Hearing on bail postponed for missile-smuggling suspect

ASSOCIATED PRESS | 8/19/03 | Associated Press

[Liz]

NEWARK -- A man facing terrorism charges in a missile-smuggling plot will have another week to arrange a possible bail package.

Hemant Lakhani was to have a bail hearing yesterday, but his lawyer wanted more time, said Michael Drewniak, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office.

Lakhani, 68, of London, was arrested with two others Aug. 12 in a sting operation and charged with trying to provide material support to terrorists and dealing arms without a license. The first charge carries up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; the second, 10 years and $1 million.

Prosecutors said Lakhani tried to sell shoulder-fired 50 missiles to an undercover agent posing as a Muslim terrorist bent on shooting down a U.S. airliner.

Lakhani's lawyer, Donald J. McCauley, did not immediately return a message yesterday. He has declined to comment.

Meanwhile, the only U.S. citizen charged in the scheme, Yehuda Abraham, remained in federal custody yesterday. Abraham, 76, a New York diamond dealer, was granted $10 million bail Friday. Federal prosecutors wanted Abraham held without bail.

His lawyer, Larry Krantz, said it would take several days to meet the bail conditions, which require that bond have 10 co-signers, all of whom need to be interviewed by court officials. In addition, half the sum must be secured with cash and property.

If he is released, Abraham must remain under house arrest with electronic monitoring.

Krantz said his client hopes to be vindicated.

Abraham and an Indian citizen, Moinuddeen Ahmed Hameed, 38, are charged with conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Hameed's lawyer, Cathy Fleming, said her client maintained his innocence. He is to have a bail hearing tomorrow.

© copyright 2003 The Associated Press

[novacation]

Why would anyone arrested for helping smuggle missiles to commit mass murder be granted bail?

[Liz]

Junk justice......the judge has the option to grant bail or not. Liberals, probably Clinton worshippers or appointees who, like Clinton, don't think the safety and security of Americans are worth anything.

[onyx]

Junk justice. Liz, you've coined the exact phrase. Disgusting. God Bless John Ashcroft.

[Liz]

.....also a vestige of the liberal-imposed "morally neutral," non-judgemental culture (devoid of oppobrium against wrongdoing)........

Sicko libs get off on moral relativity that obliterates the clear line between right and wrong.

How else could the conniving Clintons and their acolytes have gotten away with all their crimes?

[BOBTHENAILER]

Sicko libs get off on moral relativity that obliterates the clear line between right and wrong. How else could the conniving Clintons and their acolytes have gotten away with all their crimes?

When that line is obliterated, their crimes are never wrong, as you accurately set out.

[Liz]

Sicko libs get off on the moral relativity that obliterates the clear line between right and wrong. How else could the conniving Clintons and their acolytes have gotten away with all their crimes?

When that line is obliterated, their crimes are never wrong, as you accurately set out.

The hidden agenda of the ACLU, People For The American Way, Planned Parenthood American United for Separation of Church and State, etc, despite their high-faluting reasons, is to decimate all references to morality (b/c in their small, inferior, insular minds it relates to sectarian religious beliefs).

How very successful they have been. Now we see the underpinnings of the moral relativity agenda resulting in the undermining of the safety and security of Americans.

[BOBTHENAILER]

How very successful they have been. Now we see the underpinnings of the moral relativity agenda resulting in the undermining of the safety and security of Americans.

Isn't that the truth.

[HISSKGB]

Even more frightening is the assault made by the ACLU and others to weaken or dismantle Bush's Patriot Act. They scream about how horrible it is to have John Ashcroft tracking terrorists.

These recent arrests are highly significant because they reveal the workings of the underground funding of those are threats to the country.

Had Clinton been a real president and try to monitor this underground, thousands of deaths on 9/11 may not have occurred.

[Liz]

Had Clinton been a real president and tried to monitor this underground, thousands of deaths on 9/11 may not have occurred.

The conniving Clintons' had only a few goals. The safety and security of Americans was not one of them. They were:

(1) To further their own political ambitions (and prime the pump for Hillary's turn in the WH), and,

(2) To takeout as much wealth from the presidency -- legal or illegal -- as they could.

[HISSKGB]

Now we see a massive media assault against Bush and Ashcroft as they work to route out terrorists.

[Liz]

Liberals........they'd rather jeopardize US national security than let Bush and Ashcroft get credit for waging and winning the war on terror.

[Liz]

T'aint US justice (the bug smashing part) but it sure will do the trick.