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Ex-Fort Lewis chaplain detained (Muslim Yee)
The New Tribune ^
| Monday, September 22, 2003
| NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF AND WIRE SERVICES
Posted on 09/22/2003 6:24:38 AM PDT by demlosers
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1
posted on
09/22/2003 6:24:39 AM PDT
by
demlosers
To: demlosers
....first known U.S. soldier to be detained in the U.S.-led war on terror.....
How about the frag bomber in Kuwait? He is still "detained"
2
posted on
09/22/2003 6:26:47 AM PDT
by
bert
(Don't Panic!)
To: demlosers
Although I am not a statistician, I think the odds that 2 active duty Muslims have been the only 2 U.S. soldiers caught actively killing or working against the U.S. military is a red flag. I know, Iknow, there are probably others (i.e. non-Muslims) who are working against U.S. interests. But, the fact remains, 100% of the people caught in the last couple of years are Muslims. Although a scant sample, it seems that Muslims just cannot be trusted to put country ahead of its 15th century religious philosophy (or contemporary political philosphy).
One solution would be to not accept Muslims into the armed forces (or intelligence, etc.) branches of the U.S. - I know, there are some good law-abiding Muslims out there - so what? Let them root out the bad apples and do with them what they may. However, as an operating procedure, do not accept Muslims - period.
3
posted on
09/22/2003 7:03:37 AM PDT
by
MarkT
To: MarkT
I agree--also, I think it's telling that Muslims came to this chaplain and asked "what to do" when they were facing deployment. If they have to ask what to do, they shouldn't be in our armed services, period.
4
posted on
09/22/2003 7:13:17 AM PDT
by
binreadin
To: demlosers; piasa
Yee left the Army in the mid-1990s for Syria, where he received religious training. He returned to the U.S. military soon after. When did Yee marry? Where is his wife? Does he have children? When did he convert to Islam?
To: Fred Mertz
Mornin' Fred:
It looks like his interest started during his stint at West Point. Then he went to the Gulf. Then to Syria. Then back to the US and re-enlisted as Chaplian. It looks like a plan, dontcha think??
Am also wondering about the wife and how many trips he might have made to Syria to perhaps visit her family.
Also wonder EXACTLY when he changed his name and what he did with his old IDs.
6
posted on
09/22/2003 7:29:52 AM PDT
by
Sacajaweau
(God Bless Our Troops!!)
To: Sacajaweau
I read someplace that he had been "introduced" to Islam by four Egyptian officers who were training at West Point.
But what I'd like to know is how somebody like him, who had, on top of everything else, spent time in SYRIA, ever got accepted as a military chaplain in the first place. And particularly at a place as sensitive as Guantanamo.
It boggles the mind.
7
posted on
09/22/2003 8:01:33 AM PDT
by
livius
To: livius
He's only been there a very short time and lo and behold, they nab him.
So I'm guessing Yee was "seeking" to go there, they connected some dots and put him there where 1000 eyes could watch him, track his computer, remotely listen to his conversations, etc.
There must be others involved which is what we don't know. He was detained on 9-10....which is interesting and has a Florida apartment (which they searched), was in Aleppo, Syria at the same time as Atta, may have gone to Syria on several occasions.
We've just received quite a bit of info from Syria. Wish we knew more but I have a feeling that much of this will be "Classified".
8
posted on
09/22/2003 8:20:50 AM PDT
by
Sacajaweau
(God Bless Our Troops!!)
To: livius; SLB; aristeides
I read someplace that he had been "introduced" to Islam by four Egyptian officers who were training at West Point. From what I read late last night, I believe he attended the motor officer course at Fort Knox in 1991 and befriended several allied officers also attending the course.
I imagine that the love of his life, his wife, probably had a major influence on his interest and conversion.
To: demlosers
He said Yee "is the first U.S. soldier that I know of to be detained and held since the war on terror began." There's also Sgt. Akbar.
To: Fred Mertz
Do we know how and where he met his wife? If he met her in Syria (therefore after his conversion,) his is likely to be an arranged marriage.
To: livius
this is going to get wild ....
12
posted on
09/22/2003 8:34:16 AM PDT
by
rrrod
To: demlosers
If found guilty, lock him up and throw away the key!
A West Point grad no less. And why is there an Islamic Center at Ft Lewis? This PC garbage is going to get more Americans killed!
13
posted on
09/22/2003 8:37:24 AM PDT
by
Rummyfan
To: livius
But what I'd like to know is how somebody like him, who had, on top of everything else, spent time in SYRIA, ever got accepted as a military chaplain in the first place. And particularly at a place as sensitive as Guantanamo. Obvious possible explanation is that, during Yee's stay in Syria, U.S. authorities thought he was acting as their agent, but somehow he got turned.
To: aristeides
Sort of like Ali Muhammad, US green beret who double crossed the US.
One of Osama's wives is from Syria, too. Wonder if there's any connection.
To: Sacajaweau
I don't think he ever legally changed his name, since in all his interviews before he was arrested he goes by James rather than Youssef.
It seems more like he just goes by Youssef as a nickname, though other muslims probably think of that as his "real" name since it is Islamic, while James has obvious Christian connotations.
Plus, it costs a little money and a lot of trouble to make a name change official- a lot of divorced women keep their married names for just such reasons- too much of a pain to change them back.
Now, it may be that he has multiple passports since he may have obtained Syrian passports while he was overseas under just about any name he pleased, and he may have traveled as a Syrian, Indonesia, Malaysian, etc, to who knows where in those 4 years.
There's also no telling who else he might have allowed to use his American id during those four years.
There's just not enough info yet to know how involved he was and how early. He may have been a gung-ho trooper until spending time with some smooth-talking al Qaeda prisoner.
I doubt it owing to his leaving the military and officer's career, selection of Syria earlier on, his Syrian wife, but it's a possibilty. On the other hand, a person who doesn't look arabic would be a valuable tool for both foreign intelligence and for terrorists, and al Qaeda did actively seek out non-Arabs, particularly Americans, because American ID is the best for smooth worldwide travel, and because Americans are the preferred targets. Al Qaeda's plotters really received a timely, convenient gift when the DOD first admitted Muslim chaplains in the 90s.
I wish the press was as curious about the wife as we are.
16
posted on
09/22/2003 11:48:58 AM PDT
by
piasa
(Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge.)
To: piasa
His original name was James Joseph Yee.
To: Fred Mertz
While Joseph and Youssef are essentially different culture's expressions of the same name, I don't know if he changed the spelling from Joseph to Youssef in a legal way. Maybe he did and the dates where his paperwork changed are what the press is using as his "conversion" date.
If we can change our identity to another version of the same name and it all be A-OK with the license bureau, then I want to change mine... it's boring in its traditional English form.
18
posted on
09/22/2003 12:25:25 PM PDT
by
piasa
(Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge.)
To: Fred Mertz
His original name was James Joseph Yee. And Joseph is the same name as Youssef, just a slight pronunciation difference. Joseph was the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus as you'll recall, but I'll bet his name was actually closer to Youssef than Joseph. In Hebrew it's Yosef, and in Aramaic is pronounced "OYaOSeP", FWIW. In Spanish it's Jose.
19
posted on
09/22/2003 12:41:47 PM PDT
by
El Gato
(Federal Judges can twist the Constitution into anything.. Or so they think.)
To: livius
Agree.
20
posted on
09/22/2003 5:17:46 PM PDT
by
Milligan
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