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Al Qaeda and the Sniper
Frontpage Mag ^ | 25 oct 02 | Greg Buete

Posted on 10/25/2002 8:22:35 AM PDT by white trash redneck

Late Wednesday night authorities began searching for two "people of interest" in relation to the Beltway Sniper. What's interesting is that one of the two "persons of interest" was identified as a Tacoma, Washington man connected with Fort Lewis. Stuck in the middle of this story is something even more interesting. The FBI is also searching a militia training camp in Marion, Alabama, in possible connection to the sniper case.

Step back for a moment. What's the common link between Tacoma, Washington and Marion, Alabama?

It could be James Ujaama, Zain-ul-abidin, and Abu Hamza.

James Ujaama is currently being
held without bond as a material witness and has been indicted for attempting to set up a terrorist training camp in Bly, Oregon. Once a model citizen and entrepreneur, Ujaama crossed over into the dark world of Abu Hamza, a man that Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Hamilton recently called "perhaps the best known terrorist in the world." Hamza is associated with the Islamic Army of Aden, a Yemeni terrorist group that claimed responsibility for the USS Cole bombing in October of 2000. The FBI believes that Hamza is an al-Qaeda recruiter, whose London mosque was even visited by Zacarias Moussaoui.

The US government believes that after moving to London in the late 1990s Ujaama became a disciple of Hamza, who personally wrote a letter of recommendation that Ujaama used to enter an Afghanistan training camp. For the past five years Ujaama has studied from one of the best terrorists around. In return Ujaama offered his computer expertise to help Hamza maintain militant anti-American web sites. This is nothing new to Ujaama, creator of
StopAmerica.org, a Web site that is highly critical of US foreign policy. It wasn't always so; Washington state lawmakers named June 10, 1994, James Ujaama Day, in recognition for his community service. That day he also received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition. My, how times have changed.

Enter Semi Osman. Back home, Ujaama was a frequent patron of a mosque in Seattle, whose imam was a vocal Lebanese man named Semi Osman. Searching for an Islamic commune, Osman discovered some property outside of Bly through a friend of his wife. What Osman saw as a commune, Ujaama saw as an opportunity for business with his old master Abu Hamza.

Authorities believe that Ujaama faxed Hamza a proposal to use the property in Bly as a safehouse and terrorist training camp, remarking how the Bly terrain was very similar to that of Afghanistan. An intrigued Hamza sent a pair of operatives to evaluate the Bly property. They were Oussama Kassir, a Lebanese Sweed who claimed to be a hitman of Osama bin Laden, and Haroon Aswat, a British Indian. Looking back, Hamza must have been thrilled at the prospect of a new terror camp in the US. Indeed, he once told ABC News that America's laws make these camps easy to run, "like a picnic." But, alas, the training camp never blossomed as he hoped. In the two weeks that Hamza's trainers occupied Bly not a single recruit showed. The Seattle operators spent their time horseback riding, while Hamza's associates fumed. Oussama Kassir was so frustrated and angry with Ujaama that he threatened to shoot him.

Ujaama eventually returned to London. That could have been the end of the story. However, on September 11, 2001, 19 Middle Eastern hijackers executed the worst terrorist event in history. It was only then that the Bly cell began to unravel.

Part of their bad fortune included a Guantanamo Bay prisoner,
Feroz Abbasi, who was able to finger Ujaama to al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan. This path led to other members of the Bly cell, including Osman, who was traced to Bly by investigators through a late 1999 routine traffic stop. The word was out. Immigration authorities arrested Osman when he appeared for a citizenship interview in Seattle. He was charged with possessing a handgun with removed serial number, and fraudulently trying to become a US citizen. The FBI obtained a search warrant for Osman's apartment and found weapons, military maps, instructions on poisoning water supplies, propaganda of Abu Hamza, and other materials related to Islamic extremism.

The apartment was located in Tacoma, Washington.

Osman, a Navy reservist, cooperated with authorities. When Ujaama returned to the US, the Feds were watching his every step.

Shift to Alabama. Over the summer, Scotland Yard charged Sulayman Balal Zain-ul-abidin, an alleged member of the al-Qaeda network, under Britain's Prevention of Terrorism Act for inviting individuals to undergo terrorist training. Zain-ul-abidin, aka Frank Etim, operated Sakina Security Services, an obvious front for Islamic militancy that included advertising on its Web site a combat course titled "Ultimate Jihad Challenge." The "Ultimate Jihad Challenge" was a two-week course on a 1,000-acre property in Marion, Alabama, called "Ground Zero, USA." The Alabama camp was not owned or operated by Zain-ul-abidin;
Authorities believe that the British owners were used by men like Zain-ul-abidin to lure Islamic militants to learn combat training for future Islamic causes. Mark Yates and Berkeley & Associates - the company that operates the camp - have both repeatedly denied any relationship with Sakina Security Services. Both the prosecution and defense in the Zain-ul-abidin case have accepted that Yates ran a legitimate firearms course in Marion. I'm not sure if that will fly with Marion Police Chief Tony Buford. He said he became suspicious when he learned the course used buses and police vehicles as targets.

Although his lawyers deny it, authorities say that James Ujaama designed the Sakina Security Services Web site, which advertised the "Ultimate Jihad Challenge," thus linking Ujaama to Zain-ul-abidin. Furthermore, Zain-ul-abidin is known to have trained bodyguards for Abu Hamza.

By Thursday morning the police had found and arrested their two "persons of interest." John Allen Muhammad, aka John Allen Williams, and a juvenile who is possibly Muhammad's stepson, Lee Malvo, were sleeping in their vehicle when police swooped upon them. The case had been broken because the credit card that the sniper asked authorities to transfer $10 million in ransom money had been stolen in a Montgomery, Alabama liquor store double shooting about a month before. At the scene police found Lee Malvo's fingerprint. Not too bright.

An expert in combat support missions, Muhammad was "connected to" Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington - a premier Army sniper training facility. Is it possible that we will learn that Muhammed is linked to the Bly cell or even to naval reservist Semi Osman, who had an apartment in Tacoma, Washington? Why was the FBI searching "Ground Zero USA" in Marion, Alabama? Could Muhammed ever have been recruited to train at "Ground Zero USA" through Zain-ul-abidin's Web site? Last week the FBI questioned detainees at Guantanamo Bay in order to find a possible terrorism link to the sniper. At Guantanamo, did the Feds speak with
Feroz Abbasi, and could he have fingered Muhammad as attending an al-Qaeda camp in Afghanistan, or being an associate of Ujaama?

This case changes by the hour so stay tuned. It's possible that the FBI is only looking at "Ground Zero USA" to cover their bases. Given that authorities recently traveled to Guantanamo to question the terrorism angle I suppose it could be a coincidence that John Muhammad is linked to Tacoma, Washington, and Marion, Alabama - but it'd be an awfully big one.


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia; US: Maryland; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: alquaeda; sniper
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I'd like to believe that "the authorities" really are taking seriously the possibility that the shooter could be linked to other muslim terrorism.
1 posted on 10/25/2002 8:22:36 AM PDT by white trash redneck
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To: white trash redneck
This is an excellent investigative article. The only one I've seen so far that ties it all in.
2 posted on 10/25/2002 8:24:42 AM PDT by freeperfromnj
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To: white trash redneck
This is a very provocative article. But already posted here.
3 posted on 10/25/2002 8:26:10 AM PDT by EggsAckley
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To: EggsAckley
This is a very provocative article. But already posted here.

As you say. But he changed the title so it didn't show up when I did my search.

4 posted on 10/25/2002 8:39:41 AM PDT by white trash redneck
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To: white trash redneck
What caused me to nearly spray my latte on my laptop is this: "Osman, a Navy reservist, cooperated with authorities." Holy imam, Batman! The guy runs a radical mosque! Do we let skinheads with swastika and Christian identity tatoos in the military? Was thus guy doing anything that required a clearance?
5 posted on 10/25/2002 8:41:49 AM PDT by eno_
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To: white trash redneck
he changed the title

True, he did change the title. That's something that's been on my mind lately. I thought the "new" FR rules specify using the original title of an article. Gotta look that up. Changing the titles makes searches futile.

6 posted on 10/25/2002 8:46:13 AM PDT by EggsAckley
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To: white trash redneck
I'd like to believe that "the authorities" really are taking seriously the possibility that the shooter could be linked to other muslim terrorism.

I'd like to believe that too, but experience is triumphing over hope right now.

7 posted on 10/25/2002 8:54:31 AM PDT by valkyrieanne
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To: white trash redneck
I found the following in the posting rules.

Do include the original title - When you post an article, be sure to include the original title where appropriate. This helps users find the article and lessens the chance of a double post.

I think it IS time to post a vanity about this. It happens way too often, and DOES create multiple posts of the same article. You want to do it, or should I? :o)

8 posted on 10/25/2002 9:04:51 AM PDT by EggsAckley
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To: freeperfromnj
Bump for later read.
9 posted on 10/25/2002 9:51:44 AM PDT by annieokie
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To: valkyrieanne
Rush is reminding that never mind al queda - let's concentrate on this guy's ties to Nation of Islam.
10 posted on 10/25/2002 10:03:25 AM PDT by Let's Roll
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To: EggsAckley
I'll let you do the honors, since you were the one to caught the double post.

;-)

11 posted on 10/25/2002 1:53:04 PM PDT by white trash redneck
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To: Let's Roll
bttt
12 posted on 10/25/2002 1:56:02 PM PDT by spycatcher
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To: white trash redneck
white trash redneck: "This is a very provocative article. But already posted here.
As you say. But he changed the title so it didn't show up when I did my search."

------
The double post is NOT anyone's fault here. Neither one of us changed the title. The article appeared under different titles on different websites.

Frontpagemag.com was the one who changed the title:
At Frontpagemag.com they have this title:
Al Qaeda and the Sniper
By Greg Buete
TechCentralStation.com | October 25, 2002

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=4173


BUT they also refer to TechCentralStation, so that must have been the original location, from where FrontPageMag reproduced it, and where I found it with the title of:
"Ujaama and Muhammad " earlier and posted it this morning.

In fact, if you click on the TechCentralStation link AT Frontpagemag.com, it takes you to the article at TCS, and you can see for yourself.

http://www.techcentralstation.com/1051/defensewrapper.jsp?PID=1051-350&CID=1051-102402D

I have noticed in other cases as well, that the same article appears in different newspapers and websites under different titles. Sometimes they refer to the original newspaper, but frequently don't. I guess when papers publish syndicated columnists' articles, they have the right to pick their title.

13 posted on 10/25/2002 4:53:01 PM PDT by FairOpinion
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To: white trash redneck
Maybe these two were just starting to do what Charles Barron, the New York City Councilman, promised if "slavery reparations" were not paid - "scorched earth" tactics, or as a rapper said, "show me the money or I'll show you my [AR-15]". Maybe the $10 million they were demanding was a down-payment on reparations.
14 posted on 10/25/2002 5:10:01 PM PDT by mvpel
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To: mvpel
Maybe the $10 million they were demanding was a down-payment on reparations.

Nah, they shot too many black people for that, probably including the Indian guy who would have likely looked black through the 'scope. They wanted the money for Allah, or more properly for whatever temporal representative that "preached" at their mosque, and bit for themselves too most likely.

15 posted on 10/25/2002 6:45:27 PM PDT by El Gato
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To: white trash redneck
These guys are tied to Al Qaeda, no doubt about it, doesn't their capture seem like it was just tooo easy? That has been bothering me ever since it happened!
16 posted on 10/25/2002 10:15:17 PM PDT by blondee123
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To: white trash redneck; Alamo-Girl
My gosh-this is a tremendous web of contacts and plans relating to terrorism Al Queda style. WOW. Scary.
17 posted on 10/25/2002 10:18:30 PM PDT by Republic
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To: Republic
Indeed. Makes me wonder what we don't know... Hugs!
18 posted on 10/25/2002 10:22:21 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: white trash redneck
The police chief in Alabama said that there was not a credit card connection to the sniper and the Alabama robbery. I wonder how that got into the 'story'?
19 posted on 10/25/2002 10:30:36 PM PDT by blam
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To: CheneyChick; vikingchick; Victoria Delsoul; WIMom; one_particular_harbour; kmiller1k; Snow Bunny; ..
((((((growl)))))



20 posted on 10/25/2002 10:33:05 PM PDT by Sabertooth
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