I am not looking to replay the governmental fiasco of WWII where Americans of Japanese decent were imprisoned for no reason, other than race. However, it is completely unforgivable for our airport security personel to not be allowed to "profile" passengers for screening. Why inspect a 5 year old child or a 85 year old great grandmother, or a Chinese diplomat or a US Senator, when all of the following were committed by men, between 17-40, of Arab decent, with 3 exceptions. This is ludicrous. Even if some white or black guys get ocassionaly harassed, ok, there is some logic there. But in the absurd cases, it's wasting tax payer money & security's time.
Look at the timeline:
<ul>
<LI>
<b>Hostages taken at US Embassy 11/4/1979</b>
Iranian militants attack the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and take over 90 hostages. Many are soon released, but 54 remain in captivity for 444 days. The militants, praised by the Ayatollah, demand that the former Shah be turned over for trial; that his assests also be turned over; and that the United States apologize for crimes against the Iranian people.
<LI>
In the evening of December 21st. 1988 flight <b>Pan Am 103</b> exploded and pieces of the plane fell onto the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 259 people on the plane and 11 people on the ground.
Convicted-
Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi
Born April 1, 1952 in Tripoli, Libya. Family father. Educated in the USA, former occupations: Director of the Center for Strategic Studies,; Chief of Airline Security for Libyan Arab Airlines
Lameen Khalifa "The Egg" Fhimah
Born April 4, 1956 in Suq el Juma'a, Libya. Family father. Former occupations: Airline Station Manager for the Libyan Arab Airlines
<LI>
<b>World Trade Center Bombing 1993</b>
On 26th February, at approximately 12:18 p.m., an improvised explosive device exploded on the second level of the World Trade Center parking basement. The device had been placed in the rear cargo portion of a one-ton Ford F350 Econoline van, owned by the Ryder Rental Agency, Jersey City, New Jersey. Approximately 6,800 tons of material were displaced by the blast.
The resulting explosion killed six people and injured more than a thousand. More than 50,000 people were evacuated from the Trade Center complex during the hours immediately following the blast.
convicted or suspected
Ramzi Yousef
A second individual, known only as "Yassin"
Ahmad M. Ajaj
<LI>
<b>Oklahoma City, OK April 19, 1995</b> A bomb rips through the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building at 9:02 a.m.
Terry Nichols is found guilty on one count of conspiracy and eight counts of involuntary manslaughter. He rejects an offer of leniency in exchange for information about the bombing, saying it would jeopardize him if he is tried in Oklahoma.
Sentence-LIFE
Tim McVeigh-After 23 1/2 hours of deliberations over four days, the jury convicts on all 11 counts.
Sentence-DEATH
Michael Fortier is sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined $200,000 for failing to warn authorities about bombing plans.
<LI><b>Khobar Towers June 25, 1996 at Dhahran military base in Saudi Arabia</b>
Thirteen Saudis and a Lebanese were indicted on charges of murder and conspiracy for the 1996 bombing that killed 19 American servicemen in Saudi Arabia. The indictment alleges that the suspects were directed by Iranian government officials.
The 46-count indictment alleges that all 14 men were members of the Islamic militant group Hezbollah, which federal officials said received support and inspiration from individuals within the Iranian government.
<LI><b>Bombings in Nairobi, Kenya
and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania --
August 7, 1998</b>
Mohamed al-'Owhali, Khalfan Khamis Mohamed, Mohamed Odeh and Wadih el Hage each got life without parole for their roles in near simultaneous attacks August 7, 1998, on embassies at Kenya and Tanzania.
<LI>
<b>Egypt Air 990 October 31, 1999</b>
About 1:50 a.m., Eastern Standard Time, Egyptair flight 990, a scheduled international flight from New York to Cairo, crashed in the Atlantic Ocean about 60 miles south of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. 217 presumed dead
Said to be pilot suicide-Egyptian Gameel El-Batouty
<LI><b>USS Cole Oct. 12, 2000 </b>
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer was the target of a terrorist attack in Aden, Yemen, on Oct. 12, during a scheduled refueling. The attack killed 17 crew members and injured 39 others.
Attacker killed or escaped
Jamil Qasim Saeed Mohammed, 27, a Yemeni microbiology student wanted in connection with the bombing of the USS Cole was secretly handed over to U.S. authorities by Pakistan's intelligence agency. Mohammed is an active member of the al Qaeda terrorist organization.
<LI>New York City, Washinton DC & Flight 93 September 11, 2001</b>
American Airlines Flight 11, from Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles, California, crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center with 92 people on board.
United Airlines Flight 175, from Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles, California, was the second hijacked plane to strike the World Trade Center, plowing into the south tower. Two pilots, seven flight attendants and 56 passengers were on board.
American Airlines Flight 77, from Washington to Los Angeles, crashed into the Pentagon with 64 people aboard.
United Airlines Flight 93, from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, California, crashed in rural southwest Pennsylvania, with 45 people on board.
Totals-(estimated)
3,014 in Washington & at the WTC Towers
266 in th e PA Crash</ul>
Look at the timeline:
<ul>
<LI>
<b>Hostages taken at US Embassy 11/4/1979</b>
Iranian militants attack the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and take over 90 hostages. Many are soon released, but 54 remain in captivity for 444 days. The militants, praised by the Ayatollah, demand that the former Shah be turned over for trial; that his assests also be turned over; and that the United States apologize for crimes against the Iranian people.
<LI>
In the evening of December 21st. 1988 flight <b>Pan Am 103</b> exploded and pieces of the plane fell onto the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 259 people on the plane and 11 people on the ground.
Convicted-
Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi
Born April 1, 1952 in Tripoli, Libya. Family father. Educated in the USA, former occupations: Director of the Center for Strategic Studies,; Chief of Airline Security for Libyan Arab Airlines
Lameen Khalifa "The Egg" Fhimah
Born April 4, 1956 in Suq el Juma'a, Libya. Family father. Former occupations: Airline Station Manager for the Libyan Arab Airlines
<LI>
<b>World Trade Center Bombing 1993</b>
On 26th February, at approximately 12:18 p.m., an improvised explosive device exploded on the second level of the World Trade Center parking basement. The device had been placed in the rear cargo portion of a one-ton Ford F350 Econoline van, owned by the Ryder Rental Agency, Jersey City, New Jersey. Approximately 6,800 tons of material were displaced by the blast.
The resulting explosion killed six people and injured more than a thousand. More than 50,000 people were evacuated from the Trade Center complex during the hours immediately following the blast.
convicted or suspected
Ramzi Yousef
A second individual, known only as "Yassin"
Ahmad M. Ajaj
<LI>
<b>Oklahoma City, OK April 19, 1995</b> A bomb rips through the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building at 9:02 a.m.
Terry Nichols is found guilty on one count of conspiracy and eight counts of involuntary manslaughter. He rejects an offer of leniency in exchange for information about the bombing, saying it would jeopardize him if he is tried in Oklahoma.
Sentence-LIFE
Tim McVeigh-After 23 1/2 hours of deliberations over four days, the jury convicts on all 11 counts.
Sentence-DEATH
Michael Fortier is sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined $200,000 for failing to warn authorities about bombing plans.
<LI><b>Khobar Towers June 25, 1996 at Dhahran military base in Saudi Arabia</b>
Thirteen Saudis and a Lebanese were indicted on charges of murder and conspiracy for the 1996 bombing that killed 19 American servicemen in Saudi Arabia. The indictment alleges that the suspects were directed by Iranian government officials.
The 46-count indictment alleges that all 14 men were members of the Islamic militant group Hezbollah, which federal officials said received support and inspiration from individuals within the Iranian government.
<LI><b>Bombings in Nairobi, Kenya
and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania --
August 7, 1998</b>
Mohamed al-'Owhali, Khalfan Khamis Mohamed, Mohamed Odeh and Wadih el Hage each got life without parole for their roles in near simultaneous attacks August 7, 1998, on embassies at Kenya and Tanzania.
<LI>
<b>Egypt Air 990 October 31, 1999</b>
About 1:50 a.m., Eastern Standard Time, Egyptair flight 990, a scheduled international flight from New York to Cairo, crashed in the Atlantic Ocean about 60 miles south of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. 217 presumed dead
Said to be pilot suicide-Egyptian Gameel El-Batouty
<LI><b>USS Cole Oct. 12, 2000 </b>
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer was the target of a terrorist attack in Aden, Yemen, on Oct. 12, during a scheduled refueling. The attack killed 17 crew members and injured 39 others.
Attacker killed or escaped
Jamil Qasim Saeed Mohammed, 27, a Yemeni microbiology student wanted in connection with the bombing of the USS Cole was secretly handed over to U.S. authorities by Pakistan's intelligence agency. Mohammed is an active member of the al Qaeda terrorist organization.
<LI>New York City, Washinton DC & Flight 93 September 11, 2001</b>
American Airlines Flight 11, from Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles, California, crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center with 92 people on board.
United Airlines Flight 175, from Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles, California, was the second hijacked plane to strike the World Trade Center, plowing into the south tower. Two pilots, seven flight attendants and 56 passengers were on board.
American Airlines Flight 77, from Washington to Los Angeles, crashed into the Pentagon with 64 people aboard.
United Airlines Flight 93, from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, California, crashed in rural southwest Pennsylvania, with 45 people on board.
Totals-(estimated)
3,014 in Washington & at the WTC Towers
266 in th e PA Crash</ul>
