Terror Suspect Gets Invitation To Have Dinner With President

http://www.wftv.com/irresistible/4457901/detail.html ^

[velocityguy]

Terror Suspect Gets Invitation To Have Dinner With President

HARTFORD, Conn. -- A year after federal agents raided his home in a terrorism investigation, Muslim businessman Syed Maswood is lucky to get on an airplane without being detained and searched. But that didn't stop him from getting an invitation to dine with President Bush. Maswood, a nuclear engineer who has not been charged with any crime and has been trying for months to get his name off no-fly lists, received an invitation to serve as an honorary chairman at a Republican fundraiser with Bush in Washington next month.

A Republican who has donated money to GOP campaigns, Maswood said he briefly considered attending but his wife refused to fly. The last time they were in Washington, he said, they were held for hours at the airport.

"I didn't want to go stag," Maswood said, "and she's absolutely adamant."

FBI and Homeland Security agents raided Maswood's home last year because he donated money to the Benevolence International Foundation, a once IRS-approved charity that was accused of supporting terrorism.

Investigators also said they uncovered an e-mail Maswood sent indicating support for Islamic rebels in Chechnya, but Maswood said he was simply trying to help humanitarian workers in the war-torn region....

Maswood said he voted for Bush in 2000 but not in 2004.

"I supported President Bush. I supported President Bush on Iraq. I really think he's a good guy," Maswood said. "But when you become a victim of this kind of thing over and over again, it becomes personal."

[velocityguy]

Now this is what I call strange!

[La Enchiladita]

I wonder why his wife refused to fly.

[John Jorsett]

Obviously, they were setting a trap. As soon as the guy showed up at dinner, George W. would have shouted "sieze him!" and it would have been over.

[clee1]

Eating with the Enemy.

[drt1]

Not really surprising. It appears the FBI, TSA and CIA are not communicating as usual and/or are taking random shots in the dark re: No fly lists, terrorism suspects and the like. Doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence or a real sense of security.

Fits right in with what I've heard about the need to scrap about 4.5 Bill of airport screening equipment because it really doesn't work as advertised.

[nuconvert]

Lol

[Montfort]

"A Republican who has donated money to GOP campaigns, Maswood said he briefly considered attending but his wife refused to fly. The last time they were in Washington, he said, they were held for hours at the airport."

They could have taken a train from Connecticut to DC. Prett quick and convenient. And they are not quite as worried about Muslim extremists running trains into buildings as they are about flying planes into buildings.

If he wanted to go, he would have gone. This excuse is Barbra Streisand.

[lilylangtree]

"received an invitation to serve as an honorary chairman at a Republican fundraiser with Bush in Washington next month."

A friend of mine got one of these. It's a fancy way to do a fundraiser. When you get one of these, your first thought has to be "what's it going to cost me?"