ANGRY LETTER: Arrested soldier blasted U.S. view of Muslims

Union Leader ^ | 2/14/04 | ELIZABETH M. GILLESPIE , AP

[kattracks]

EVERETT, Wash. — A National Guardsman suspected of trying to share military information with al-Qaida is a Muslim convert who complained bitterly in a letter to a newspaper about “bigotry, hatred and mindless rage” in the United States.

Spc. Ryan G. Anderson, 26, was arrested Thursday and was being held at Fort Lewis. The tank crew member from the Guard’s 81st Armor Brigade was taken into custody just days before he was to leave for duty in Iraq.

Long before his arrest, he had made some of his beliefs known in strongly worded letters to the editor.

“In my three years as an observant Muslim, I’ve encountered nothing but kindness, patience, courtesy and understanding from them,” he wrote in a November 2002 letter to the Herald of Everett. “On the other hand, I have experienced bigotry, hatred and mindless rage from so-called ‘educated thinkers’ here in the U.S.”

Anderson also suggested that his allegiance to the United States was conditional.

In a 1998 letter published by The Spokesman-Review newspaper in Spokane, he warned: “Today I am a young soldier, sworn to protect and defend this country. But if tomorrow I find that this nation is no longer the one based upon the freedom I was taught to love, I’ll have little choice but to go where I can live in freedom.”

Speaking on condition of anonymity, defense officials said Anderson signed on to extremist Internet chat rooms and tried to get in touch with al-Qaida operatives. It is unclear how the U.S. government got wind of his alleged offer to supply military information to the terrorists. It does not appear he transmitted any information to al-Qaida, authorities said.

Anderson grew up in this city 30 miles north of Seattle, graduating from Cascade High School in 1995. He then attended Washington State University, where he earned a degree in history in 2002. He began studying Islam in 1999, according to his most recent letter to the Herald in 2002.

TV satellite trucks lined the street outside his parents’ home yesterday, but no one made an appearance. His father, Bruce Anderson, issued a statement saying the family was stunned by the arrest but is confident the code of military justice will afford the younger Anderson a fair trial.

It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer.

[SevenofNine]

I hear about this soldier view

Let me get this straight guys

AHH religions stuck in 12th century who best know on suicide bombing and surpress women

I take Chrisintiy

[bigghurtt]

“Today I am a young soldier, sworn to protect and defend this country. But if tomorrow I find that this nation is no longer the one based upon the freedom I was taught to love, I’ll have little choice but to go where I can live in freedom.”

sad to say, there are many soldiers in today's Army who would say "hell yeah!" to this statement. by far the minority, but there are plenty.

[MEG33]

And just where would one move and have"more freedom"?

[bigghurtt]

please do not take my comment to mean that I believe as such...

I love this country dearly, and would do anything in it's name. but I'm telling you, there are alot of dumb kids in the army, and I've heard several statements from some of them.

unfortunately, just putting on the uniform doesn't mean you have any sense of duty these days.

[Paleo Conservative]

Actually he seems to have confirmed it.

[kcvl]

Anderson grew up Everett, 30 miles north of Seattle. On Friday, TV satellite trucks lingered on the street outside his parents' home, where a large American flag hung outside the garage.

The family made no appearance, but his father Bruce Anderson, stepmother Jaclyn and wife Erin issued a statement saying the family "is stunned" by the arrest. They asked the media to "respect our wishes not to be a part of any news story."

Ryan Anderson and his wife moved to Lynnwood, just north of Seattle, several months ago. He reported to Fort Lewis near Tacoma on Nov. 15, when the guard's 4,200-member 81st Brigade was called to active duty.

No one answered a knock at the Andersons' apartment door Friday. A newspaper with its front-page report on his arrest lay unopened on the doorstep.

Upstairs neighbor Don Simmons, 52, said he did not know Ryan: "He was hardly ever here."

"The FBI was actually here for days staking the place out, seeing who was coming and going," said Simmons, whose wife, Cindy Smith, manages the sprawling Cambridge Square North apartment complex.

Smith declined comment, but Simmons said she called police about the men watching the complex, who claimed to work for the phone company but refused to offer identification. Police arrived, talked to the operatives, and left in a hurry, Simmons said.

FBI Special Agent Robbie Burroughs confirmed the agency is involved.

The arrest is "shocking, but it's not too shocking, knowing how Ryan is," said Nathan Knopp, a friend of Anderson's since they graduated from Everett's Cascade High School in 1995.

"He was always a paramilitary type of guy, really into military weaponry," Knopp told The Herald on Thursday. "Ryan's kind of a weird type of guy who made up a lot of stories that seemed really far-fetched."

Knopp, who is in the Navy, declined to talk about Anderson to The Associated Press Friday, saying the Navy asked him not to discuss the case.

But he showed an AP reporter and photographer a copy of his 1995 yearbook, where he said Anderson had drawn an elaborate sketch of a machine gun, and a Confederate flag, adding, "Have a (expletive) great summer. Let's overthrow the government!" He signed it R. "Za Savierski" Anderson.


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/aplocal_story.asp?category=6420&slug=WA%20Soldier%20Arrested%20Profile

[dts32041]

"Speaking on condition of anonymity, defense officials said Anderson signed on to extremist Internet chat rooms", so when was he zotted here, and what was his name?

[LdSentinal]

. . . so when was he zotted here, and what was his name?

#1KerryFan

[Prodigal Son]

And just where would one move and have"more freedom"?

It's not always an issue of 'where else can you go?' it's an issue of how it ought to be. In answer to your question I would say the place one might go to have more freedom would be Pre-Depression America. There are 9 nations in front of the US as far as economic freedom- if economic freedom were the most important factor there is indeed a short list of places to go.

Just depends what your perspective is. Africa is like the Wild West. Lots of opportunity there depending how you look at it.

Some people might think being able to ingest the substances they choose is an example of freedom. In this case the US is not a very clever place to go. On the other hand, if you want an abortion, the US is a good place to live.

Freedom means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Roosevelt said people ought to have freedom from want. A lot of things took a turn for the worse after that man came to office. I think there's a correlation.

[Post Toasties]

This Anderson turd epitomizes bigotry, hatred and blind rage himself if he's trying to sell his own people out to Islamic filth like Al Qaeda.

[LisaMalia]

In answer to your question I would say the place one might go to have more freedom would be Pre-Depression America

Unless you have a time machine, I'll take living in America in 2004. I thank God everyday that I was born in this country. I guess that may be considered corny by some, but it's the way I feel.

[Prodigal Son]

I'll take living in America in 2004

Just for comparison purposes, which other countries have you lived in? (by way of comparison)

I realize I can't travel in time physically, but yeah, I would rather have lived in a time when Americans thought the gov't should stay out of our lives, not tax our income, not confiscate our guns, not provide medical care etc etc.

[Mr. Mojo]

Anderson also suggested that his allegiance to the United States was conditional.

Conditional upon it one day becoming an Islamic state, no doubt.

[LisaMalia]

Just for comparison purposes, which other countries have you lived in? (by way of comparison)

None.......never have, never will, never had the least desire to even compemplate it.

[MEG33]

You yearn for yesterday and it is easy to yearn for an idealized yesterday.I have no idea how old you are,but did you live in the 1930s?

I have lived in Europe.It is the good old USA for me.

[Prodigal Son]

So, out of curiosity, how do you truly compare the US with another country? On what do you base your judgements?

[Prodigal Son]

I don't yearn for yesterday because that is futile. But how can one ever argue against wanting to be more free? If the US could be a more free country are you telling me you wouldn't want that? Why? I don't mean to denigrate your point of view but why would someone choose that? I would always want America to be more free than it is. The status quo just isn't good enough.

[kuma]

I've lived in Germany and I can say I very much prefer America over Europe. As you pointed out though we are headed in their direction, especially if we implement national healthcare. It is getting worse but it's still miles ahead.

You have a point about some of those wilder countries. They don't have the government infrastructure to breath down your neck but if they got ahold of you then most likely it's a free for all.

[LisaMalia]

So, out of curiosity, how do you truly compare the US with another country? On what do you base your judgements?

Well, I've never been to Hell, but I don't think I want to live there either. Does that sum it up to your satisfaction?....:)