Ten Years After Empire State Terror Attack, the Truth Comes Out

Little Green Footballs ^ | February 18, 2007 | Charles Johnson

[faq]

In February 1997, Palestinian English teacher Ali Abu Kamal went to the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State Building, pulled out a gun, and opened fire, killing one person and wounding six others before killing himself. Even though he carried letters ranting about the US and Israel, the media heavily promoted the story that he was despondent and suicidal after a financial loss.

Today the killer’s daughter—who works for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian “refugees” (UNRWA)—admitted that this story was a complete fraud. She wants the world to know that her father was “martyred for patriotic motivations.”

And the family was directly instructed to lie about it by the Palestinian Authority: Killer’s daughter admits it was political.

GAZA CITY - Ali Abu Kamal’s relatives say they are tired of lying about why the Palestinian opened fire on the observation deck of Empire State Building, killing a tourist and injuring six other people before committing suicide.

Kamal’s widow insisted after the shooting spree that the attack was not politically motivated. She said that her husband had become suicidal after losing $300,000 in a business venture.

But in a stunning admission, Kamal’s 48-year-old daughter Linda told the Daily News that her dad wanted to punish the U.S. for supporting Israel - and revealed her mom’s 1997 account was a cover story crafted by the Palestinian Authority.

“A Palestinian Authority official advised us to say the attack was not for political reasons because that would harm the peace agreement with Israel,” she told The News on Friday. “We didn’t know that he was martyred for patriotic motivations, so we repeated what we were told to do.”

But three days after the shootings, Kamal’s family got a copy of a letter that was found on his body, they said. The letter said he planned the violence as a political statement, his daughter said. “When we wanted to clarify that to the media, nobody listened to us,” she said. “His goal was patriotic. He wanted to take revenge from the Americans, the British, the French and the Israelis.”

She said the family became certain that he carried out the attack for political reasons after reading his diary. “He wrote that after he raised his children and made sure that his family was all right he decided to avenge in the highest building in America to make sure they get his message,” said Linda, who works for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

She said her mom burned the diary, fearing that it would cause the family trouble.

[KTM rider]

Not only the MSM, but our government is trying to control our public opinion for its widespread internal peacekeeping and diplomatic motives. the message is " don't hate the enemy, trust us , well identify the enemy and protect you "

[wideminded]

The US media would much rather promote civil disarmament than arouse us to enemies within ...

If Rudy knew, he'd keep it quiet,

I did some further research. A letter was indeed found on the body of Ali Abu Kamal. The letter was released by the city government of New York and the full text was published in the New York Times on February 26th, 1997.

Other articles in the NYT also discussed the note, which mentioned both both Kemal's hatred of Americans, Britons, French and Zionists and also his financial difficulties. I would have included a copy here, but I didn't want to pay $4.95 to the NYT or violate copyright.

In any case many of the assumptions behind this entire thread do not seem to be true.

[dervish]

First thanks for calling me "loopy."

Second you said "Mayor of NYC Rudy says nothing about Muslim aliens, or aliens at all. "

Please re-read the following from the Giuliani archives which demonstrate that Mr Giuliani was focusing on two important (to me at least) factors 1) the shooter was a Palistinian from Gaza and 2) an alien aka 'not a US citizen':

....................

"Good morning. It has been a week since the terrible tragedy that happened last Sunday at the Empire State Building. And even as we grieve for the families and our hearts and prayers go out to them, perhaps we can use this senseless tragedy to re-energize the fight for gun control.
A man came to this country from Gaza City on December 24th of last year. Ali Hassan Abu Kamal first arrived in New York and then traveled by plane to Melbourne, Florida, where he checked into a motel."

snip

"To purchase a gun in the State of New York you have to give your full name, your date of birth, your residence, your occupation. You have to prove that you're a United States citizen..."

http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/rwg/html/97a/me970302.html

[mountn man]

Now the killers daughter is working for the UN in this country and since she is so worried about gettuing his martyrdom recognised it is pretty obvious she is proud of what he did. She may even do something of that sort herself and should be kept under serveilance or sent back to Palestine. How many others are in this country working for the UN who need to be sent home as security risks.

That would be considered racial profiling, and would hurt someones feelings. CAIR would be offended.

[DBrow]

" In any case many of the assumptions behind this entire thread do not seem to be true."

First off, great research, thanks.

I did assume that Rudy never mentioned a terrorist link, preferring to promote his disarmamnent agenda.

And MSM certainly did not spread the idea around, instead amplifying Rudy's words.

I did assume that the media would not mention the letter at all, and as you pointed out and backed up with good research, I was wrong, thanks for informing me, I like to learn things.

[Tweeker]

I guess in two years the family of Gamil El Batouty who crashed Egyptian Air Flight 990 into the Atlantic may have a statement for the press.

[DocH]

First of all, RINO-rudy, like most of his gun-grabbing ilk, LOVES to muddy the waters and make the average citizen THINK that he is trying to come down hard on "automatic' weapons, when in reality, he is talking about, and he knows full well, SEMI-auto firearms.

The implication is that our society is awash with FULLY-automatic weapons, and that almost anyone can get one as easy as ordering a pizza.

The idea is to SCARE the general population into supporting licensing and registration schemes that will eventually result in a TOTAL BAN on entire classes of firearms (the ultimate goal of the likes of schumer, lautenburg, mccarthy, sarah brady, AND RINO-rudy).

It's TYPICAL LIBERAL B.S, to create a FALSE "crisis", and then make the public believe that ONLY government (ever EXPANDING government in the LA-LA-LAND that IS LIBERAL dem and RINO politics) can "solve" the crisis. This may fly in a inner-city hell-hole that is populated with sheeple, but it won't fly in MOST of our great country.

Of course we conservative gun owners and supporters and defenders of the 2nd Amendment don't want non-citizens illegally obtaining firearms, whether through normal channels (gun shops, etc.), OR on the street. The point IS, OUR answer is to come down hard on criminals that TRY and obtain such weapons (MANDATORY 5 years or more just fro TRYING), AND for other measures, like, in this case, the federal gov coming down on this foreigner playing our immigration/visit system.

RINO-rudy, and his gun-grabbing buddies answer is to make it extremely difficult, or impossible, for EVERYONE, including law-abiding citizens, from obtaining and using firearms for any purpose, legal or not.

That's UN-Constitutional, UN-American, and can NOT be accepted belief in a Republican Presidential candidate, much less a President.

[faq]

But three days after the shootings, Kamal’s family got a copy of a letter that was found on his body, they said.

I can kind of see this. If the FBI or police found a letter on the body proclaiming jihad they probably wouldn't tell the family that right away. They would play dumb at first asking questions about a possible motive just to see what the family knew. And after a few days the media had already run with the anti-gun angle and maybe the police weren't ready just yet to confirm that story to the media either. It would be interesting if someone from the media would follow up with this now and confirm the story (doubt that will happen).

[SJackson]

That's a better than the NYT article previously posted which doesn't mention the palestinian connection.

Still, taking the facts you cite, Rudy didn't call for increased enforcement relative to aliens, he called for federal law that bans all assault weapons, and if in fact you do need a handgun you should be subjected to at least the same restrictions -- and really stronger ones -- that exist for driving an automobile....The United States Congress needs to pass uniform licensing for everyone carrying a gun. . Ban the ugly looking rifles, restrict handgun ownership, and license all gunowners. Nothing about aliens in the solution. And from his statements last week, he'd do the same thing today. Though it may get him some votes in the general election, not many since this is the dem position, maybe a touch to the left of it, it is a loser for Rudy in the primaries.

[dervish]

"The point IS, OUR answer is to come down hard on criminals that TRY and obtain such weapons (MANDATORY 5 years or more just fro TRYING)"

The law enforcement approach to terror is what the Dems propose and what brought us 9/11.

As a NYer who has followed Rudy for years I know one thing about the man - his speech is anything but politically correct.

[faq]

Here's an incomplete list of Sudden Jihad Syndrome terrorists.....

That OU football stadium bombing was a little suspicious if you are looking for another to add to the list.

[wideminded]

It would be interesting if someone from the media would follow up with this now and confirm the story (doubt that will happen).

See #102. They already did. The shooting happened on February 24th, 1997. The entire text of the letter carried by Kamal was published in the New York Times only two days later.

The problem with this thread and the one on Little Green Footballs is that everyone is believing article from a Gaza newspaper.

[faq]

Use LexisNexis Alacarte for your research. It only costs $3.

Here is a quote from the New York Times article of Feb. 26, 1997:

---

RAMPAGE AT THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING: OVERVIEW;Empire State Gunman's Note: Kill 'Zionists'

The New York Times, Section A; Page 1; Column 3; Metropolitan Desk
February, 26 1997
By MATTHEW PURDY
1360 words

The gunman who opened fire on the observation deck of the Empire State Building on Sunday said in a letter found on his body that he planned his attack as revenge for the treatment of Palestinians by the United States, Israel and other countries.

"The Zionists are the paw that carried out their savage aggression," wrote Ali Abu Kamal, the 69-year-old English teacher from Gaza who shot seven people before killing himself Sunday afternoon. "My restless aspiration is to murder as many of them as possible, and I have decided to strike at their own den in New York, and at the very Empire State Building in particular."

Law enforcement officials said they have found no evidence to support the contention of Mr. Abu Kamal's family that he was distressed at having been swindled out of hundreds or thousands of dollars of his life's savings, and the officials said they doubted the money ever existed. They also said they had found no indication that Mr. Abu Kamal acted in concert with a terrorist group or any accomplices.

- end excerpt -

[ronnie raygun]

We are all lambs to the slaughter thanks to the media and the demo-rats who keep these acts of aggression against the american public hush hush just another random crazy man with no agenda THEY REPORT. WAKE UP AMERICA WE ARE UNDER ATTACK FORM OUTSIDE AND FROM WITHIN!!!!

[zip]

ping

[DBrow]

I looked at the timeline of the stories- Rudy's "we need more gun control" letter was published the day before the "this guy was a terrorist" article.

The two stories did not collide on the same day.

It is possible that Rudy didn't know about the letter, but as I stated earlier it would have been convenient for his message if he didn't say anything to blunt his "common sense disarmament" theme. It also would make sense for the media to keep them separate (like you don't see the story of the fire, and ads for the fire sale on the same page).

[Txsleuth]

I just now got your ping to this thread, sofa.

Amazing isn't it??

Dang...the "highest building"....in 1997.

The "highest building" in 1992, 2001...and looking at the Sears Tower in Chicago.

I just found this ping....after strolling through the thread that Jim Robinson started tonight...about religion in America vs. Rudy....

I couldn't even finish reading the thread, let alone post on it...very vitriolic.

And then I read YOUR post here..from a little after 1:00 this afternoon my time.

Ironic...and sad.

Texas has a conceal carry law.....why would I worry about Rudy taking that away?? That isn't going to happen by HIM...but, a Hillary Administration???

One of the first WTC bombing suspects lived in my city...worked here...put his kids in school here...went to mosque here....

I don't fear Rudy....

[Rodney King]

Nice research. It does our side no good to be loose with the facts and/or history.

[sofaman]

hey Txie...2 of the 9/11 hijackers lived about 5 miles from us, as the crow flies...it's apparent to me that rudy would be strong on the WOT..and that is the defining issue of our time.

I'm not saying that Rudy is "my guy"...I'm saying that Rudy has what it takes in this day and age. I haven't had the opportunity to listen to Mitt Romney so I can't discount him. Newt Gingrich would be strong on the WOT, I think, although he has had his moments.

Duncan Hunter is a good man, but IMHO, has about as much chance of being elected POTUS as he does of getting pregnant..

In short, it's too early for me to make a decision. But I do know that I cannot discount Rudy. And i also know, that as Bahbah said, those running on the Democrat ticket shouldn't be allowed anwhere near the WH.

Hope that you guys have warmed up! Take care, my FRiend.

[Bahbah]

With you at the beginning.

I bet I'll be with you at the end.