As if any more proof were needed that the GOP will do absolutely anything to hang on to the White House, it now appears that none of the "terrorist suspects" from the JFK almost-non-event had any kind of terrorist or violent background.
Religious Muslims they are, to be sure, but certainly not the type to blow themselves up.
I found this to be pretty compelling.
Huda Ibrahiim, daughter of Amir Kareem Ibrahiim, one of four men accused of plotting acts of terrorism against the United States, said US justice officials had engaged in entrapment in breaking up the alleged plot.
Huda, 20, speaking on behalf of the Trinidad and Tobago and the Guyanese Shi'ite Muslim community, read from a prepared statement in a press conference at a hotel in Port Of Spain.
She said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informant key to breaking up the alleged plot had presented himself as an Islamic missionary from the United States while visiting the homes of Abdul Kadir and Amir Ibrahiim.
The FBI's informant, whom she called "the source", "is the only person culpable of any of the activities mentioned in the complaint....
"The source visited our brothers with the specific intent to entrap them in activities they know nothing about, never agreed to and did not participate in," said Huda.
Her 62-year-old father, 56-year-old former Guyanese parliamentarian Abdul Kadir, along with Russell De Freitas and Abdel Nur, both of Guyanese heritage, allegedly plotted to blow up fuel-tank pipelines at New York City's John F Kennedy International Airport.
Ibrahiim, a Trinidadian, and Kadir appeared in Trinidad court on Monday while Nur gave himself up to local authorities on Tuesday. All three men are facing extradition to the US where De Frietas has already been arraigned.
"We believe that the persons responsible for the arrest of our brothers are doing it for a purpose other than the protection of the people and interests of the USA," Huda said.
"They have apparently done so in the interest of shoring up a lame duck presidency and increasing the lame chances of the Republican party being returned to power in November 2008", said Huda, whose father is a retired government accounts clerk.
Well, this woman may not be an American, but she seems to haev a pretty firm grasp on the machinations of our politics. I believe we can expect to see more of these "Whew! That was a close one!" type stories running up until November of 2008.
What of this "source" of whom she speaks?
we already know he is a convicted drug offender who has been bought off with a reduced sentence (and probably some cash) by the FBI in order to "infiltrate" this group of friends and apparently, instigate trouble.
Particularly risible is the "plot" allegedly cooked up by this alleged "terrorist" cell: the idea was to blow up a fuel tank and have the fire spread through to the entire airport. No one with a background in law enforcement or security who was contacted about this idea seems to feel that it was remotely possible in the first place.
She also said her father was afraid to fly, was not computer literate and does not use the internet.
"We are absolutely sure of their innocence. Neither of these men and we believe no one in our community participates in activities as those alleged in the public statements or in the filed complaint of the Department of Justice", she said.
As believers in Islamic Sharia, they followed the cardinal principles of the Koran, she said, including the principle that the blood of civilians is sacred.
"To our Muslim brothers and sisters we swear by Allah, the Lord of Muhammad, that we have not participated in any terrorist plot against the United States," she added.
Now of course it goes without saying that she could be lying in her teeth. But given that the government and the FBI have been caught lying, oh, I don't know, about a million times since September of 2001, why deny her credibility on their behalf?