In Padilla Wiretaps, Murky View of ‘Jihad’ Case (No Plots Discussed)

wellst0nev0ter

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Jan-04-07 12:30 AM
Original message

In Padilla Wiretaps, Murky View of ‘Jihad’ Case (No Plots Discussed)

In 1997, as the government listened in on their phone call, Adham Hassoun, a computer programmer in Broward County, Fla., proposed a road trip to Jose Padilla, a low-wage worker there. The excursion to Tampa would be his treat, Mr. Hassoun said, and a chance to meet “some nice, uh, brothers.”

<snip>That conversation took place five years before Mr. Padilla, a United States citizen accused of plotting a “dirty bomb” attack against this country, was declared an enemy combatant. Given that Mr. Padilla and Mr. Hassoun are now criminal defendants in a terrorism conspiracy case in Miami, it sounds suspicious, as if Mr. Hassoun were proposing something more sinister than a weekend at the amusement park. He well may have been — but maybe, too, he was sincere or joking about a Muslim retreat.

<snip>Tens of thousands of conversations were recorded. Some 230 phone calls form the core of the government’s case, including 21 that make reference to Mr. Padilla, prosecutors said. But Mr. Padilla’s voice is heard on only seven calls. And on those seven, which The Times obtained from a participant in the case, Mr. Padilla does not discuss violent plots.</snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/04/washington/04padilla.html?ex=1325566800&en=00f200a74977dc08&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

FormerOstrich

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Jan-04-07 12:51 AM
Response to Original message

1. Everyone should read this article....

The Padilla case has upset me greatly from day one. This man has been tortured and detained without charges for years. For this???

In three of the seven conversations, Mr. Padilla made statements that the government has identified as “overt acts” in furtherance of the accused conspiracy.

In the first, Mr. Hassoun asked, “You’re ready, right?” and Mr. Padilla said, “God willing, brother, it’s going to happen soon.” That was the summer of 1997, a year before Mr. Padilla left South Florida for Egypt.

In the second, Mr. Padilla told Mr. Hassoun, during a 1999 conversation from Egypt, that he had asked his ex-wife in the United States to arrange for him to receive an army jacket, a book bag and a sleeping bag, supplies that he had requested because “there was a rumor here that the door was open somewhere.” In the third, Mr. Padilla told Mr. Hassoun in April 2000, that he would need a recommendation to “connect me with the good brothers, with the right faith” if he were to travel to Yemen.

Read the article!!

Thanks for posting this, wellst0nev0ter!

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

wellst0nev0ter

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Jan-04-07 12:53 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. Thanx, The Article Also Mentioned The "Al Qaeda Application"

that was supposedly filled out by Padilla, except that it was entirely in Arabic and Padilla used an "alias".

That's your Bush administration. A national disgrace.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Judi Lynn

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Jan-04-07 04:33 AM
Response to Original message

3. Why ARE these people still in charge? This is hideous. Thanks for this article. n/t

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

enough

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Jan-04-07 09:16 AM
Response to Original message

4. Everything about this case makes me feel sick.

k&r

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

gratuitous

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Jan-04-07 09:19 AM
Response to Original message

5. Oh come on! He's been declared an enemy combatant

Isn't that enough for you people? Why, oh why are you insisting on such pre-9/11 fol-de-rol like evidence and stuff?

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Scriptor Ignotus

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Jan-04-07 12:33 PM
Response to Original message

6. What enrages me

is the thought: what if Jose Padilla is as bad as the government says he is? What if he is an Al Qaeda operative hell bent on killing thousands of Americans. The government seems to have blown any case against him, and now that he is a criminal and not an enemy combatant, I assume he will have to be let free. Even if we intend to hold him forever, the next administration will probably drop the charges.

So because of rendition, because of these wiretaps, because of bad intelligence, because of bad policework, because of incompetence, we will have released a dangerous enemy to our country. He's an American born citizen, so we can't even deport him anywhere.

Of course, this is all assuming Jose Padilla is what the governemnts says he is. But I haven't believed anything the governemnt's said in 7 years...

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

DU AdBot (1000+ posts)

Tue Apr 30th 2024, 08:53 AM
Response to Original message

Advertisements [?]

Top

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators

Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.