Virginia Man Charged In Alleged Plot To Assassinate Bush

[Blue to the bone]

(ALEXANDRIA, Va.) -- A former high school valedictorian in Virginia was charged Tuesday with conspiring to assassinate President Bush and conspiracy to support the al-Qaida terrorist network.

Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, 23, a U.S. citizen, made an initial appearance Tuesday in U.S. District Court. He claimed that he was tortured while detained in Saudi Arabia since June of 2003 and offered through his lawyer to show the judge his scars.


http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=2981637

[hippiechick]

1. Look, Over there ! A Bright Shiny Object !! Guckert Who ??

:eyes:

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. I was betting on a terror alert...

but this works too.

[fromBrooklyn]

42. The Shiny object is the one WEAD dangled...

entirely deniable non-admissions of (gasp!) marijuana use...

oh, he 'betrayed' Bush, The Scoundrel! And now he regrets it, please, forgive me!

What would you rather talk about? That or the gay prostitute party functionary posing as a reporter...

It breaks my heart this isn't breaking wider.

[countryken]

78. This must be big because

the WH had to manufacture two stories to bury this one - both the marijuana tape and the 'assassination plot'. If it still doesn't go away, they'll play the terror alert card.

They are brilliant at damage control because they practice so much after having caused so much damage.

[Say_What]

3. Torture on Demand

<clips>
...Torture on Demand

Abu Ali is a U.S. citizen, born and raised in this country. Having graduated as valedictorian of his high school class in Virginia, he was in Saudi Arabia for university studies at the time of his arrest.

The arrest, according to evidence presented by Abu Ali's parents in federal court, was orchestrated by the United States. Within days of the arrest, they claim, FBI agents were attending Abu Ali's interrogations, and within a week, another group of agents had raided their home in Virginia, seeking evidence of a terrorist conspiracy.

Saudi officials have reportedly described the detention as an American concern and have said that they would release Abu Ali if the U.S. requested it. According to Abu Ali's parents, U.S. State Department and embassy officials have said that their son would be freed as soon as the U.S. Justice Department's investigation was done.

In its most recent country reports on human rights, the U.S. State Department mentions credible claims that the Saudis have "abused detainees, both citizens and foreigners." Abu Ali's parents presented evidence suggesting that their son was tortured during interrogations with the knowledge of U.S. officials.

http://www.cageprisoners.com/articles.php?aid=4354

---

<clips>

GOVERNMENT ATTEMPTS LAST MINUTE DILATORY TACTICS IN ABU-ALI CASE

Abu-Ali Hearing Scheduled for Friday; Community Encouraged to Attend

In a last ditch attempt to extricate itself from events surrounding the detention of Ahmed Abu-Ali, the United States Department of Justice yesterday entered a motion to dismiss Abu-Ali’s case on the basis of secret evidence.

It appears the government is resorting to desperate measures and is willing to use tactics that, if not violating the letter of the law, then certainly, the spirit of the law, when it comes to recognizing Constitutional rights and due process.

“The use of Secret evidence was abhorrent before 9/11 and is just as abhorrent today in a post-9/11 environment,” said Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation Executive Director Mahdi Bray. “Democracy flourishes best in the light of openness and due process.

“Secrecy, and the denial of the right of a person to know and face their accuser, violates the very principles upon which our democracy is based,” said Bray.

http://www.masnet.org/takeaction.asp?id=2168

---

From the Washington Post

<clips>
...An FBI agent testified in a federal court in Alexandria that Abu Ali was part of a "jihad network." A grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia investigated Abu Ali last year in connection with an alleged Northern Virginia jihadist group but did not charge him.

Another source familiar with the Abu Ali matter said he had recently learned that prosecutors were subpoenaing people who knew him to testify before a grand jury, and that he expected prosecutors to seek an indictment against him.

... John Zwerling, an attorney representing a man who was arrested at the same time as Abu Ali but sent back to the United States for trial: "If they're bringing him back in order to moot out the and are not planning on charging him with a crime . . . I think it's a terrific thing for the government to do. Better now than never.

"But if they have ulterior motives below the surface, such as him with a crime that they could have charged him with <18 months ago>, then shame on them. They should have brought him back earlier."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58638-2005Feb2.html

[Blue to the bone]

4. Wise crack all you want.....I can handle it. n/t

[Beware the Beast Man]

5. Yeah, I'm not one to immediately disbelieve everything I hear,

but this definitely stinks of a news dump, especially considering he was first detained nearly two years ago.

[G_j]

6. Man accused of plotting to kill Bush

** note: I almost didn't post this for fear of someone, perhaps a Freeper, saying something asinine, please folks don't make any stupid wisecracks..
===
Man accused of plotting to kill Bush

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0222BushPlot22-ON.html

Associated Press
Feb. 22, 2005 08:55 AM

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A former Virginia high school valedictorian who had been detained in Saudi Arabia as a suspected terrorist was charged Tuesday with conspiring to assassinate President Bush and with supporting the al-Qaida terrorist network.

Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, 23, a U.S. citizen, made an initial appearance Tuesday in U.S. District Court but did not enter a plea. He claimed that he was tortured while detained in Saudi Arabia since June of 2003 and offered through his lawyer to show the judge his scars.

The federal indictment said that in 2002 and 2003 Abu Ali and an unidentified co-conspirator discussed plans for Abu Ali to assassinate Bush. They discussed two scenarios, the indictment said, one in which Abu Ali "would get close enough to the president to shoot him on the street" and, alternatively, "an operation in which Abu Ali would detonate a car bomb."

Abu Ali was picked up in Saudi Arabia while studying at a university there. His family contends that U.S. officials were behind the detention and wanted him held in Saudi Arabia so he could be tortured for information.
..more..

[Arkana]

7. Well, that's just not right. n/t

[Justyce]

13. No, it's not, but where is

the line between "discussing" and actually planning something? Most definitely do not condone any such action, but questioning if this is something that could easily get abused as far as arresting/convicting?

[shadowknows69]

21. there is no line when it comes to the President

discussion is evidence of conspiracy of action. Buh bye.

[Mizmoon]

8. not very crafty is he

even professional lunatic squeaky fromme managed to at least get in the presidential vicinity.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

51. Fromme wasn't tortured to get a "confession" either.

[meganmonkey]

9. Biting my tongue - till it bleeds

:evilgrin:

[piece sine]

18. rooting for murder, are we?

no sense caling yourself a progressive any more.

[meganmonkey]

30. C'mon, I'm just being silly.

Thus the evil grin.

Believe me, I'm a lover, not a fighter.

[efhmc]

48. I do not root for murder but I do root for sanity and talking about

something did not use to be a crime, even against that idiot bush.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

53. Looks like someone is taking him- or herself way too seriously.

[Richardo]

10. Careful with your responses, people.

I'm series. ;-)

[BrainRants]

14. Good advice.

I'm parallel. :)

[yinkaafrica]

16. I'm Lo Impedance

Nice to meet you

[hootinholler]

35. Capacitance here checking in

[NoPasaran]

41. Conductance Yo!

But you can call me Mho.

[Career Prole]

45. Inductance...checking in?

Any messages for henry?

[Blue to the bone]

50. Entropy isn't what it used to be. n/t

[G_j]

20. I almost didn't post this for fear of someone saying something asinine

I could still delete it... please folks don't make any stupid wisecracks..

[Renew Deal]

38. It's against the DU rules and the law

Please do not post messages or jokes that could be construed as advocating harm or death to the president, or that could be construed as advocating violent overthrow of the government of the United States. The Secret Service is not known for its sense of humor.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html

http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t17t20+495+14++%28%29%20%20AND%20%28USC%20w%2F10%20%28871%29%29%3ACITE%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20
-CITE-

18 USC Sec. 871 01/06/03

-EXPCITE-

TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

PART I - CRIMES

CHAPTER 41 - EXTORTION AND THREATS

-HEAD-

Sec. 871. Threats against President and successors to the

Presidency

-STATUTE-

(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in

the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter

carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document

containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict

bodily harm upon the President of the United States, the

President-elect, the Vice President or other officer next in the

order of succession to the office of President of the United

States, or the Vice President-elect, or knowingly and willfully

otherwise makes any such threat against the President,

President-elect, Vice President or other officer next in the order

of succession to the office of President, or Vice President-elect,

shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five

years, or both.

(b) The terms ''President-elect'' and ''Vice President-elect'' as

used in this section shall mean such persons as are the apparent

successful candidates for the offices of President and Vice

President, respectively, as ascertained from the results of the

general elections held to determine the electors of President and

Vice President in accordance with title 3, United States Code,

sections 1 and 2. The phrase ''other officer next in the order of

succession to the office of President'' as used in this section

shall mean the person next in the order of succession to act as

President in accordance with title 3, United States Code, sections

19 and 20.

-SOURCE-

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 740; June 1, 1955, ch. 115, Sec.

1, 69 Stat. 80; Pub. L. 87-829, Sec. 1, Oct. 15, 1962, 76 Stat.

956; Pub. L. 97-297, Sec. 2, Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1318; Pub. L.

103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(H), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat.

2147.)

-MISC1-

HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Sec. 89 (Feb. 14, 1917, ch.

64, 39 Stat. 919).

Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as

unnecessary in view of definition of ''principal'' in section 2 of

this title.

Minor changes were made in phraseology.

AMENDMENTS

1994 - Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ''fined under

this title'' for ''fined not more than $1,000''.

1982 - Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97-297 inserted '', to kidnap,''

after ''containing any threat to take the life of''.

1962 - Pub. L. 87-829 designated existing provisions as subsec.

(a), extended the provisions of such subsection to include any

other officer next on the order of succession to the office of

President and the Vice-President-elect, added subsec. (b), and

substituted ''and successors to the Presidency'' for '',

President-elect, and Vice President'' in section catchline.

1955 - Act June 1, 1955, included in section catchline and in

text, provision for penalties for threats against the

President-elect and the Vice President.

SHORT TITLE OF 2000 AMENDMENT

Pub. L. 106-544, Sec. 1, Dec. 19, 2000, 114 Stat. 2715, provided

that: ''This Act (amending sections 879, 3056 and 3486 of this

title, repealing section 3486A of this title, and enacting

provisions set out as notes under section 3056 of this title,

section 551 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, and

section 566 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) may be

cited as the 'Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000'.''

-SECREF-

SECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS

This section is referred to in sections 115, 879, 3056, 3486,

4247 of this title; title 8 section 1227.

http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t17t20+495+14++%28%29%20%20AND%20%28USC%20w%2F10%20%28871%29%29%3ACITE%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20

[Media_Lies_Daily]

54. Fell all better now?

[BrainRants]

11. He must hate our freedom.

Couldn't be Shrub's policies he hates, now could it?

Naaaahhh........

[rock]

12. I sure wouldn't want that to happen

bushsucks* needs to serve a lot of time behind bars.

[Arkana]

17. Exactly--he needs to live out his life in the slammer.

Hope he enjoys the lovin'.

[oneold1-4u]

32. True

and keep track of all his imediate friends to keep him company---maybe Cuba?

[Bleacher Creature]

61. This would be a nightmare.

Do you people have any idea how crazy the wingnuts would be trying to turn him into a saint? I guarantee you that if anything ever happens to him that can be connected to the war on terror, his name and face will be on more things than we care to even think about.

[Algomas]

66. I wonder if he has ever considered...

how expendable he is in the grand corporate scheme? It may be his puppet master's final ace up the sleeve. Best not step out of line Little Boots!

[murray hill farm]

15. His mistake was...

that he should have just pretended to be a jounalist...i hear that even fake journalists can have , and are able to have regular access to the pres...within 30 ft of him...on a regular basis.

[benburch]

19. They are making shit up again.

This story does not pass the smell test. They just want another "terraist" to crucify.

[Norquist Nemesis]

25. Agreed. This one's a stinker.

"unnamed co-conspirator" and confession by torture. Is this the guy we shipped off to Syria for torture?

[TolstoyAndy]

31. not the Syria victim

the guy we shipped to Syria was a Canadian citizen, iirc.

[Norquist Nemesis]

39. Thanks!

It seems like there's so much that anymore it's hard to keep track of.

[leveymg]

22. Q1: Wonder if they'll admit confessions obtained under torture?

Q2: Wonder which intelligence agency that "unidentified co-conspirator" works for?

Q3: Could there even have been such a conspiracy without the unidentified other party?

Q4: Why did the Saudis finally send this guy back to the US, now?

[GiovanniC]

58. To Answer Question #1... YES

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6641282/

[Straight Shooter]

23. OMG! OMG! Someone wants to terminate georgie!

Quick, take another poll and see if the kneejerk sympathy will make his ratings go up. Rally round the flag, y'all.

Just goes to show you how stupid "intelligent" people can be (valedictorian).

[louis-t]

24. Timing, folks, timing...

In the Rove campaign-to-take-heat-off-shrub, this is another sympathy ploy. Pathetic.

[springhill]

36. You got that right.......

As soon as I heard the story I thought it was another Rovian ploy to gain sympathy for our dear president. They can say anything they want and get away with it. Why, who is going to actually check and investigate the story? Our news media?

[noamnety]

26. More background on his case

http://www.rights101oregon.org/news.htm

[Supersedeas]

40. thanks for the link lwfern--another UTTER distraction, TY Atty Gen Gonzo

[GiovanniC]

27. No True Democrat/Progressive Should Want Bush Assassinated

It would be our worst nightmare.

Four words:

Martyr George, President Cheney.

[Rose Siding]

28. He offered to show the judge his scars from torture-

How can a US court use ANY information gathered in SA through torture?

snip>
More than 100 supporters of Abu Ali crowded the courtroom Tuesday and laughed when the charge was read aloud alleging that he conspired to assassinate Bush.

When Abu Ali asked to speak, U.S. Magistrate Liam O'Grady suggested he consult with his attorney, Ashraf Nubani.

"He was tortured," Nubani told the court. "He has the evidence on his back. He was whipped. He was handcuffed for days at a time."

When Nubani offered to show the judge his back, O'Grady said that Abu Ali might be able to enter that as evidence on Thursday at a detention hearing.

"I can assure you you will not suffer any torture or humiliation while in the (U.S.) marshals' custody," O'Grady said.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-saudi-detainee-bush-plot,0,6949639.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[solinvictus]

44. Torture...

Hell, if you torture someone, they'll confess to killing the Limbergh baby, which is why it's not reliable for information extraction.

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

33. Alternate title = Torture Victim Subject of Trumped Charges to Discredit

This guy was tortured then set free. Probably wouldn't keep his mouth shut about his mistreatment, so the intelligence ops planted a friendly rat to chat with him about his (understandable) hatred for the US and Bush. A few leading conversations with the CIA plant and presto, we now have incriminating info and basis for charges should the torture victim chose to continue to make a fuss about our FASCIST PRO-SADDAM-LIKE BEHAVIOR.

JB

[noahmijo]

34. No harm better come to *

This would be DISASTEROUS to us all if any harm came to the boy idiot.

Simply because his body lying in the street signifies what a hero he is how brave he is, "he died for his country" the yahoos in the streets will cry.

He will be the mortar of all the religious wingnuts and out of pity this idiot nation will elect religious yahoos for the next 6 elections.

Impeachment and imprisonment is the only way.

[Blue to the bone]

37. Feel free to make your wisecracks..........

...in the same story I posted 30 minutes earlier.

[G_j]

43. well you know what i meant

some jokes are not appropriate, (of course if it was Jesse Helms wisecracking about Clinton...)

[Blue to the bone]

52. I do, I was just being an ass. Sorry. n/t

[flyarm]

75. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh dang we caught him! n/t

[Up2Late]

46. American charged in plot to assassinate President Bush

Tuesday, February 22, 2005 Posted: 1:29 PM EST (1829 GMT)

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (CNN) -- An American citizen who had been detained in Saudi Arabia was charged Tuesday in U.S. District Court with conspiracy, supporting terrorists and involvement in a plot to assassinate President Bush.

Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, 23, appeared in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, and was charged with providing material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization -- al Qaeda.

According to the six-count indictment, Abu Ali "did knowingly and unlawfully conspire to knowingly provide material support and resources ... knowing and intending that they were to be used in preparation for, and for carrying out, the assassination of the president of the United States."

Abu Ali is not charged with a conspiracy to assassinate Bush, only for supporting terrorists and, as part of that, discussing Bush's possible assassination.

The indictment offered no evidence that the discussions ever advanced into a plan.
(more at link)
<http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/02/22/bush.plot.charges/index.html>

[efhmc]

47. Death and destruction, especially of innocent invaded people, do

not solve anything. Most of the US problems and divisions come from the killings of Lincoln(mostly) and JFK. However, I do not understand how just talking about this is a crime, especially if one is not even in the US.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

55. What "problems" & "divisions" came from the assassination....

...of Lincoln? We were already divided because the Civil War was not yet over. Any problems that resulted from the Civil War had their roots in regional economic and cultural disputes that had been ongoing since the American Revolution. IMHO, those issues were not completely resolved by the Civil War itself.

JFK's assassination was the result of deep political divisions, Right vs Left, that had been growing since the end of WWII. We're still fighting that war, but it's clear that the right has won more than their fair share and is definitely in control today.

[efhmc]

57. Golly, miss molly, you must be a northerner. If Lincoln had still been

around, much of the degradation and takeover by carpetbaggers and scalawags in the south would never have occurred (or that is the general consensus, We will never know, will we?) As to JFK, (and again we will never know) the idea is that the Vietnam war would have been over quicker and the division and deep psychic harm this did to our morality would not have been so bad. But maybe since we cannot see what might have happened and it did not happen, you are probably right.

[Critical Thinker]

49. US acquiescence to the torture of a US citizen

...that's the real story. I thought our government is obligated to advocate the rights of US citizens, no matter where in the world we might be.

Silly me, I forgot - that only applies to white people!!!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

56. Actually, it only applies to Right people...regardless of color. Anyone...

...in the Middle or Left is definitely powerless against the forces of the Right.

[sr_pacifica]

59. Lies, lies, lies

Another bit of propaganda to crank up the fear factor in America.

[applegrove]

60. POTUS' SECURITY was to keep flying ants from biting his heels until

today. Now suddenly the Secret Service has a new mandate. Presidential security from nutbomb human beings was not something they had thought of until now!!

[struggle4progress]

62. kids say the darndest things when tortured

[quaoar]

63. American charged in alleged plot to assassinate President Bush

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/02/22/bush.plot.charges/index.html

Tuesday, February 22, 2005 Posted: 4:08 PM EST (2108 GMT)

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (CNN) -- An American citizen who had been detained in Saudi Arabia was charged Tuesday in U.S. District Court with conspiracy and supporting terrorists in an alleged plot to assassinate President Bush.

Ahmed Omar Abu Ali appeared in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, and was charged with providing material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization -- al Qaeda.

According to the six-count indictment, Abu Ali "did knowingly and unlawfully conspire to knowingly provide material support and resources ... knowing and intending that they were to be used in preparation for, and for carrying out, the assassination of the president of the United States."

The 23-year-old Abu Ali is not charged with a conspiracy to assassinate Bush, only for supporting terrorists and, as part of that, discussing Bush's possible assassination. He was denied bail Tuesday.

[whistle]

64. Family denies this and have said that Abu Ali has been....

...tortured by the Saudis and conditioned as a CIA operative, perhaps as another lone nut assassin

[latteromden]

65. How strange. I woke up this morning feeling like there was something

that going on today in the news that had to do with an assassination attempt on Bush. Odd.

[Tsiyu]

67. Man is accused in plot to assassinate Bush

http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&gl=us


find the link there

Los Angeles Times - 3 hours ago
A former Virginia high school valedictorian held in a Saudi prison for 20 months was accused in federal court Tuesday of allegedly conspiring with al-Qaida to assassinate President Bush.

[benburch]

68. Yesterday's news.

Not LBN

[Tsiyu]

69. Sorry been away

[benburch]

70. 'sok!

Just pointing it out

[Demos]

71. Killing Bush

Killing Bush would only make him a martyr to all his loyal so called Christian believers, and make Cheney President, who is far worse. Let's keep that sorry son of a bitch alive so he can live with his own legacy. Sooner or later he will have to pay.

[Nihil]

72. "Sooner or later he will have to pay"

> Let's keep that sorry son of a bitch alive so he can live with his
> own legacy.

... which is precisely what he wants to do ...

Why do people think that he is in any way concerned about the results
of his actions? That he might have any trace of a conscience or other
form of humanity in his corrupt body? That he is even capable of
feeling pain or guilt?

Unfortunately, I doubt that there is any way that he can be made to
experience a fraction of the suffering and pain that he deserves.
That does not mean that I would criticise anyone who wished to try.

[cal04]

80. Family Support Suspect in Alleged Bush Plot

Family and friends who packed a Virginia courtroom to support Ahmed Omar Abu Ali laughed out loud when prosecutors alleged that the former high school valedictorian had plotted to assassinate President Bush.

Abu Ali, 23, a U.S. citizen who grew up in Falls Church, was charged Tuesday with conspiring with al-Qaida to kill the president in a plan that prosecutors said was hatched while the man studied in Saudi Arabia in 2002 and 2003.

Abu Ali's lawyers expressed concern that the government's case may be based on evidence obtained through torture. At Tuesday's hearing, Abu Ali offered to show the judge the scars on his back as proof that he was tortured by Saudi authorities. ``He has the evidence on his back,'' lawyer Ashraf Nubani told the court. ``He was whipped. He was handcuffed for days at a time.''

According to the indictment, Abu Ali discussed Bush-assassination plans with an unidentified al-Qaida member in 2002 and 2003, while Abu Ali was attending college in Saudi Arabia.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7012172/

[flyarm]

73. *es boy toy exposed..duck....now....

i mean...duct tape ......come and get it..lots and lots of duct tape...repug home depot didnt sell enough last time...

wow..the honey pot is outed and we have.." Fear Factor"

live in your living rooms!!
swallow that snake oil...gas masks everyone!!

is there anyone left in this country willing to drink the kool aide??

fly

[flyarm]

74. i demand new colors!!

i am sick of these warning colors and i demand new colors...

magenta

chartruse

marine blue

lavender

i refuse another alert with the same old boring colors..

revolt for new colors!!

maybe we can get a color protest going..a color protest..we cant get any other protest going..maybe this will work!!

colors ,colors, i want new colors!!

fly

[flyarm]

76. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh but lets not worry

about a prostitute with no credentials within feet of * for two years
nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh that would be silly!

[SoCalDem]

77. Why would a 23 year old want to forfeit his life for such a pitiful

piece of shit, that *² is???

Does not pass the smell test..

[fromBrooklyn]

79. Smell test? You can't Smell the MSM...

Unfortunately. Because if you could I'm sure you would need a gas mask.

I don't think (from reading the MSM version of events) he wanted to kill the President, I think he entertained the idea with some people who led him on to entertaining the idea, so that they could turn him in.

Or, he just thought, I am a loyal, Patriotic American, I will (to paraphrase that Jefferson guy) shed my blood for the tree of liberty...

[othermeans]

81. There's a terrorist behind every Bush. nt

[Igel]

82. You know, if I were that guy I would have kept my nose absolutely

positively clean. Shiny clean.

Son of naturalized American--originally a Sa'udi. Apparently his father works for the Sa'udi embassy in DC in some capacity. The kid went to the ISA a Sa'udi sponsored Islamic high school (http://www.saudiacademy.net/html/about_ISA.html). He's valedictorian. Then he goes to Sa'udi Arabia to study--a country not known for their engineering or cutting edge physics departments--and gets picked up by the locals for extremism. He's almost certainly tortured, not an uncommon practice (showing the US orchestrated it will likely be a tough sell in many quarters).

I wonder what the Sa'udi-Bush conspiracy folks will wind up saying ... probably that the guy's father stepped out of line. No matter.

This guy says "Allah" one time to many and he's going to be surrounded by an FBI SWAT team. You wouldn't even need to know his ethnicity for profiling to put his name at the top of numerous lists.

As for who's behind his torture ... could be US, could easily be Sa'udis on their own. I suspect he's as motivated as those who said the Jiddah "terrorists" last year were good Muslims, but corrupted by "outside influences," with the Zionists at the helm. The evidence will be decision.

[rayofreason]

83. Thanks for the link to the school...

...it is very instructive.

As a Saudi-funded school, it has a rigorous religious curriculum (check it out) that "follows the Islamic Studies curriculum which has been set forth by the Kingdom", so by definition it is Salafist (Wahabbi). This puts a bit different spin on the AP description of Ahmed Omar Abu Ali as " A former Virginia high school valedictorian." One thing that should be pointed out is that most of the Jihadis are Salafi as well (Bin Laden being the best example), and Saudi oil money has been instrumental in spreading extremism in the Islamic world.