'Dirty Bomb' Suspect Had at Least One Accomplice

www.foxnews.com ^ | June 10, 2002

[TomGuy]

WASHINGTON

[aristeides]

Speaking of accomplices, today's Washington Post said authorities refused to say whether or not Padilla was met by anybody at O'Hare.

[Frances_Marion]

Oh, this guy sounds like a right peach...another poster boy for the leftists...

[DoughtyOne]

Find me a good picture and I'll see what I can do. LOL

[DoughtyOne]

I've forgotten who Ben Chavis is.

[WIMom]

A message from Jim Robinson regarding the fundraiser!

[buffyt]

A friend of mine was in a large audience waiting for the speaker to start. The first thing the speaker asked was "Who here is from a dysfunctional family?" All but one or two raised their hands. We all come from some kind of dysfunction in our pasts, we butch up and go on. I don't care what their childhood was like, they are adults now and that is what matters. They are old enough to make their own decisions now.

[buffyt]

Peter Jennings can take Pedilla home with him!

[Dante3]

It's true that some children can grow up in the worst of families and end up good role models. And some children from the best of families can end up criminals. I recall the family of one of the female suicide bombers (I've forgotten her name) were shocked she would do it.

However, the chances are good that if a child is taught criminal behavior, if his parents hate this country, if he is left with the TV as a babysitter and exposed to all that mind pollution, he will end up a bad guy.

[Spook86]

It's sounding more and more like the scenario you describe...BTW, Fox News had an interview this afternoon with a former U.S. Attorney in Tampa. He stated that an organization called the World Association of Muslim Youth (WAMY) may have played a key role in Padilla's recruitment. I only caught a portion of the interview, but according to the former federal prosecutor, WAMY is run out of Falls Church, VA, by a close associate of Osama bin Laden. While WAMY is ostensibly a social/service organization for young Muslim men (late teens/early 20s), it's actually a "talent scouting" organization for Al Qaeda.

Here's an even more disturbing allegation. The CIA and FBI have been on to WAMY for some time, but have not been allowed to complete their investigation. Unfortunately, the former U.S. attorney did not say when these investigations were stymied, or who called off the dogs. And, surprisingly, John Gibson never followed up on that revelation.

Salient questions: how many members does WAMY have, where does it operate in the U.S., and what is its recent association with UBL.

Just my opinion, but Padilla is looking more and more like a sleeper--and there may be dozens more just like him, still on the loose...

[elfman2]

" Just my opinion, but Padilla is looking more and more like a sleeper--and there may be dozens more just like him, still on the loose"

I agree, and I bet like Padilla, many are being followed to learn more about them.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Dirty Bomb Suspect May Have Help in US
7:28 am PST, 12 June 2002

Federal authorities have vowed to track down U.S.-based cohorts of Abdullah al Muhajir, alias Jose Padilla, who was arrested last month for plotting to ignite a bomb laden with radioactivity.

Officials have not said Muhajir was working with others inside the U.S. to carry out the "dirty bomb" attack, possibly in Washington, D.C., but reports earlier this week confirmed that another man suspected of plotting with Muhajir has also been arrested.

Authorities arrested Muhajir May 8 as he returned to the U.S. from Pakistan. Officials say Muhajir, 31, had the plans on him when he was detained.

Officials also said an accomplice had been arrested in Pakistan as well, but they added that suspect would not be extradited to the U.S.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that federal officials say they are concerned Muhajir may have had help inside the United States because they believe he was coming back to conduct target-scouting reconnaissance for the terror group al-Qaeda.

Attorney General John Ashcroft, speaking to reporters in the Swiss capital of Berne, said al-Qaeda did not train thousands of assailants only to send 19 or 20 to the U.S.

"We believe there is a serious threat," he said. "It is an international threat fragmented around the world."

Nevertheless, the U.S. will "run down every lead," President Bush vowed Tuesday. "This guy Padilla is a bad guy. He's where he needs to be, detained."

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said yesterday that Muhajir, who is being held in solitary confinement, has so far refused to cooperate with officials.

Wolfowitz also said Muhajir met several times with al-Qaeda leaders in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, to plot more assaults against the U.S.