Ashcroft Vindicated Again

The Weekly Standard ^ | 8/18/03 | The Scrapbook

[Recovering_Democrat]

The campaign to "free Mike Hawash" sputtered to a halt last week. Hawash is a former Intel engineer who has been widely portrayed as the victim of a Bush administration anti-Muslim witch hunt ever since the FBI picked him up in a parking lot outside his Oregon workplace last March. Hawash was held as a maaterial witness to an al Qaeda conspiracy for five weeks before being charged as a member of that conspiracy. Shortly after he was detained, his former Intel boss Steve McGeady launched a publicity offensive on behalf of his friend, whom McGeady described as a prisoner in "John Ashcroft's war on our Constitution."

In most respects, this campaign was a huge success. The media were quite receptive to the idea that Hawash was being held because he conformed to a "stereotype set up by the Justice Department to vilify Mike and other Arab-Americans," as McGeady put it. You can get a sense of just how receptive reporters were by perusing the vast array of clips at freemikehawash.org/coverage/index.htm.

But a funny thing happened on the way to Hawash's martyrdom: He pled guilty to one of the conspiracy counts against him. Last week, as part of his agreement, Hawash admitted that he set out for China in October 2001 in an unsuccesful attempt to enter Afghanistan with a group of men known as the "Portland Six." They were, he testified, "prepared to take up arms and die as martyrs" fighting for the Taliban against the United States. Moreover, Hawash said he "knew what he agreed to do was a violation of the law."

The group, financed in part by Hawash, were hardly unsuspecting dupes. To get into the fight, they flew first to Hong Kong and then to Urumqi in western China, where they caught a train to Kashgar, hoping to cross into Pakistan and then Afghanistan. Failing in that, they took a train to Beijing, where they applied for visas from the Pakistani embayssy, which turned them down. At that point Hawash returend to his wife and kids in Oregon. As a result of his plea, he will serve up to 10 years in prison and will assist the government in its prosecution of the men who traveled with him.

In May, McGeady wrote to the Oregonian, "If Mike Hawash is ultimately convicted of a crime, he should be held to account like anyone, but I would rather sacrifice my own credibility in his support and look a fool if he is guilty" than have him "emerge months from now, exonerated but friendless." To bad for McGeady that his friend wasn't worthy of such loyalty.

[Recovering_Democrat]

I've seen John Ashcroft attacked from whackjob leftists and tinfoil hate rightists. Never do they offer proof of the AG's danger. This is offered as evidence that he and his department are working hard to protect American lives.

[Crusader21stCentury]

This is offered as evidence that he and his department are working hard to protect American lives.

Let me know when he removes his nose from our behinds and heads over to the borders.

[W04Man]

Bravo, great post!!

[=Intervention=]

That's not his job. That's border patrol, which is under Homeland security (Ridge).

[jwalsh07]

Bump for Ashcroft and the hunters.

[Bonaparte]

"...but I would rather sacrifice my own credibility in his support and look a fool if he is guilty..."

You have. And you do.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

To bad for McGeady that his friend wasn't worthy of such loyalty.

Too bad for all of us, really.

And had he been, it's likely that Ashcroft wouldn't have been prosecuting him in the first place. So we can hopefully presume . . .

[gaspar]

McGeady is a graduate of Reed College, and that should tell you much of what you want to know about the man. He achieved a moment of fame when he testified against Microsoft in the anti-trust suit -- and was accused by Microsoft lawyers of "making up quotes". He is now heading something called Drumlin Holdings, an investment company. One is left to speculate if his business acumen is any better than his choice of personal cause to champion.

[witnesstothefall]

http://www.mcgeady.com/mcg/prof/mcgbio.htm

[LiteKeeper]

Let me know when he removes his nose from our behinds and heads over to the borders.

That was uncalled for. Do you think you could do any better defending this country with the various leftist forces arrayed against you?

[Crusader21stCentury]

That was uncalled for. Do you think you could do any better defending this country with the various leftist forces arrayed against you?

It would take no new law to protect us from the threat on the borders. All it would take is the political balls to do it. But Mr. Ashcroft would rather go after citizens than illegals. It looks better to the left.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Been a member for 3 whole days, eh? Say hi to you're DU buddies.

[Recovering_Democrat]

P.S. to Hoffman: Try taking some spelling lessons sometime. They still teach that in 3rd grade, right?

[whd23]

For the life of me, I can't understand why people on both the left and right vilify Ashcroft. If the powers granted to his office by the "Patriot Act" are too broad, then change the damned law. The Senate passed the Patriot Act with 98 votes. Seems to me that Ashcroft is doing just what the Senate authorized and requested his office to do.

Not that being inconsistent is anything new for the loony left, but notice how they hammer on judicial nominees concerning whether they will uphold the law of the land even if it goes against the nominees personal beliefs (i.e. abortion "rights"). Now along comes an Attorney General who applies the law as passed by these idiots in Washington, and they're up in arms.

[attiladhun2]

Your rant only reveals the ignorance of the Left and the poo-butt right. Scores of terrorists have been arrested since 9/11. I guess you didn't hear about the plot to bring down airliners on the way to Honolulu that was thwarted or the 600 who were arrested in Afganhistan or the bunch just recently arrested in Malaysia or Padilla, who was doing a feasibility study on dirty nukes to our cities. You people have about no credibility.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Exactly, whd. I watched with some interest John Ashcroft's testimony to the House Judiciary Committee a couple months ago. He appeared right after the Inspector General issued what was represented in the press as a scathing report--and the negatives in the report were HIGHLIGHTED ad infinitum.

So, when the AG went before the House committee, you'd think the Democrat Party Operatives on that committee would be loaded for bear. We barely saw a PEEP of the coverage, and do you know why? Because every time a House member challenged John Ashcroft, he was able to show he was abiding by the law, and that there were NO real criticisms in the Inspector's report. It was hilarious to watch a truthful man make the liberals spin in the wind--and it was public testimony! One can still watch it on CSPAN.org, I'm sure.

[whereasandsoforth]

I've read your views. Why such glee? How exactly do you benefit? I am deeply saddened by your type. It seems you want the USA to be wrong. This is a new world we are living in. Mistakes will be made. God bless those like Ashcroft that are having to make decisions. Where DO you want to live? There are several islands in the Pacific Ocean far removed from these political problems. Maybe you could become governor of one of them. Meanwhile, get back over to DU and let the grown ups handle this.

[GiovannaNicoletta]

Have you been able to talk Hillary into running yet?

If Hillary was president, this whole war on terrorism thingy would sure be alot more fair. And not one of those freedom fighters would be locked up in Cuba, that's for sure.

As long as we keep voting in right wing wackos like Bush and Ashcroft we deserve to be slaughtered, right Hoffman? And it's just not fair that we have indoor plumbing and they don't and if America wasn't so stuck up and imperialistic the world wouldn't have any problems.

I'm with you, Hoffman. Send me a Hillary! for President yardsign ASAP.