Islamic chaplain is charged as spy

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.

Just for interest, and in the event these cases are connected, here is a timeline for discussion...

* James J. Yee's parents still live in the house where he was raised in Springfield, N.J., neighbor Matteo Apicella said in Sept. 2003. - "Army Islamic chaplain detained in probe ," AP via USA Today, Posted 9/20/2003 11:06 PM Updated 9/21/2003 12:39 AM *

1970 : (SIERRA LEONE : SEATTLE CELL CASE : SAMI SAMIR EL-KASSEM aka SEMI OSMAN aka DANIEL ANTHONY MCCLELLAN aka MICHAEL MCCLELLAN BORN, ACCORDING TO LEBANESE PASSPORT LATER FOUND IN OSMAN'S APARTMENT) A Lebanese passport issued in the name of Sami Samir El-Kassem. The date and place of birth are 1970 in Sierra Leone. The photo appears to be that of Semi Osman as a young child. - "AL QAIDA IN THE RANKS? Noncitizen (Naval) reservist suspected of ties to terrorist network," by Christopher Munsey & Patricia Kime, Navy Times, July 29, 2002

1985 : (DC SNIPER CASE : WA : FT. LEWIS : WILLIAMS IN US ARMY) Williams' first assignment, in 1985, was with the 15th Engineer Battalion at Fort Lewis. - link from Freeper M0sby

1988 : (SEATTLE CELL CASE : SEMI OSMAN ENTERS US WITH UK PASSPORT) [Osman] apparently first entered the United States in 1988 with a British passport.- "AL QAIDA IN THE RANKS? Noncitizen (Naval) reservist suspected of ties to terrorist network," by Christopher Munsey & Patricia Kime, Navy Times, July 29, 2002

DECEMBER 1988 : (SEATTLE CELL CASE : SEMI OSMAN ENTERS THE US THROUGH NY CITY ON A TOURIST VISA & UK PASSPORT) Among the court documents is a deposition given by Immigration and Naturalization Service Agent Darrick Smalley, in which he states that Osman appears to have been born Sami Samir El-Kassem in Sierra Leone. He holds a British passport and immigrated to the United States sometime in the late 1980s, entering the country through New York City in December 1988 on a tourist visa and a British passport in the name of Semi Osman. - "AL QAIDA IN THE RANKS? Noncitizen (Naval) reservist suspected of ties to terrorist network," by Christopher Munsey & Patricia Kime, Navy Times, July 29, 2002

1990 : (DC SNIPER CASE : WILLIAMS TRANSFERS FROM FT LEWIS, WA TO GERMANY, NO RECORD OF HIS DUTY STATION) In 1990, he transferred to the 84th Engineer Company in Germany, which supported the 2nd Armed Cavalry Regiment, then based in Nuremberg. However, company elements were stationed in several towns in northern Bavaria, and military officials had no record of his duty station. Williams apparently took part in the Persian Gulf War with the 2nd ACR and 84th Engineer Company. Military records do not specifically list his wartime unit. Combat engineers typically create and clear minefields and operate heavy equipment. The 2nd ACR was disbanded from Germany in 1992, and Williams then transferred to Fort Ord, Calif., where he served in the 13th Engineer Battalion. link from Freeper M0sby

1990 : (YEE JOINS THE US ARMY) Yee, 35, joined the Army in 1990 - "S.C. guardsmen monitor detainees held in Cuba : Military police supervise 650 captives from war on terrorism," By WILLIAM STEIF, Special to The State, The State.com South Carolina, Sun, Apr. 20, 2003

1990 : (JAMES J YEE GRADUATES FROM WEST POINT) James J. Yee, a 1990 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. He studied Islam at West Point and converted to Islam and left the Army in the mid-1990s. - "Islamic chaplain is charged as spy," by Rowan Scarborough, Washington Times, 9/20/03

1990 : (YEE GRADUATES FROM WEST POINT) Yee, who grew up a Lutheran in a New Jersey suburb, graduated from West Point in 1990 and then commanded a Patriot missile battery. (When?) - "Muslim Army Chaplain Is Held in Investigation : Imam Had Secret Data on Cuba Detainees ," By John Mintz and Susan Schmidt, Washington Post Staff Writers,Washington Post, Sunday, September 21, 2003; Page A16

1990 : (NY : WEST POINT : YEE GRADUATES) Capt. Yee, a 1990 graduate of West Point. He [James Yee] grew up in New Jersey as a Lutheran but learned enough about Islam while attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., that he decided to convert. He became interested in Islam while a student and later spent four years studying Arabic and Islam in Damascus, Syria.- "Military confirms Muslim chaplain had secret papers ," Washington Times , by Steve Miller, September 21, 2003

1991 - ? : (KENTUCKY : YEE'S MUSLIM CONVICTIONS DEEPEN WHILE STATIONED AT FT. KNOX, KY, WHERE HE WAS STUDYING VEHICLE MAINTAINANCE ALONGSIDE VISITING EGYPTIAN ARMY OFFICERS AT FT KNOX, KY) The newest Muslim chaplain is James J. Yee, a Chinese-American and a West Point graduate who was born into a Lutheran family, took an interest in Islam in college and deepened his convictions while stationed at Fort Knox, Ky., where he was studying vehicle maintenance during the month of Ramadan alongside four visiting Egyptian army officers.- "Military Clerics Balance Arms and Allah," NY Times, Oct. 7, 2001 (* My note: Speaking of Ft. KNox, isn't that where some soldiers saboutaged parachutes? Whenwas Yee at Ft. Knox?)

1991 : (KENTUCKY : YEE CONVERTS TO ISLAM, COMPLETES AIRBORNE SCHOOL IN KY) Yee converted to Islam in 1991 and left the Army after completing airborne school at Fort Knox, Ky. - "Military confirms Muslim chaplain had secret papers ," Washington Times , by Steve Miller, September 21, 2003 (* My brother noted extensive efforts to convert him and other USN officers in the nineties, to the point of extreme annoyance and often highly confrontational)

1991 : (JAMES J YEE CONVERTS TO ISLAM, GOES BY THE NAME YOUSEF YEE) James Yee, a Chinese American who has used the name "Yousef" since his 1991 conversion to Islam - "Muslim Army Chaplain Is Held in Investigation : Imam Had Secret Data on Cuba Detainees ," By John Mintz and Susan Schmidt, Washington Post Staff Writers,Washington Post, Sunday, September 21, 2003; Page A16

1992 : (DC SNIPER CASE : WILLIAMS TRANSFERS FROM 2nd ARMORED CAV REG IN GERMANY TO FORT ORD, CA) link from Freeper M0sby

1992 ? : (AFTER THE GULF WAR, YEE SERVED IN SAUDI ARABIA) He converted to Islam about the time he served a stint in Saudi Arabia after the Persian Gulf War. [Maybe while commanding a Patriot missile battery?] - "Muslim Army Chaplain Is Held in Investigation : Imam Had Secret Data on Cuba Detainees ," By John Mintz and Susan Schmidt, Washington Post Staff Writers,Washington Post, Sunday, September 21, 2003; Page A16

1993 : (ISLAM : US MILITARY NAMES FIRST MUSLIM CHAPLAIN) The U.S. military named the first Muslim chaplain in 1993 after the Army said there were enough Islamic soldiers to warrant the appointment. - "Military confirms Muslim chaplain had secret papers ," Washington Times , by Steve Miller, September 21, 2003

199? : (AFTER STINT AT FT. KNOX, KY, YEE LEAVES THE ARMY FOR SYRIA TO TEACH ENGLISH & STUDY ISLAM) The suspect then went to Damascus to teach English and study Islam. After becoming a Muslim clergyman, he rejoined the army as a chaplain. - "Military confirms Muslim chaplain had secret papers ," Washington Times , by Steve Miller, September 21, 2003

(YEE LEAVES THE MILITARY, TRAVELS TO SYRIA TO ATTEND ISLAMIC SCHOOL) After quitting the military, he spent four years studying Islam in Damascus, Syria, and returned to the United States a trained imam. [* My note : Other reports indicate he already had developed an interest in Islam by this time] - "Muslim Army Chaplain Is Held in Investigation : Imam Had Secret Data on Cuba Detainees ," By John Mintz and Susan Schmidt, Washington Post Staff Writers,Washington Post, Sunday, September 21, 2003; Page A16* * In a telephone interview, Chaplain Yee said he left the military to attend a traditional Islamic school in Damascus, Syria, where he spent four years studying Arabic and religion. He is serving with the 29th Signal Battalion at Fort Lewis, Wash. - "Military Clerics Balance Arms and Allah," NY Times, Oct. 7, 2001

1990s mid : (JAMES J YEE LEAVES THE ARMY, LATER TRAVELS TO SYRIA FOR FURTHER ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS TRAINING) He moved to Syria, where he underwent further religious training in traditional Islamic beliefs. He returned to the United States and re-entered the Army as an Islamic chaplain. He is said to be married to a Syrian woman.

1991 : (YEE CONVERTS, LATER LEAVES ARMY, GOES TO SYRIA) Yee, of Chinese descent, converted to Islam from Christianity in 1991 after his military studies at West Point. Yee left the Army for Syria, where he received religious training. He returned to the U.S. military soon after. - "Army Islamic chaplain detained in probe ," AP via USA Today, Posted 9/20/2003 11:06 PM Updated 9/21/2003 12:39 AM

1997 : (ISLAM : FIRST ISLAMIC PERMANENT ISLAMIC CENTER OPENED AT NORFOLK NAS) The military opened its first permanent Islamic prayer center, the Masjid al Da'wah, at the Norfolk, Va., Naval Air Station in 1997. As many as two dozen sailors attend weekly. -"Muslims in the U.S. military are as loyal as any, chaplain says ," SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER, by MIKE BARBER , SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER , Saturday, October 20, 2001

FEBRUARY - MARCH 1998 : (GA: FT BENNING : SEATTLE CELL CASE : SEMI OSMAN UNDEREGOES BASIC TRAINING AFTER ENLISTING IN THE US ARMY) Osman reportedly served briefly in the Army, undergoing basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., from February to March 1998, before discharging as an E-2. Army officials contacted at Fort Benning could not locate records pertaining to Osman’s Army service, saying they likely had been transferred to permanent storage. Osman... served briefly in the U.S. Army in 1998* - "AL QAIDA IN THE RANKS? Noncitizen (Naval) reservist suspected of ties to terrorist network," by Christopher Munsey & Patricia Kime, Navy Times, July 29, 2002

1998 : (ISLAM : WASHINGTON : FT LEWIS : ) Fort Lewis' Islamic center, formerly used for Protestant and Catholic services, became a Muslim center in 1998. (* Where are Protestant and Catholic services held now?) -"Muslims in the U.S. military are as loyal as any, chaplain says ," SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER, by MIKE BARBER , SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER , Saturday, October 20, 2001

1990s late : (YEE REJOINS US ARMY AS MUSLIM CLERIC) In the late 1990s, he [Yee] rejoined the U.S. military as a Muslim cleric, and was frequently interviewed by U.S. news organizations about Islamic life within the U.S. military. He continually professed a message of peace. - "Muslim Army Chaplain Is Held in Investigation : Imam Had Secret Data on Cuba Detainees ," By John Mintz and Susan Schmidt, Washington Post Staff Writers,Washington Post, Sunday, September 21, 2003; Page A16

NOVEMBER 1999- JANUARY 2000? : (SEATTLE CELL/LONDON CELL CASES : TWO MEN FROM UK'S LONDON MOSQUE TRAVEL FROM NY TO BLY, OR, WHERE SEMI OSMAN WAS LIVING) Two men from Abu Hamza’s London mosque then traveled from New York in late November 1999 to a remote ranch in Bly, Ore., where Osman lived with a woman and two children. Klamath County, Ore., Sheriff Tim Evinger told the Associated Press that Abu Hamza, other men “of Middle Eastern descent” and their guests were on the property for about three months. “There were some folks living there, and they had some guests. They did some shooting on the property, mostly small-arms practice,” said Evinger, who was on the Klamath Falls police force at the time.- "AL QAIDA IN THE RANKS? Noncitizen (Naval) reservist suspected of ties to terrorist network," by Christopher Munsey & Patricia Kime, Navy Times, July 29, 2002

2000 : (SEATTLE CELL CASE : ABASSI TRAVELED FROM AFGHANISTAN TO LONDON WITH A MUSLIM WITH TIES TO SEATTLE, : SEE ALSO AL-MASRI, ABU HAMZA, MOUSSAOUI AND SHOE BOMBER REID) The Taliban soldier, Geroz Abassi, told investigators earlier this year that he traveled to Afghanistan from London in 2000 with a Muslim convert with ties to Seattle. U.S. officials were tipped off to a possible link between the religious centers [Dar-us-Salaam and Taqwa mosques in Seattle and Londonmosque related to UK Cleric al-Masri] by a British-born Taliban member in custody at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the paper reported. The two men reportedly met at the North London Central Mosque, the religious center led by Abu Hamza that was visited by Zacarias Moussaoui, the only suspect charged in connection with the Sept. 11 attacks, and Richard Reid, the man accused of trying to blow up a U.S. jet liner with explosives hidden in his shoe. Two men from Abu Hamza’s London mosque then traveled from New York in late November 1999 to a remote ranch in Bly, Ore., where Osman lived with a woman and two children. - "AL QAIDA IN THE RANKS? Noncitizen (Naval) reservist suspected of ties to terrorist network," by Christopher Munsey & Patricia Kime, Navy Times, July 29, 2002

2001 : (YEE JOINS CHAPLAIN CORPS) but [Yee] didn't join the Chaplain Corps until 2001. - "S.C. guardsmen monitor detainees held in Cuba : Military police supervise 650 captives from war on terrorism," By WILLIAM STEIF, Special to The State, The State.com South Carolina, Sun, Apr. 20, 2003

2001 : (YEE BECOMES MUSLIM CHAPLAIN) He later became one of the 17 Muslim chaplains in the U.S. armed forces."The newest Muslim chaplain is James Yee, a Chinese American and a graduate of the West Point military academy, who was born into a Lutheran family," reads a release on the Department of State Web site from two years ago- "Military confirms Muslim chaplain had secret papers ," Washington Times , by Steve Miller, September 21, 2003

JUNE 2001 : (SEATTLE CELL CASE : SEMI OSMAN IS LISTED AS A PERMANENT LEGAL RESIDENT OF THE US) By June 2001, when he joined the Naval Reserve, he was listed as a permanent legal resident of the United States. The military services allow noncitizens to enlist. The active-duty Navy has 16,248 noncitizen members. Noncitizens are not allowed to hold certain ratings, including those that require security clearances. Statistics on how many noncitizens are in the Naval Reserve were not available. - "AL QAIDA IN THE RANKS? Noncitizen (Naval) reservist suspected of ties to terrorist network," by Christopher Munsey & Patricia Kime, Navy Times, July 29, 2002

JUNE 28, 2001 : (WA : SEATTLE CELL CASE : SEMI OSMAN ENLISTS IN NAVAL RESERVES, ATTENDS TRAINING EXCERCISE AT FT LEWIS) Osman enlisted in the Naval Reserve on June 28, 2001, under the Non-Prior Service Accession Course, a Tacoma Reserve Center spokesman said. Until his arrest, Osman participated in monthly drills at the Tacoma drill center as a member of Supply Support Battalion One, Company F, a fueling unit. “According to his supervisors, he was just like all our new affiliates – eager to learn the job and get qualified in his position,” said Cmdr. John Croce, a spokesman for Navy Supply Support Battalion One. As a new Reserve member, Osman spent the bulk of his weekend duty training in Tacoma, though he also attended one field training exercise at Fort Lewis, Wash., Croce said. “He didn’t actually have access to fuel,” Croce said. “It was an exercise in setting up equipment like a field fuel depot.” But even that kind of observation could have been valuable to a terrorist organization, said Larry C. Johnson, a former deputy director in the State Department’s Office of Counterterrorism. A terrorist sympathizer holding a relatively benign job in the Navy could gather plenty of intelligence useful for a terrorist attack, he said. The successful October 2000 terrorist attack on the destroyer Cole, in the port of Aden, Yemen, probably was accomplished with information about fueling times and procedures, Johnson said. Getting a terrorist or sympathizer into the U.S. military is “an intelligence bonanza,” he said. “They’ll know what type of fuel is being used, what the procedures are.” Such an individual also would have access to official identification and uniforms, Johnson said. “If the guy has any type of ties whatsoever, it’s very serious. Military ID could be obtained and copied,” he said. “With access to uniforms, someone could appear to be something they’re not.” - "AL QAIDA IN THE RANKS? Noncitizen (Naval) reservist suspected of ties to terrorist network," by Christopher Munsey & Patricia Kime, Navy Times, July 29, 2002

2001 : (YEE WRITES ARTICLE ON ISLAM) In 2001, Capt. Yee wrote a piece for the Fort Lewis newspaper titled "Islam, what is there to fear?" - "Military confirms Muslim chaplain had secret papers ," Washington Times , by Steve Miller, September 21, 2003

"Islam, what is there to fear?"
September 11th, the pending war on Iraq, and our own day to day experiences of the Joint Task Force Guantanamo mission have all contributed to the picture many of us as Americans have painted about Islam and Muslims. And now, this universal religion of more than one billion followers worldwide is scrutinized by a population that has little knowledge of its basic tenets and practices. It is with a fearful eye that Islam and its worshippers are now being examined with the notion that they have become our nation's greatest enemy. However, a truly objective look makes it quite clear that Islam is really nothing to be afraid of at all. The meaning of the word Islam is "submission'' and "peace."
For a Muslim, the goal of attaining inner peace is achieved as one strives towards "submitting" oneself completely to God. Six articles of faith and the five pillars of Islam begin the process of transforming a mere physiological heart into a spiritual one. The six articles of the Islamic faith indicate what a Muslim believes. They consist of belief in: 1) One God - The Almighty, All-Powerful, All-Knowing, All-Merciful, the Sole-Creator of all that exist; 2) The Angels - created by God to carry out various functions in service to Him, e.g., The Angel Gabriel's role was to bring divine revelation down to the Prophets; 3) The Divine Books - to include the Scrolls of Abraham, the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospels and the Qur'an; 4) The Messengers of God - to include Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, Joseph, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad; 5) The Last Day - being raise before God to account for one's belief and actions; 6) The Divine Decree - meaning all things happen according to His decision and not without His permission.
The five pillars of Islam which Muslims perform are: 1) Openly declare their belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad; 2) Prayer five times a day; 3) Give charity to the poor; 4) Fast during the month of Ramadan; and 5) Make a pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy city of Islam, at least once if able to do so.
This is Islam in the mainstream, and looking a bit deeper into the core of its values, one finds a religion that affirms God's justice and insists on man's moral responsibility. However, it's a shame that every group is plagued with a small minority that falls prey to the pitfalls of following its own interpretations and agendas; and thus darkening the reputation for the majority. Yes, another terrorist attack or the possibility of hidden Iraqi weapons of mass destruction are enough to strike fear in the American people. But in reality, the majority of Muslims around the world from Indonesia to America are God-loving people. So why has it been so difficult for most in our society to distinguish these millions from the extreme fanatical minority? Why are we still afraid of Islam, the religion? Answer: lack of knowledge and unfamiliarity with Islam and Muslims. In most cases, people have limited personal experiences with Muslims and know Islam only through references made towards Muslim extremism.
The strength of the nation we defend is our diversity, but not knowing each other only creates an obstacle keeping us from really coming together as one cohesive force. A verse from the Holy Qur'an reads: "O Mankind! … (God) has created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know and learn from one another. Verily the most honorable of you in the sight of God is the one who is most righteous." Practically speaking, this is as easy as smiling, and saying, "Hi, my name is ... " to a fellow JTF member who is Muslim. With almost certainty, your response will also be met with a smile and the words, "Hi, it's nice to meet you..." - by Army officer and chaplain James J. Yee , Ft. Lewis newspaper the "Northwest Guardian"

2001 fall (WA : YEE IS AT FT LEWIS) He was at Fort Lewis in fall of 2001, and probably into 2002. Google results 268 posted on 09/20/2003 4:07 PM PDT by freeper Eroteme

SEPT - OCTOBER 2001 late ? : (SCRIPPS HOWARD QUOTE OF YEE) "An act of terrorism, the taking of innocent civilian lives, is prohibited by Islam, and whoever has done this needs to be brought to justice, whether he is Muslim or not," Yee told Scripps Howard several weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. - "Muslim Army Chaplain Is Held in Investigation : Imam Had Secret Data on Cuba Detainees ," By John Mintz and Susan Schmidt, Washington Post Staff Writers,Washington Post, Sunday, September 21, 2003; Page A16

OCTOBER 2001 late : (WA : FT. LEWIS : CAPT. JAMES YEE IS CHAPLAIN OF THE 29TH SIGNAL BATTALION) FORT LEWIS -- Each Friday, soldiers in battle-dress camouflage here remove their boots, face Mecca and prostrate themselves, heads bowed to the carpet in obedience to Allah. In the military base's Islamic Chapel Center, they recite their Jumah prayers, following the lead of Capt. James Yee, a West Point graduate and a convert to Islam who is chaplain of Fort Lewis' largest battalion. [* When did James change his name to Yousef Yee, if it was official- if before this, why does the Intelligencer use his Christian name? If after this date, why? ] And in the first U.S. war with religious overtones, especially after calls by terrorists for "holy war" against the United States, Yee has become one of the most sought-after figures at the base, called upon to edify others about Islam and to elaborate on the relationship between soldiering and spirituality. "Most people want to know how Sept. 11 fits into Islam," said Yee, 33, a former Lutheran who specialized in air artillery defense and was a Patriot missile fire control officer before becoming a chaplain. "What happened is un-Islamic and categorically denied by a great majority of Muslim scholars around the world," he said of the terrorists who commandeered passenger jets and slammed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania, killing people from all faiths -"Muslims in the U.S. military are as loyal as any, chaplain says ," SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER, by MIKE BARBER , SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER , Saturday, October 20, 2001

OCTOBER 2001 : (JAMES J YEE QUOTED EXTENSIVELY IN THE PRESS AFTER 911) After the September 11 attacks, Capt. Yee, one of 17 Muslim chaplains, was the subject of a number of press articles on Islam. A month after the attack on the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon, he was quoted in an account by Scripps Howard News Service as saying that "an act of terrorism, the taking of innocent lives is prohibited by Islam and whoever has done this needs to be brought to justice, whether he is Muslim or not." In another account, the Voice of America News Service paraphrased Capt. Yee as saying Islam is a religion of peace and the concept of "jihad," or holy war, simply means "to struggle." "The basics, you always begin with the basics when dealing with anything," Capt. Yee was quoted as saying. "I discuss the articles of faith, what Muslims believe. The five pillars of Islam and then of course, I relate it to the events of September 11 to include some of the concepts found in Islam and how it deals with matters of war."

OCTOBER 2001 : (YEE AND THE CONSTITUTION) In an October 2001 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Capt. Yee is quoted as saying, "When I go into the field, I have a copy of the Koran and next to it a copy of the U.S. Constitution." - "Military confirms Muslim chaplain had secret papers ," Washington Times , by Steve Miller, September 21, 2003

OCTOBER 4, 2001 (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT) 04Oct01 Muslim soldiers in U.S. military fight misperceptions

OCTOBER 7, 2001 (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT) 07Oct01 Military Clerics Balance Arms and Allah (NY Times)

OCTOBER 7, 2001 : (NY TIMES REPORT MENTIONS YEE'S CONVERSION & EGYPTIANS AT FT KNOX, KY) The newest Muslim chaplain is James J. Yee, a Chinese-American and a West Point graduate who was born into a Lutheran family, took an interest in Islam in college and deepened his convictions while stationed at Fort Knox, Ky., where he was studying vehicle maintenance during the month of Ramadan alongside four visiting Egyptian army officers. In a telephone interview, Chaplain Yee said he left the military to attend a traditional Islamic school in Damascus, Syria, where he spent four years studying Arabic and religion. He is serving with the 29th Signal Battalion at Fort Lewis, Wash. - "Military Clerics Balance Arms and Allah," NY Times, Oct. 7, 2001 (* My note: Speaking of Ft. Knox, isn't that where some soldiers saboutaged parachutes? Or was that Ft Campbell?)

OCTOBER 11, 2001 (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT) 11Oct01 US Military's Muslim Chaplains In Education Role

OCTOBER 16, 2001 (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT) 16Oct01 U.S. Islamic Leaders Issue Fatwa on U.S. Muslim Soldiers Fighting Other Muslims, US Embassy Tokyo

OCTOBER 20, 2001 (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT) 20Oct01 Muslims in the U.S. military are as loyal as any, chaplain says

NOVEMBER 9, 2001 (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT) 09Nov01 Muslim Chaplains Support Troops

NOVEMBER 12, 2001 (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT) 12Nov01 AMAF and VAC American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Council

NOVEMBER 17, 2001 (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT) 17Nov01 Sacred time for U.S. Muslim troops

2002 : (SC : YEE IS CHAPLAIN AT CAMP AMERICA) [Yee] was chaplain at Camp America in S.C. in 2002. Google results 268 posted on 09/20/2003 4:07 PM PDT by freeper Eroteme

2002 ? : (YEE ASSIGNED TO FT LEWIS ) Yee was a Muslim chaplain at the Army's Fort Lewis in Washington state before being assigned to counsel the detainees in Cuba - "Muslim Army Chaplain Is Held in Investigation : Imam Had Secret Data on Cuba Detainees ," By John Mintz and Susan Schmidt, Washington Post Staff Writers,Washington Post, Sunday, September 21, 2003; Page A16 * * Capt. Yee, 35, was a command chaplain for I Corps at Fort Lewis, Wash. The Army dispatched him to Cuba to attend to the spiritual needs of a growing number of captured al Qaeda and members of the Taliban, a hard-line Islamic group ousted from power in Afghanistan. - "Islamic chaplain is charged as spy," by Rowan Scarborough, Washington Times, 9/20/03

MAY 17, 2002 : (WA : SEATTLE CELL CASE : USN RESERVE MECH 3RD CLASS SEMI OSMAN ARRESTED) The al-Qaida terrorist network may have infiltrated the U.S. Navy – getting access to bases, uniforms, refueling procedures and more. Federal authorities in the Seattle area are holding a drilling Naval reservist, a non-U.S. citizen, suspected of having ties to Islamic radicals with known connections to al-Qaida. Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Semi Osman, 32, was arrested May 17 at his home in Tacoma, Wash., on charges of illegally trying to become a U.S. citizen and possession of a handgun whose serial number was “obliterated or altered,” according to court documents. Osman pleaded not guilty at a June 5 arraignment before Magistrate Judge John Weinberg. He faces a jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Ziley on Aug. 12 in Seattle. A federal official said Osman could receive a maximum of 10 years in prison on the immigration charge if convicted, and up to 5 years for the weapons charge. Until his arrest, Osman participated in monthly drills at the Tacoma drill center as a member of Supply Support Battalion One, Company F, a fueling unit. “According to his supervisors, he was just like all our new affiliates – eager to learn the job and get qualified in his position,” said Cmdr. John Croce, a spokesman for Navy Supply Support Battalion One. The Tacoma Reserve Center is plum in the center of a host of military installations located in and around Puget Sound. The region is home to about 35,000 sailors and their families, spread out among four major Navy bases: Naval Submarine Base Bangor, Naval Station Bremerton/Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Naval Station Everett and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Other smaller Navy facilities also are in the region, with the Army’s Fort Lewis, which provides small-arms training and other facilities to sailors in the region, and McChord Air Force Base. Lt. John Filostrat, a Naval Reserve spokesman in New Orleans, said Naval Reserve officials are cooperating with the federal investigation. “We’re working with them. . . . Anything they need, we’re there to supply,” he said. Pending the outcome of his arrest, Osman has been transferred to a non-drilling, non-paid status in a Volunteer Training Unit, Filostrat said. - "AL QAIDA IN THE RANKS? Noncitizen (Naval) reservist suspected of ties to terrorist network," by Christopher Munsey & Patricia Kime, Navy Times, July 29, 2002

MAY 31, 2002 : (WA : SEATTLE CELL CASE : SEARCH WARRANT ISSUED ON SEMI OSMAN'S APARTMENT, EVIDENCE FOUND) He has not been formerly (sic) charged as a terrorist, but a search warrant issued May 31 by the U.S. District Court in Seattle asserts that evidence seized from Osman’s apartment constitutes “material support for terrorists or foreign-terrorist organizations.” If that can be proven, Osman would likely be the first U.S. service member publicly linked to a terrorism group since Sept. 11. Searches of the apartment turned up Islamic literature, anti-American papers, military instruction manuals, maps, survival gear, handguns, an assault rifle and ammunition – all legal. But authorities also found and seized a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun with its serial number filed off, documents said. Other items listed include:
1) A Lebanese passport issued in the name of Sami Samir El-Kassem. The date and place of birth are 1970 in Sierra Leone. The photo appears to be that of Semi Osman as a young child.
2) A book entitled “Acquiring New ID” that contained, between its pages, a Washington state birth certificate in the name of Daniel Anthony McClellan.
3) A document that looked like a scanned version of the Daniel McClellan birth certificate with the name altered to read “Michael McClellan.”
4) A visa application for Yemen.
- "AL QAIDA IN THE RANKS? Noncitizen (Naval) reservist suspected of ties to terrorist network," by Christopher Munsey & Patricia Kime, Navy Times, July 29, 2002

JULY 12, 2002 : (SEATTLE CELL CASE : GRAND JURY INVESTITGATES SEATTLE MUSLIMS INCLUDING SEMI OSMAN FOR CONNECTIONS TO TERROR FROUPS; OSMAN HAS TIES TO THE DAR US SALAAM & TAQWA MOSQUES IN SEATTLE ; SEE LONDON CLERIC AL-MASRI, US TIPPED OFF BY DETAINEE ABASSI, BORN IN UK) The Seattle Times reported July 12 that a federal grand jury was investigating several Seattle Muslims – including Osman – for possible connections to terrorist groups. Grand juries conduct their work in secret, but the paper quoted sources who asserted the jury is examining whether members of the now-defunct Dar-us-Salaam and Taqwa mosques in Seattle have aligned themselves with Sheik Abu Hamza al-Masri, a radical London cleric suspected by Western officials of recruiting for al-Qaida. Osman’s civilian attorney, Robert Leen, said his client is not a terrorist and is not cooperating with federal investigators. “The grand jury is looking into a lot of things,” he said. But Leen acknowledged Osman’s ties to the mosques pose a challenge to his defense. “It’s true he was a member of a mosque where it’s clear there were some things going on that probably bear investigation,” Leen said. U.S. officials were tipped off to a possible link between the religious centers by a British-born Taliban member in custody at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the paper reported. - "AL QAIDA IN THE RANKS? Noncitizen (Naval) reservist suspected of ties to terrorist network," by Christopher Munsey & Patricia Kime, Navy Times, July 29, 2002

NOVEMBER ? 2002 : (YEE WENT TO GITMO) It appears as if he then went to gitmo in late 2002 or early 2003. Google results 268 posted on 09/20/2003 4:07 PM PDT by freeper Eroteme

NOVEMBER 2002 : (GITMO : DETAINEES MOVED FROM CAMP X-RAY TO MORE PERMANENT FACILITIES AT CAMP DELTA) Last November, the detainees were moved out of tents at Camp X-ray, which lacked toilets and running water, a mile or so away. General Miller said that's when "an awards and penalties program" was started. The idea, he said, was to give "small comforts, up to seven recreation periods weekly, seven showers, a number of books, water tumblers" to detainees who followed the rules. Those who don't, he added, "lose benefits, basics like a mattress and clothing."The general said, when the program started, "about 25 percent (of the detainees) were at the highest level of cooperation. ... That's now 62 percent. At the lowest level are 6 percent, refusing to cooperate." - "S.C. guardsmen monitor detainees held in Cuba : Military police supervise 650 captives from war on terrorism," By WILLIAM STEIF, Special to The State, The State.com South Carolina, Sun, Apr. 20, 2003

NOVEMBER 2002 : (CUBA : GITMO : US ARMY CAPT YEE REPORTS IN) Capt. Yee served as "Muslim adviser to the commander of the joint task force at Guantanamo" since reporting there in November, said Capt. Thomas Crosson of the Southern Command in Miami, which oversees the mission at Guantanamo. Capt. Yee said that Muslims on his base have come to him with worries about being ordered to fight Muslims overseas. "An act of terrorism, the taking of innocent civilian lives is prohibited by Islam, and whoever has done this needs to be brought to justice, whether he is Muslim or not," Capt. Yee is quoted as saying on the federal Web site. He serves with the 29th Signal Battalion at Fort Lewis, Wash. As a soldier, the suspect specialized in air artillery defense and was a Patriot missile fire-control officer. - "Military confirms Muslim chaplain had secret papers ," Washington Times , by Steve Miller, September 21, 2003

NOVEMBER 2002 : (CUBA : GITMO : YEE ASSIGNED TO GITMO TO ATTAND TO THE RELIGIOUS NEEDS OF DETAINEES) 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. - ITV.com, 20 Sep 2003, http://www.itv.com/news/559857.html

NOVEMBER 2002 : (YEE ARRIVES AT GITMO) Yee, a 34-year-old who converted to Islam after being raised as a Christian, arrived at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba last November. His job was to teach fellow troops about Islam and counsel detainees suspected of links to Afghanistan's ousted Taliban regime or the al-Qaeda terror network. Yee arrived at the camp at a critical time, when officials were trying to jolt the interrogation process into high-gear. He was also there during a time when U.S. officials came under increasing pressure to either charge the about 660 men — many of whom have been held for nearly two years — or release them. As an Arabic-speaker, Yee counseled the detainees, advised them on religious matters and made sure all of their dietary needs were met at the base in eastern Cuba. In the sprawling Camp Delta — the high-security prison where the men are held — Yee was seldom out of earshot from armed guards or interpreters contracted to help with interrogations. But sometimes, he had one-on-one access to the detainees, officials said. Yee was always vague about whether he was involved in interrogations. Since the detention mission began, Guantanamo has had at least three Muslim chaplains, the first being Navy Lt. Abuhena Saif-ul-Islam, who in 1999 became the Marines' first Muslim chaplain. - "Army Islamic chaplain detained in probe ," AP via USA Today, Posted 9/20/2003 11:06 PM Updated 9/21/2003 12:39 AM

? 1993 : (DC SNIPER CASE : WILLIAMS TRANSFERS BACK TO FT LEWIS, WA) Back to Fort Lewis In 1993, he transferred to the 14th Engineer Battalion at Fort Lewis, where he served until his discharge from active duty. Military officials said they could not describe the character of his discharge but noted he did go on to serve in a National Guard unit for about one more year. link from Freeper M0sby

JANUARY 31, 2003 (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT) JTF Guantanamo The Wire Vol 3, Issue 9 JANUARY 2003 : (IN AP INTERVIEW, YEE DIDN'T ANSWER INQUIRIES ABOUT HIS DEPTH OF INVOLVEMENT WITH DETAINEES) In an interview conducted with The Associated Press in January, Yee refused to answer questions about the depth of his involvement with the detainees, who then numbered 650, and now stand at about 660 — mostly men but at least three teenagers from 43 countries. When asked if he was sympathetic to the prisoners — some of whom have been held in Guantanamo for nearly two years without charges — Yee was silent and showed no emotion. When asked how his faith affected how he viewed the detention mission, he gave only a cursory answer. "I'm here to provide spiritual services to the detainees and to the troops," Yee said, speaking of his teachings on Islam to U.S. troops at the base. He also offered Friday prayer services at the base. When asked during the January interview why he converted to Islam, Yee instead spoke of Islam's diversity. "One of the strengths of our culture is diversity," Yee said. "A lot of people don't know Jesus is part of Islam but Muslims believe he was a prophet," Yee said. "Surely people can be more open-minded." - "Army Islamic chaplain detained in probe ," AP via USA Today, Posted 9/20/2003 11:06 PM Updated 9/21/2003 12:39 AM

FEBRUARY 12, 2003 (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT) 12Feb03 Guantanamo Detainees Celebrate 'Feast of Sacrifice'

MARCH 2003 : (US/IRAQ WAR TERROR INCIDENT: US ARMY SGT AKBAR GRENADE ATTACK INCIDENT KILLS TWO OFFICERS, WOUNDS 14 PEOPLE) This year, Army Sgt. Hasan K. Akbar, a 32-year-old Muslim, was charged in a March grenade attack in Kuwait that killed Air Force Maj. Gregory Stone, 40, and Army Capt. Christopher Scott Seifert, 27, and injured 14 others. Akbar, however, was not accused of terrorism. He was charged with premeditated murder and attempted murder. - "Army Islamic chaplain detained in probe ," AP via USA Today, Posted 9/20/2003 11:06 PM Updated 9/21/2003 12:39 AM

MARCH 20, 2003 : (FBI RAIDS MORE THAN 16 MUSLIM INSTITUTIONS & MUSLIM LEADERS' HOMES, INCLUDING THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ISLAMIC AND SOCIAL STUDIES, WHICH ENDORSES MUSLIM CHAPLAINS FOR THE DOD) The name of Dr. Al-Arian appeared on the search warrants of these raids. - From a March 28, 2003 statement by the Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace, a group supporting Dr. Al Arian, found by Freeper browardchad academicfreespeech.com

MARCH 21, 2003 : (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT) JTF Guantanamo The Wire Vo 3 Issue 16

MARCH 28, 2003 : (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT) American Muslim Soldiers Serve Under Suspicion

MARCH 28, 2003 (FLORIDA : AL ARIAN SUPPORT ORGANIZATION, TBCJP, REPORTS THAT THE FBI RAIDED THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ISLAMIC AND SOCIAL STUDIES, WHICH ENDORSES MUSLIM CHAPLAINS FOR THE DOD)...on March 20th, federal authorities raided over 16 Muslim institutions and homes of prominent Muslim leaders. The name of Dr. Al-Arian appeared on the search warrants of these raids. The reasons for Dr. Al-Arian’s name or the raids have absolutely nothing to do with the September 11th attacks or with security. Dr. Al-Arian had never even heard of 11 of these organizations. On the other hand, one of these organizations, namely the Fiqh Council of North America, is the highest Muslim religious authority in the US. It’s concerned only with religious opinions, which are considered very moderate. The Graduate School of Islamic and Social Studies (GSISS) which was also raided, is the official certified school for endorsing Muslim chaplains by the Defense department. Of the 13 Muslim chaplains in the different military branches, 9 were graduates of this school. - From a March 28, 2003 statement by the Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace, a group supporting Dr. Al Arian , found by Freeper browardchad on academicfreespeech.com

APRIL 20, 2003 : (GITMO : YOUSSEF YEE : MEETING TROOPS' RELIGIOUS NEEDS) The S.C. flag flies over a square wooden building near Camp Delta -- just like a half dozen other structures with other state flags. It's the 132nd's headquarters.Nearby is Camp America, where many of the reservists -- 4 percent of whom are women -- are quartered. Also nearby is a nondenominational place of worship, where Muslim chaplain Youssef Yee and chaplain Herbert Heavner of the Church of the Nazarene gather.Heavner stressed proselytizing is "prohibited," adding, "I'd never do that. It's not acceptable for me. I'm for separation of church and state."Yee's primary mission is to provide religious support for the Joint Task Force's 2,600 troops. He said "between 50 and 100 are Islamic." He feels his role is to "open to learning those in the population who are open-minded. In general, many people in our country equate Islam with terrorism, just out of ignorance."Yee also acts as an adviser to Gen. Miller and to the Navy base commander. - "S.C. guardsmen monitor detainees held in Cuba : Military police supervise 650 captives from war on terrorism," By WILLIAM STEIF, Special to The State, The State.com South Carolina, Sun, Apr. 20, 2003

APRIL 24, 2003 : (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT ) Fate of Prisoners From Afghan War Remains Uncertain (NY Times)

MAY 4, 2003 : (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT ON RENSE.COM) Cry From Cages Of A Jail Beyond Reach Of The Law [* Freepnote by XHogPilot : Check the 04May03 article, last paragraph, for a clue about his loyalty]

JUNE 2003 : (WASHINGTON POST REPORTS THAT SOME CHAPLAIN'S SERVICE WEB SITES REFER US MILITARY PERSONNEL TO WEBSITE WHICH LINKS TO TERROR-ADVOCATING CLERICS) Yee's [September 10, 2003] detention is only the latest controversy to hit the chaplain program, which oversees the approximately 12 Islamic imams in the U.S. military. In June, The Washington Post disclosed that some chaplains' service Web sites for the Navy and the Air Force referred sailors and airmen interested in Islam to a site that provides links to the lectures of fundamentalist clerics, some of whom advocate jihad against the United States and Israel. The inspectors general for the Pentagon and the Justice Department have launched reviews of the Muslim chaplain programs in the U.S. military and in federal prisons. - "Muslim Army Chaplain Is Held in Investigation : Imam Had Secret Data on Cuba Detainees ," By John Mintz and Susan Schmidt, Washington Post Staff Writers,Washington Post, Sunday, September 21, 2003; Page A16

JUNE 17, 2003 : (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT) 17Jun03 INMATES RELEASED FROM GUANTANAMO TELL TALES OF DESPAIR (NY Times)

AUGUST 24, 2003 : (YEE MENTIONED IN PRESS REPORT IN MIAMI HERALD) For detainees at Guantanamo, daily benefits - and uncertainty

SEPTEMBER 10, 2003 : (YEE ARRESTED) But other government officials knowledgeable about the case said military officials at a Navy base in Florida arrested Yee on Sept. 10. Yee was arrested at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla., after several hours of interrogation on Sept. 10, U.S. sources said. He had just flown to the base from Guantanamo Bay. His commanding officers at Guantanamo Bay decided to detain him after being informed of the results of the interrogation, sources said. - "Muslim Army Chaplain Is Held in Investigation : Imam Had Secret Data on Cuba Detainees ," By John Mintz and Susan Schmidt, Washington Post Staff Writers,Washington Post, Sunday, September 21, 2003; Page A16

SEPTEMBER 10, 2003 : (FL : JACKSONVILLE NAS : US ARMY CAPT. YEE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY) 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." - "Guantanamo chaplain held by US," ITV.com, 20 Sep 2003, http://www.itv.com/news/559857.html

SEPTEMBER 2003 : (YEE IS ARRESTED IN FL AFTER HE ARRIVES FROM GITMO, CUBA) Capt. James J. Yee, ... 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. Agents confiscated several classified documents in his possession and interrogated him. He was held for two days in Jacksonville and transferred to a Navy brig in Charleston, S.C., where two Army lawyers have been assigned to his defense. At the Charleston brig, he joins three other notable detainees in the war on terrorism: Yaser Esam Hamdi, an American-born Saudi who fought with the Taliban; Jose Padilla, a former Chicago gang member who is charged with plotting to detonate a radioactive bomb; and Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, accused of being an al Qaeda sleeper agent. - "Islamic chaplain is charged as spy," by Rowan Scarborough, Washington Times, 9/20/03

SEPTEMBER 10, 2003 : (FL : ARMY CAPT. YEE IS DETAINED, FOUND IN POSSESSION OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS) A Muslim chaplain who was counseling al Qaeda prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, naval base is ... detained ...after being found in possession of classified documents. Capt. Yee, of Chinese descent, was taken into custody by FBI agents as he deplaned from a military charter flight out of Guantanamo. Sources say agents confiscated "several" documents he was carrying. (* Interesting... tomorrow's the 2nd anniversary of the 911 attacks on the US)- "Military confirms Muslim chaplain had secret papers ," Washington Times , by Steve Miller, September 21, 2003

SEPTEMBER 20, 2003 : (SC : ARMY CAPT. YEE IS BEING HELD AT NAVY BRIG & CHARGED WITH SEDITION, ESPIONAGE, AIDING THE ENEMY, SPYING & FAILING TO OBEY GENERAL ORDER) Military officials ... confirmed that a Muslim chaplain who was counseling al Qaeda prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, naval base has been detained since Sept. 10 after being found in possession of classified documents. The Washington Times first reported .... that Army Capt. James. J. Yee is being held at the Naval Consolidated Brig in Charleston, S.C., charged with sedition, espionage, aiding the enemy, spying and failing to obey a general order. The Pentagon could not be reached yesterday and the CIA refused to comment on the detention of Capt. Yee. Guantanamo, the lone U.S. presence in communist Cuba, serves as the holding site for 650 men from more than three dozen countries who are accused of being linked to the Muslim al Qaeda or Afghanistan's former Taliban regime. As a chaplain, Capt. Yee had unfettered access to the accused members of terrorist groups held at the base. The military has prided itself on its promotion of Muslim chaplains, and now claims to have 17 on active duty. Capt. Yee has been among the many noted in revered tones by both reporters and the government. - "Military confirms Muslim chaplain had secret papers ," Washington Times , by Steve Miller, September 21, 2003

SEPTEMBER 20, 2003 : (CONSULTANT STEVE EMERSON SAYS THE US HAS BEEN WATCHING YEE FOR SOME TIME) Terrorism researcher Steven Emerson, who frequently consults for government agencies, said yesterday that U.S. officials had been watching Yee for some time, and had been looking into whether he had counseled any of the prisoners in ways that discouraged them from assisting interrogators. - "Muslim Army Chaplain Is Held in Investigation : Imam Had Secret Data on Cuba Detainees ," By John Mintz and Susan Schmidt, Washington Post Staff Writers,Washington Post, Sunday, September 21, 2003; Page A16

2003 : (ISLAM : MUSLIMS IN US UNIFORM ESTIMATED AT 4,000, ARAB GROUP'S ESTIMATE IS MUCH HIGHER) The Pentagon today estimates there are about 4,000 practicing Muslims in uniform. The American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Council, which did not return several e-mails yesterday, places the number around 10,000. - "Military confirms Muslim chaplain had secret papers ," Washington Times , by Steve Miller, September 21, 2003

SEPTEMBER 21, 2003 : (YEE HELD AT NAVAL BRIG IN SC, HAD DOCUMENTS HE SHOULD NOT HAVE HASD ACCESS TO AS CHAPLAIN) A Muslim chaplainin the U.S. Army who ministers to alleged al Qaeda fighters held in the prison complex at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been detained in an investigation into why he possessed classified documents about the detainees and their interrogators, government officials said. Capt. James Yee, 35, has been held for the past 11 days in a Navy brig in Charleston, S.C., officials said. Capt. Thomas Crosson, a spokesman for the U.S. Southern Command, the Florida-based military unit overseeing the Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, said Yee had been "detained" but that "no formal charges, either criminal or civil," have been filed against him. One knowledgeable official said Yee has been charged with a number of crimes under the military's criminal code relating to espionage. The officials said FBI and military investigators are trying to determine whether Yee has revealed to other people any of the sensitive information from the files he had -- about the detainees in Guantanamo, U.S. interrogators and other topics. They said Yee should not have had these documents in connection with his chaplain job. "I'm going to decline all comment on this," Pentagon spokesman Larry DiRita said yesterday about the case, whose details were first disclosed in yesterday's Washington Times. Yee had been assigned to counsel the detainees in Cuba, now numbering 660, starting 10 months ago. Before that, he was a Muslim chaplain at the Army's Fort Lewis in Washington state. - "Muslim Army Chaplain Is Held in Investigation : Imam Had Secret Data on Cuba Detainees ," By John Mintz and Susan Schmidt, Washington Post Staff Writers,Washington Post, Sunday, September 21, 2003; Page A16

Yep.

1994 : (ATTA, SYRIA) Atta visited Syria several times from 1994 to 1999. He spent several weeks in Aleppo during August 1994 conducting research for what would eventually be his thesis about the renewal of part of the old quarter of Aleppo in Syria. Atta returned again in December, making contact with members in the committee of the project to revive old Aleppo.default.htm

DECEMBER 1994: (ATTA, YARKAS, DAHDAH) Atta visited Syria several times from 1994 to 1999. Atta returned again in December, making contact with members in the committee of the project to revive old Aleppo.default.htm Sept. 11 suspect Imad Yarkas (alias Abu Dahdah) , comes from Mamoun Darkazanli's home town of Aleppo, Syria. Atta also spent time in Aleppo during the mid-1990s while researching his dissertation on trade development there.

DECEMBER 1994: (PHILLIPPINES AIRLINER PLOT, BOJINKA, HAMBALI, SHAH) Indonesian cleric Riduan Isamuddin, 37 - better known as Hambali - along with his partner in the firm "Konsojaya trading company" in Kuala Lumpur, Wali Khan Amin Shah, helped to bomb a Philippine Airlines jumbo jet. A Japanese man was killed and the jet forced to land in Okinawa. US prosecutors said the bombing was a test for a much more ambitious plot to plant explosives in rapid succession on United, Northwest and Delta airlines jets bound for America's West Coast from cities throughout Asia. A freak accident and fire in January 1995 in the Manila apartment that served as the group's bomb factory foiled that plan. Prosecutors say the mid-air explosions could have killed as many as 4,000 Americans in a 48-hour period. Malaysian officials and a former Philippine investigator now say the Konsojaya company was central to the bombing plot and was code-named "Bojinka".

DECEMBER 1994: (PHILLIPPINES AIRLINER PLOT, BOJINKA) PLOT TO BOMB AIRCRAFT IN THE FAR EAST (MANILA AIR) In December, 1994, the conspirators, including Kuwaiti-born Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, had engaged in a test on a Phillippines airliner using only about 10 percent of the explosives that were to be used in each of the bombs to be planted on United States airliners. The test resulted in the death of a Japanese national on board a flight from the Phillippines to Japan. The following defendant is included in the Indictment returned in the Southern District of New York: -Whitehouse.gov news release 20011010-1.html

DECEMBER 24 , 1994 : (ALGERIA, HIJACKING) Air France Airbus seized by Algerian Islamic terrorists and forced to fly to Marseilles airport, France. All the terrorists were killed when French CIGN counter-terrorist troops stormed the aircraft and rescued the 170 passengers and crew, 16 of whom suffered minor injuries.

DECEMBER 24, 1994 : (HIJACKING OF FRENCH PLANE) Four Muslim militants from the Algerian Armed Islamic Group kidnapped a French Airbus flight en route to Paris on December 24, 1994 killing three and injuring many others - "A Short History of World War IIIA Lesson of the Future.," by Sal Rosken, The Partial Observer , 2 March 2003

1994-95 : (USF PROFESSOR SAMI AL-ARIAN, SHALLAH) USF Professor Sami Al-Arian's brother in law, Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, teaches Arabic during the spring semesters at USF.

Hmmm. Look who arrived in the US in 1994:

1994 late - 1995 mid : (CHINA SELLS RING MAGNETS TO PAKISTAN) U.S. intelligence agencies conclude that from late 1994 to mid-1995, China sold some 5,000 ring magnets (used in gas centrifuges for enrichment of uranium for nuclear weapons) to Pakistan. CIA chief John Deutch informs the Senate Intelligence Committee. Clinton administration requests Export-Import Bank to postpone for 30 days new commitments to China of approximately US$10 billion in loan guarantees, pending review of Chinese nuclear technology transfers to Pakistan. - "U.S.-China Techonology Transfer: Annotated Timeline 1980-January 1998," by Bates Gill, GlobalBeat, NYU.edu, June 22, 1998

MAY 1994 : (OHIO TRUCKER/BROOKLYN BRIDGE CASE : FARIS ARRIVES IN THE US) Faris emigrated to the United States in May 1994 - "U.S. citizen secretly pleads guilty to scouting hit sites for al Qaeda ," by Frank J. Murray, Washington Times , 6/20/03

Other 1994 goings-on:

MAY 4 1994 : (EGYPT : ISRAEL & PLO AGREE ON INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION OF OSLO ACCORDS) Israel and the PLO reach agreement in Cairo on the initial implementation of the Oslo Accords, including a Israeli military withdrawal from about 60% of the Gaza Strip (Jewish settlements and their environs are excluded) and the West Bank town of Jericho. The Cairo agreement envisages further withdrawals from yet to be agreed areas of the occupied territories. A five year period begins in which a permanent resolution is to be negotiated on Jerusalem, settlements, Palestinian refugees and sovereignty. - "History of Middle East conflict," BBC News, Feb 7, 2001

JUNE 1994 : (SUDAN : BIN LADEN MEETS HIJAZI, DIRECTOR OF IRAQI INTELLIGENCE) bin Laden met with Faruq al-Hijazi, then the director of the Iraqi Intelligence Department, while in Khartoum. Iraqi concern over bin Laden’s militant Islamist zeal restrained their dealings with bin Laden and limited their willingness to provide practical support and cooperation. - Youssef Bodansky, “Bin Laden; The Man Who Declared War on America,” Prima Publishing, Roseville, CA, 2001, page 323

JULY 1, 1994 : (EGYPTIAN PLO LEADER ARAFAT RETURNS TO ISRAEL TO RUN PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY) Arafat makes a triumphal return to Gaza to take up his new position as head of the new Palestinian self-rule authority, after nearly 12 years of running the PLO from Tunis. - "History of Middle East conflict," BBC News, Feb 7, 2001

AUGUST 1994: (SUDAN, CARLOS) Sudan turned over the elusive international terrorist who called himself Carlos; the State Department called that "a significant development."

1994 : ( HIJACKING PLOT ON EIFFEL TOWER) The French thwart an attempt by hijackers to crash an airliner into the Eiffel Tower.

1994 : (BIN LADEN DISOWNED) Bin Laden's family and relatives publicly "disowned" him due to his crimes.

1994 : (IRAQ, SMALLPOX FREEZE-DRYER FOUND BY WEAPONS INSPECTORS) In 1994, U.N. inspectors at an Iraqi medical complex found a freeze-dryer labeled "smallpox" in Arabic, said former inspector Jonathan Tucker. The Iraqis claimed the equipment was used to make smallpox vaccine, Tucker said. A freeze-dryer could be used to make a weaponized form of the smallpox virus. "It's not conclusive proof but suggestive of Iraqi interest," said Tucker, author of a recent book on smallpox. Iraq also admitted to U.N. inspectors that its biological weapons scientists worked with camelpox, a close relative of the smallpox virus that doesn't usually infect people. Working with camelpox would give Iraq a way to perfect techniques for making smallpox weapons without endangering the researchers. "The only explanation is they used it to see how to grow smallpox, how to concentrate it, how to deploy it. It's a perfectly good and safe model for this," said Alibek, now director of the George Mason University Center for Biodefense in Manassas, Va. "It's hard to believe Saddam would do this work to protect his camels."

MARCH 1994 : (NY, ATTACK ON HASIDICS ON BROOKLYN BRIDGE) Rashad Baz, an immigrant from Lebanon, and two others shoot up a van full of Hasidic students, wounding four, on the Brooklyn Bridge. Baz entered on a student visa in 1984. He attended courses parttime at a community college in 1984-85. He married a U.S. citizen in 1989 and applied for legal residence in 1991. Baz was accompanied by Bassam Mousa Reyati, a Jordanian, who entered as a student in 1989 and received residency in 1992 on the basis of marriage to a U.S. citizen. Hlal Mohammed, a Jordanian, was the third terrorist.

APRIL 1994 : ("HUA MAI" OPERATION; CHINA OBTAINS ENCRYPTION TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE OF CLINTON LICENSE POLICY CHANGE) The Clinton administration announced a new license policy for telecommunications exports. High Tech sales for commercial applications would, according to a Commerce Department document, "use a General License, GLX which does not require prior US Government approval for export." Thus began project "Hua Mei" and the transfer of US encryption technology to China.

APRIL 13, 1994 : (IRAQI DIPLOMATS ASSASSINATE DISSIDENT IN LEBANON) Five individuals, including two Iraqi diplomats, were arrested for assassinating Iraqi opposition figure Shaykh Talib Ali al-Suhayl in his house near West Beirut.

SEPTEMBER 1994 : (PAKISTAN ADMITS IT HAS RECEIVED MISSILES FROM CHINA) Political counselor of the Pakistan embassy in Washington, Zamir Akram, states that Pakistan has received M-11 missiles from China, but that their capabilities fall below the 300 kilometer range parameter set out by the Missile Technology Control Regime.- "U.S.-China Techonology Transfer: Annotated Timeline 1980-January 1998," by Bates Gill, GlobalBeat, NYU.edu, June 22, 1998

SEPTEMBER 1994 : (FBI DIR. FREEH'S ANTITERRORISM PACKAGE) FBI Dir. Freeh sends Dep. Att. Gen Gorelick a package of antiterrorism recommendations from the Executive Advisory Board of DoJ's Office of Investigative Policies. Recommendations are: 1. Develop a uniform database of State Dept. visa refusals; 2.Rethink the visa waiver pilot program; 3.Expand INS preinspection; 4.Allow classified information to be used by the court in deportation proceedings; 5.Tighten the asylum screening provisions and detain and expeditiously deport anyone suspected of terrorist intent; 6.Tighten controls against NIV overstayers and persons involved in sham marriages; 7. Share INS alien files with FBI terrorism investigators. (* so, did any of this get done by the admin?)

OCTOBER 1994 : (IRAQ SENDS TROOPS TOWARDS BORDER WITH KUWAIT) Iraq sent troops toward Kuwait but backed down after stern US warnings and troop buildups.

NOVEMBER 1994 : (USF PROFESSOR SAMI AL-ARIAN, ISLAMIC JIHAD) A PBS documentary, "Jihad in America" alleges USF Professor Sami Al-Arian is the head of the Islamic Jihad terrorist group's domestic support network. The documentary was created by Steve Emerson.

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