LA airport gunman on FBI watchlist

SMH.com.au ^ | July 5, 2002

[Jethro Tull]

LA airport gunman on FBI watchlist

July 5 2002

A gunman who killed two people before being shot by an Israeli agent at the counter of Israel's airline El Al at Los Angeles airport was an Egyptian immigrant on an FBI watchlist, officials said today.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified the gunman as 41-year-old Hesham Mohamed Hadayet who moved to the United States 10 years ago and worked as a limousine driver, FBI spokesman Matthew McLaughlin said.

The identity of the gunman, who was overpowered and shot by an EL AL security agent after killing a check-in clerk and a middle-aged man yesterday, fuelled fears that the attack could be a terrorist strike against Israel.

"There might be some terrorist links," McLaughlin told reporters, adding that Hadayet was "heavily" armed with two pistols and a knife.

However he stressed that the investigation was in its early stages, and that at this point the incident would probably be characterised as a hate crime.

The FBI and local police officers were meanwhile searching the suspect's home in Orange County, near Los Angeles, after recovering evidence from his car at Los Angeles International Airport.

"We went through the normal procedures of investigation, we ran weapons, we ran vehicles, and we got into his residence," McLaughlin said, adding that authorities would pursue the investigation "aggressively."

A senior Israeli official in Jerusalem meanwhile said Israel had "no doubt" that the fatal shooting attack Los Angeles was a terrorist attack.

"There's no doubt (for Israel) that the shooting at El Al counter at Los Angeles airport was a terrorist attack," the official said on condition of anonymity. "We're now waiting for the official results of the investigation."

Earlier FBI officials had said there was no indication that the attack was a terror strike targeting the Jewish state, even as the United States was under an "elevated" level of alert as it celebrated its first July 4 independence day since last year's September 11 terror attacks on US targets.

"We have no reason to believe this was an act of terrorism," said Ronald Idem, assistant director of the Los Angeles FBI Office, adding that the man had no air ticket or identification in his possession.

Hadayet was not an American citizen but had a "green card" (given to US residents) allowing him to work as a limousine driver, McLaughlin said. Reports said his wife and children were currently in Egypt and that a search was underway for other relatives.

Police said the suspect, who opened fire in the terminal around 11:30 am, was gunned down by an El Al security officer in the skirmish, the full details of which remain unclear.

A 46-year-old orthodox Jewish man who was seeing off friends and a 25-year-old El Al check-in clerk, identified as Victoria Hen of Los Angeles, died later in hospital. Some seven other people were injured.

FBI agents said the gunman was armed with a .45 calibre handgun and had another 9mm handgun and a 15-centimetre knife in his possession.

One of the seven people injured in the attack was El-Al's security chief at Los Angeles airport Chaim Safir, whom reports said had shot and killed the gunman and was being treated for a stab wound.

The other injured included a woman shot in the leg and another woman who complained of chest pains.

"Witness accounts indicate that no words were spoken," by the gunman before he opened fire, Ron Idem, assistant special FBI agent in charge, told reporters, adding that the attack appeared to be an "isolated incident."

Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn and Los Angeles Police Department chief Martin Pomeroy had also described the incident as isolated.

But initial Israeli reaction was to assume the incident as a terrorist attack.

"When a gunman opens fire on El-Al passengers at an international airport, you have to assume it is terrorism," Transportation Minister Ephraim Sneh said on CNN.

Yuval Rotem, the Israel consul general in Los Angeles, said all indications pointed to terrorism.

"It would appear to be a terrorist attack," he told a press conference , recalling that in December 1985 Arab militants attacked El Al ticket counters in Rome, killing 13 people, and Vienna, killing three.

A Federal Aviation Administration official said the level of security alert at the airport had not been raised as a result of the shooting and five hours after the incident the airport resumed normal operation.

However some 20 flights were delayed by as much as eight hours, affecting around 10,500 passengers, airport officials said.

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/07/05/1025667057580.html

[Illbay]

...fuelled fears that the attack could be a terrorist strike against Israel.

I think statements like this are just absurd. What difference does it make if it WAS a "terrorist attack?" Does that mean it MIGHT indicate there are terrorists who want to target Israel? LOL!

To me this is like the statements you read from time to time such as: "The murder is being investigated on suspicion that it might have been a 'hate crime'". What bullsh*t! What difference if it was a "hate crime" or not? The person is dead, and hate is everywhere.

Just PC semantics.

[browardchad]

Huh? At yesterday's afternoon press conference, FBI Agent Garcia said Hadayet was definitely NOT on any watchlist.

[TC Rider]

I'll be interested in knowing how he got the Glocks and if there was a NICS check.

Has anybody thought to add these 'watched' arab moslem males to the prohibited list?

[guitfiddlist]

A senior Israeli official in Jerusalem meanwhile said Israel had "no doubt" that the fatal shooting attack Los Angeles was a terrorist attack.

I think we need an emergency Israel-US lend-lease program. We can start with the FBI, they desperately need to borrow a clue.

[BrooklynGOP]

The person is dead, and hate is everywhere

I believe several persons are dead. Funny how you left out the victims.

[Auntie Mame]

....drip .....drip .....drip.

If we let out the information v e r y ..... s l o w l y the sheeple will be asleep and when questioned later, we can say, "All information was processed to the American people. Here's the proof."

So now he was on the FBI's "watch list." Apparently the FBI wasn't "watching." Two innocents were killed by a non-citizen who was allowed to stay in this country even though he was on a "watch list." Why isn't every single person on the FBI's "watch list" been deported?

[Lockbox]

LA airport gunman on FBI watchlist

Maybe he should have been on the FBI follow list. Or the FBI stop if he has a gun and is heading to the airport list.

Personally I think the FBI should just have one list, Shot the piece of $hit list.

[Lockbox]

Sounds like a terrorist incident is getting like a “Hate’ crime, only certain people can commit a ‘Hate’ crime.

[NittanyLion]

Why isn't every single person on the FBI's "watch list" been deported?

Good question.

[07055]

Why isn't every single person on the FBI's "watch list" been deported?

Liberals.

[kcvl]

Hadayet.net An Islamic site completely In Urdu having material in audio, visual and video modes. Hadayet.com What is this?

[tallhappy]

"Witness accounts indicate that no words were spoken," by the gunman before he opened fire, Ron Idem, assistant special FBI agent in charge, told reporters

This also is an important piece of info. There is lots of misinformation going around that he was in some sort of argument before he shot.

As far as being on a watch list, that was reported Thursday night. Garcia seems to be two things, one a moron, but second a PR agent who spews meaningless drivel.

[07055]

Reports said his wife and children were currently in Egypt and that a search was underway for other relatives.

How much do you want to bet that the authorities in Egypt give his family a substantial reward?

[Dog Gone]

Why isn't every single person on the FBI's "watch list" been deported?

Because we are a nation of laws, including those which govern immigration. We have entire law firms whose primary business is immigration work, including fighting deportation. If someone has a green card, deporting them (if they choose to fight it) can take years.

I have an in-law who is a Canadian citizen, although she's married to an American and has worked here for years. Her daughters are American citizens. Should the decision of some person at the FBI to put her on a "watch list" cause her to be immediately deported and break up that family?

I agree that we are not deporting a lot of people who may be a potential threat. But we need to change the laws. It would be nice if we could talk a Democrat into sponsoring a bill to toughen up our immigration laws. If a Republican did it, they would be branded as racist.

[Digger]

I like your style...... Does the government do anything that is warrants an "A". Spends large more amounts than private sector & then feeds you lies like this incident is not being terrorist in nature. My estimate of gov is that it's 57% effecient and spends 163% to get that figure.

[FITZ]

This guy is on an FBI watchlist and was able to purchase guns and obtain not one but two driver's licenses? I suppose the FBI was too busy watching those 80 Americans in Waco and later burning them to keep a good eye on this one. Besides, he's a foreigner and political correctness instructs the FBI only to watch American citizens.

[Retiredforever]

More info on the gunman can be found at

http://www.debka.com/

[TLBSHOW]

garcia is a part of the fbi problem another clueless agent. but it goes to the top, right to muller. is it any wonder these fools think it is a isolated story.

[TLBSHOW]

that is a good find

[TLBSHOW]

translation please!

[TomGuy]

Last update - 19:06 06/07/2002

Egypt says surprised by furor over Los Angeles shooting

By Zohar Blumenkrantz and Benny Landau, Ha'aretz Correspondents, Ha'aretz Service and agencies

CAIRO - Egypt's foreign minister expressed surprise on Saturday at the furore over a deadly attack by an Egyptian national at Los Angeles airport, saying the motives were still unclear and similar incidents occurred frequently.

Egypt's official Middle East News Agency (MENA) said Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told reporters in Cairo that such incidents occur repeatedly in the United States and other countries and said he was surprised by the exaggeration of this event in particular.

"Until now, nobody knows the motives behind this incident. We have to await the outcome of the current investigations so that we can review them," MENA quoted Maher as saying.

Egypt's semi-official al-Ahram daily said on Saturday that local security authorities had no information on record about Hadayet and there was no evidence he had any links to extremist activities when he lived in Egypt.

Ex-employee of El Al gunman tells NY Times: 'He had hate for Israel' In an interview to The New York Times published Saturday, a former employee of the Egyptian who shot dead two people and wounded seven others at the El Al ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday that he "often heard his boss express virulent anti-Israeli sentiments."

Hesham Mohammed Hadayet, a 41-year-old Egyptian, "had hate for Israel, for sure," Syrian-born Abdul Zahab told The New York Times. "He told me that the Israelis tried to destroy the Egyptian nation and the Egyptian population by sending prostitutes with AIDS to Egypt. He said that the two biggest drug dealers in New York are Israeli."

Hadayet was shot dead by an El Al security official soon after opening fire on the crowd of people queuing at the ticket counter.

El Al flight LY 106 from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv arrived at Ben-Gurion International Airport in the early hours of Saturday morning, after its delay following Thursday night's shooting attack.

The plane was carrying 119 passengers. Some 40 passengers elected to remain in the United States until after Shabbat, Israel Radio reported.

The flight was due to fly to Tel Aviv with a stop over in Toronto. It was scheduled to land in Israel at 4 P.M. Friday.

The FBI said Friday it had no indication suggesting that the attack was an act of terrorism, but said the gunman's motive was still unclear. (Click here for a look inside El Al security.)

"He was not on any FBI or FAA watch list," FBI agent Richard Garcia told a news conference. He added that authorities still had several days work to do "to determine whether this person acted in an act of terrorism."

"We have not determined whether he had any anti-Israeli views," Garcia said, adding that it was still "very difficult to determine the exact motive" for the shooting.

The FBI said earlier that Hadayet apparently was not connected to any terror organizations, and probably acted on his own.

Hadayet, who also goes by the last name Ali, was a legal resident who worked as a limousine driver, FBI spokesman Matt McLaughlin said. The motive remained uncertain and there was no evidence anyone else was involved, McLaughlin said.

The FBI spokesman suggested that the attack might fall into the category of a hate crime and said the man was heavily armed.

The White House also said Friday that there was no indication suggesting that the attack was the work of terrorists.

"There is no evidence, no indication at this time that this is terrorists," White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said Friday. He added that President George W. Bush extended his condolences to the victims.

The two people killed at the attack at El Al's ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport were identified as Ya'akov Aminov, 47, and El Al stewardess Vicky Chen, both of them residents of Los Angeles, Israel Radio reported Friday morning. (Click here for more on the victims.)

FBI agents searched Hadayet's apartment Friday in the southern California city of Irvine after finding his car in a parking lot at the airport hours after the shooting. Neighbors told police the man's wife and two children were in Egypt.

Hadayat lived in the United States since 1992. He was not a U.S. citizen, but had a green card enabling him to work in the country.

FBI officials also said that Hadayat did not speak during the attack, contradicting earlier eye-witness reports that he shouted "He took my job" during the shooting.

Egyptian police question gunman's father and wife Egyptian police questioned Hadayet's father and wife, security guards at the father's apartment building said Friday.

The police police arrived at the apartment of Hadayet's father in downtown Cairo on Friday morning, the building's security guards said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The husband of Hesham Hadayet's aunt, Hassan Mostafa Mahfouz, said Hadayet's wife and sister were taken away for questioning by Egyptian intelligence.

He said the family was waiting for confirmation from the American Embassy about Hesham's involvement. "We want to be sure if he is behind the attack."

Mahfouz said that July 4 was Hadayet's birthday and that Hadayet had called his father on Thursday as he knew his father would want to wish him happy birthday.

Israel: L.A. shooting was terror attack Transportation Minister Ephraim Sneh reiterated Friday that the shooting was an apparent act of terror, saying that the it was a "logical assumption" that the incident was a terrorist attack, in an interview to CNN.

"We are going to assume that it's a terror attack until proven otherwise," the minister told Israel Radio on Friday.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Yaffa Ben-Ari issued a statement saying: "The terrorists deliberately chose the Fourth of July to carry out their crime on the soil of the United States."

[Squantos]

Indeed........ Current goobermint is analogious of a dog chasing it's own tail these days IMHO.....

Stay Safe !

[Illbay]

Funny how your knee jerks before your tongue wags.

[BunnySlippers]

How much do you want to bet that the authorities in Egypt give his family a substantial reward?

A long article about this guy in this morning's LA Times ... his wife had filed spousal abuse against him some time ago (he had filed one against her as well) ...

His visa ran out and he was to have been deported some years ago and then his wife won some sort of raffle run by the State Department that allowed her and her spouse to live in the U.S. indefinately!!!

The also had a photo of his apartment building with teo big monster flags hanging outside ... a U.S. flag and one for the Marines. :)

[BrooklynGOP]

Funny how your knee jerks before your tongue wags.

Hah. You should be talking. According to you 1 person is dead. Victims don't count, right?

[Illbay]

Turn your d&mned filter off, and go back and read what I said. If I don't hear from you again, it'll be because you realize what a fool you've made of your self.

You COULD come back and apologize, but don't worry. I won't expect you to be humble.

[Jethro Tull]

"Huh? At yesterday's afternoon press conference, FBI Agent Garcia said Hadayet was definitely NOT on any watchlist."

I heard the exact same press conference and I'm dumbstruck.

It appears the safest place in the world for a potential terrorist to be is on some FBI/CIA/government "watch list."

See Usama bin Laden for further evidence...

[Free the USA]

Index Bump

[BrooklynGOP]

To me this is like the statements you read from time to time such as: "The murder is being investigated on suspicion that it might have been a 'hate crime'". What bullsh*t! What difference if it was a "hate crime" or not?

What's the difference between 9/11 being an accidental plane crash or it being a terrorist act?

The person is dead, and hate is everywhere.

Oh. Sorry for hating people who try to kill us. Didn't mean to hurt their feelings.

[BrooklynGOP]

Yea. What's the difference. Really.

[Fearless Flyers]

It’s funny that whenever this story comes up no one mentions the fact that one victim suffered a heart attack in the El Al terminal during the gun fight. Could this be because the fact that a man was so terrorized he had heart attack would end the argument over whether this was a terror attack.

Our Federal Government will always try to justify these acts in anyway, so long as it is not called terrorism. If these attacks are identified as terror it would show the United States is losing the war, not to mention offending the power hungry liberals.

On the same day a private plane crashed into a large group of people during a public 4th of July Celebration. Terrorism was dismissed right away, because supposedly mayday calls were transmitted from the aircraft. What better way to maker sure your insurance covers you during an act of terrorism then to fake an emergency and broadcast mayday requests while on your way to the target. Not only do you accomplish your goal of murdering innocent civilians, but your family gets a big payoff too.

[Fracas]

Did you by chance hear about an older son - age 18? One of the first stories about this guy mentioned an 18-year old teenage son (did not say if he lived at home), but later stories only mention two younger children. I wonder if the first story was wrong. I'm still looking for the source of that original story.

[Vinnie]

His visa ran out and he was to have been deported some years ago and then his wife won some sort of raffle run by the State Department that allowed her and her spouse to live in the U.S. indefinately!!!

I believe the DNC held that raffle. Ten thousand dollars a ticket, but you were assured to be a winner.

[hergus]

I heard that he was married previously and his former wife and son are living in Egpyt.

[Fracas]

Thank you! This detail was driving me nuts; I hate 'loose ends', particularly when they deal with terror.

[JudyB1938]

I copied that website to my harddrive. Some English coding showed up - with this URL ... http://www.pakranks.com/

And the pictures all have similar coding as:
SRC="LAX%20TERRORIST%20Hadayet _net_files/1423.gif"

Plus check this out (takes a long time to finally open, and then I couldn't get it to play again - it was landscape and a few words)
http://hadayet.net/video.htm

The words are added to the website as PICTURES, so a translator might not do any good.

[philman_36]

Where did that crash happen at? Any more info yet?

[JudyB1938]

And this one seems to be some sort of guest book ...

http://hadayet.net/arkan.htm

I sure wish we had somebody who could tell us what all of those webpages say. (There's more URLs that I didn't list)

But whatever it's saying, it ~IS~ about the terrorist!!!! And that is what the MUSLIMS are calling him!

[philman_36]

FYI

[MosesKnows]

FBI Agent Garcia said Hadayet was definitely NOT on any watchlist.

He spoke before he had been informed on what he was to say.

How can one believe anything reported as news any longer. All of the news that alarms us is manipulated for the sake of political expediency.

The government provides information much for the same reason a drunk uses a lamp post; more for support than for illumination.

[Sabertooth]

A gunman who killed two people before being shot by an Israeli agent at the counter of Israel's airline El Al at Los Angeles airport was an Egyptian immigrant on an FBI watchlist, officials said today.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified the gunman as 41-year-old Hesham Mohamed Hadayet who moved to the United States 10 years ago and worked as a limousine driver, FBI spokesman Matthew McLaughlin said.

I posted that Hadayet was on the FBI's watch list HERE, on Thursday night, as reported by KABC 7 in Los Angeles. The FBI's spokesman on the ground on the 4th was Matt McLaughlin... wonder if he was KABC's source?

Shorly after, there was a flurry of reports on CNN, MSNBC, and Agent Garcia of the FBI that Hadayet wasn't on any FBI watch lists.

It appears the Bureau needs to get their story straight.

The "Lone Abdul Theory" is in for some trouble.

[Victoria Delsoul]

It appears the Bureau needs to get their story straight.

Yep. Let's the spinning start.

[Shermy]

Well there's "watchlists" and lists called something else. Just like this incident is not "terrorism."

[zeaal]

I suspect one of the best ways to determine if this was a terrorist incident is to "follow the money." If the widow receives a payment from Saddam Hussein, the PLA, Hamas, Hizbulleh, or any other assortment of terrorist organizations then we can safely assume that in fact the shooter was interested in fulfilling a mission similar to terrorist homicide bombers.

[07055]

The article said that they interviewed the widow and then told her not to speak to the press. I wonder how many bills were in the envelope she was handed before she left?

[zeaal]

Another tell-tale sign the shooter had terrorist affliations is if his photo begins to appear among those that are posted to honor homicide bombers.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

It took a while to figure out where your source was:

The Aussie Sydney Herald , is that a Murdoch paper?

I wonder if they are just parroting the slivers of info we have seen over here.

[Bandolier]

Huh? At yesterday's afternoon press conference, FBI Agent Garcia said Hadayet was definitely NOT on any watchlist.

He was lying. You're shocked, right?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From the same source we have this:

AIRPORT ATTACK
It was terror, El Al victim's family says

The family of one of the victims of the shooting at an Israeli airline check-in desk in Los Angeles slammed the US Government yesterday for not classifying the killings as a terror attack. Full report

Israel and FBI split on gun attack