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Motive sought in New York subway bomb plot (1997)
The Providence Journal-Bulletin ^ | August 2, 1997 | by Dan Barry

Posted on 11/13/2004 11:38:37 AM PST by Calpernia

The New York Times, The Providence Journal-Bulletin, Friday, August 1, 1997, page A-1, A-8 -- As heavily armed agents stood guard, a federal judge presided over the arraignment of two suspects charged with conspiracy to blow up a New York subway station and possession of explosives. Other investigators were seeking a reason behind the alleged plot.

Gazi Ibrahim Abu Mezer, 23, and Lafi Khalil, 22, both from Israel's West Bank, were charged late Friday as they lay in their hospital beds recovering from gunshot wounds suffered during a shootout with police at their Brooklyn apartment . The men were arrested after police seized nail-studded devices resembling pipe bombs from the residence.

A third suspect was being held on charges of being in the United States illegally, officials said.

Federal officials said Saturday that Abu Mezer was released from U.S. detention in Washington state in February, two months before he filed an asylum claim acknowledging that Israel alleged he was a terrorist.

Investigators sift through papers
Three days after thwarting the alleged plot, investigators sifted through evidence trying to determine a motive.

An investigator in New York said authorities were translating piles of Arabic material pulled from the apartment and reviewing records from nearby pay phones. Sources said the suspects may have called the Islamic fundamentalist group Hamas from stores in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn.

The New York Times said officials found a draft of a manifesto written by Abu Mezer that could be interpreted as a suicide note. In it, he spouted hatred for Jews and Americans, denounced persecution of Arabs and said good-bye to his family, according to other media reports.

The Times also reported that a portrait of Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman, the Egyptian cleric convicted of encouraging plots to bomb New York City, was found in the apartment.

"We don't know if these guys were lone wolves or were connected and supported by a terrorist organization," a source said.

A day before the arrests in New York, 15 people were killed and 150 wounded in a suicide bombing in a Jerusalem market that authorities said may be the work of Hamas.

Hamas blames Israel
Hamas denied any involvement with the New York plot. Instead, the group claimed that one of the two Palestinians suspected in the alleged plot was collaborating with Israel's intelligence agency.

"It is apparent that one of the people involved in this case, the youth Lafi Khalil, is an agent who is connected with the Israeli intelligence agency Shabak," said a Hamas statement released Saturday.

"Hamas' only target is the occupation in its land and does not agress (sic) upon the American people or any other people," Abu Marzouk, a top Hamas official, added.

James Kallstrom, head of the New York FBI office, said it "is totally wrong to say that these individuals are connected to and directed by Hamas."

Suspect had been arrested in Israel
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Mehler, Abu Mezer was caught trying to sneak into Washington state from Canada twice in June 1996. He was arrested after a third attempt in January, but Canada refused to take him back. Canada was not required to accept him, because he isn't a Canadian citizen.

Abu Mezer then sought political asylum in the United States, reportedly because he feared prosecution by officials in Israel. He had been arrested there for throwing rocks during the 1990 Palestinian uprising and reportedly learned how to make bombs during a jail term.

That outraged New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. "It is appropriate to question why this person was allowed into the country announcing he was part of a terrorist group in Israel," he said.

Bail was reduced to $5,000
Justice Department spokeswoman Carole Florman gave this account of Abu Mezer's case:

He entered the country illegally on January 14 in Washington state and was caught by the Border Patrol soon afterwards in Bellingham, Washington He was put in detention and officials began an effort to deport him. His bail was set at $15,000, but he could not make it and remained in custody.

Abu Mezer agreed to leave voluntarily for Canada, but Canada refused to take him back.

At a hearing on February 6 before U.S. Immigration Judge Anna Ho in Seattle, his bail was reduced to $5,000. He posted it and was released while the government continued to press its legal case for deportation.

On April 7, his attorney, Kaaren L. Barr of Boise, Idaho, filed an asylum application on his behalf. A hearing on the asylum claim was set for June 23, but on June 12 Abu Mezer withdrew the request for asylum, and his attorney advised the court that he had agreed to leave the country voluntarily.

At the hearing before Immigration Judge Kendall Warren in Seattle, Abu Mezer was given until August 23 to leave voluntarily. Instead, he moved to Brooklyn.



TOPICS: History; Local News
KEYWORDS: 1997; abumezer; bomb; brooklyn; clashofcivilizatio; giuliani; hamas; ins; lafikhalil; manifesto; rahman; soar; subway
This news article is from 1997. In retrospect, I find this very interesting to read now.
1 posted on 11/13/2004 11:38:38 AM PST by Calpernia
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To: KylaStarr; Cindy; StillProud2BeFree; nw_arizona_granny; Revel; Velveeta; Old Sarge; Liz; ...

nw_arizona_granny found this older article. It is very interesting to read now considering the events of the past few years.


2 posted on 11/13/2004 11:40:02 AM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: Calpernia

There is no terrorist threat. Michael Moore said so.

Even if there were a terrorist threat, it only started because of George W. Bush's imperialist, heavy-handed foreign policy.

What? This was from 1997? Uh....ummmmmm.... Halliburton! Enron! Abu Ghraib!


3 posted on 11/13/2004 11:49:53 AM PST by Choose Ye This Day (New DNC political slogan to win back red states: "Vote for us, you stupid morons!")
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To: Calpernia
Here's a motive.

Ummm...it might sound cliche, but how about



"WORLD DOMINATION"!!!!
4 posted on 11/13/2004 11:58:26 AM PST by baltodog (Feel free to believe that you descended from monkeys. I'm not gonna' stop you.)
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To: Calpernia
Another

1."I'm too busy playing golf

2. playing with Monica

3. what duck, I don't see no duck...

Pres. Clintooon

5 posted on 11/13/2004 12:45:27 PM PST by maine-iac7 ( Pray without doubt..."Ask and you SHALL receive")
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To: NYC GOP Chick; davide; LaserLock; Tabi Katz; AlwaysFree; hellinahandcart; kphockey2; ...

two suspects charged with conspiracy to blow up a New York subway station


6 posted on 11/13/2004 2:27:31 PM PST by Coleus (Roe v. Wade and Endangered Species Act both passed in 1973, Murder Babies/save trees, birds, algae)
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To: Calpernia; Coleus

Washington State border agents seem to be pretty good at catching these guys.


7 posted on 11/13/2004 4:14:20 PM PST by firebrand
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To: firebrand

They're probably not afraid to profile


8 posted on 11/13/2004 4:52:44 PM PST by Coleus (Roe v. Wade and Endangered Species Act both passed in 1973, Murder Babies/save trees, birds, algae)
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To: Coleus

Ressam was acting nervous under routine questioning. Diana Dean, the woman who caught him, was actually a customs inspector and tried to make it sound, when she testified, as if all customs inspectors do this as part of their job. But she was alert and a hero. And there were no special warnings at that time from the administration (1999).


9 posted on 11/13/2004 5:01:11 PM PST by firebrand
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To: Calpernia

"Abu Mezer then sought political asylum in the United States,
reportedly because he feared prosecution by officials in Israel. He had
been arrested there for throwing rocks during the 1990 Palestinian
uprising and reportedly learned how to make bombs during a jail
term.

That outraged New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. "It is appropriate
to question why this person was allowed into the country announcing
he was part of a terrorist group in Israel," he said. "

We must not allow Rudy to fade into nothing, he is needed.

clinton, has served us so badly, that we will through eternity, finding another of his dropped jobs.

This was so hidden, we would not have guessed in 1997, the real meaning of this arrest.

By the way, who is the Freeper that has all the files on the clintons?

Mike Savage had a caller, who stated several of the more
common Freeper type clinton reports and Mike asked her to send it to him in an email, so he could research it.

I think it is : michael savage.com


10 posted on 11/13/2004 9:19:58 PM PST by nw_arizona_granny (On this day your Prayers are needed!!!!!!!)
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To: Calpernia

Thanks for the ping!


11 posted on 11/13/2004 10:13:45 PM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: Choose Ye This Day

Kerry said it was just a nuisance.


12 posted on 11/14/2004 5:07:21 AM PST by hershey
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To: nw_arizona_granny; Mia T; Alamo-Girl

>>>>By the way, who is the Freeper that has all the files on the clintons?

Alamo-girl and Mia T have a large collection of articles on Clinton.


13 posted on 11/14/2004 6:09:06 AM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: Calpernia; Budweiser
Abu Mezer then sought political asylum in the United States, reportedly because he feared prosecution by officials in Israel. He had been arrested there for throwing rocks during the 1990 Palestinian uprising and reportedly learned how to make bombs during a jail term.

That outraged New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. "It is appropriate to question why this person was allowed into the country announcing he was part of a terrorist group in Israel," he said.

Deport him immediately. Perhaps throw some rocks at him, too.

14 posted on 11/14/2004 10:45:28 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Deport 'em all; let Fox sort 'em out!)
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To: firebrand
Washington State border agents seem to be pretty good at catching these guys.

I guess patrolling our northern border isn't politically incorrect...

15 posted on 11/14/2004 10:48:21 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Deport 'em all; let Fox sort 'em out!)
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To: nw_arizona_granny; Alamo-Girl
By the way, who is the Freeper that has all the files on the clintons?

I believe you are referring to the lovely Alamo-Girl...

16 posted on 11/14/2004 10:49:34 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Deport 'em all; let Fox sort 'em out!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

>>>>Perhaps throw some rocks at him, too.

You owe me a keyboard :))


17 posted on 11/14/2004 1:46:15 PM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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