When did you last see a “Most Wanted Poster” of an Al-Qaeda operative?
Current Dept. of Justice activities promote fear, discrimination, and distrust but do little to capture Al-Qaeda operatives
US intelligence and global police agencies are on a worldwide hunt for Al-Qaeda
operatives with ties to places as disparate as Boston, Islamabad, Trinidad,
Guyanna, Portland, Ryahd, Tampa, Seattle, Charlotte, Buffalo, Washington DC,
Ottawa, Milan.... even Panama, a country known more for its canal has been
asked to search.
Who are they searching for? The obvious reply is Al-Qaeda operatives. But can anyone reading this column (beside John Ashcroft) identify an Al-Qaeda operative other than Usama Bin Laden?
Who are the most wanted Al-Qaeda operatives?
On May 26, 2004 US Attorney General John Ashcroft made an impassioned plea to the American people, “ We ask our fellow citizens to be on the lookout for individuals, and in specific, for each of these seven individuals that are associated with al Qaeda” He pronounced their names, displayed their pictures and told us to be on the look out for those dangerous people.
The next day most newspapers published the pictures and names of the “Seven.”
Can you name any of the seven? Do you remember what they look like?
Why aren't those pictures published daily?
Al-Qaeda operatives are a real threat to civil society and Ashcroft needs to do more. He should be working with media outlets around the world like Al-Jazzera, Al Ahurra, USA Today, NY Times, CNN International, International News and many others to continue publishing the most wanted pictures daily until the suspects are caught.
There should be posters at every Radio Shack, Wireless Telephone Store, Computer Store and any other retail outlets that sell high tech equipment. Why? Because we know they are after that type of equipment. Instead, Ashcroft is creating databases, files, lists and who knows what else to track every movement of every man, woman and child in the United States. Why should a 65 year-old lady have to go through a database check to rent a car when “wanted posters” could easily be at every rental car agency.
Ashcroft, stop harassing and intimidating innocent people! Stop trying to dismantle the Bill of Rights and other Liberties!
Instead of asking Congress to allow more secret roaming wire taps, warrant-less searches and other “special exceptions” that go against the foundation and traditions of our Constitution, you should be asking Congress to use its official mailings to their constituents and mail posters of the most wanted Al-Qaeda operatives. If in WWII the government could handout food coupons, then in this war we should all know what the enemy looks like. Not a generalization! But exactly what he/she looks like.
Anything less creates and foments prejudice and hate towards innocents.
Even as you read this, a known Al-Qaeda operative Adnan G. El Shukrijumah was spotted in Panama. You would think every major port of exit or entry in Panama would have his picture? You would think the United States would be buying space in Panama's major newspapers and printing Adnan G. El Shukrijumah's pictures? You would think Ashcroft would be posting his picture everywhere?
But instead of Ashcroft doing everything possible to keep the pictures and descriptions of the known Al-Qaeda operatives in our daily lives they opt instead for hyped “fifteen minute” fear campaigns, because it makes good politics.
We are told over and over again that we are at war. We are told that the enemy is Al-Qaeda. The enemy tells us they are Al-Qaeda. The Bush administration has identified many, has their pictures, their descriptions, countries of origin and even possible locations. Yet, Bush, Ashcroft, along with Rumsfeld, Cheney and others use campaigns generalizing the enemy. They are creating fear and fostering discrimination. They tell us to be on the look out but do we know who we are "looking out" for? The average person would most likely answer by saying someone who looks like an “Arab.” That doesn't help to capture Al-Qaeda operatives. What it does, is create more distrust, more fear, more discrimination toward people of middle eastern descent and it builds on an already marked hatred against Americans.
If the Arab world saw that the United States government was making a positive identification of Al-Qaeda operatives and was diligent is making available the most wanted posters in every airport, wireless telephone retail outlet, personal computer retail outlet, train station, university or one of the many other locations that the average person would see them. Then most likely they would not see this as an attack on their culture but as a genuine attempt to stop Al-Qaeda from attacks on all civil societies.
The strategy of Bush and his advisors is to promote a policy of American Supremacy. A policy that many Americans are beginning to accept not because they believe in Supremacy but because they are being fed disinformation of impending doom, mayhem and disaster. The fear in them is so great that they advise we must get “them” before they get “us.” Even though Gary Schmitt, President of the Project for New American Century promotes the use of pre-emption, he also warns of the danger of "American power seemingly unhinged from all restraints...[and] is as much a danger to world order as perhaps Saddam Hussein himself."
That policy of pre-emption and unilateralism does not create alliances. That policy creates enemies! That policy creates perpetual war!
Where is the Enemy Going to Strike?
Most recently the Stratfor Weekly Intelligence Report made a specific analysis of a likely attack on U.S. Companies in Saudi Arabia and in the United States. They are specific. They identify Halliburton as a most likely target. They are specific in pinpointing, Houston Texas as a likely target because that's were it's headquarters is located. They warn that there is a likelihood of abductions or the use of a massive explosives. Startfor "suggests“ and prudence dictates that Halliburton executives, including CEO David Lesar, should take heightened precautions.”
Now that's a warning!
We have a better idea, due to this intelligence, about how and where. We still don't know when but at least now precautions can be taken. Why then have we not heard from Ashcroft? Why is he not on Houston television? Where are the pictures of the Al-Qaeda operatives employees of Halliburton and the people in the surrounding area should be looking for? Where are the evacuation plans? What precautions should the families of Halliburton employees make? Where is the extra security?
Here we have an actual warning. A warning that comes not only from analysis but also because “it was mentioned by name in recent statements attributed to al Qaeda leaders.” What is Ashcroft doing about it? Is he warning the people of Houston? From all indications, there have been no press conferences. It appears he's taking a low profile.
That's unacceptable!
Mr. Ashcroft you should read your job description again and again and again until you get it. No more fear. No more guess work. Be specific.
In the mean time we will do your job for you. We are posting the pictures and descriptions of the known Al-Qaeda operatives that may be lurking in our own backyard.
We ask our readers to send this link http://www.voiceoffreedom.com/ashcroft/mostwanted.html so that others can be on the look out, not for some mystery enemy, but for specific known Al-Qaeda operatives. In particular we hope you will send these to the people in Houston and to the workers of Haliburton in Saudi Arabia.
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*Amer El-Maati*
*Monday, May 31, 2004*
Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller want the public's help to stop terrorists that could be in the United States planning another 9/11. born in Kuwait. is being sought in connection with possible terrorist threats in the United States.
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*Ahmed
Khalfan Ghailani *
Born in Tanzania. He was indicted Dec. 16, 1998, for his alleged involvement in the Aug. 7, 1998, bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya.
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*Fazul
Abdullah Mohammed*
He was indicted Dec. 16, 1998, for his alleged involvement in the Aug. 7, 1998, bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya.
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*Aafia
Siddiqui*
Siddiqui studied biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Authorities have not charged that she is a member of al Qaeda but believe she could be a "fixer," someone with knowledge of the United States who can get things done for other operatives. The FBI issued a global alert for her arrest in March 2003.
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*Adnan
G. El Shukrijumah*
Born in Saudi Arabia who used to live in South Florida, El Shukrijumah is believed to be a possible terror cell leader or organizer, similar to Sept. 11 hijacker Mohamed Atta. FBI officials began searching for him in 2003 due in part to the overseas interrogation of captured al Qaeda senior planner Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
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*Adam
Yahiye Gadahn*
Gadahn is a U.S. citizen who also goes by the names Adam Pearlman and Abu Suhayb Al-Amriki. The FBI wants to question him although it has no information he is connected to any specific terrorist activity.
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*Abderraouf
Jdey*
He is a Tunisian who obtained Canadian citizenship in 1995. He was among five men who left suicide messages on videotapes recovered in Afghanistan at the home of Mohammed Atef in 2001. Also recovered was a suicide letter in which Jdey pledged to die in battle against infidels.