U.S. Arrests 6 on Terror Charges (Including a former U.S. soldier)

AP ^ | Fri Oct 4, 1:21 PM ET | TED BRIDIS

[Destro]

U.S. Arrests 6 on Terror Charges

Fri Oct 4, 1:21 PM ET

By TED BRIDIS, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Authorities arrested six men Friday in Oregon and Michigan on charges they conspired to wage war on the United States and provide support to al-Qaida.

Attorney General John Ashcroft ( news - web sites), announcing the arrests at a Justice Department ( news - web sites) news conference, called it a "defining day" in the fight against terrorism.

Ashcroft noted the sentencing in federal court Friday of John Walker Lindh and the guilty plea in Boston from accused shoe-bomber Richard Reid.

One of the six men arrested Friday had U.S. military training, the attorney general said.

Court records unsealed Friday said the six men traveled to Afghanistan ( news - web sites) for training.

The arrests, Ashcroft said, represent "a texbook example" of cooperation among federal, state and local authorities in the war against terrorism.

Court papers identified the six men as Jeffrey Leon Battle, Patrice Lumumba Ford, Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal, Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal, Habis Abdullah al Saoub and October Martinique Lewis. Battle was a former U.S. soldier, Ashcroft said.

All the men were in federal custody.

FBI ( news - web sites) Director Robert Mueller told reporters that "those who support terrorism or acts of terrorism will be brought to justice."

Ashcroft said some of the men began traveling to Afghanistan in October 2001 to fight with Taliban troops against U.S. forces.

A federal grand jury indicted the men on charges of conspiracy to levy war against the United States, conspiracy to provide material support and resources to al Qaida, conspiracy to contribute services to al Qaida and the Taliban and possessing firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence.

The indictment said the men engaged in weapons training in Washougal, Wash., starting in late September 2001, to prepare to fight with Taliban forces. Some of the men sent money to others overseas to support their efforts, the court documents charged.

Battle obtained an administrative discharge from the U.S. Army Reserve in January 2002. The indictment said Battle had enlisted to receive training in U.S. tactics and weapons, which Battle ultimately intended to use against American soldiers.

[Skywalk]

They just showed photos on FNC. October Lewis appears to be a woman, and 2 of the 3 that I saw were black. One guy appears to be light skinned black, mixed race or possibly Arab?

[wimpycat]

I am curious whether these six men are Arab, black, or some combination. Naturally the AP doesn't say.

Here's a clue for you. The names are Jeffrey Leon Battle, Patrice Lumumba Ford, Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal, Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal, Habis Abdullah al Saoub and October Martinique Lewis.

If you know anything about the history of Islam (and everything I know about it I learned from watching the movie "The Message", which isn't a half-bad movie) then you will know that Bilal was the first "muezzin", the guy who does the call to prayer. Bilal was a slave from Ethiopia, and is honored as the first black Muslim. Read what the Muslims have to say about him HERE.

Constitution Day may be able to confirm this, but in the Rocky Mount area, there are a lot of black people with the surname Battle. I'm taking a wild stab in the dark here, but I wouldn't be surprised if this guy Battle, who was in the military, is from North Carolina.

[cynicom]

The left/democrats/socialists were big Lumumba supporters.

[dead]

They're all men, I believe, including Patrice.

[r9etb]

Would have been better had the men had ties to Washington and Michigan instead of Oregon and Michigan.

Their initial training took place in Washougal WASHINGTON. And one of these worthies was arrested in Detroit.

So there you go.

[Constitution Day]

Constitution Day may be able to confirm this, but in the Rocky Mount area, there are a lot of black people with the surname Battle.
I'm taking a wild stab in the dark here, but I wouldn't be surprised if this guy Battle, who was in the military, is from North Carolina.

You're exactly right!
There are a lot of 'em, some I even went to school with.

I think that Rocky Mount Mills was once called "Battle's Mill" and that the Battle family was owned a lot of slaves here.
There was also a town near Rocky Mount, since annexed into the city, named Battleboro.

[Poohbah]

Jeffrey Leon Battle, Patrice Lumumba Ford

Why do I suspect these two are not Moose Limbs, but are instead Communists?

[aristeides]

That guy Ujaama from Seattle who is now in jail for his association with al Qaeda started out as a black nationalist. An associate of his also now in custody was a naval reservist who drilled at the Tacoma Reserve Center.

[Catspaw]

One's a woman, October Martinique Lewis. She's the ex-wife of Battle & wired them money from the US to whereever they were (I heard two countries, China and Bangladesh), according to what I heard during the press conference.

[Skywalk]

Interesting how easily the West-destroyers slide from one allegiance to another, reminiscent of membership in the Communist and National Socialist/Fascist Parties changing quite easily.

[Skywalk]

No. October Lewis is wearing the headdress of a Muslim woman.

3 of the men appear to be MidEasterners, while 3(1 of them Lewis) appear to be black.

[dead]

Thanks for the clarification. The article called them all men. I'd imagine the women aren't exactly paragons of femininity anyway.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

US News and World Report-" Patrice Lumumba, Congo's charismatic first prime minister, who was also feared to be a rabid Communist."

The Belgians busted a cap on this piece of dirt, in a covert op, in the 60's, although the CIA was blamed for years. Nice namesake. I'm waiting for the next terrorist arrested to be named Mohamed Adolph Hitler or Ahmad Ali Bill Clinton.

[antidisestablishment]

Authorities arrested six men Friday in Oregon and Michigan on charges they conspired to wage war on the United States and provide support to al-Qaida.

Legal definition of Treason:
A breach of allegiance to one's government, usually committed through levying war against such government or by giving aid or comfort to the enemy. The offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance; or of betraying the state into the hands of a foreign power. Treason consists of two elements: adherence to the enemy, and rendering him aid and comfort. Cramer v. U. S., U.S.N.Y., 325 U.S. l, 65 S.Ct. 918, 9327 89 L.Ed. 1441. See 18 U.S.C.A. 2381.

A person can be convicted of treason only on the testimony of two witnesses, or confession in open court. Art. III, Sec. 3, U.S. Constitution.

[two23]

I have screen shots from FOXNews if anyone wants to post them

[hispanarepublicana]

I'm in the process of "Googling" some of these names and found this, which was posted by someone complaining of an abusive email from a "Patrice Ford." I'm presuming that the subject line of the newsgroup posting is the same as the subject line of the email this person got from a "Patrice Ford."

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22Patrice+Ford%22&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=pk73sdvuxjh7bnt7u3cnp6hyeukxuiy%404ax.com&rnum=1

[wildehunt]

Gee...

Nothing cryptic about that little epistle...

Interesting find

[hispanarepublicana]

Here's what I found on an "Ahmed Bilal" in alt.religion.islam at Google Groups:

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22Ahmed+Bilal%22&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=3ihero%24b35%40arc.electriciti.com&rnum=4

[Siegfried]

Here are pics of the three arrested in Portland, Ore.