Less Than Meets the Eye? ["Unbiased" ABC "News" accuses Bush of wrongly 'setting up' poor terrorist

ABC "News" ^ | Thursday, August 14, 2003 | By Brian Ross

[JohnHuang2]

Aug. 13— Administration officials are leaving out key facts and exaggerating the significance of the alleged plot to smuggle a shoulder-launched missile into the United States, law enforcement officials told ABCNEWS. They say there's a lot less than meets the eye.

The accused ringleader, British national Hemant Lakhani, appeared today in federal court in Newark, N.J., and was ordered held without bond on charges of attempting to provide material support and material resources to terrorists and acting as an arms broker without a license.

Outside the courtroom, U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie called Lakhani an ally of terrorists who want to kill Americans.

"He, on many occasions, in recorded conversations, referred to Americans as 'bastards' [and] Osama bin Laden as a hero," said Christie.

But what he did not say was just how much of the alleged missile plot was a government setup from start to finish.

For example, Lakhani had no contacts in Russia to buy the missiles before the sting and had no known criminal record for arms dealing, officials told ABCNEWS.

"Here we have a sting operation on some kind of small operator … who's bought one weapon when actually, on the gray and black market, hundreds of such weapons charge hands," said military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer.

Court documents show much of the case is based on the government's key cooperating witness, an informant seeking lenient treatment on federal drug charges, officials told ABCNEWS. He was the first person who led the government to Lakhani.

‘He Might Say Anything’

The missile shipped into the New York area last month was not a real missile — just a mockup — also arranged entirely by the government. The government also arranged the meetings at a New Jersey hotel and elsewhere, where Lakhani allegedly told undercover agents posing as al Qaeda terrorists about his support of bin Laden.

"One would have to ask yourself, would this have occurred at all without the government?" said Gerald Lefcourt, a criminal defense attorney.

In London today, Lakhani's neighbors described him as a quiet man who worked in the garment industry and had faced serious financial problems.

"I would have hoped the United States is thwarting real terrorism and not something manufactured because here all they're doing is stopping something they created," said Lefcourt.

Government officials said the case will show that Lakhani went along with the scheme willingly and was not entrapped. But the question remains whether any of this would have happened if the government had not set it up.

[JohnHuang2]

Thursday, August 14, 2003

Quote of the Day by eggman

[Tamzee]

I don't see how this could be any more biased than if it had been written as a parody :-(

Once again, liberals flock to the defense of a terrorist...

[JohnHuang2]

Had this been the Clinton administration, ABC "news" would be worshiping at Der Slickmeister's feet.

[gsrinok]

Yet, the leftists continue to claim that we don't have a liberal media. The arrogance and willful blindness of these people boggles the mind.

[nopardons]

It's exactly like the friends, family, and neighbors of an accused child molestor/killer, whinge and complain about how he was an A student, alterboy, and "good " to his parents. Liberals don't EVER care about the victims, only the criminal.

[JohnHuang2]

Bingo.

[gsrinok]

Liberals don't EVER care about the victims, only the criminal.

Thank you for posting that. I can't imagine a better explanation to sum up the liberal agenda regarding justice and national security.

[nopardons]

It's a fact and facts matter. :-)

[Quick1]

"One would have to ask yourself, would this have occurred at all without the government?" said Gerald Lefcourt, a criminal defense attorney.

You have to admit, that is an interesting thought. I wonder if this whole case could get thrown out because of entrapment.

[technomage]

......on federal drug charges, officials told ABCNEWS.

Officials????

Could these be State Department officials?????

Could these be Clinton appointed officials at the State Department?????????????????

Well, we all know about the State Department!!!

Wait a minute!! ABC News????

As much as I KNOW that persons in the State Department would do this, I think I will wait until I hear something similar from a reputable news source!!

[freethinkingman]

Oh it was a "Setup". Well then I see, we best let him go then huh!

ROTFLMMFAO!

The absolute best (short) example I have seen of media bias in a while.

I had to send this to some of my less consevative freinds along with this:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1060838180272460.xml

[freethinkingman]

Oh it was a "Setup". Well then I see, we best let him go then huh!

ROTFLMMFAO!

The absolute best (short) example I have seen of media bias in a while.

I had to send this to some of my less consevative freinds along with this:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1060838180272460.xml

[freethinkingman]

Oh it was a "Setup". Well then I see, we best let him go then huh!

ROTFLMMFAO!

The absolute best (short) example I have seen of media bias in a while.

I had to send this to some of my less consevative freinds along with this:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1060838180272460.xml

[GrandmaPatriot]

While channel surfing tonight, I happened to catch that Aaron Brown on CNN had a reporter talking about this story and was asking him if he thought there could be any proof that it may be entrapment by the agencies involved. I could not believe what I heard but then again it was CNN. Now I see ABC is doing the same. It must have been a talking point that come out of the DNC today.

[Sapper26]

Liberals don't EVER care about the victims, only the criminal.


I got to disagree a little bit. To liberals, the criminals ARE the true victims. Victims of discrimination; victims of drug, alcohol or physical abuse; victims of an uncaring, capitalist society; victims of whatever else that the criminals might use as an excuse for breaking the law. The victims of the actual crime just become another statistic.

[Peach]

It was such good news for Homeland Security and the Bush administration that we caught these guys that I just knew the Rats would have to try and spin it as a bad thing. No surprises here - just confirmation about what we knew all along - the Rats and their willing accomplices (the media) will do ANYTHING to make the administration look bad.

[Peach]

ping for media bias in the extreme

[doosee]

In London today, Lakhani's neighbors described him as a quiet man who worked in the garment industry and had faced serious financial problems.

Now this is really a stretch. This sneaky greasy little terrorist is jetsetting around the world, owns a pretty nice flat in London, and has time on his hands to work on blowing an airliner, yet they say he had serious financial problems. Are these people for real?

[Peach]

ABC News - All Biased Censored (read DNC talking points) News.

[RushLake]

Oh it was a "Setup". Well then I see, we best let him go then huh!

Yeah, and give him a nice hug, an apology, and his missle back. It was only one missle afterall, don't you know?