'I love bin Laden ... I hate Bush' (Seattle - Sweden terrorist connection + Bush death threat).

Seattle Times ^ | 9/3/2002 | David Heath

[Abar]

'I love bin Laden ... I hate Bush': Man connected to Ujaama, hijacking suspect speaks out

By David Heath Seattle Times staff reporter

A Swedish citizen suspected of conspiring with a former Seattle man to open a terrorist training camp in Oregon also has links to a Swede suspected of planning to hijack an airliner in Europe last week.

Oussama Kassir, 36, an unemployed engineer in Stockholm, was an unnamed and uncharged co-conspirator in the indictment of James Ujaama last week. Federal officials say Kassir and another man went to Bly, Ore., with Ujaama in late 1999 to scout out a ranch as a training camp for the al-Qaida terrorist network.

Authorities have not connected Kassir to Thursday's arrest of Kerim Sadok Chatty, who was stopped in Vaesteraas, Sweden, after a handgun was found in his carry-on bag as he was boarding a Ryanair flight to London. Chatty, 29, who trained at an American flight school in 1996, was being held yesterday pending charges for allegedly planning to hijack the Boeing 737.

But Kassir admits he is a friend of Chatty's and says he taught Chatty to pray while they were in a Swedish prison together in the late 1990s. The two were close, Kassir said, and he last talked to Chatty about a month ago.

In an interview with The Seattle Times yesterday, Kassir said Chatty is not a terrorist and that his friend probably just forgot that he had a gun in his luggage.

"The boy is nice. I don't think he would do that," Kassir said.

Kassir insisted that he, too, is being falsely accused of working for al-Qaida. The indictment of Ujaama states that one of Ujaama's colleagues — Kassir, authorities say privately — bragged publicly in Bly of being a "hit man" for Osama bin Laden.

Kassir denied the allegation and said repeatedly that his life is now in danger because of it.

"I am not the hit man of Osama bin Laden," he said. "The hit man would never be living in Sweden. He would be at his side. This is not good for my life."

Kassir added, though, that he is "a supporter" of bin Laden and his Islamic terrorist group.

"I said I am not al-Qaida. I am a supporter. I love al-Qaida. I love Osama bin Laden."

And, he said, he hates President Bush.

"I am against President Bush because he killed too many Muslims. I hate him to death. He should go to hell. I hate him with all my heart. If I can kill him, I'd kill him. But I cannot. I don't have the power to do that."

Later in the telephone interview, Kassir said that he didn't mean it and warned against publishing his comments.

Kassir was born near Beirut, Lebanon, in 1966 and fought during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Two years later, he moved to Sweden and became a naturalized citizen in 1989.

In 1998, he served time in a Swedish prison for assaulting an officer and possessing drugs and a gun. During that time, Kassir met Chatty, who was arrested after fighting with U.S. Marines at a Stockholm bar and with another American at a gym, according to a published report.

Currently, Kassir faces charges in Stockholm for assault and theft.

Kassir lived in London at the Finsbury Park mosque of radical cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri, a noted supporter of Islamic terrorist efforts. Videotape aired on Canadian television shows the two men walking together in early 1999.

Kassir said he first went to Abu Hamza to seek advice because his wife had asked for a divorce. He said he became a close friend of Abu Hamza and knows him better than anyone.

"I feel very sorry that they say Abu Hamza is involved in al-Qaida. This is not true. I swear on Allah that this is not true. He's a kind person."

Abu Hamza also had nothing to do with Ujaama, Kassir said. But when told that Abu Hamza described himself as "being like a father" to Ujaama, Kassir said that even so, there's no proof that Abu Hamza was involved in a terrorist training camp in Oregon.

Ujaama was charged Wednesday with conspiracy to support al-Qaida and on a weapons charge. He is expected to return to Seattle this week, where he faces up to 25 years in prison.

The indictment, from a grand jury in Seattle, alleges that Ujaama in late 1999 tried to persuade Abu Hamza to establish a terrorist training camp on a remote ranch near Bly. It alleges that Abu Hamza sent two associates, Kassir and Haroon Aswat of India, to Oregon to scout out the property.

Kassir said that he doesn't know where Aswat now is and that he may be dead. Authorities say that Aswat fought in the war in Afghanistan.

Witnesses told The Times that Kassir was upset when he saw the ranch because it was so run-down and was so angry that he threatened to kill Ujaama. Kassir denied this yesterday.

He did not deny being in Bly but said there is no evidence that Abu Hamza sent him there.

The indictment also said that in February 2000, Kassir taught the preaching of Abu Hamza in Seattle and provided "urban tactical training."

When news of the probe was reported this year, Kassir allegedly called a witness in Seattle to ask if he should come back to "assess the situation."

David Heath: dheath@seattletimes.com.

[Abar]

It's way past time to take out the trash.

[PoorMuttly]

So...he's innocent, I take it.

[Cindy]

Links of Interest:

SEATTLE TIMES.com: "'I LOVE BIN LADEN...I HATE BUSH': MAN CONNECTED TO UJAAMA, HIJACKING SUSPECT SPEAKS OUT" by David Heath (ARTICLE NOTE: The man is identified as Oussama Kassir, age 36, born near Beirut, Lebannon in 1966 and became a naturalized citizen in Sweden in 1989.) (090302)

ANANOVA.com: "BIN LADEN FOLLOWER TAUGHT HIJACK SUSPECT ISLAM" (090202)

FOX NEWS.com (AP): "SWEDISH SUSPECT DETAINED ON PRELIMINARY HIJACK PLOT CHARGES" (NOTE: Kerim Sadok Chatty, 29-years-old, a male, a Muslim, had a gun in his carry on luggage at an airport.) (090202)

CNET News.com: "WEBMASTER INDICTED FOR TERROR SUPPORT" by Declan McCullagh (ARTICLE NOTE: The suspect is identified as Earnest James Ujaama, age 36, birth name of Earnest James Thompson. ARTICLE SNIPPET: "WASHINGTON--A federal grand jury has indicted the founder of the StopAmerica.org Web site on charges of aiding al-Qaida terrorists.") (082902)

THIS IS LONDON.co.uk: "MUSLIM CLERIC FREED FROM BELMARSH" (ARTICLE NOTE: The Muslim cleric is identified as Abdullah el-Faisal, age 38, from Stratford. ARTICLE SNIPPET: "A Muslim religious leader charged with encouraging others to commit murder has left prison after being granted conditional bail by an Old Bailey judge.") (082202)*(url has expired)

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER: "LAWYER SAYS UJAMA WAS NOT INVOLVED IN JIHAD WEB SITE" by Sam Skolnik (ARTICLE NOTE: The suspect is identified as James Ujaama, a former Seattle, Washington resident. ARTICLE SNIPPET: "London barrister Muddassar Arani, who represented an Englishman accused but later acquitted of attempting to recruit Islamic terrorists through the Web site, said Ujaama had nothing to do with it.") (082202)

[GaryMontana]

I have a great idea.

Shoot him. Let God decide if he is innocent or guilty.
This way there is nothing to worry about. Let's treat this thug the way his friends treated those in the WTC on 9/11.

[Abar]

According to the extreme left terrorist supporters than run Seattle, yes.

There should be no doubt as to why they settled in Seattle!

"Ron Sims, King County, Wash. executive and the highest-ranking African American elected official in the state, echoed the declaration publicly. Of Ujaama and his younger brother, Mustafa, Sims said: "These two gentlemen are community activists, not terrorists." Larry Gossett, a black King County councilman added: "Both of these cats have had a positive, contributing role in the African American community here."

Here's the article:
http://jewishworldreview.com/michelle/malkin073102.asp

[TeleStraightShooter]

I noticed that the article noted it was a Swede, but not a Swede of Tunisian origin.

Seattle times is LYING by ommiting salient facts

[Redcloak]

Was it this guy?

[Abar]

The reporter doesn't use the words -black- or -muslim- either.

[PoorMuttly]

Sometimes, some people can be TOO active, especially when they bring foul and horrendous mass murder to civilian non-combatants. Maybe these jokers need a taste of that giant hole in the ground downtown, an empty grave, and the taste in your mouth, that you know is the actual bodies of your neighbors, who died hideous, tortured deaths...men, women, and children.

Sorry to get you guys more fired up, but this is War...and it has to be. We will do the right thing, and part of that is accepting these poor, deluded unfortunates, who can minimize the disgraceful offense to God and humanity, of which even they are a part. Ignorance is ugly. We are alive and free because very many brave and noble people suffered to secure this place for us, and they suffered and died for us with dignity. Foolish remarks as these folks make..."activists" indeed...reveal just how unworthy these supposed adults are of the rest of us, and those who came before....probably some of these people's own families, and ancestors. We must pass over it, and carry them along like a wound, and not let it stop us from doing our part, our duty...understood by them or not. That's what sets us apart from them. They are in the minority...and there will always be human wreckage and refuse. Let us not lower ourselves as a nation, to pause and consider, least of all be offended, by the foul and foolish bleatings of the dogs. We, as Americans, should be, must be, and are better than that...and we have inherited the mantle and benefits of other great Americans who came before us. For what it's worth...leaving the truly lowly in their own thoughts and words, isolated by their betters...puts a frame around them...made of their own unworthy selves...which is the worst punishment a living being can remain alive in. The dead are better off.

[GVnana]

In 1998, he served time in a Swedish prison for assaulting an officer and possessing drugs and a gun. During that time, Kassir met Chatty, who was arrested after fighting with U.S. Marines at a Stockholm bar and with another American at a gym, according to a published report.

Mosques and prisons seem to be the primary recruiting posts for these losers. And, as in the States, the liberals keep turning the murderous, suicidal nuts back onto the streets. I see Sweden also has an immigration problem.

[ppaul]

The Seattle Times: 'I love bin Laden ... I hate Bush': Man connected to Ujaama, hijacking suspect speaks out

Already posted HERE, about 20 hours earlier.
Oh, well, it probably needed to be re-posted so others who missed it the first time can comment.

[LurkedLongEnough]

"The boy is nice. I don't think he would do that," Kassir said.

Muslims have a green light from the Koran to lie to all infidels. There you have it.

[Constitutional Patriot]

A "ball-point" terrorist?

[hchutch]

Did this guy threaten the President?

Can I get fifteen minutes alone with the guy?

[Poohbah]

"He forgot the gun was in his luggage."

I guess this guy really DOES think we're stupid enough to believe him.

BTW, notice the prison angle?

[hchutch]

I must not have.

What's the scoop on that?

[Poohbah]

Maybe we should be screening ex-cons a wee bit more closely, as the Moose Limb extremists like to proseltyze among prisoners. Richard Reid, Jose Padilla, these two guys...this AIN'T a coincidence.

[hchutch]

Sounds like a good option - heck, why allow them in prisons at all?

[dmeara]

"I feel very sorry that they say Abu Hamza is involved in al-Qaida. This is not true. I swear on Allah that this is not true. He's a kind person."

Gosh, good enough for me! not.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I LOVE BIN LADEN....