Posted on 06/14/2004 8:33:00 AM PDT by dakine
Ashcroft to announce shortly about Somali's plan targeting mall in Ohio.
Sat 03.13.04
DETROIT -- An immigration court ordered the deportation of a Somali refugee who was investigated for possible links to terrorism Tuesday -- a connection his family denies. After a closed, five-hour hearing Tuesday, a Detroit immigration court judge decided to deport Nuradin Abdi, who was living in Columbus, and running a cell phone business when federal agents took him into custody Nov. 28.
******
February 10, 2004
SOMALI MAN DETAINED IN GOVERNMENT PROBE
Early in the morning of Nov. 28, federal agents swept into a North Side neighborhood and arrested a Somali immigrant.
They searched the home of Nuradin Abdi, his family said, and then took him to his business where agents confiscated his cell phone and computers.
Leaving business cards identifying themselves as agents for the FBI and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, they then drove Abdi to Cincinnati. The government charged him with lying on his application to enter the United States six years ago, but also accused him of connections with a terrorist plot, members of the Somali community say.
After two months behind bars, without communication with his wife and children or his mother and brothers in Columbus, Abdi, 31, appeared in Detroit's federal immigration court Jan. 28 for a hearing closed to the public.
In a rare move, federal authorities are trying to deport him to Somalia, an African country now controlled by warlords, his attorney said. Although Abdi is jailed, the case is a civil, not a criminal action.
Government officials here, in Detroit and in Washington refuse to talk about Abdi's case. One official confirmed, on condition of anonymity, that the hearing in Detroit was sealed because authorities are in the midst of a sensitive investigation linked to Abdi. Officials refused to say whether the investigation is a terrorist threat.
"We came here because human rights are respected," Nadifa Hassan, Abdi's mother, said with the help of an interpreter yesterday. "My son was taken and there was no criminal charge and he has had no access to his family."
Hassan, a U.S. citizen, wants him released.
The case has instilled fear in Columbus' Somali community of nearly 20,000 that government agents could arrest people for no reason, said Maryan Warsame, head of the Somali Women and Children's Alliance.
"People are profiling this community because of our religion," Warsame said. "We are Muslims, but we are not terrorists."
Some Somalis here speculate the government is interested in someone Abdi knows or knew. His family says Abdi may be a target because he regularly attends prayer services at a Columbus mosque and he speaks Arabic. When he was younger, he was among a number of Somalis who fled to the Middle East to escape the civil war.
"It's a witch hunt," said Abucar Yusuf, an architect who moved to Columbus 20 years ago. Yusuf has been told, "They are arresting him for knowing someone he went to school with 20 years ago."
Abdi is married with two children and another on the way. He is the family's sole breadwinner. His family got only a brief glimpse of him in Detroit.
Asked why the government is taking such measures, Abdi's attorney, Douglas Weigle of Cincinnati, said only, "There's a certain aura around this case."
Abdi probably didn't mind the hearing was closed, Weigle said. "He didn't want anyone to hear any wild accusations about him."
So far, this is simply an immigration case.
"There are no allegations of terrorism in his immigration charge," Weigle said. "He has not been criminally charged with anything."
He said the country's treatment of immigration cases has changed drastically since the Sept. 11 attack. "If you have any kind of Islamic background -- I don't care what John Ashcroft and Tom Ridge say -- you'll be subject to a different kind of scrutiny."
Hassan Omar, leader of the Somali Community Association of Ohio, said the Somali community is not blindly protecting one of its own. "If someone commits a crime, we don't mind if they go to jail," Omar said. He called for state and local, civic and community leaders to speak up on Abdi's behalf.
In Abdi's case, scheduled to resume March 9, the community of war refugees sees no substance to the charge.
"People who lie on their applications do so because they want to stay in the United States and make a future for their children," Warsame said, "because they have no home to go back to."
Sure! Exactly. They move here, buy homes, wear suits, work at terrific jobs, join the PTA, the perfect neighbor. Then, like they have a "chip" implanted in their brains, they are set off. There is something very scary about this, don't you agree?
We don't know what we are living next to anymore................
One of the euphimisms round here for Capital City is Come-blow-us. Maybe changing soon to Comeblowus up.
Hey, we got a lot of the Somali Muslims up here in Maine. Anybody want 'em?
We talked a lot today about the Somali's in Lewiston, Maine today.
Thanks to Guv Baldacci and Rep. Tom Allen!
When I go to the Malls or Sea Dogs games - I carry.
So does my wife. Of course, won't do much good if the members of that "peaceful" religion use bombs....
" Not only is it possible, it is probable"
It's MORE than probable, it is FACT! As reported by FOX news, and according to our own governments' criminal indictment... which states that a middle eastern terrorist snuck through the Mexico border and settled in Michigan.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,108535,00.html
Google search of mahmoud youssef kourani
Google search: "Michigan Man Accused of Hezbollah Membership"
Be sure to print and keep that article on hand for future reference. Perhaps people can send it to every hack that purposely subverts our laws and ignores their Constitutional DUTY to protect our borders from invasion.
Well, today's news couldn't have made you feel better. I have always been very suspicious of this. Until 9-11, I would never thought much about it, except for the welfare we have to shell out for them. But since 9-11, I've been very leery about them.
I know we shouldn't judge them all, but you know the old saying "One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch."
One Freeper lives down around them. He said the Somali's are very quiet, peaceful and basically a nice lot. I just hope they stay that way.
Still burns me up that Maine brought in a special teacher to teach Somali to our students! Remember that? How about them learning ENGLISH???
Yeah, but it's a recent thing, right? How many permits have been issued? What is the mall policy on CCW? I mean here in Florida the malls have the right, as a matter of policy for private property to "ban" the practice of concealed carry. However, the signs read:
"No concealed Weapons Allowed. If you are detected carrying a concealed weapon, you will be asked to leave. IF you return carrying the weapon you may be arrested for "Trespass After Warning."
So: It's a policy, not a law for which you can be arrested right off. Therefore, I always carry in the malls here.
We live very near to Gary Gordon's grave.
Some of us will never forget!
Oh boy. :(
That's a rough one...........
Wow, I loved Rainbow Six! Have read it several times and have the audio book for trips. That was a book ahead of it's time for terrorism schemes. Can't wait for the sequel to "Tiger and the Teeth."
I see zero coverage of this story on any of the cable news shows tonight. Zero. the media continues to lull the sheeple to sleep.
They also dominate the toll booth at the parking ramps in Mpls. Like the IDS building...
we'll get to the illegal mexican Aztlanders a little later....
I don't know. I just have a feeling they're going to switch to soft targets.
Winess the kidnappings in Saudi Arabia.
They are on a different tack now.
Although I have a concealed carry permit, I rarely arm myself when going to the mall.
This summer, I may reconsider that.
A highschool in Columbus brought in a Muslim woman who graduated from George Washington University, (coutesy of our tax dollars) for a mandatory meeting to talk to teachers after school. The teachers were LECTURED on "sensitivity" training for the Somalian Muslims female students. All the while, this woman was dressed virtually covered from head to toe. What a fine example for young women!
I'm sure lots of these teens want to assimilate, at least that would be my guess. They are persuaded not to by family members, and the Muslim community.
Oh, by the way, these students are provided an in-school room for "prayer" during Ramadam. No such luxury provided for Christian students, obviously.
I'm sure because they're too busy learning Arabic to please their Islamic masters.
Sure thing. :-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.