[wvns] Hunt For Al-Qaida In NYC

The New York Terror Raids in Perspective
El-Hajj Mauri' Saalakhan
The Peace And Justice Foundation

New York, NY- After spending the night in the warm, brotherly spiritual retreat of the MAS Youth Center in Brooklyn, I (like many other New Yorkers) was met with the blaring print and broadcast headlines of another terror alert in the "Big Apple." The opening lines of an Associated Press report on the early morning raids said it all:

"FBI agents and police raided three apartments in New York City before dawn Monday during an investigation of a man suspected of being an al-Qaida associate. The searches came after the man, who was under surveillance for possible links to the terror network, visited New York City over the weekend and left the area, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said after receiving a briefing on the operation from federal law enforcement officials Monday."

According to the same AP report, Rep. Charles Schumer (D-NY) also noted, in response to the briefing that he received, he couldn't discuss much of the case because many of the details were still classified, while adding, "There was nothing imminent," and further, "they [law enforcement] are very good now at tracking potentially dangerous actions, and this was preventive."

Did you read what I read? The terror raids came after a man who was suspected of being an al-Qaida associate, with "possible links" to the network, visited New York City and left the area! And by all accounts, "a terrorist attack was NOT believed to be imminent."

The bottom line is this. The FBI and New York's "finest" are at it again – this time just three days after September 11th commemorations, and in the closing days of the sacred month of Ramadan. They should be ashamed of themselves for needlessly terrorizing a community at the most inopportune time(such raids almost always come in the wee hours of the morning) and wasting the taxpayer's money with such bigoted, politically-motivated grandstanding theatrics. This is how I see it (surely ALLAH knows best).

I am reminded of the words of The Almighty in The Noble Qur'an:

"If a wicked person [or government entity] comes to you with any news ascertain the truth; lest in your ignorance you harm someone unknowingly, and afterwards be full of regret for what you have done."

I pray that no prominent Muslim, individual or organization, issues a release expressing their understanding of, and/or support for, such bigoted nonsense. ALLAH (swt) also mandates in His final revelation to all humanity: "Do not become an advocate for those who betray their trusts."

Committed Muslims should never defend the indefensible. May ALLAH (swt) fortify us in these final days of this blessed month (Ramadan).

El-Hajj Mauri' Saalakhan
Director of Operations
The Peace And Justice Foundation

===

3 New York residences raided in terrorism probe
By TOM HAYS and DEVLIN BARRETT (AP) http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gT-Kwm3eHQPp5qw5B5yzpuy07XuwD9ANEIGO0

WASHINGTON — FBI agents and police raided three apartments in New York City before dawn Monday during an investigation of a man suspected of being an al-Qaida associate. The searches came after the man, who was under surveillance for possible links to the terror network, visited New York City over the weekend and left the area, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said after receiving a briefing on the operation from federal law enforcement officials Monday.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who also was briefed Monday, said a terrorist attack was not believed to be imminent. He added that the law enforcement action was unrelated to President Barack Obama's visit to the city Monday.

New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne confirmed that searches were conducted in the borough of Queens by agents of a joint terrorism task force.

Residents on Monday described officers armed with search warrants swarming their immigrant neighborhood at about 2:30 a.m. One, Afghanistan native Akbari Amanullah, said when he arrived home from work afterward, he was told that one of his roommates had been hauled away.

No arrests were announced. Neither the FBI nor the NYPD would discuss the whereabouts of the al-Qaida suspect or whether anyone was being held for questioning in New York.

A White House spokesman said Obama, who spoke on Wall Street on Monday, had been briefed on the investigation.

Two U.S. intelligence officials, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly, said the target of any purported attack — or who would carry it out — remained unclear.

Authorities have not found any weapons ready for use that would indicate an attack was imminent, they said. Nevertheless, one of the officials called the threat very real and emphasized the urgency of it.

Another person briefed on the matter, who was not authorized to discuss the case and requested anonymity, said the raids were the result of previous law enforcement surveillance of people.

The investigation was continuing.

Schumer said he couldn't discuss much of the case because many of the details were still classified.

"There was nothing imminent, and they are very good now at tracking potentially dangerous actions, and this was preventive," he said.

One man at a three-story brick apartment building in a predominantly Asian neighborhood of Queens confirmed Monday that authorities had been at his apartment, but he wouldn't identify himself or comment further. Nearby resident Kabir Islam said he saw FBI agents and police officers surrounding the apartment when he arrived home after 3 a.m.

Amanullah, a taxi driver, said about a dozen FBI agents went to his nearby fifth-floor apartment, which he shares with four other Afghan natives, at about 2:30 a.m.

Associated Press writers Eileen Sullivan, Lara Jakes and Pamela Hess in Washington and Adam Goldman in New York contributed to this report. Hays reported from New York.

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FBI, NYPD Hunting For Al-Qaida In NYC
Queens Residents Witness Joint Terrorist Task Force Blitzkrieg;
Rep. King Conveys Seriousness Of Situation Reporting
Scott Rapoport NEW YORK (CBS)
Sep 15, 2009
http://wcbstv.com/local/fbi.raid.queens.2.1183160.html

The hunt is on for terrorists in Queens.

Federal agents walked out of homes with bags and boxes of evidence after raiding several locations on Monday.

The Bureau was in the borough. The FBI responded to terrorism fears with a rapid-fire response.

"Full body armor, bulletproof vests ... two of them are holding machine guns," witness George Pollakis said.

The ripple effects of the operation to find al-Qaida operatives in New York City extended all the way to Capitol Hill.

"This is an ongoing investigation that is being treated very, very seriously by the highest levels of the government," Rep. Peter King said.

Congressman King was one of several senior lawmakers in Washington D.C. in a classified briefing with the FBI on Monday night, following an early morning raid on four apartment homes in Flushing.

"It's not usual to move for a warrant that quickly unless you see a very real potential danger," King said.

A swarm of FBI agents and NYPD detectives, part of the joint terrorist task force, carted away bags and boxes of material.

A federal search warrant mentioning bomb-making components such as powder, gel, TNT, and nitroglycerin were among the items to be seized.
"What occurred over the past several days, as far as the people who met, what they were doing and evidence that was collected is what caused the Joint Terrorism Task Force to move as quickly as they did," King said.

King would not say what they actually discovered, but sources told CBS 2 HD no explosives were found.

Those who were there said the operation was a blitzkrieg at about 2 a.m. Monday at an address on 41st Avenue near 144th Street.

The door to apartment 530 cannot be closed because agents had to ram it open.

CBS 2 HD spoke to one man who lives in one of the apartments raided by agents. He said the feds searched his place thoroughly, going so far as to dismantle a kitchen radiator. He told CBS 2 HD he was not a target of the feds, but apparently his roommates were.

"They looking for some powder ... some different things to make bombs," neighborhood resident Assad Niazi said.

"I don't know [who they are]. They are roommates and go to work in the morning, and at night they come back."

Niazi said the roommates were later released. The building's superintendent, Ramiz Berisha, said those who were questioned are Pakistani.

In all, authorities said Monday night there were no arrests, and that they have not detected a specific plot or target.

"I would characterize this raid as preventative. There was no imminent action that they attempted to stop," King said.

CBS 2 HD's John Slattery contributed to this report.

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