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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
Posted on 08/13/2003 11:36:53 PM PDT by 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.
TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: hemantlakhani; sting
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To: JohnHuang2
And these SOB's wonder why noone watches network news anymore. I stopped watching a week into Lewinski-gate when I could no longer tolerate the slant that ABC news was putting on the entire affair. Haven't watched since.
To: JohnHuang2
BOYCOTT DISNEY: a vortex of seductive evil
22
posted on
08/14/2003 5:34:47 AM PDT
by
Petronski
(I'm not always cranky.)
To: Quick1
You have to admit, that is an interesting thought. I wonder if this whole case could get thrown out because of entrapment.I've heard the feds have over 150 hours of video and audiotapes of this guy implicating himself. So I really doubt he'll successfully be able to argue entrapment. Brian Ross's reporting nothwithstanding.
23
posted on
08/14/2003 5:38:11 AM PDT
by
mewzilla
Comment #24 Removed by Moderator
To: JohnHuang2
who's bought one weapon when actually, on the gray and black market, hundreds of such weapons charge hands yup- and from now on, the players in eachpotential transaction will be influenced by the possibility that it's a set-up. Paranoi increase, cost increase, double cross increase...sounds good to me.
To: JohnHuang2
26
posted on
08/14/2003 5:49:20 AM PDT
by
ChadGore
(Kakkate Koi!)
To: JohnHuang2
"Spitting On The Troops, 2003" alert!
They can't encourage Americans to spit on the troops and call them "babykillers" when they return, so the media is doing the next best thing - pretending that we're not in a war, and making out like American soldiers are a crowd of chumps who are being led by incompetent liars.
Task Force 20 needs to pay a visit to some Stateside nests of vipers.
To: JohnHuang2
Of course, these lyin' sacks of shiite don't tell us about the reason US authorities were playing this guy. The intent was to flip him and use him to see if he could get close to Al Queerda.
Naturally once the scheme was reveled to the Enemy (the BBC) it went public in order to ensure the Killers were warned.
Where are the firing squads when you need them?
28
posted on
08/14/2003 6:51:21 AM PDT
by
justshutupandtakeit
(America's Enemies foreign and domestic agree. Bush must be destroyed.)
To: Quick1
Shouldn't that be noted Commie lawyer?
29
posted on
08/14/2003 6:53:48 AM PDT
by
justshutupandtakeit
(America's Enemies foreign and domestic agree. Bush must be destroyed.)
To: Howlin; Ed_NYC; MonroeDNA; widgysoft; Springman; Timesink; dubyaismypresident; Grani; coug97; ...
"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.Anything to make the Administration look bad - even when fantastic things are happening.
Just damn.
If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...
30
posted on
08/14/2003 6:54:51 AM PDT
by
mhking
To: JohnHuang2
Regardless of what ABC and CNN say - remember what has been accomplished by this sting. Terrorists now know we are in among them, and they will never know who they are dealing with as they plan and conspire, and they will never know when thew ax will fall on them. Even if only one Briton was nailed here, the destabilizing effect on the terrorist world is huge.
Sorry. Hugh. And he's not the Briton, of course.
31
posted on
08/14/2003 6:56:25 AM PDT
by
hemogoblin
(The few, the proud, the 537.)
To: JohnHuang2
this is a big accusation ABC needs to back it up.
32
posted on
08/14/2003 7:02:25 AM PDT
by
linn37
(Have you hugged your Phlebotomist today?)
To: JohnHuang2
I hate ABC with the rest of y'all. But my wife and I had suspicions along these lines from the moment we heard the words "Russian cooperation" and "the missle was a dud". This seems like they just setup a shnook who never could have done this without massive intervention on a multi-government level. All to make us feel safer (I don't). Meanwhile these things are being bought and sold every day, and could be easily brought in through our porous Mexican border if they were really serious.
To: JohnHuang2
No surprise there...I was calling this one yesterday. I KNEW the left and ACLU would cry that this was some kind of abuse or set up. Mean old Ashcroft!
Imagine the reaction had 19 Muslim males been arrested on sept. 10, 2001? ABC would claim they were just poor Saudi kids wanting to learn how to fly, mean old Ashcroft would be accused of...GASP...Racial Profiling
To: JohnHuang2
Gerald Lefcourt, a criminal defense attorney Would that be the long-time anti-war activist criminal defense lawyer who, among other things, served as Abbie Hoffman's lawyer? Yeah, there's a unbiased source.
Hey, ABC: Screw.
To: gsrinok
I Called this yesterday!!!!!!
From Yesterday in the www.GOPUSA.com forum:
Aug. 13, 2003 -- 9:37 am
Morning all!
Saw the arrest of the guy trying to buy surface to air missiles to sell to terrorists. He should be tortured then executed.
Of course, all the anti-war and ACLU nuts will complain that this was entrapment or some such nonesense.
Then Today:
Today in the news:
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/World/missile030813_sting.html Is the government's case against a British national a classic case of entrapment?
Sources tell ABCNEWS the U.S. government sting operation that led to the arrest of accused arms dealer Hemant Lakhani was a setup. (Star-Ledger, Newark, N.J.) Less Than Meets
the Eye?
U.S. Government Sting Operation Criticized as Setup
By Brian Ross
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.
To: JohnHuang2
They are obviously not too concerned with their low ratings...
37
posted on
08/14/2003 8:53:35 AM PDT
by
Lynn
To: hemogoblin
LOL..........delightfully witty post.......and some good points too!
To: JohnHuang2
Had this been the Clinton administration, ABC "news" would be worshiping at Der Slickmeister's feet.
So true :-(
39
posted on
08/14/2003 9:11:15 AM PDT
by
Tamzee
(I was a vegetarian until I started leaning toward the sunlight...... Rita Rudner)
To: JohnHuang2
"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."
So what? We stopped one of 'em, and this guy is complaining.
40
posted on
08/14/2003 9:35:20 AM PDT
by
MEGoody
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