[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

The Justice Department refuses to comment on his detention in any way, shape, or form except to say that there is an "ongoing investigation".

Wonderful, just wonderful. THIS is what I stood out in the cold in front of "Cheney's House" in 2000 for?

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

PING!

[Support Free Republic]

Hi mom!

[Fred Mertz]

John Doe 2, Jose Padilla, has received similar treatment.

Is he still alive?

[Tunehead54]

Mr. Hawash was detained by FBI agents wearing helments, body armor and carrying assault rifles in an Intel Corporation parking lot as he arrived to work on Thursday, March 20.

---

What's the probem? He was wearing helments (is that like a condom?), body armor and was packing assault rifles in a public place. Seems clear to me ... ;)

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Would it be possible to put "Police State Alert" or some such in parentheses after the title? This is important, IMHO...

[EternalVigilance]

Everything in the story suggests that the law is being followed to a tee.

Somehow I doubt he is being held for no reason.

[konaice]

Whats with you guys?

Do you seriously think our government, in the midst of a war, has time to grab people at random from the streets and detain them for no reason?

Don't you think that in light of all the recient captures of Al Queda assetts and computer hard drives, and the heavy war-time intelegence monitoring of communications, that there may be ample intelegence to hold him?

Do you subscribe to the phone-book prosecution theory; that officials go after someone by randomly selecting their name from the phone book?

Keeping some one incomunicado in times like this may just save several amarican combat deaths or protect other cirtical assets in the war on terror.

Things are not always what they seem. Give it time.

[CyberAnt]

"The fact is that the government is abusing the material witness statute to hold Mike"

And ... the source for that statement is ...?? Why is it whenever a person is arrested who "appears" to be just your ordinary person, everyone automatically suspects the govt of doing something evil? Although it does happen - it is the exception and not the rule!

In case no one noticed ... we are at war! And ... a lot of people have to realize that for years, x42 had the investigative agencies in this country hamstrung to the point that they couldn't do anything about some of the information they had gathered; or they couldn't finish gathering. Now ... we have the ability to finish the info gathering. This is closing up a lot of investigations.

Remember one important thing ... sometimes people are arrested because they have information which is important to a case. Sometimes, if they tell that person why they're arrested, they will give false data. Sometimes it's important just to let the guy sweat a little before they interrogate him. Being in jail for awhile can surely make you want to cooperate a lot sooner. I know it may not sound nice, but there is A WHOLE LOT OF NOT-NICE STUFF GOING ON IN AMERICA and we need to get it cleared up.

[bjcintennessee]

War is hell. And terrorists and their supporters are plentiful. It is unfortunate, but necessary that people with certain backgrounds are receiving a closer scrutiny, and yeah, sometimes mistakes are going to be made.

My question is that if he is being kept in solitary confinement, how would anyone know whether he has been questioned or not? Something a little fishy with this report. Perhaps the author is exaggerating just a bit in order to push our buttons so that we cry "Injustice!"

[Cultural Jihad]

You'll just have to lump it, Lumpy. Steven McGeady is not the CIC.

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

Never, ever, get all you information from The New York Times when it comes to something involving a Palestinian

Words to live by. Howell Rains has a massive self loathing complex. Unfortunately that manefests itself to groups rather than himself and his pretentious newspaper. Be patient.

[JimRed]

Deep sleeper agents use that cover; citizenship, family roots, appearing law abiding. Maybe one of the guys in Gitmo gave him up, or falsly accused him in revenge for some tribal feud from 20 years ago.

These investigations typically don't see the light of day until everything has been followed up.

[piasa]

This gentleman (Maher Mofeid Hawash, or Mike Hawash) is associated in some way with the Portland Cell... a group of people who went to Afghanistan to fight US troops and who are charged with levying war against the United States. This group has ties to an extremist Islamic mosque, the Black Panthers, Al Qaeda, Hamas, and one member has some curious links to China which is why the group traveled via China to go to war against US troops. Some members of this group have a direct face-to-face relationship with Wadih el-Hage, bin Laden's personal secretary.

This particular individual, Hawash, has made substantial donations to the terrorist charity Global Relief Foundation, which he says is a legit organization. (At least he may have thought so.) According to an early report "FBI, Joint Terrorism Task Force Search Home in Hillsboro" in The Oregonian, documents were found attached to Global Relief Foundation's federal tax return for the year 2000 listing about 120 donations of $5,000 or more, including two from Hawash. The first was a $5,165 donation from "Mike & Lisa Hawash" listing their Hillsboro address. The second was a $5,050 donation by "Maher Hawash" listing the same address. The dates of the donations weren't listed. The paper says these donations are unrelated to the case but does not say why it came to that conclusion.

(See also this snippet : )
Initially, speculation among Hawash's friends was that his detention was related to two donations totaling about $10,000 that he made to the Global Relief Foundation, an Islamic charity whose assets were frozen last year after federal authorities alleged it was connected to terrorism. - "Engineer Held as Part of Portland Probe, " by Elaine Harden, Washington Post Staff Writer, Saturday, April 5, 2003

Given his occupation there is likely much more of interest than just his donations, but the FBI does seem to have focused on his computer and his financial records. He also sends money to relatives in the West Bank, including his mother, according to friends, who insist the family there "is not involved in politics." (Well, that's nice. I'm glad to know they never participate in those parades for suicide bombers or celebrate the collapse of the WTC.)

As a sidenote, Hawash is a member of the Bilal Mosque in Beaverton, Oregon, which is the same mosque also attended by the Saudi brothers Mohammed Ibrahim Bilal and Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal, both charged with providing material support to al Qaeda. He has also attended the Islamic Center of/in Portland. This latter Center was once headed up by a gentleman who is charged with social security fraud. The Center is considered extremist. I don't have any reason to believe the Bilal Mosque is extremist at his time; its leader seems to be cooperative.

Prosecutors have until April 25, 2003 to take testimony from Hawash as a material witness or present him to a grand jury. A closed hearing is scheduled for April 29. More information on the case will be provided in May by officials. Hawash does have access to attorneys and can be visited by his wife and children. He hasn't been held very long.

[Wil H]

Mr. Hawash was detained by FBI agents wearing helments, body armor and carrying assault rifles

Probably thought he might like to be re-patriated to the custody of his dad in Cuba....