Hiding in Plain Sight (Al Arian at the White House)

Newsweek ^ | March 3rd, 2003 | Michael Isikoff

[Sabertooth]

For George W. Bush, it was just another campaign stop. But for Sami Al-Arian, a University of South Florida engineering professor, it was a golden opportunity. When Bush appeared at Tampa’s Strawberry Festival in March 2000, Al-Arian sidled up to the candidate and had his picture taken.

< -snip- >

Al-Arian’s politics took on a decidedly darker cast last week when federal agents arrested him at his home in south Florida and charged him with being a top leader of one of the world’s most violent terrorist organizations: Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

< -snip- >

Al-Arian certainly didn’t act like a sponsor of suicide bombings. Far from keeping to the shadows, he repeatedly lobbied Congress on civil-liberties issues, made thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to influential members of Congress and renounced violence during appearances on TV talk shows. In June 2001 Al-Arian was invited to a White House briefing for 150 Muslim American activists, at which political director Karl Rove talked about the Bush administration’s "outreach" efforts. A law-enforcement official told NEWSWEEK the Secret Service had flagged Al-Arian as a potential terrorist prior to the event. But White House aides, apparently reluctant to create an incident, let him through anyway. Such access had its advantages. "He always told me the charges were garbage," said Khaled Saffuri, chairman of the Islamic Institute. "When you hear he’s going to the White House, you figure what he’s saying must be true." In fact, federal prosecutors charged last week, Al-Arian carried out his secret terrorist agenda "under the guise of promoting and protecting Arab rights"—making his public profile a critical part of his MO. "It was the perfect cover," said Steven Emerson, a terrorism analyst who has followed Al-Arian for years.

[bvw]

OTOH comments like yours and the posse's might make one think it hasn't seen enough light yet.

[TLBSHOW]

Bob J

What would you say if its not really about a White House visit years ago its about now and since the charge is that it is still going on with Grover providing the White House with terrorist muslims not people that the President should be meeting with let alone taking pictures with.

Sabertooth is not wrong on this and anyways how many Trent Lott threads was there and this is more important than that was.

[Bob J]

Not on FR.

[TLBSHOW]

You know this new person maybe Grover LOL signed up today and zeros in here.

[bvw]

"Buying in" -- cute.

Norquist is s sponsor of Money for Blood. You don't play around with that.

[bvw]

Don't know DD -- but the graphic image allows him to figure out who I am.

[Fred Mertz]

I haven't seen enough of it yet. How's Grover Norquist handling his new found infamy?

[TLBSHOW]

I didn't check the image cute isn't it?

[Pelham]

I dunno, but if the initials "Grover Norquist" aren't involved I'll be surprised.

[nunya bidness]

Welcome to FR.

[Torie]

I kept waiting for his response. He seems a bit sluggish in that regard.

[TLBSHOW]

Evening Fred hows lucy?

[Mo1]

Evening Fred hows lucy?

It's Ethel

[Fred Mertz]

No, tonight Lucy is on the docket.

[TLBSHOW]

al arian khaled saffuri grover norquist
islamic institute

Some American Muslims support the Palestinian Islamic Jihad


http://www.factsofisrael.com/load.php?p=http://216.239.33.100/search?q=cache:Wpo_D5aPVd4C:www.factsofisrael.com/blog/archives/000203.html+Al-Arian+%3BKhaled+Saffuri,++Grover+Norquist%3B+Islamic+Institute&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

[FreeReign]

Welcome to FR DarkDrake.

Regards
FreeReign
A.K.A Dark Warrior Duck