Muslim arrested in Beltway case (John Muhammad)

WorldNetDaily ^ | October 24, 2002 | Art Moore

[Michael2001]

TACOMA, Wash. – Two men wanted for questioning in the D.C.-area sniper case were arrested early this morning at a rest stop near I-70 in the vicinity of Myersville, Md., about 45 miles northwest of the nation's capital, according to news reports.

John Allen Muhammad, 41, and stepson Lee Malvo, 17, were transported to Montgomery County, where the sniper task force is headquartered.

A rifle was found in Muhammad's car, reported WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C.

Neighbors who several years ago lived near Muhammad in Tacoma, Wash., described him last night as the head of a devout Muslim family who was prone to domestic violence, according to Seattle's KOMO-TV.

Federal sources said Muhammad and Malvo were known to speak sympathetically about the men who attacked the United States on Sept. 11, but the officials believe neither man to be associated with the al-Qaida terrorist network, the Seattle Times reported.

In connection with the sniper case, however, the FBI reportedly is searching "Camp Ground Zero USA" in Marion, Ala., a militant Islamic training camp with possible links to al-Qaida. Last night Fox News reported that FBI sources said "they are not at liberty to comment" and cannot confirm or deny their agents are investigating the camp.

WorldNetDaily reported two days after the D.C.-area shootings began Oct. 2 that FBI profilers believed the case fit no regular category and could find no motive other than terrorism. The shootings, which have caused an economic slowdown in the area, started four days after al-Qaida warned the U.S. that it would strike economic targets, WND reported last Thursday. A former CIA operative told WND in a story published Saturday, that the nature of the killings and Pentagon involvement in the probe support the terrorism theory.

In March 1999, Muhammad abducted his children and took them to the Caribbean after separating from his wife earlier that year, KOMO said. The children, a 12-year-old son and two younger daughters, now reportedly are in protective custody in Maryland.

As the focus of the Maryland-based sniper probe moved to the Pacific Northwest yesterday, task force head Charles Moose announced that Muhammad, also known as John Allen Williams, was being sought for information related to the case.

Moose told reporters last night that it should not be assumed that Muhammad "is involved in any of the shootings we are investigating," but is wanted for federal firearms violations and may have information material to the sniper probe.

Muhammad, described as about 6 feet 1 and 180 pounds, was believed to be traveling with a juvenile and considered "armed and dangerous," Moose said.

The Montgomery County, Md., police chief also gave a message to the sniper.

Moose said "our inability to talk has been a concern for us as well as for you," noting several attempts to establish a connection.

"You have indicated that you wanted us to do and say certain things," Moose said in his message to the sniper. "You asked us to say, 'We have caught the sniper like a duck in a noose.' We understand that hearing us say this is important to you."

The solution, Moose said, "remains to call us and get a private toll free number established," or write to a post office box address.

The police chief's references apparently were related to a note found at the site of Saturday's shooting near Richmond, Va., and another at Tuesday's Montgomery County attack both of which included a demand for $10 million.

Seattle's KOMO radio reports that Muhammad is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War.

A former soldier who says he recognized Muhammad in a photo on TV news last night said he served with Muhammad in the Army.

Randy Lyons, of Bothell, Wash., told KING-TV that he knew Muhammad as an "outstanding soldier" who had a "very pretty wife and kids."

Authorities said they also were searching for Muhammad's stepson, John Lee Malvo, a citizen of Jamaica, according to CNN and Fox News.

Fox said the two men are linked to a blue or burgundy 1990 Chevy Caprice with New Jersey license NDA-21Z, which matched the car in which they were found asleep.

Fox News also reported that warrants related to the D.C. case issued yesterday in Montgomery, Ala.

A telephone call from the sniper alerted investigators to look into a Sept. 21 fatal shooting at a liquor store in Montgomery, according to the Seattle Times.

An official said a piece of paper found at the Alabama shooting scene was traced to Malvo, who then was linked to a Tacoma house where he had been living with Muhammad.

Muhammad was based at nearby Fort Lewis, Wash., in 1994-95 and lived in a Tacoma neighborhood where a backyard search for ballistic material was conducted yesterday, according to Peggy Bellows, an editor for the Tacoma News Tribune.

FBI agents also conducted a search yesterday in Bellingham, Wash., related to two persons of interest in the D.C. sniper case, at least one of whom is "not a U.S. national," according to the mayor of the city in northwestern Washington state.

Agents in Tacoma recovered two shell casings along with a tree stump with bullet holes in the backyard of a fourplex, said KOMO-TV in Seattle.

The material was to be transported by air to Washington, D.C., according to news reports.

Bellingham mayor Mark Asmundson told Seattle's KING-TV that his police department began cooperating yesterday morning with FBI agents interested in two men who were residents of the city, near the Canadian border, in the past year and a half.

One was a student at Bellingham High School and the other was an older man, according to Asmundson.

A KOMO-TV report later confirmed that the student was Malvo.

The two were most recently in Bellingham nine months ago, Asmundson said.

"Being near the border, we've had our share of unusual characters in Bellingham," Asmundson said.

In Tacoma, sources confirmed that the search there was related to the D.C. sniper case, according to KIRO-TV.

Fort Lewis spokesman Lt. Col. Joseph Piek said the FBI had asked for help from the base, KOMO-TV reported.

The backyard search was conducted by consent of the property owner, said FBI spokesperson Melissa Mallon on the scene late yesterday afternoon. Local television news reports said the owner is not a person of interest.

"There is no immediate danger for anybody in this neighborhood," Mallon said. "If there were, we would let people know."

Tacoma mayor Bill Baarsma said in an interview with KING-TV in Seattle that he was called out of a meeting at about 12:30 p.m. yesterday to be met by the FBI.

"It was a day of irony for me, because I was called out of a meeting about how to cope with a terrorist attack," he said.

[betty boop]

...try and fry....

Has a nice ring to it, Jeff. I wonder if this John Muhammad takes fatwas seriously....

[Jeff Head]

Apparently he helped provide security to Farakhan's million muslimman march.

[tell me]

I thought he said he was dark skinned like hispanic or ME, but not black.

[clintonh8r]

Has it been confirmed that he is a member of the Nation of Islam?

His behavior pretty much confirms it, PC enthusiasts notwithstanding.

[Jeff Head]

I wish I had ten seconds as an official announcer this morning on one of the major netorks. Here's hat I would say.

"John Muhammed, a long time convert to Islam, a follower of Louis Fara Khan and an individual who vocally approved of 911 was arrested in conjunction with the Beltwayt Sniper case this morning at a rest stop on I-70 in Maryland."

[cyncooper]

WND is the first I've heard it called a "terrorist training camp,"

Rita Cosby on Fox last night said this very phrase, not once, but several times.

[Big Otto]

Just a few words from the Koran, relating to “Disbelievers”

Which includes Christians, Jews, and Polytheists. In other words, non-muslims.

"2.191":    And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers.

"4.89":    They desire that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be (all) alike; therefore take not from among them friends until they fly (their homes) in Allah's way; but if they turn back, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper.

"4.91":    You will find others who desire that they should be safe from you and secure from their own people; as often as they are sent back to the mischief they get thrown into it headlong; therefore if they do not withdraw from you, and (do not) offer you peace and restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them; and against these We have given you a clear authority.

http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/koran.html

[B4Ranch]

I read somewhere that the liar was inside a store when the shooting occurred. The FBI said that he couldn't have seen the shooter.

[Hila]

She prays to the people who give her the paycheck. We pray that the media will be awaken/shaken out of their stupor.

[Lx]

We knew there were sleeper cells hidden here. It's no surprise to me that the nation of islam is the enemy of the U.S.A.

If they've recruited from prisons, then we'll at least have a database of names rather than the sleepers that come in under the INS radar.

Anyone that saw the reparations-extortion rally where the black panther called the U.S the United Snakes knows what these radical islamic groups are about. Are we supposed to ignore the 1000 pound elephant in the room that is nation of islam and their friends like the black panthers?

They've been preaching their brand of hate for many years now, if they are organizing armed insurrection and murder, the justice department will have a valid reason to shut them down. I fail to see why we should cower in fear of them, instead, shut them down!

[VRWC_minion]

I think you are correct. However he seemed closer than anyone else. I wonder if the car had a tail light out.

[San Jacinto]

Why is that? Britain is full of extremeist Muslims.

[freebilly]

A telephone call from the sniper alerted investigators to look into a Sept. 21 fatal shooting at a liquor store in Montgomery, according to the Seattle Times.

An official said a piece of paper found at the Alabama shooting scene was traced to Malvo, who then was linked to a Tacoma house where he had been living with Muhammad.

Why would the sniper set himself up?

[EggsAckley]

In case it's needed later,...........

Crow, eating.

[FR_addict]

They made statements support 9/11. I'd call them at the least AlQueda sympathizers if not soldiers in the movement.

Whether they were actually connected with an AlQueda cell, we don't know yet, but the connection to the camp that was training AlQueda would lead one to believe that they knew AlQueda members.

You can bet AlQueda has been tracking what these guys were able to accomplish and will probably try the same thing. I was surprised at how stupid these guys were. Hopefully, the FBI, ATF learned a lot from this incident, because I have a feeling this is just the start.

I know "peaceful" Moslems. The problem is one of them told us that 50% of his Mosque agreed with the 9/11 terrorists and in the Mosques in New Jersey at least 80% agreed.

He did not agree, but I wonder if he knew that his fellow Moslems were planning something, would he turn them in? I think their allegiance is going to be to their fellow Moslems first. If the Moslems in this country are not going to support America first, we need to take this into account. I really think it is time to deport non-American Moslems and stop allowing new Moslem immigrants into this country. When the War on Terrorism is over, then we can consider allowing Moslems back into the country and not before. I'm sure we did not allow Japanese and Germans into the country during WWII.

[Stat-boy]

But a Black Muslim is very, very, bad news. This may mean that a radical organization has further radicalized. They are a rich and highly disciplined organization. They have (minimum) hundreds of thousands of active members. Membership is recruited largely out of prisons, with monetary support for the recruitment structure being provided by Our Friends, the Saudis(TM).

Think for a moment what that may mean for the future of our great country. If you are looking for the trojan horse of Islam. There it is.

I think your comments are right on. This is actually worse than if recently admitted "college students" from Saudi had done this. This is an American, and a Army vet. His disguise is perfect because he does not need one--on the outside, he is one of us.

[Jennifer in Florida]

I heard Bob Bevelaqua saying that this morning.. I think the media (even Fox) is afraid of AMERICANS taking the law into their own hands. This is rediculous, all along they are saying there is no way this sniper is anything but a sick white male working alone who must play "Dungeons and Dragons." (Some profiler on Fox actually said that!) Go figure, it's a couple of muslims.

[expatpat]

"ABC is reporting that the feds were already looking for these two on federal weapons charges. Anyone heard what the deal was with that? "

Apparently, the cops found a gun in the car in which they were arrested. Thence, the weapons charge.

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

But I am pretty much sick to death of the outrageous statements like that guy made. They ought to be off-limits on FR, in fact. They do us a grave disservice.

Naaah, don't censor such statements. Just be quick to shine the light of truth on them.