Posted on 12/10/2001 1:33:57 PM PST by SAMWolf
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.
The Washington Times www.washtimes.com
American in Taliban: Biological strike on U.S. near!
Bill Gertz, THE WASHINGTON TIMES, Published 12/12/2001
An American Taliban fighter held captive by Marines in Afghanistan has told American officials that al Qaeda's next attack on the United States will take place in days and involve biological weapons, U.S. intelligence officials told The Washington Times.
John Walker Lindh, the Taliban guerrilla captured near Mazar-e-Sharif, said in intelligence debriefings at the U.S. Marine Corps base near Kandahar that "Phase II" of al Qaeda's war against the United States will occur at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends Sunday.
Mr. Lindh told U.S. intelligence officials that the Ramadan attack will involve the use of biological weapons.
A third phase of al Qaeda's war on the United States will result in the destruction of the entire country, the Islamic convert stated.
The officials said they have questioned the credibility of Mr. Lindh's claim because of his relatively low-level position.
Still, the information was among other intelligence reports that led the Bush administration to issue a public warning last week about a possible terrorist attack, the officials said.
No other details were available about Mr. Lindh's debriefing. However, the intelligence about the impending attack is an indication Mr. Lindh may have been part of the al Qaeda network in addition to fighting on behalf of the Taliban militia. (Link to more possible terrorist attacks on US)">
We pray/hope that this is not correct and will pass like a lot other bad threats.
However, the coddling of these potential and maybe real terrorists by Katz and the rest of her left wing idiots, could expose all of us to more terrorism!
These terrorist a$$holes attacked and killed thousands of innocent Americans on 9/11. By the grace of God it was not 20,000 to 50,000!. We are in a state of war that was declared on us by the al - queda terrorists. Harboring and protecting potential or possible terrorist is a terrible crime. It is not a pc stand!
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, 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.
Steitiye has been an American citizen since last year, but is believed to have obtained his citizenship fraudulently, Kroeker said. "
Summer thanks for this find!
"...Vera. Barf!"
That's how I feel about her, too! ;o)
Either you are with us, or you are for the terrorists. ~George W. Bush
I, too, am in the 4th District...Don't think for a minute that Eugene won the day for W; it was us (or is it 'we'?) peckerwoods down south what done it. :)
It took all of our votes... {:~)
Freedom Is Worth Fighting For !!
The Right Of The People To Keep And Bear Arms Shall Not Be Infringed !!
An Armed Citizen, Is A Safe Citizen !!
No Guns, No Rights !!
Molon Labe !!
How many times were they removed? We had a good sized Bush sign vandalized out on Hwy 101...typical Lib weenies. I resisted the temptation to slap Sore/Loserman signs over Gore signs that stayed up way to long.
They weren't touched, my neighbor's know I'm an armed citizen... :o)
You are correct. Not only are most people booked in for conventions are all Oregon organizations. Most are the foundation of the left wing demonicrats: teachers, unions, lawyers and other spawning ground organizations for liberals!
How could that be? That's illegal! How can criminals be allowed to carry such weapons?
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