http://usmlo.org/archive/2002-12/06-38-10.htm
Voice of Revolution - September 20, 2002 STATE TERROR IN LACKAWANNA The Case As Presented By the State The six men so far arrested by the FBI in a federal government case in Buffalo, New York, were arrested on charges that they "did knowingly and unlawfully provide, attempt to provide and conspire to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization." The only basis given so far for saying "material support" was provided is the alleged presence of the six at a camp in Afghanistan where it is said Osama bin Laden spoke. All six are citizens and two others listed as "uncharged co-conspirators" are also citizens. The two are said to be abroad and, according to the FBI, the subject of a "worldwide" government manhunt. Yemen is being floated as their most likely "hiding" area and the U.S. has moved special forces into a nearby base. In press conferences, FBI Director Mueller said, "We have not seen any plan of an imminent attack in Western New York or elsewhere in the United States," and that "we do not fully know the intentions of those who were charged today." Federal and state government officials have repeated that there is no evidence of a plan for an attack. No explosives nor assault weapons have been found. The defendants are so far not being charged as terrorists nor with planning nor committing any terrorist act. New York Governor Pataki and others continue to tell New Yorkers that they were never in any danger. The U.S. Attorney's Office, handling the case, has described the alleged crime as "a crime of violence," saying it posed a threat to U.S. citizens. Larry Thompson, Deputy Attorney General, like the FBI, emphasized, "We have identified, investigated and disrupted an al-Qaida-trained terrorist cell on American soil." To date, the evidence given that such a cell existed is what are described as "coded messages" intercepted by police through phone and computer taps, and, as FBI Agent in charge Ahearn said, "They worked together, they socialized together, they lived within blocks of each other." According to the FBI, the six have been under surveillance since before September 11, 2001 and extensively so in the past six months. Numerous unmarked cars were regularly in Lackawanna, phones and computers tapped, and movements followed. The men were previously questioned by the FBI during the summer of 2002 and all cooperated. Though as a "sleeper cell" their cover would obviously be blown, none attempted to flee after the initial interviews nor otherwise hide or change their activity. One reportedly turned over his passport as a show of good faith. According to police the individuals simply carried on with their normal lives, posing no threat. The FBI has not said why they waited so long to make the arrests. Agent Ahearn, speaking just days after the anniversary of September 11, said there was no specific event triggering the arrests. The FBI has not said why it was necessary to raid the community, cordon off a three square block area, storm it armed, at night, to arrest the five in Lackawanna. None of the suspects offered any resistance. All have cooperated throughout. All no doubt would have turned themselves in voluntarily, as they did for interviews. The full indictment for the six men in custody has yet to be handed down so the charges could change. It is also possible the indictment will be sealed as the code sited (Title 18 sections 2339B and 2) allows the government to seal the indictment as well as evidence used in trial, meaning it will not be made public nor be available to the defendants. In the court complaint filed to provide probable cause for the arrests, the FBI outlines that the individuals traveled to Pakistan for religious purposes in the summer of 2001, before September 11. According to the complaint, while in Pakistan one of the individuals, still abroad and yet to be arrested, organized to take people into Afghanistan. The six are said to have gone to the al Farooq camp where they are said to have been trained in "the use of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, handguns and long range rifles." The complaint states that it bases its accusations on information given by two of the six men so far arrested. One was interrogated abroad, at length, on September 11, 2002, the second, in Lackawanna, on September 12. The raid on the community was carried out at night on Friday, September 13 and Saturday morning. Joshua _______________________________________________ Leninist-International mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
