I have heard a lot about Jose Padilla in the last few months, including that he was mercilessly tortured, that he is an American citizen being held without being charged, that George W. Bush has been instrumental in his capture and torture, and that he has done nothing wrong. So I decided to do a little research.
Jose Padilla's real name, after he became a convert to Islam following one of his many stays in prison, is now Abdullah al-Muhajir. Since taking a a vow of non-violence in prison, Padilla/al-Muhajir has committed or been trained to commit several acts of violence. He also left his American wife and children to become more engaged in radical Islam in Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.
On one of his visits to Afghanistan, he became a member of the al Farouq terrorist training camp, which is affiliated with al Qaeda. When he returned to the US in 2002, the FBI was waiting for him. Following an interview, he was arrested and held as an enemy combatant due to his having worked with al Qaeda.
One of the plots that he had not yet been able to carry out before being arrested was to acquire apartments on lower floors of high-rise apartment buildings--apartments serviced by highly explosive natural gas. The intent was to leave a flame source inside the apartment, sealing it off substantially, and allow the gas to build up. Eventually the gas would explode, possibly killing hundreds of high-rise tenants. The intent was to acquire apartments in as many as 20 buildings.
As a young Puerto Rican thug in Chicago, Padilla had a rap sheet a mile long. After changing his name to a more peaceful one, his encounters with law enforcement officials continued unabated.
He was long involved with the Masjid al Imam mosque in Florida, which has been a front for the Benevolence International Foundation, a terrorist fund-raising instrument whose aims have been less that benevolent. Evidence was discovered in Bosnia that BIF was funneling money to al Qaeda.
9 comments:
And you expected to hear the mainstream media report this? They haven't had anything but entertainment on their ajenda since Vietnam. And this is news, not entertainment.
So, tell us, what has he done that was illegal? Anything?
How about conspiring with terrorists for one! Anon, did you even read the post? How about click on the link? It says it right in the post, and in the article in the link. Thanks for paying attention.
Padilla was charged with three counts -- conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals, conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and providing material support to terrorists. There is no evidence for the first count, and the other two counts are based on a law that was passed after Padilla was imprisoned.
Thanks to the Military Commissions Act, the government can now declare anyone an enemy combatant for any reason, at which point you lose your Constitutional rights and go to prison forever, torture optional. Is this America?
Anonymous,
We're in a war. There is clear evidence that al Muhajir was on the other side, that he trained with them, and that he was learning ways to kill us.
As soon as Bush uses the Military Commissions Act for what you allege he can, then I'll believe you.
Padilla is a native-born U.S. citizen. He was declared an enemy combatant and thrown into solitary confinement for three years without being accused of a crime. He was tortured (the government has conveniently lost the DVDs they made). This was done prior to the Military Commissions Act-- imagine what they can do now! The right of habeas corpus is guaranteed in the Constitution, in case you have forgotten.
A recent Time magazine article said that a series of DVDs had been made, of which only one (the last interrogation) had been lost.
Here's the bottom line on the missing DVD:
“This is the kind of thing you hear when you’re litigating cases in Egypt or Morocco or Karachi,” said John Sifton, a lawyer with Human Rights Watch, one of a number of groups that has criticized the U.S. government’s treatment of Padilla. “It is simply not credible that they would have lost this tape. The administration has shown repeatedly they are more interested in covering up abuses than getting to the bottom of whether people were abused.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17389175/site/newsweek/
You're right. I was just pointing out that there was only one DVD missing. Nonetheless, it is very suspicious that the last one is missing.
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