THE REAL STORY IS THAT THERE IS NO STORY

BUSH MAKES MOUNTAINS OUT OF MOLEHILLS
TO HIDE BEHIND

If This Guy Is A Terrorist, Then I'm A Halal Sausage-Maker

Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON, February 23, 2005
>>
" 'After the devastating terrorist attack and murders of Sept. 11, the defendant turned his back on America and joined the cause of Al Qaeda,' U.S. Atty. Paul J. McNulty said in a statement. 'He now stands charged with some of the most serious offenses our nation can bring against supporters of terrorism.' "
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CNN
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Tuesday, February 22, 2005
>>
" 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.

The indictment offered no evidence that the discussions ever advanced into a plan. "
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The New York Times
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22
>>
" While American officials said they took the threat seriously, the indictment suggests that any plot to assassinate Mr. Bush did not move beyond the discussion stages among extremists in Saudi Arabia, and Mr. Abu Ali was not charged under the federal statute on assassinations.

In an opinion in December, Judge Bates wrote, 'There has been at least some circumstantial evidence that Abu Ali has been tortured during interrogations with the knowledge of the United States.' He added that agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who were present for Saudi interrogations, 'have despaired at his continued detention, and more than one United States official has stated that Abu Ali is no longer a threat to the United States and there is no active interrogation.'

Mr. Abu Ali is the oldest of five children of Omar and Faten Abu Ali, who moved to Houston from their native Jordan in the 1970's for the father to study mathematics. The father has worked at the Saudi Embassy in Washington for more than 20 years in computer operations, embassy officials said.

After the family moved to Northern Virginia in the suburbs of Washington, Mr. Abu Ali attended high school at the Islamic Saudi Academy, a private school in Alexandria that serves hundreds of children of Saudi citizens and is subsidized by the Saudi government. He graduated in 1999 as valedictorian of his class.

Law enforcement officials said they had no indication that any Qaeda plot to assassinate Mr. Bush moved to the stage of actual operations, but the Justice Department said it considered Mr. Abu Ali a serious threat.

The Saudis, apparently acting in consultation with American officials, entered his classroom and arrested him on June 11, 2003, while he was taking his final exams at the Islamic University of Medina. American investigators said at the time that they suspected that he had links to other terrorist suspects in Saudi Arabia who were implicated in a plot in Northern Virginia to use paintball games as paramilitary training and who were arrested at the same time. Some were later convicted of supporting terrorism. "
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Washington Post
Washington, Wednesday, February 23, 2005
>>
" Law enforcement sources said the plot against Bush, which the indictment says was hatched while Abu Ali was studying in Saudi Arabia, never advanced beyond the talking stage. One source involved in the case said the U.S. government had hoped Saudi Arabia would bring charges against Ali, in part because of the lack of evidence linking him to any al Qaeda activities.

The allegations of torture promise to play a role as the case progresses. 'We all know that evidence obtained from torture is the most unreliable evidence you can get,' said Edward B. MacMahon Jr., an attorney for Abu Ali. 'I'm distressed that it's come to the point where our government is prepared to use evidence gained from torture in a criminal trial in the United States.'

The case is the first in which the U.S. government would have to rely, in part, on information gathered solely by a foreign government, in this case, Saudi Arabia.

Because U.S. authorities were not involved in Abu Ali's interrogation and, therefore, could not conduct questioning in a manner that would stand up in U.S. courts, the Alexandria court might have to decide whether any statements gained under Saudi questioning should be admissible. The case is being brought at a time when the role of torture in the U.S. war on terror is becoming increasingly scrutinized. "

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Reuters
Washington, Tue Feb 22, 2005 >>

" The indictment said Abu Ali then received cash payments from an individual associated with al Qaeda to purchase a laptop computer, a cellular telephone and books. "
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The Guardian
Washington, Wednesday February 23, 2005
>>

" He is also said to have attempted to travel to Iran with the intention of slipping into Afghanistan to join the jihad against US-led troops, but was denied a visa. "
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"Man Is Accused in Plot to Assassinate Bush"

"American charged in alleged plot to assassinate President Bush"

"American Accused in a Plot to Assassinate Bush"

"Terrorist Plot to Kill Bush Alleged
Suspect, a Va. Man, Was Held by Saudis Nearly Two Years"

"American accused of plotting with al-Qaida to assassinate Bush"

"U.S. Citizen Accused of Plotting to Kill Bush"

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