Free Republic

The “Mr. Koubriti,” referred to in the letter from Helfrick, is Karim Koubriti, an Islamic terrorist who plotted to blow up the U.S. Air Force Base in Incirlik Turkey, as well as Disneyland and hotels in Las Vegas. (More details about him here.) Though two federal juries said he was an Islamic terrorist, Mr. Koubriti now lives free in the Detroit area, where he is on the fast-track to become a U.S. citizen, and has a Commercial Drivers License (he drives a truck–just what you want Islamic terrorists in the U.S. doing as a profession). Mr. Straus worked with Mr....

The lawyer appointed to represent the man accused of attempting to bomb Northwest Flight 253 had prior success helping to defend an alleged terrorist. Miriam Siefer, the chief public defender in Detroit, also has handled cases involving disturbances on other Northwest flights, including one in which a man pleaded guilty after illegally transporting ammunition and saying he was traveling overseas to kill Osama bin Laden. Defense lawyers with experience in terrorism-related cases say Ms. Siefer's latest job -- representing 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who was charged with trying to blow up a Christmas Day flight to Detroit -- will be...