FBI Pleads for Help in Finding Al Qaeda Suspect

Reuters Top News ^ | March 24, 2003 | Jim Loney

[FairOpinion]

MIAMI (Reuters) - U.S. authorities made a fresh and urgent call for public help on Monday to find a Saudi-born man who could pose what they termed a "very, very serious" threat as part of an al Qaeda plot against the United States.

Stepping up their search with an appeal to the U.S. Muslim community for information, the FBI said Adnan El Shukrijumah, who is not charged with a crime but is being sought for questioning, was a friend of a man now serving prison time for plotting to blow up Florida power plants.

FBI officials said El Shukrijumah, 27, was believed to be involved in "al Qaeda terrorist activities."

"It is very important, very important, that we find him soon," said Hector Pesquera, special agent in charge of the Miami FBI office, at a news conference.

Agents have received at least two hundred calls from the public since issuing a "be on the lookout," or BOLO alert, last Thursday for El Shukrijumah. The alert was based on information from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the detained alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11. hijacked airliner attacks on New York and Washington.

"He (El Shukrijumah) has been identified by senior members of the al Qaeda organization as a very, very, very serious threat to United States interests both here and abroad," Pesquera said.

El Shukrijumah's father and brother, who live in the suburbs west of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, have said El Shukrijumah lived in Florida from 1995 to 2000 and they last heard from him several months ago, when he was living and teaching in Morocco.

FBI officials said they had no information indicating he was in south Florida at the moment.

Pesquera confirmed reports from El Shukrijumah's relatives that El Shukrijumah was a friend of Imran Mandhai, a Pakistani immigrant who along with naturalized U.S. citizen Shueyb Mossa Jokhan was convicted last year on charges of plotting to bomb power substations and a National Guard armory in Florida.

Prosecutors said the conspiracy was part of what the two men saw as an Islamic holy war.

Leaders of Florida's Muslim community met with FBI officials on Monday and urged Arabs and Muslims in the United States to cooperate in the search for El Shukrijumah.

At the same time, they asked U.S. agents to respect Muslims' civil rights and vigorously pursue hate crimes, saying increasing numbers of Muslims and Arabs in Florida were complaining about harassment in recent weeks.

[FairOpinion]

We should keep our eyes open at home...

[FairOpinion]

Note the repeat of "very important" and SOON and "very, very, very serious threat".

The FBI must really know something very serious is imminent, as in nuclear or biological attack. There is also no new info on the six Iraqis bringing bioweapons into the US from Mexico.

"It is very important, very important, that we find him soon," said Hector Pesquera, special agent in charge of the Miami FBI office, at a news conference.

He (El Shukrijumah) has been identified by senior members of the al Qaeda organization as a very, very, very serious threat to United States interests both here and abroad," Pesquera said.

[Happy2BMe]

"The alert was based on information from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the detained alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11. hijacked airliner attacks on New York and Washington."

[Angelus Errare]

The request to look out for him has been buried by the media in order to cover Iraq. This man's picture should be flashed on the screen every bit as much as Elizabeth Smart's was before she was found.

He has been described as the next Mohammed Atta and we must do everything in our power to hunt him and his cohorts down like the dogs they are.

[pipecorp]

I'd be very much obliged if you'd let me pull the trigger.

[TBall]

If its so important to get this guy, then they need to be putting his ugly face on TV more often. Have a special report during a ball game and put the picture up.

[csvset]

Does the guy have a phone? I'd bet the telemarketing companies could locate him.

"Hello, Mr. Adnan El Shukrijumah? Hi, this is Suzy Creamcheese from Telco Marketing, how are you doing today? Mr. Adnan El Shukrijumah, we're offering a Super Latnum Plated Visa with a very low rate..."

[A CA Guy]

That should be forwarded to their news outlets as being real.

[MizSterious]

FYI

[Lijahsbubbe]

Can't they do 'Amber Alerts' for terrorists?

[b4its2late]

We should keep our eyes open at home...

Put him on AMW.

[TADSLOS]

"Hello, Mr. Adnan El Shukrijumah? Hi, this is Suzy Creamcheese from Telco Marketing, how are you doing today? Mr. Adnan El Shukrijumah, we're offering a Super Latnum Plated Visa with a very low rate..."

LOL!! A terrorist being tortured by a telemarketer..If anyone can find him they can.

[Calpernia]

Very odd. I just did a google search. There is an at large Moroccan man that I wanted to compare a pic of against this one's thread....

I found an odd site. I am sending it out on my distribution list to be watch. Any of you with similar lists...please do the same:

http://www.guerrillanews.com/intelligence/doc930.html

[FairOpinion]

Ping

[b4its2late]

I was going to post something to that effect, but thought too long about it and changed my post an AMW reference only.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Bump for more to view.

[Mears]

Why doesn't this get constant coverage?

This is certainly as important as war news.

[Diddle E. Squat]

My guess is the trigger for terrorism here is likely the actual attack on Baghdad, fall of Baghdad, or the death of Saddam announced. Perhaps explaining the increased urgency of this alert.

[FairOpinion]

I pinged you just before I noticed you already were on the thread.

This guy has got to be somewhere.

I hope somebody notices him and calls the FBI and hope they listen.

[george wythe]

His dad says he's not a terrorist, but a missionary:

"I trained him to be a Muslim missionary, therefore he should be kind to both Muslims and non-Muslims, especially to non-Muslims if he wanted to succeed as missionary."

And Jeffrey Dahmer's parents also thought he was innocent.

[fightu4it]

I would like to help but the truth is unless and until something is done to secure the borders of this country getting rid of one terrorist is of questionable value if there is a steady stream of replacements entering the country at will.

[GirlShortstop]

His dad says he's not a terrorist, but a missionary:

I trained him to be a Muslim missionary, therefore he should be kind to both Muslims and non-Muslims, especially to non-Muslims if he wanted to succeed as missionary.

And Jeffrey Dahmer's parents also thought he was innocent.

And how many missionaries need ALIASES?!?

[Maedhros]

BOLO

[FairOpinion]

Let's get them one at a time.

And it sure sounds like this one guy is more dangerous, than the few million illegal Mexicans.

I believe in working on priorities, and the FBI wouldn't be repeating very very important, unless it is.

[Dog Gone]

The request to look out for him has been buried by the media in order to cover Iraq.

I've noticed quite large amount of coverage in the Houston area, to the point where I mentioned to my wife that the publicity seemed very unusual.

He has to be considered a very serious threat to do something to warrant this.

I can't imagine that he should be that hard to find. He's a handsome arab, and that's not common.

[Maedhros]

This kind of search is a much better use of resources than an Amber Alert.

(flame away)

[george wythe]

He was moonlighting as terrorist?

He needed to keep his missionary name squeaky clean.

[GOPJ]

Good point:

This man's picture should be flashed on the screen every bit as much as Elizabeth Smart's was before she was found.

He has been described as the next Mohammed Atta and we must do everything in our power to hunt him and his cohorts down like the dogs they are.

[fightu4it]

I believe in working on priorities

So do I. My first priority is secure borders. If we had that we wouldn't be running around all over the country in a panic every time someone releases some information/disinformation.

[APBaer]

" we're offering a Super Latnum Plated Visa"

Latinum! Sign me up!

[FairOpinion]

"This kind of search is a much better use of resources than an Amber Alert."

-----

I agree, because sad as it is, the Amber Alert only affects a small number of people, while a terrorist can murder thousands.

That said, I don't see why we can't have both. For Amber Alert, to find a kidnapped child, time is critical.
But I agree that having something similar in the sense of having terrorists pictures on TV and on billboards, etc. may help in catching them.

[browardchad]

It's been publicized in South Florida also -- some people I've talked to got the impression from some local reports that he's Hispanic. OTOH, one local newspaper said that the father's mosque serves the "Caribbean Muslim" community, and that the guy may have a Trinidadian passport.

[rwfromkansas]

This needs to be broadcast on the news bigtime. The media is so focused on the war that they are ignoring this, which is scary!

[LibKill]

I hope that he gets caught by a FReeper.

He'll be turned in, with a lot of lumps on his head.

[RummyChick]

so I guess that the guy beside danny glover in that one pic wasn't him since it was already reported to the fbi

[FairOpinion]

I think everyone everywhere should be on the lookout.

Just because they think he may be in Florida, doesn't mean he is. He could be literally anywhere.

[Happy2BMe]

"I'd be very much obliged if you'd let me pull the trigger."

You do know of course this is the same worm who gloated over cutting off Daniel Pearl's head, right?

[FairOpinion]

We can make the borders MORE secure, but there is no way to make them sealed so NOBODY, not one person can get through.

Right now we have this one terrorist, that we better catch, before he succeeds in mounting an attack on us.

Or do you propose we put 10 million people 5 feet apart at the borders, and how is that going to help us catch THIS guy?

I am for secure borders as much as anyone, but border security is not a panacea, nor would it keep out all terrorists, no matter how secure we try to make it.

[Happy2BMe]

"I found an odd site. I am sending it out on my distribution list to be watch. Any of you with similar lists...please do the same"

Freeper's Guide to Islamic Cyberterror

Twenty-Year Plan for USA: Islam Targets America

The True Furqan can be located on HERE or HERE

[willieroe]

FBI webpage on Adnan G. El Shukrijumah

Aliases: Adnan G. El Shukri Jumah; Abu Arif; Ja'far Al-Tayar; Jaffar Al-Tayyar; Jafar Tayar; Jaafar Al-Tayyar

DESCRIPTION:

Date of Birth Used: August 4, 1975
Place of Birth: Saudi Arabia
Height: 5'3" to 5'7"
Build: Medium to heavy
Hair: Black
Eyes: Black
Complexion: Olive
Sex: Male

Remarks: El Shukrijumah occasionally wears a beard. El Shukrijumah carries a Guyanese passport, but may attempt to enter the U.S. with a Saudi, Canadian, or Trinidadian passport.

[Dixie Mom]

Suspected terrorist may have been in Tampa

Tampa – After the FBI issued a be on the look out for a suspected terrorist from Florida, employees at a Tampa airport think they may have seen the man. Small airports around the state have been on the lookout for Adnan G El Shurijumah after the FBI said he has had flight training and could be part of a terrorist plot.

El Shurijumah lives in South Florida and security cameras at Vandenberg Airport in Tampa captured video of a man that apparently looks like him.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says the Regional Domestic Task Force does have the security tapes and is examining them. While the task force hasn’t determined if the man on the tape is El Shurijumah, they want to find out who the man is and where he went after he came here.

Although the FBI says El Shurijuma is linked to a plot to set off a dirty bomb, his father says he has no idea why his son is being investigated.

El Shurijuma’s brother says he hasn’t lived in the United States for years. However the FBI says El Shurijuma was seen in South Florida last week. Now it is possible he was seen in Tampa as recently as this week.

[pipecorp]

Is he not also #3 Alqueda. Currently undergoing some friendly questioning. In puliing the trigger, I wouldn't go for immediate dispatch, maybe by the third mag.

[Maedhros]

Sure we can have both. It just seems to me that counterterrorism is a higher priority than missing children but is often not treated as such.

[Libertina]

What do you want to bet this guy's in Seattle...or Evergreen Community college? ;)

[fightu4it]

I am for secure borders as much as anyone

I'm glad to hear it.

I have to wonder what my chances ( a white male) would be of infiltrating one of these Arab countries with mischief on my mind.

Would they be worried about offending me by profiling me? I doubt it. I'm pissed because between the pourous boders and political correctness we don't stand a g*ddamned chance.

[Happy2BMe]

"I wouldn't go for immediate dispatch, maybe by the third mag."

Can you imagine what Daniel Pearl's relatives would do to this maggot in a locked room?

[FairOpinion]

"It just seems to me that counterterrorism is a higher priority than missing children but is often not treated as such."

-----

I completely agree. People still have the mindset to try to catch a criminal AFTER a crime has been committed, instead of PREVENT it.

[doug from upland]

Okay, let's just see if the Muslim community and mosques are going to help us. Or, will they hide him?

[Maedhros]

Alas, I have been flamed many a time for suggesting otherwise.

[Beck_isright]

A quick sweep of every 7-11 should yield results.