Islamic chaplain is charged as spy

Washington Times ^ | 9/20/03 | Rowan Scarborough

[kattracks]

An Army Islamic chaplain, who counseled al Qaeda prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, naval base, has been charged with espionage, aiding the enemy and spying, The Washington Times has learned.

Capt. James J. Yee, a 1990 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., was arrested earlier this month by the FBI in Jacksonville, Fla., as he arrived on a military charter flight from Guantanamo, according to a law-enforcement source.

[Newbomb Turk]

ARG. Make im walk the plank !

Oh wait yesterday was international talk like a pirate day.

Just shoot the traitor.

[joesnuffy]

Kinda makes ya wonder what kind of security screeing goes on at West Point...cant imagine trusting these monkeys with this kind of knowledge and access..
Of course the Sauds can pretty much do what they want with little if any consequences..
most of the 09-11 terrorists from Saudi ....
The majority of muslim chaplains are Wahhabists

[StormEye]

""Wesley Clark is the only man I can think of more dangerous than William J. Clinton.
He might be more dangerous than Hillary." Think of the intel, coaching, and protection
he has done/given for/to Hill and Bill."

It's interesting that Bill Clinton is now in Kosovo to visit and
receive an "award" from the government there. Let's see:
Clark announces his candidacy then Clinton shows up in Kosovo -- what next?

[pitinkie]

Was at Myrtle Beach this August...ALL the surf shop/bathing suit places were owned by Arabs..we went to 8 in one night and could not believe it..laundering money?

[winker]

Your report is typical of what I believe we are seeing all over America. Check out all the 7-11 type businesses nationwide many others too numerous to mention ;this is the silent invasion nobody will report on like the hotel/motel industry. There's a better than average chance someone named Patel will check you in!

[facedown]

ping

[Happy2BMe]

"Clark announces his candidacy then Clinton shows up in Kosovo -- what next?"

Emperor Ambiguous Speaks To His Subjects

After the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, which killed six and injured 1,000;    President Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and    punished.

    After the 1995 bombing in Saudi Arabia, which killed five U.S. military     personnel;     Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and     punished.

    After the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, which killed 19     and injured 200 U.S. military personnel; Clinton promised that those     responsible would be hunted down and punished.

    After the 1998 bombing of U.S. embassies in Africa, which killed 224     and     injured 5,000; Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted     down and punished.

    After the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 and injured 39    U.S. sailors; Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted     down and punished.

    Maybe if Clinton had kept his promise, an estimated 3,000 people in New     York and Washington, D.C. that are now dead would be alive today.

[Eroteme]

I wonder if this guy was associated with the Seattle Cell, and if he had any dealings with the mosques around the base.

Browardchad pointed out in earlier posts that Lee was the Muslim chaplain at Fort Lewis--home of John Mohammed and Semi Osman.

Googling various articles, here are a few factoids, in no particular order:
Lee did not become a chaplain til 2001. He was at Fort Lewis in fall of 2001, and probably into 2002. He was chaplain at Camp America in S.C. in 2002. It appears as if he then went to gitmo in late 2002 or early 2003.

From what I can tell, he did not "study islam" in any religious sense at West Point. He only become seriously interested in Islam after his graduation, while stationed at Fort Knox working in vehicle maintenance alongside several visiting Egyptian soldiers. He did not officially convert to islam til after he left the military.

Given all this, it looks less likely that he entered West point planning on being a traitor. That came later. Those in the business of recruiting spies are skilled in spotting amenable types, oftentimes well before the subjects themselves know it.

Investigators need to take a really hard look at his time at Fort Knox.

[browardchad]

What ever happened to that attorney who was secreting info to that blind sheikh? Did she get off?

In a nutshell, yes. See Lynne Stewart's Big Win -- have a large barf bag handy.

[Valin]

I feel like I'm about to OD on testosterone.

[Eroteme]

Rather than money or ego, I suspect that he collected the information on behalf of Saudi Arabai in general, and their Islamic clergy in specific.

Your theory makes sense. SA, as you point out, is desperate to know how much we know of their involvement. A saudi link would also explain the seeming illogic of leaving Lee in such a sensitive position if, as the CIA claims, they knew about him for a long time. (Note no one's claiming the FBI or defense dept had Lee on their radar...)

[DoctorMichael]

Bump. Thanks for the reminder.

[PhilipFreneau]

>> Well that sounds reasonable, lets start with religions that have killed the most people in the name of their God. The ones who burned heretics at the stake, enslaved nations and/or killed men, women and children because they were heathens (and, incidentally, to steal their land). There are plenty of those b**t***s out there, easy to recognise.

What a bunch of crap! While you are living in the past, muslims are blowing up our children. To hell with you, and to hell with muslims.

[XHogPilot]

My guess on what went down with Capt Yee,

• the only Moslem cleric allowed access to all Gitmo detainees
• gained names and personal info of every detainee in Gitmo
• confidante to every Gitmo detainee
• ?relayed info to detainees' families and/or outside associates
• ?relayed info to detainees
• ?relayed info between detainees
• ?refused to participate in intelligence gathering

Links to Chaplain James J. Yee ,aka Capt. Youseff Yee( Check the 04May03 article, last paragraph, for a clue about his loyalty):

04Oct01 Muslim soldiers in U.S. military fight misperceptions

07Oct01 Military Clerics Balance Arms and Allah (NY Times)

11Oct01 US Military's Muslim Chaplains In Education Role

16Oct01 U.S. Islamic Leaders Issue Fatwa on U.S. Muslim Soldiers Fighting Other Muslims, US Embassy Tokyo

20Oct01 Muslims in the U.S. military are as loyal as any, chaplain says

09Nov01 Muslim Chaplains Support Troops

12Nov01 AMAF and VAC American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Council

17Nov01 Sacred time for U.S. Muslim troops

31Jan03 JTF Guantanamo The Wire Vol 3, Issue 9

12Feb03 Guantanamo Detainees Celebrate 'Feast of Sacrifice'

21Mar03 JTF Guantanamo The Wire Vo 3 Issue 16

28Mar03 American Muslim Soldiers Serve Under Suspicion

24Apr03 Fate of Prisoners From Afghan War Remains Uncertain (NY Times)

04May03 Cry From Cages Of A Jail Beyond Reach Of The Law

17Jun03 INMATES RELEASED FROM GUANTANAMO TELL TALES OF DESPAIR (NY Times)

24Aug03 For detainees at Guantanamo, daily benefits - and uncertainty

[Valin]

Not bad, not bad at all.
"Anyman who judges by the group is a peawit. You take men one at a time".
Sgt. Kilrain
"The Killer Angels"

[Cindy]

INFO Ping - Post No. 268

[XHogPilot]

It has been reported that Yee carried detailed maps of the prison camp in Guantanamo, showing where detainees were held.

Guantanamo chaplain held by US

US military authorities have detained the Muslim Army chaplain who tended to suspected al-Qaeda and Taliban prisoners at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay. Captain James Yee was taken into custody at the naval air station in Jacksonville, Florida, on September 10 and has been held since then at a Navy brig in South Carolina. A spokesman for the US military's Southern Command, Captain Tom Crosson, said he did not know the nature of the investigation. It has been reported that Yee carried detailed maps of the prison camp in Guantanamo, showing where detainees were held. Captain Crosson said: "There's an investigation ongoing related to Captain Yee but no charges have been filed yet. I don't have any specifics on why he was picked up or what he had in his possession." Yee has been assigned to the task force holding the Guantanamo prisoners since November 2002, and was the only Muslim chaplain assigned to handle the religious needs of the 660 detainees, most of whom were captured in the US-led war in Afghanistan.

[kitkat]

***I don't believe he had Mid East roots when he went to West Point. He developed that after leaving school.***

You are absolutely right, Prodigal. I did read the whole article, but goofed up anyway. I think it was the opening sentence:

***An Army Islamic chaplain, who counseled al Qaeda prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba,***

that stayed in my mind. I try to be a careful poster, and I'm ashamed of my mistake.

[piasa]

More info, see above...

[Ronin]

I believe this issue has already been explored, at least in part.

For example, there have been Sikhs and even Orthodox Jews released from active duty because of their religious beliefs. In the Sikh's case it was because he was religiously forbidden to cut his hair or beard, in the Jew's case it was because he was religiously forbidden to remove his yarmulke.

Granted, both these refer to violations of the dress code, but the case could be made, properly IMO, that based on Islamic teachings as they are currently expressed, no Muslim can be an acceptable candidate for active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces because he or she would either have to betray his oath of enlistment/commissioning by remaining faithful to the precepts of his religion -- or betray his religion by fulfilling the obligations of his oath.

This is in direct contrast to Jews or Christians in the Armed Forces who are (in most cases) firmly instructed by their religious authorities that they are to be loyal to their country and to obey their military superiors. A Christian or a Jew can serve in the Armed Forces and remain faithful to his religion.

Muslims can't. It's time to recognize the reality of the situation.