"Terrorist" Binyam Mohamed

[Junebug926]

I used this article in a response to another post but thought it was worthy of it's own post.  It just goes to show that we need ALL the facts BEFORE we crucify someone.

Binyam Mohamed is an Ethiopian national who was granted asylum in the United Kingdom in 1994 and was later arrested in Pakistan in 2002 as a trained al-Qaida operative. Mohamed racked up a long list of charges, including being trained as an explosives and firearms expert, being one of al-Qaida’s primary document forgers, trying to sneak into the United States with a fake passport, and being commissioned by al-Qaida to destroy American apartment high rises.

So why in the world would “Barack Obama” release him? Well, Barack Obama didn’t make the call as much as the people at Guantanamo Bay and the prosecutors charged with making a case against Binyam Mohamed. Either he was deemed to not be a security threat any longer (Governor Huckabee made a habit out of pardoning born-again Christians in Arkansas’ prisons) or prosecutors lacked the evidence they needed to make a case against Mohamed.

I’m sure national-security Republicans are foaming at the mouth on this one, but it’s actually President Bush’s fault that Binyam has been released. Had Bush given terrorist suspects the Prisoner of War status, they could legally be held until the war on terror had ended… which likely wouldn’t end until there was an Islamic Caliphate established in the Middle East that would bargain for the release of the POWs.

However, because the Bush Administration made up their own laws unconstitutionally, the entire situation is screwed up beyond imagination and “terrorists” like are walking free because of it. Afterall, Binyam Mohamed never broke any US laws. He never entered the country, he never bought explosive material, he never scouted targets, he never did any of that stuff. In fact, most of his training had occurred BEFORE September 11th. Without cooperation from al-Qaida witnesses in custody, Binyam Mohammed would have never been convicted of a crime and released anyway… the only difference is that he would have undergone a pointless trial that would have cost American taxpayers millions of dollars.

What’s particularly interesting about this instance is that Binyam Mohamed was released in England. If he’s a Ethiopian national who was arrested in Pakistan and detained for several months in Morocco, why would the British be so willing to take him? In fact, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband actually requested that Binyam be given to the British in 2007. What’s more, English police said that he wouldn’t be arrested. This seems to suggest that Binyam Mohamed defected and is seeking asylum in a western country. OR he was never a terrorist in the first place and the United States simply got the wrong guy.

What conservatives won’t tell you is that Binyam suffered from a drug problem in the UK and went to Afghanistan and Pakistan in an effort to get off the drugs and rediscover Islam. Seeing as how al-Qaida beheads Muslims who use narcotics for recreational use, it’s understandable how he could find himself running in the same circles as real terrorists in Binyam was never a real terrorist to begin with. He was later tortured in Moroccan custody, where he admitted to a wide variety of other crimes and thus was the basis for his detention at Guantanamo Bay.

Regardless of what’s happening, I don’t blame President Barack Obama. There are people in the military and justice department more involved in making this call than the President and it would be foolish to not listen to the people with first hand experience with the case in order to appease a faction of an opposing political party that’s hell bent on doing anything they can to embarrass you.

[misskimmy62]

Training at various Al-Qaida training camps, where he specialized in firearms and explosives

Being taught by senior Al-Qaida leaders how to falsify documents

Receiving money by Al-Qaida leaders to travel to the United States

Implementing plans to blow up high-rise apartment buildings in the United States

Holding meetings with Saif al Adel (a top level al Qaida planner and leader) and Khalid Sheikh Mohammad (Mastermind of 9/11 attacks)

Attempting to illegally enter the United States on April 4, 2002 but was turned away due to his forged passport

What conservatives won’t tell you is that Binyam suffered from a drug problem in the UK and went to Afghanistan and Pakistan in an effort to get off the drugs and rediscover Islam. Seeing as how al-Qaida beheads Muslims who use narcotics for recreational use, it’s understandable how he could find himself running in the same circles as real terrorists in Binyam was never a real terrorist to begin with. He was later tortured in Moroccan custody, where he admitted to a wide variety of other crimes and thus was the basis for his detention at Guantanamo Bay

Yeah, He sounds like a peachy guy... How could he be considered a "real terrorist"" I mean planning on blowing up a few high rise apartment buildings... pftttt - childs play. Let's give him a medal or something.

[sweetie00]

This bothers me on so many levels;

1)"(Governor Huckabee made a habit out of pardoning born-again Christians in Arkansas’ prisons)"---wrong on so many levels

2)

"What conservatives won’t tell you is that Binyam suffered from a drug problem in the UK and went to Afghanistan and Pakistan in an effort to get off the drugs and rediscover Islam. Seeing as how al-Qaida beheads Muslims who use narcotics for recreational use, it’s understandable how he could find himself running in the same circles as real terrorists in Binyam was never a real terrorist to begin with. He was later tortured in Moroccan custody, where he admitted to a wide variety of other crimes and thus was the basis for his detention at Guantanamo Bay." --They are great at telling us half truths

3) "...in order to appease a faction of an opposing political party that’s hell bent on doing anything they can to embarrass you". --Keep this in mind when you hear something neg. about the PRES.

 

THANK YOU FOR THE POST.

 

[sweetie00]

none of this gives us the right to torture the guy. It just doesn't work. Wouldn't you admit to doing something  you didn't do if it meant they would stop breaking your fingers? Torture is inaffective. THATS ONE REASON WHY IT'S ILLEGAL  ...HE COULD SAY HE WAS THE 9/11 MASTERMIND, BUT W/OUT PROOF, THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO.

Quoting misskimmy62:

Training at various Al-Qaida training camps, where he specialized in firearms and explosives

Being taught by senior Al-Qaida leaders how to falsify documents

Receiving money by Al-Qaida leaders to travel to the United States

Implementing plans to blow up high-rise apartment buildings in the United States

Holding meetings with Saif al Adel (a top level al Qaida planner and leader) and Khalid Sheikh Mohammad (Mastermind of 9/11 attacks)

Attempting to illegally enter the United States on April 4, 2002 but was turned away due to his forged passport

What conservatives won’t tell you is that Binyam suffered from a drug problem in the UK and went to Afghanistan and Pakistan in an effort to get off the drugs and rediscover Islam. Seeing as how al-Qaida beheads Muslims who use narcotics for recreational use, it’s understandable how he could find himself running in the same circles as real terrorists in Binyam was never a real terrorist to begin with. He was later tortured in Moroccan custody, where he admitted to a wide variety of other crimes and thus was the basis for his detention at Guantanamo Bay

Yeah, He sounds like a peachy guy... How could he be considered a "real terrorist"" I mean planning on blowing up a few high rise apartment buildings... pftttt - childs play. Let's give him a medal or something.

[gogetem]

This is not fact... this is biased opinion.

[Junebug926]

That's the point!  THERE AREN'T ANY FACTS/EVIDENCE IN HIS SITUATION!!

Quoting gogetem:

This is not fact... this is biased opinion.

[Junebug926]

Yes, he admitted to training while he was being tortured. There isn't ANY evidence other than hearsay. Pathetic!

Quoting misskimmy62:

Training at various Al-Qaida training camps, where he specialized in firearms and explosives

Being taught by senior Al-Qaida leaders how to falsify documents

Receiving money by Al-Qaida leaders to travel to the United States

Implementing plans to blow up high-rise apartment buildings in the United States

Holding meetings with Saif al Adel (a top level al Qaida planner and leader) and Khalid Sheikh Mohammad (Mastermind of 9/11 attacks)

Attempting to illegally enter the United States on April 4, 2002 but was turned away due to his forged passport

What conservatives won’t tell you is that Binyam suffered from a drug problem in the UK and went to Afghanistan and Pakistan in an effort to get off the drugs and rediscover Islam. Seeing as how al-Qaida beheads Muslims who use narcotics for recreational use, it’s understandable how he could find himself running in the same circles as real terrorists in Binyam was never a real terrorist to begin with. He was later tortured in Moroccan custody, where he admitted to a wide variety of other crimes and thus was the basis for his detention at Guantanamo Bay

Yeah, He sounds like a peachy guy... How could he be considered a "real terrorist"" I mean planning on blowing up a few high rise apartment buildings... pftttt - childs play. Let's give him a medal or something.

[Jodeth]

This is what I don't get it, so please someone explain it to me.  This is purely hypothetical, it is only a metaphor to prove a point.

Let's say you are born and raised in Ireland.  And you then immigrate to the England for work, but your family and friends are in Ireland.  Remembering this is a metaphor, for some reason the USA decides to invade Ireland.  You rush to defend your country and your loved ones and are caught by the USA and placed at GITMO.

Why are you a "terrorist"?  It seems to me that this is simply a label used to dimiss someone as rabid and psychotic.  When instead, you are only there to defend your beliefs against an agressor.  Remember, both hypothetically and in real life, it was the USA that has done the invading.

Ok, here is the part where all the radical Americans are going to get on their hind legs and start defending America's invasion of Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan (to some extent) as a response to 9/11.  Well, I am not someone who believes the cockamamey story we were told as to who or what happened on that day.  And there are millions that agree with me.  See www.911truth.org, just one of thousands of websites and groups that do not believe "the story".  See the movie Zeitgeist for a sampling of the evidence that disproves the Bush story. 

Next, the radical Americans are going to tell me that they are right and I am wrong because the "terrorists" are out to KILL all Americans and that this is some kind of war of religions.  Well, I don't believe that line of bull either.  Simply because someone defends their country does not make it a religious battle.  An invasion is always politically motivated.  And even if someone is of a different religious ideology, that not make them crazy and you morally justified.

I am just so sick of this entire Bush mentality of "us versus them", and another favorite "you are either with us or you are against us".  That mentalitiy has done nothing but isolate this country and make us less-safe than ever before.

We stand on our moral and ideological and political highground and simply dismiss the rest of world opinion, as we somehow are smarter and more in touch.  When really it is the exact opposite.  We have all these freedoms and a constitution that we proclaim to defend tooth and nail, but I guess that all gets flushed down the toilet when it comes to someone that is either not American or critical of America.

And that fact is that most Americans probably are not even aware of the facts, the truth or the reality.  All they see is someone that is different and standing against us, and that is all it takes to dismiss that person as a crazy and rabid "terrorist".  When the reality is that we have absolutely no idea what our government does on our behalf... what misdeeds.  I read all the time about  "the America backed resistance to this country" or "the American financed coup to this country", or "the American weapons given to that country"...... and all I see is how we create war and turmoil across the Globe. 

And for what?  Do you feel safer than you were 10 years ago?  Are you feeling more prosperous than you were 10 years ago?  Is the world a better place for your children now than it was 10 years ago?

Yet there are millions of people dead, and the USA is like the "Kevin Bacon" figure in all of it.  You can close your eyes and point your finger on any world conflict, and it will likely be that either our military is there, or if not our weapons are there, or if not our money is there, or if not our covert CIA is there, or if not our government support is there..... and millions of people are dead or in refugee camps or in peril and for what?

We expect all our enemies to be so dignified and restrained, and to negotiate peacefully, and follow international law.  But what the hell kind of example have we set? 

Do we follow international law?  Hell no.

De we negotiate peacefully?  Hell no.  We bomb the shit out of  'em.

Are we dignified and restrained?  I just swallowed my vomit. 

I bet if every American got a video tour of the actual places around the globe where we are so "dignified and restrained" and the havoc and suffering we have caused that we would all be upchucking.

And now the radical Americans can tell me about how anti-American and un-patriotic I am, and about how I do not support the troops, etc.....  Sure, that is fine.  I remember when I used to try and talk to mom about our misguided wars, and she would tell me to "shut up because it is too depressing".  Well, I am not going to shut up for her or for anyone else.  Because I do want to leave a better place for my daughter to grow up and have a family.  So I am perfectly willing to be called names and be dismissed if perhaps even one person pauses and steps back and thinks about all this even if it is "too depressing".

I am a peace activist.  I believe that war is the enemy.  And I believe that noone wins a war -  everyone loses.  And I do not believe you can or should bomb someone into submission to your will.  And I most certainly do not belive in pre-emptive strikes.  The world we know it is "depressing", but we owe it to our children to fix it.