Friends recall accused 101st sergeant as studious introvert

Modesto Bee ^ | March 24, 2003 | various

[syriacus]

But the Sgt. Akbar portrayed by military officials and reporters in Kuwait is entirely different. He is suspected of rolling three grenades into the tents of his military supervisors and shooting a fellow soldier in the back, killing him as he came out of a tent.

[JennysCool]

studious introvert

Translation: Obsessive loner.

[Riley]

Does it strike anyone else as odd that this guy would get a couple of Engineering degrees, and then join the Army (in a combat arms unit, no less) as an enlisted man?

[CaliforniaDreamer]

Yes!

[ChemistCat]

I have known many, many enlisted people who had college degrees. If they didn't have them before enlisting, they earned them afterward. I am thinking however that this particular individual had some mental problems, IF he wasn't a terrorist mole. It will be very interesting indeed to see the result of the investigation into his background!

One thing I'm wondering about. If it's true he wasn't trusted by the Army to take active part in the first Gulf War, why in HECK was he still in uniform for the second one?

[syriacus]

But professor Mont Hubbard, who teaches mechanical engineering, said Akbar had a "chip on his shoulder" and was preoccupied with his Muslim beliefs to the detriment of his studies.

[ladtx]

Friends recall accused 101st sergeant as studious introvert

What meaningless drivel.

Friends recalled Adolph Hitler as a shy, water-colorist.

[Always Right]

Does it strike anyone else as odd that this guy would get a couple of Engineering degrees, and then join the Army (in a combat arms unit, no less) as an enlisted man?

That is odd, it would have been quite easy for this guy to start out as an officer if he signed up for ROTC.

[syriacus]

As Akbar pursued military service, his marriage was failing. The couple filed for a trial separation in March 2001 and the divorce was finalized on Sept. 11, according to Yolo County court documents.

If this is true, it's interesting that the date his divorce was finalized was 9/11.

[vastrightwc]

"Does it strike anyone else as odd that this guy would get a couple of Engineering degrees, and then join the Army (in a combat arms unit, no less) as an enlisted man?

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[First_Salute]

Political Correctness --- the first thing which should have been tossed from the Dept. of Defense when G. W. Bush became President.

[syriacus]

married Zineb Lemseffer on April 2, 1996

Campus Community Observes National Day of Prayer and Reflection

About 350 members of the UC Davis community gathered on the banks of Lake Spafford at noon Friday, Sept. 14, to reflect, remember and pray for those who perished in the Sept. 11 terrorist assaults in New York, Washington, D.C., and western Pennsylvania.

Comments by Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef during the observance are printed below.

September 14, 2001 12 noon – 1:00 pm
Spafford Lake, UC Davis
[snip]

With us today are representatives of some of our various religious communities:[snip]

Anne Kjemtrup and Kamal Lemseffer from the Davis Islamic Center

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

I’m not defending this POS one bit, but to answer your question…

My father graduated with an EE Degree then pressed onward for a Masters but decided to serve his country instead, Vietnam was just getting cranked up at that time.

He joined the Navy and became a Diver. 26 years he served.

[RGSpincich]

Yeah, he could have done alot more harm had he started building bridges or structures. Somebody had a clue on him.

[Atlas Sneezed]

"This boy was brilliant," said the center's imam, Abdul Karim Hasan. "He carried a 4.0 grade average." ...

Akbar entered UC Davis in 1988. School records indicate he enrolled under the name Kools and then spent nine years in and out of school before graduating with bachelor's degrees in both mechanical and aeronautical science engineering.

Does anyone want to reconcile these statements? I don't know many straight-A students who are "in and out of school."

Too many American Muslims are lying about this fellow. Mom claimed that he wasn't allowed to participate in GW1, yet he was in the middle of college at the time. The imam claims he was a stellar academic, but I'd like to see the transcripts.

Does a double-degreed engineer enter the military as a grunt for any reason but to infiltrate and sabotage?

With corporate and government affirmative action in hiring, a black engineering graduate would have untold numbers of lucrative and cushy jobs offered, even if he had personality problems.

Something just doesn't fit.

I just did a little research. His received a SINGLE degree from the "Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering Department at UC Davis". Nine years for a single degree, and the article is incorrectly referring to his "double degrees."

[sharktrager]

Yet another example of brilliant headline writing. They make it sound like he's accused of being a 101st Airborne Sargeant.

Sorry. Pet peeve.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Reference for the "Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering Department" at UC Davis:

http://www-mae.engr.ucdavis.edu/index.htm

[strider44]

Agree. No more "Consideration of Others" training. If this guy doesn't get the firing squad, the UCMJ isn't worth the paper its written on.

[Sci Fi Guy]

Does it strike anyone else as odd that this guy would get a couple of Engineering degrees, and then join the Army (in a combat arms unit, no less) as an enlisted man?

No, when I was in, I knew a few who had degrees before joining. Although it is the minority, most do it the other way around. Serve their country first, then use their vet benefits to help with college costs.