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.

[justshe]

My mother had a phrase that is appropriate here.

Look before you leap.

Lots of leapers....who don't want to what and see, and instead advance ANY theory, no matter the lack of evidence supporting said theory.

[bonfire]

Great post, Phi.

Some folks have way too much time on thier hands, unlike the President who has a 24/7 JOB.

[deport]

Did you look at that site....... Recently opened up with 192 registered users... that was an article they posted on Feb. 10 as you said written by one of their staff I'd guess as it's not attributed.

[TLBSHOW]

add another story to the growing list just from today.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/850598/posts?page=

[woofie]

We shall see. But until then all the keyboard jocks/Ratty Rats will make themselves feel important and usefull but in reality they are like everyone else, just a single poster with an opinion (or some can form opinions while others need help to do so).

Yea, but Dick Cheney calls me every Tuesday for advice...I told him TLB is holding W's feet to the fire and he muttered something about ratty rats ....have you been talking to him?

[justshe]

Again.....we ask.......where's the proof.

[woofie]

What does Free Howlin refer to? Is she in trouble?

[justshe]

You have FRmail.

[deport]

Naw.... I don't have the ear of the VP like some of the 'gifted' Ratty Rats. Oh, it's not the VP's ear but rather the President's, I think that is what the SHOW has said. He speaks and the President listens..... lol.

[ohioWfan]

This is such small potatoes when compared to the large picture but seems like the story of the year by some of the folks on here. Wonder why? Disgusting if you ask me!

Small potatoes indeed.

If I were to put on my 'armchair psychologist' hat, I would say that if satisfies some deep need (or want) of these folks to feel important.

Other than that, I'd say they just can't see the big picture, either by design or by flawed vision.

btw......thank your daughter for me, for her service!

[ohioWfan]

I just want to stop hearing that stupid mantra

Then quit pushing the replay button. I watch a whole lot of news, and I haven't heard that 'stupid mantra' for a very long time.

Perhaps you just want to stay bothered by it, so you seek it out in remote places.

As I said before, I have much more significant things to think about and do. I'll leave the petty concerns to those of you who don't.

[ohioWfan]

Don't you just hate it when the Constitution gets in the way of your prejudices? So annoying......

[aristeides]

Old news, eh?

[bvw]

Yes. Sun Choo-Choo says :"Better to shake the sand out of one's jockstrap than shoot one's balls off."

We can sweep up the sand off the floor later.

[cyncooper]

In today's political arena, "proof" is secondary to the appearance of impropriety, and facts are presented in a "six degrees of Kevin Bacon" format for the consumption of the unwashed masses

Just what I've been trying to point out, but you've distilled it quite nicely.

There are operatives working FR, and they are not working for the same side that you support.

I believe that is correct. But I also think there just are some who want to latch onto certain scenarios and act like they're the only ones who see the big picture (LOL!). A picture filled with murky characters always scheming and never really as they appear to be.

[Amelia]

There are operatives working FR, and they are not working for the same side that you support.

Bears repeating.