEN ‘CELL' " by Andy Geller, New York Post , 10/05/02

SEPTEMBER 2002 : (PORTLAND GROUP, ISLAMIC CENTER OF PORTLAND, KARIYE ARRESTED) First there was the arrest last week of Mohamed Abdirahman Kariye, a leader of the mosque the Islamic Center of Portland. Authorities said Kariye was discovered at Portland International Airport with a one way ticket, several thousand dollars in cash and a suitcase with traces of TNT inside. His fellow mosque members say there is no way he is a terrorist or even someone with terrorist ties. - "Terror Investigation Focuses on Portland, Oregon and Other Cities," KATU-TV Portland, September 17, 2002

OCTOBER 2002 : (GLOBAL RELIEF FOUNDATION ADDED TO UN LIST OFF SANCTIONED ORGANIZATIONS) United Nations — The U.S.-based organization Global Relief Foundation has been added to the United Nations list of organizations and individuals subject to sanctions. The Security Council Sanctions Committee set up to monitor sanctions against al Qaeda and Taliban operatives placed the organization on its list during its meeting October 22. Based in Bridgeview, Illinois, Global Relief Foundation is also know as Fondation Secours Mondial and has offices in several other countries including France, Belgium, Albania, Pakistan, Turkey, Bosnia, and Kosovo. The sanctions imposed under resolution 1267 require nations to freeze the group's financial resources and ensure they are not used by the group or passed on to the Taliban or Usama bin Laden and his al Qaeda terrorist organization. The resolution also requires nations to prevent the supply or sale of weapons to the organization and prevent its members from entering or traveling through their territories. - "Global Relief Foundation Placed on U.N. Terror List : Nations required to freeze funds of U.S. based organization," By Judy Aita , Washington File Staff Writer , 24 October 2002

OCTOBER 3, 2002 : (PORTLAND GROUP INDICTMENT) a federal grand jury in Portland, Oregon, indicted JEFFREY LEON BATTLE aka Ahmad Ali and Abu Isa, PATRICE LUMUMBA FORD aka Lumumba, AHMED IBRAHIM BILAL, MUHAMMAD IBRAHIM BILAL, HABIS ABDULLA AL SAOUB aka Abu Tarek, and OCTOBER MARTINIQUE LEWIS aka Khadijah. An indictment is a formal method of bringing charges, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. All six people face the following charges:

* Conspiracy to Levy War Against the United States ,
* Conspiracy to Provide Material Support and Resources to Al-Qaida ,
* Conspiracy to Contribute Services to Al-Qaida and the Taliban

BATTLE, FORD, AL SAOUB and A. BILAL each face a fourth charge:

* Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of Crimes of Violence

OCTOBER 4, 2002 : (PORTLAND GROUP CHARGED) Authorities named six people, Jeffrey Leon Battle, Patrice Lumumba Ford, Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal, Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal, Habis Abdullah al Saoub and October Martinique Lewis (apparently female) on Friday in Oregon and Michigan on charges they conspired to wage war on the US and provide support to al-Qaida. One of them, Jeffery Leon Battle, was a former U.S. soldier, Ashcroft said. A federal grand jury indicted the men on charges of conspiracy to levy war against the US, conspiracy to provide material support and resources to al Qaida, conspiracy to contribute services to al Qaida and the Taliban and possessing firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence. Court records unsealed Friday said the six men traveled to Afghanistan for training. Attorney General John Ashcroft also noted the sentencing in federal court Friday of John Walker Lindh and the guilty plea in Boston from accused shoe-bomber Richard Reid- "U.S. Arrests 6 on Terror Charges," by Ted Bridis, Friday, October 4, 2002 Associated Press (some errors in this article) *
A federal grand jury indicted the men on charges of conspiracy to levy war against the United States, conspiracy to provide material support and resources to al Qaida, conspiracy to contribute services to al Qaida and the Taliban and possessing firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence. Two of the six remained free overseas. Five of them were U.S. citizens. - "U.S. Charges 6 in al-Qaida Plot" by Ted Bridis, AP, October 4 2002 *

OCTOBER4, 2002 : (PORTLAND GROUP MEMBERS FORD & LEWIS ARRESTED IN OR, BILAL ARRESTED IN MI) Patrice Lamumba Ford and October Martinique Lewis were arrested in Portland, Oregon and Muhammad Bilal was taken into custody in Michigan. He had been living with a sister in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn for about a month but had previously lived in Oregon. Muhammad Bilal was held without bail after a court appearance in Detroit. Prosecutor Barbara McQuade said that Bilal had recently traveled to Hong Kong, China and Indonesia. - FBI Charges Six With Terrorism (one a member of US military) , Fox News , Friday, October 04, 2002

OCTOBER 4, 2002 : (PORTLAND GROUP ARRESTS, PORTLAND, OREGON) FBI agents and the Portland Joint Terrorism Task Force took BATTLE, age 32; FORD, age 31; and LEWIS, age 25, into custody at approximately 6:00 a.m. today. BATTLE and LEWIS were arrested at their home located at 9871 SW 35th, #32, Portland. FORD was arrested at his home located at 3132 SW Marigold, #15, Portland.

OCTOBER 4, 2002 simultaneous with Oregon arrests: (PORTLAND GROUP ARRESTS, DEARBORN, MICHIGAN) Simultaneously, the Detroit FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested MUHAMMAD BILAL, age 22, in Dearborn, Michigan. All arrests were without incident.

OCTOBER 4, 2002 : (PORTLAND GROUP ARRESTS) Patrice Lumumba Ford, Jeffery Leon Battle and October Martinique Lewis were arrested in early morning raids Friday in Portland. Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal was arrested in Detroit, and Muhammad's brother Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal and Habis Abdulla al Saoub were also indicted but remained at large Saturday. - "Latest U.S. Citizens Arrested on Terror Charges Have Varied Pasts; 1 Worked for Politicians, " by Gilian Flaccus, AP via TBO

OCTOBER 4, 2002 : (PORTLAND GROUP ARRESTS) "Earlier today agents of the Portland and Detroit joint terrorism task forces arrested suspected terrorist cell members charged with engaging in a conspiracy to join al-Qaida and to join Taliban forces fighting against the United States," Ashcroft said. Ashcroft said that the alleged conspiracy names six defendants, five of whom are U.S. residents, including one individual with U.S. military training. Ashcroft named the six: Jeffrey Leon Battle, Patrice Lumumba Ford, Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal, Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal, Habis Abdullah al Saoub and October Martinique Lewis. Four are in custody and two remain at large overseas, Ashcroft said. "Today's arrests follow the capture in suburban Buffalo, N.Y.," Ashcroft said. Those charged face four counts each, according to Ashcroft. They are charged with: conspiracy to levy war against the United States; conspiracy to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations; conspiracy to contribute services to al-Qaida and the Taliban; possession of firearms to further crimes of violence. If convicted of the crimes, the defendants will face up to life in prison. - "Detroit FBI Arrest Alleged Terrorist, " WDIV NBC Detroit * Hailing a "defining day" in the fight against terrorism, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced the arrests of four people in Oregon and Michigan on Friday on charges of conspiring to wage war on the United States and support Al Qaeda. Authorities arrested four people in Oregon and Michigan -- including a former U.S. Army reservist. Two other suspects were indicted and were being sought overseas. Five of the six in the latest indictment are U.S. citizens. According to prosecutors, some of them took weapons training and then tried to travel to Afghanistan to join up with Al Qaeda and the Taliban, but could not get into the country. Ashcroft said one of those arrested, Jeffrey Leon Battle, joined the U.S. Army Reserves to obtain training in U.S. tactics and weapons. Ashcroft said Battle, who was discharged last January while in Bangladesh, intended to use that experience against American soldiers in Afghanistan. Battle later "caused himself to be discharged" from the Army, Ashcroft said without elaborating. Court papers identified the six as Battle, 32; Patrice Lumumba Ford, 31; Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal, 24; his brother Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal, 22; Habis Abdullah al Saoub, 37; and October Martinique Lewis, 25, the ex-wife of Battle. Ashcroft, meanwhile, said the FBI is looking into whether other Portland-area residents may have also gone to Afghanistan with the same intention as the six indicted. The charges against the six included conspiracy to levy war against the United States, conspiracy to provide material support and resources to al Qaida, conspiracy to contribute services to Al Qaeda and the Taliban and possessing firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence. - FBI Charges Six With Terrorism (one a member of US military) , Fox News , Friday, October 04, 2002

OCTOBER 4, 2002 : (PORTLAND GROUP) Four suspected terrorist cell members - including a former U.S. Army reservist - were busted on charges of trying to travel to Afghanistan to join al Qaeda after the Sept. 11 attacks. Two other suspects are being hunted overseas. Prosecutors said the plot failed because the would-be al Qaeda fighters couldn't cross the border from China into Afghanistan. "We've neutralized a suspected terrorist cell within our borders," Attorney General John Ashcroft said in announcing the arrests. He called it a "defining day" in the war on terrorism, noting it came on the same day that American Taliban John Walker Lindh was sentenced to 20 years behind bars and shoe bomber Richard Reid pleaded guilty Ashcroft said one of the suspects, Jeffrey Leon Battle, 32, had joined the Army Reserves to obtain training in U.S. tactics and weapons. Battle, who was discharged in Bangladesh last January, planned to use his training to fight American soldiers in Afghanistan, Ashcroft said. In addition to Battle, the other suspects are his ex-wife, October Martinique Lewis, 25; Patrice Lumumba Ford, 31; Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal, 24; his brother, Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal, 22, and Habis Abdullah al Saoub, 37. With the exception of al Saoub, a Jordanian, the others are American citizens and all lived in Portland at one time.The charges against the six include conspiracy to wage war against the United States, conspiracy to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda, conspiracy to contribute services to al Qaeda and the Taliban, and possessing firearms to further crimes of violence. If convicted, they could spend the rest of their lives behind bars. Battle, Ford and Lewis were busted in a 4 a.m. raid in Portland, while Muhammad Bilal was taken into custody at his sister's home in Dearborn, Mich., where he had been living for the last month. Ahmed Bilal and al Saoub were being hunted abroad. An indictment said that after Sept. 11, Battle, Ahmed Bilal and al Saoub engaged in weapons training in Washougal, Wash., to prepare to fight with the Taliban forces allied with Osama bin Laden. They allegedly fired weapons into a gravel pit. - "FEDS BUST NEW BIN LADEN ‘CELL' " by Andy Geller, New York Post , 10/05/02

OCTOBER 4, 2002 : (OREGON, PORTLAND GROUP, FORD) The Portland Mayor’s Office has informed KATU News that their office has a direct connection to Patrice Lumumba Ford, one of three terror suspects arrested by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in Portland today. Mayor Katz said in her statement: “Today’s arrests are the result of partnerships formed between the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI...today’s arrests have had a surprising dimension for my office. One of the suspected terrorists arrested today, Patrice Lumumba Ford, worked as an intern twice in my office. The first time was from May to July in 1998, and again in September 1999.” Ford also worked as an intern for Portland Mayor Bud Clark in 1986. Later in her statement Katz stated that Ford re-contacted a member of her staff in 2001, and the details of this renewed interaction concerned Katz’s staff enough that a known list of Ford’s contacts was forwarded to the Portland Police Bureau for evaluation. - "Terror suspect worked at Mayor Katz's office," story.asp-ID=50869 katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=50869

OCTOBER 4, 2002 : (PORTLAND GROUP MANHUNT OVERSEAS, PERHAPS IN MALAYSIA) AHMED BILAL, age 24, and AL SAOUB, age 36, are fugitives, and efforts are underway to locate them." * Ahmed Bilal and habis Abdullah al Saoub were being sought outside the United States. - FBI Charges Six With Terrorism (one a member of US military) , Fox News , Friday, October 04, 2002 *
Less is known about the other three indicted men. Muhammed Bilal, 24, and his 22-year-old brother, Ahmed, are natives of Saudi Arabia who at one point attended a Beaverton mosque where they were known for their fluent Arabic, said Shahriar Ahmen, president of the mosque. Ahmed Bilal is believed to be in Malaysia, a senior Malaysian government official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in october 2002. U.S. officials have asked the government of Malaysia to find and deport him. - "Latest U.S. Citizens Arrested on Terror Charges Have Varied Pasts; 1 Worked for Politicians, " by Gilian Flaccus, AP via TBO, October 5, 2002

OCTOBER 4, 2002 Friday : (OREGON, PORTLAND GROUP CASE, WHINING) Members of Portland's Muslim community were angered by the arrests. "It seems like part of the witch hunt from the FBI," said Alaa Abunijem, president of the Islamic Center. "The Muslim community in general is being targeted. People in general feel targeted." The Portland arrests occurred at an apartment complex a block from the Rizwan Mosque. - FBI Charges Six With Terrorism (one a member of US military) , Fox News , Friday, October 04, 200 OCTOBER 4, 2002 Friday : (PORTLAND GROUP, FORD PLEADS INNOCENT) Patrice Lumumba Ford pleaded innocent Friday to the charges; arraignments for October Martinique Lewis and Jeffery Leon Battle were postponed until Monday. All three remain in custody. In Detroit, Muhammed Bilal was ordered detained Friday by a federal judge who said he was a flight risk. All are U.S. citizens. - "Latest U.S. Citizens Arrested on Terror Charges Have Varied Pasts; 1 Worked for Politicians, " by Gilian Flaccus, AP via TBO, October 5, 2002

OCTOBER 5, 2002 Saturday : (PORTLAND GROUP, LUMUMBA ARRAIGNED) Patrice Lumumba Ford has been arraigned, pled innocent, trial is set for Dec 3, 2002 - FOX. Muslim groups, AS USUAL, complain that those arrested were just trying to aid their fellow muslims.

OCTOBER 6, 2002 : (PORTLAND GROUP, AHMED BILAL TURNS HIMSELF IN) Ahmed Bilal turned himself in Sunday, October 6 in Malaysia. He had been in Malaysia since January 2002, studying at an Islamic university but dropped out of sight after his indictment. - "Malaysia Deports US Militant Suspect" by JASBANT SINGH, Associated Press, October 9, 2002

OCTOBER 7, 2002 Monday : () Lewis and Battle are scheduled to enter pleas Monday. - "Terror Case Stuns Those Who Know Suspects," by JULIE SULLIVAN, The Oregonian , October 6, 2002

OCTOBER 9, 2002 : (PORTLAND GROUP, AHMED BILAL DEPORTATION) A Malaysian judge cleared the way to deport Bilal by ruling Wednesday October 9, 2002 that Ahmed Bilal was an illegal immigrant since his passport had been revoked by the U.S. government. The ruling put the case in the hands of immigration authorities and enabled the US to avoid potentially lengthy extradition proceedings. The two countries have no extradition treaty. Both the Malaysian and U.S. governments had expressed eagerness to have Bilal deported. - "Malaysia Deports US Militant Suspect" by JASBANT SINGH, Associated Press, October 9, 2002

OCTOBER 10, 2002 Thursday : (PORTLAND GROUP, AHMED BILA DEPORTED FROM MALAYSIA) A suspected American Islamic militant was deported Thursday from Malaysia to face charges of conspiring to fight with al-Qaida in Afghanistan, U.S. and Malaysian officials said. Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal was on a flight to the US. Officials would not disclose the exact destination, but he was indicted last week in federal court in Portland, OR. A U.S. Embassy spokesman confirmed Thursday that Bilal had left the country, but refused to talk details. Malaysian officials said on condition of anonymity that the deportation to the United States had taken place. The departure was carried out secretly and occurred at mid-morning Thursday local time, officials said. Bilal was believed to be aboard a direct non-commercial flight. The armed U.S. marshals who normally escort prisoners are not allowed to fly on foreign carriers. No U.S. airline flies directly from Kuala Lumpur to the US. Police officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that Bilal would have been escorted to the airport in the custody of both police and immigration officers "to make sure he boards the plane." The U.S. government says Bilal and five others tried to get into Afghanistan to fight U.S. troops. Four were arrested last week in Oregon and Michigan. The remaining suspect was still at large. Bilal was allegedly one of five members of the ring who tried to travel to Afghanistan, though none made it that far. Bilal's brother has been arrested in Michigan and three others in Oregon. Another suspect, Abdullah al Saoub, is being sought overseas. The charges against them include conspiracy to levy war against the United States and conspiracy to provide material support and resources to al-Qaida. - "Malaysia Deports US Militant Suspect" by JASBANT SINGH, Associated Press, October 9, 2002

NOVEMBER 2002 : (PORTLAND CELL : HAWASH : OREGONIAN INTERVIEWS HAWASH ABOUT GLOBAL RELIEF FOUNDATION) The Oregonian interviewed Hawash by phone last November about his donations to the Global Relief Foundation. He said he made the donations after someone from Global Relief came to town to make a presentation at either the Bilal Mosque or Islamic Center of Portland. He said he couldn't recall the name of the GRF speaker. "The organization is legit," he said. "We believed that they are doing good work. It's a well-known organization." He said at the time that no investigators had questioned him about the foundation. - "FBI, Joint Terrorism agents search home in Hillsboro," by MARK LARABEE and LES ZAITZ, The Oregonian, 03/21/03

DECEMBER 3, 2002 : (PORTLAND GROUP MEMBER FORD'S TRIAL DATE)

MARCH 20, 2003, 7 AM : (PORTLAND CELL : HAWASH, IN INTEL PARKING LOT, IS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY OF FBI ; EVIDENCE SEIZED FROM HOME) Hawash was picked up by FBI agents at about 7 a.m. on March 20 as he arrived at the parking lot for his job at Intel's Hawthorne Farms office in Hillsboro, Ore., said Steven McGeady, Hawash's former boss and friend, in a telephone interview with The Chronicle on Tuesday Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy said FBI agents also have searched Hawash's cubicle and computer system at work. At about the same time, armed federal agents wearing bullet-proof vests stormed into Hawash's home and seized his computers and files, said McGeady, who spoke with Lisa Hawash about the incident. Hawash's wife and their three young children were asleep when authorities arrived at their home, McGeady said. "Lisa wasn't taken into custody, but they seized all their computers, files and left her with a grand jury subpoena," he said. Although Lisa Hawash has been able to visit her husband a couple of times a week, neither of them has been told by authorities why he is being detained, McGeady said. - "FBI jails ex-Intel worker," by Matthew Yi, SF Chronicle Staff Writer, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/04/02/BU291043.DTL, Wednesday, April 2, 2003

MARCH 20, 2003 : (FBI PRESS RELEASE POSSIBLY ON HAWASH, RELEASED AT THE SAME TIME THE FBI WAS CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS OF IRAQI CITIZENS BUT ACCORDING TO FBI, NOT RELATED TO THEM)

For Immediate Release
Date: March 20, 2003
Contact: Special Agent Jerry Hill
(503) 229-9870 (pager)
Joint Terrorism Task Force Searches
Charles Mathews III, Special Agent in Charge (SAC), of the FBI in Oregon, and Michael Mosman, U.S. Attorney for Oregon, announced today that the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), executed four federal search warrants in the Hillsboro, Oregon, area at approximately 7:00AM on Thursday, 03/20/2003. The Hillsboro Police Department also assisted in these activities. These searches were related to an ongoing investigation which is continuing in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area.
The searches were not related to the FBI’s interviews of Iraqi citizens which are being conducted due to the outbreak of war with Iraq. Since the search warrants are sealed, the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office will have no further comment.

APRIL 1, 2003 Tuesday : (PORTLAND CELL : HAWASH IN FEDERAL PRISON IN SHERIDAN, OR AS MATERIAL WITNESS) A contract worker for Intel Corp. is being held in a federal prison in Oregon as part of an investigation by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. Maher Mofeid Hawash, 38, on Tuesday remained in federal prison in Sheridan, Ore., as a material witness, said Sheila Meyer, investigative research specialist for the U.S. marshal's office in Portland. FBI spokeswoman Beth Anne Steele in Portland declined to comment on the case. Telephone messages left at the U.S. attorney's office in Portland as well as with lawyers representing Hawash and his wife, Lisa Hawash, were not returned Tuesday. - "FBI jails ex-Intel worker," by Matthew Yi, SF Chronicle Staff Writer, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/04/02/BU291043.DTL, Wednesday, April 2, 2003

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