Mahmoud El-Yousseph: Suicide bombings are “reasonable”

Just one week before 9/11, one of our local terror apologists, Mahmoud El-Yousseph, a regular columnist for the Marion Star and the Newark Advocate, had a letter to the editor published by the Columbus Dispatch defending suicide bombings targeting civilians, saying that they were “a reasonable way to defend their freedom, honor and integrity”. Just eight days later, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists applied that same logic in murdering almost 3,000 Americans in the worst terrorist attack in our country’s history. And according to El-Yousseph, the management of the Columbus Dispatch came to his rescue when the FBI understandably came calling.

Regular readers might recall that this is the same Mahmoud El-Yousseph who openly praises the terrorist organization Hezbollah, calling them “freedom liberation fighters”, despite the fact that Hezbollah has killed hundreds of American Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen in multiple terrorist attacks and kidnappings (see our previous post, “Mahmoud El-Yousseph: Hezbollah are ‘freedom fighters’”).

To compound his treachery, El-Yousseph tries to hide behind his military service, even though his open support of Hezbollah is in direct conflict with his military induction and citizenship naturalization oaths to “support and defend the United States Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic” and Hezbollah is responsible for the 1996 Khobar Towers attack that killed 19 airmen (his own branch of service).

For disclosing his public support for terrorists in violation of his military and citizenship oaths, El-Yousseph last week threatened me with legal action (“Mahmoud El-Yousseph threatens legal action”).

Just days before 9/11, it was HAMAS and Islamic Jihad Palestinian suicide bombers and those terrorist organizations’ targeting of innocent civilians that Mahmoud El-Yousseph was defending, saying such acts were “reasonable”. The problem with his contrived narrative, however, is that if the oppression were so great, why aren’t there any independent suicide bombers? Why are they all tied to these terrorist organizations, and why do they only strike when HAMAS, Islamic Jihad or Fattah have political objectives they hope to meet?

Here’s Mahmoud in his own words:

In order to eliminate suicide bombing in the Middle East, one must examine this phenomenon. What would make someone strap explosives to his chest, walk into a restaurant and blow himself up?

Israel is driving Palestinians into desperation on a daily basis. The war crimes and atrocities committed against Palestinians are bad enough to drive a saint to insanity.

Collective punishment, demolition of homes, political assassinations, checkpoints and roadblocks are some of the trials Palestinians endure. Restriction on people leaving their homes to go to work, to school, to hospitals or to visit relatives are not intended to be security measures, at all. They are the punishment and humiliation of a whole population.

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have so little freedom and so little hope that suicide seems a reasonable way to defend their freedom, honor and integrity.

Mahmoud El-Yousseph
Westerville

Below is the text of El-Yousseph’s letter BEFORE the Columbus Dispatch edited it. It begins with a libelous and mendacious report that Israelis were allegedly going to bury Palestinian terrorists in pig skins. He also justifies the killing of two Israelis by a Palestinian mob saying that they were undercover agents on an assassination mission - another false story floated by El-Yousseph.

Date: Tue Aug 28, 2001 9:08 am
From: Mahmoud El-Yousseph elyousseph6@yahoo.com
To:
Subject: How to stop suceide bombing

Dear editor:

Eurika! Israel has discovered a majic solution to curtail suceide bombing by Palestinians. Israel now contamplating to burry the remain of would be bomber with the blood and skin of a pig. By the way, Muslims are not allowed to eat any pork products. What a ludicrious idea. Discrating human remains, or radiculing the dead and his faith is dumber than dumb. Israel don’t get it. Last spring the Palestinians returned promptly to Israel two of it soliders killed in Ramallah by protersters. The two were udercover operative dressed in Arabic attire, and were on a mission to assassinate Palestinain activisits. It is rather silly to even think that burrying a bomber remain with a pig would put an end to suceide bombing. In order to eliminate suceide bombing, one must examine and understand this new phenomina. What makes someone strap explosives to his chest, walk into a resturant and blow himself up? Israel is driving Palestinians into desperation on a daily basis. It’s war crimes and attrocities against Palestinains is bad enough to drive a saint into insanity. Some of these mesures for example: Collective punishment, home demolishing, political assassination, chek points, roadblocks. And restricting people movement from leaving their homes to go to work, school, hospitals or visiting releatives, are not intended as a security mesures at all. They are punishment and humiliation of a whole population.

Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza have so little freedom and so little hope that suceide seems a reasonable way to defend their freedom, honor,and integrity.

Mahmoud El-Yousef

According to El-Yousseph (acknowledging in advance that he has a pretty loose grip on the truth), after 9/11 FBI agents contacted the Columbus Dispatch to get a copy of his original letter above, only to be rebuffed by the paper. He also adds that Dick Carson, who was the Dispatch’s editorial page editor at the time, took to El-Yousseph’s defense.

Date: Fri Sep 21, 2001 10:55 pm
From: Mahmoud El-Yousseph elyousseph6@yahoo.com
To:
Subject: Aiming @ the wrong target!

Dear friedns:

I was contacted by columbus Dispatch reporter today who wanted to do a story about my first amandment’s right,and wanted to know if I was questioned by any federal agents regarding my last letter that appeared in the dispatch> the letter dated back to Sep.3rd this year which explain why Palestinian resort to sucied bombing. I did not give an interview, because I was not contacted by any body regarding my letter. I know a man contacted Westerville Police about that letter on 12 Sep. Obviously, somebody contacted the FBI and Columbus Police Department regarding that letter also. The reporter I talked to read the letter and was confidant that letter does not condone sucied bombing, but it rather explain it. To make a long story short, I contacted the paper editorial manager Dick Carson, and he told me the fellowing:

1..He was asked by columbus police liason officer to the FBI, and was asked for a copy of my letter. The dispatch refused and submitted to him via Fax only the printed version of the letter.
2.. Dick Carson informed the officer that he knew me for the last 20 years as a peace loving person and that he was wasting his time by going after the wrong person. To proof his point and to ad a human face, Mr. Carson faxed a human intrest story I wrote about my 8 years old son Adam back in April. That story was a heart breaking one.
3.. Mr. Carson informed the officer also, that he will eat his hat the Columbus city hall steps If the police would find ANYTHING against me.
4.. INS agent left his card at my house door with a not to call him. He is asumming I am a foriegner I take it. What does that all mean? This iseither being done in the name of national security, or they just crossed the line.

Let me assure you all, I have nothing to fear or hide. They are not only going to be wasting their time and mine. But they will be disappointed after they speak to me, and know me as a real person. I will not be intimidated by any blackmail, smear, or scare tactic. This is my country too, and I have the write to speak my mind and express my view puplicly I will keep you all updated in case of any devolopment.

thanks for your time.
Salaam,
Mahmoud El-Yousseph

Even after the despicable and cowardly attacks after 9/11, Mahmoud El-Yousseph continued to shamelessly cling to the same twisted suicidal jihadist dogma that fueled the 9/11 attacks. Even more interesting is that El-Yousseph was still serving in the US Air Force at the time. It seems that the FBI had every right to investigate our local terror apologist.

9/11-denial author coming to Columbus, promoted by Mayor Coleman advisor Al-Akhras

“It is already possible to know beyond a reasonable doubt one very important thing: The destruction of the World Trade Center was an inside job, orchestrated by domestic terrorists.” — David Ray Griffin

Having just passed the sixth anniversary of America’s Day of Terror, some of our local extremists are bringing to town prominent 9/11-denial author David Ray Griffin, the foremost academic of the movement, who will be speaking at the First Congregational Church on East Broad Street next Tuesday, September 25th. Notwithstanding Griffin’s use of research from Holocaust-denial groups and individuals (discussed below), one individual promoting Griffin’s visit is Mayor Coleman’s close advisor, Ahmad Al-Akhras, a member of the Columbus Community Relations Commission.

In a critical review of Griffin’s book, The New Pearl Harbor, Chip Bertlet describes some of Griffin’s views:

• The U.S. government caused or deliberately allowed the attacks of 09/11/01 to take place.
• The collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center was caused by a controlled demolition (bombs planted in the buildings prior to the planes striking the buildings).
• The Pentagon was not struck by American Airlines flight 77 or any commercial jet, but was hit by a guided missile.
• The commercial jet that crashed in Pennsylvania was hit by a heat-seeking guided missile launched by the government to silence the hijackers who could have exposed government complicity.
• Bush knew in advance that the attacks would take place because after the attacks began he stayed talking to children in a classroom.

Even though most of Griffin’s bizarre claims have been thoroughly refuted (for instance, see NASA research scientist Ryan Mackey’s nearly 200-page rebuttal of Griffin, “On Debunking 9/11 Debunking”), the professional theologian has taken on in his most recent book the 2005 Popular Mechanics 9/11 myth-busting special report, “Debunking the 9/11 Myths”.

Scientists vs. retired liberal theologian: you decide.

What is most disconcerting about Griffin’s conspiratorial views is that he frequently relies on individuals and publications involved in the Holocaust-denial movement. For instance in his article published in Tikkun earlier this year, in his footnotes there are several references relying on such sources:

[24] A photograph taken by Terry Schmidt can be seen on page 63 of Eric Hufschmid’s Painful Questions: An Analysis of the September 11th Attack (Goleta, Calif.: Endpoint Software, 2002). According to Schmidt, this photo was taken between 3:09 and 3:16 PM, hence only a little over 2 hours before Building 7 collapsed. It shows that on the north side of the building, fires were visible only on floors 7 and 12. Therefore, if there were more fires on the south side, as some witnesses have claimed, they were not big enough to be seen from the north side.

[25] Quoted in Christopher Bollyn, “New Seismic Data Refutes Official Explanation,” American Free Press, Updated April 12, 2004. For several more examples, see the subsection labeled “Molten Steel” in my chapter, “The Destruction of the World Trade Center: Why the Official Account Cannot Be True,” in Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11, or the discussion of molten metal in Chap. 3 of Debunking 9/11 Debunking.

[56] See Ted Twietmeyer, “Judicial Watch Caught Pulling a 180 on Pentagon Footage,” Rense.com, May 21, 2006

The items I have placed in bold above should be noted. Eric Hufschmid is a prominent Holocaust-denier; the American Free Press is the publisher of The Barnes Review, founded by neo-Nazi Willis Carto and perhaps the largest Holocaust-denial publication in the US, which has recommended Adolf Hitler for a Nobel Prize (ADL has published a report on AFP/Barnes Review and their role in the 9/11 denial movement); and Rense.com is a site that promotes the cause of neo-Nazi Ernst Zundel. Even many in the 9/11 denial movement are loathe to associate or rely upon the research of these individuals and organizations. But not David Ray Griffin. Just last week one of his events in Ireland was cancelled after protests from local Jewish organizations.

Notwithstanding Griffin’s bizarro conspiratorial worldview and his reliance on Holocaust-denial researchers, he has already found enthusiastic supporters here in Columbus. One of the first people to announce Griffin’s upcoming Columbus appearance was none other than Mayor Michael Coleman’s close advisor, Ahmad Al-Akhras, who sent out the following email to a CAIR-OH listserv a few weeks ago:

From: Ahmad Al-Akhras
To: “cair ohio”
Date: Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:43 am
Re: FW: David Ray Griffin talk, Sep 25 7pm

Prominent theologian to speak in Columbus

David Ray Griffin will be in Columbus for a talk at 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 25, at the First Congregational Church, 444 East Broad Street.

Dr. Griffin is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Theology at Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Graduate University, and codirector of the Center for Process Studies.

He has written four books on the subject of 9/11, including “The New Pearl Harbor” (2004), “The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions” (2005), “Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11” (2006), and “Debunking 9/11 Debunking: An Answer to Popular Mechanics and Other Defenders of the Official Conspiracy Theory” (2007).

He is co-editor with Peter Dale Scott of “9/11 and American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out” Vol. I (2007), which bears this note from Paul Craig Roberts, former assistant secretary of the US Treasury and editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal: “This is the most important book of our time. Distinguished national and international scientists and scholars present massive evidence that the 9/11 Commission Report is a hoax and that the “terrorist attack” has been manipulated to serve a hegemonic agenda in the Middle East. The book’s call for a truly independent panel of experts to be empowered to bring out the true facts must be heeded or Americans will never again live under accountable government.”

The following commendation of Griffin’s work is from the late Reverend William Sloan Coffin: “Professor David Ray Griffin has a well-deserved reputation for the thoroughness of his research. All Americans who love their country enough to dig into the facts of these critical times will be well rewarded for examining his books. 9/11 truth is a very important issue — one with the power to bring lasting change to our country.”

Speaking as someone who lost a friend and colleague on 9/11 (on American Airlines Flight 77, which Griffin says didn’t hit the Pentagon), it sickens me that six years after the fact that crackpots and nutjobs like Griffin continue to receive a hearing and are welcomed in our area. They are not being heard because of the weight of their arguments, but the virulence and venom of their ideas, much like Nazism in post-WWI Germany.

It isn’t surprising that Ahmad Al-Akhras and CAIR are involved in such filth; in fact, a CAIR-OH forum held back in April listed Columbus 9/11 Truth as one of their associated groups (see my FrontPage article, “Ohio State Profs Go ‘Truther’”. What is surprising is that they are still received and defended by the political power-brokers in Central Ohio and the Columbus establishment media.

Ahmad Al-Akhras and the pre-9/11 “dry run” Al-Qaeda terrorists he defended

On the left, Ahmad Al-Akhras, one of Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman’s closest advisors; and on the right, Muhammad Al-Qudhaieen and Hamdan Al-Shalawi, the two Saudi Al-Qaeda terrorists Al-Akhras and CAIR-OH publicly defended and filed a lawsuit on behalf of that the 9/11 Commission found had conducted a pre-9/11 “dry-run” on a Columbus-bound America West flight in November 1999. The men are pictured walking through Port Columbus Airport.

It wasn’t appropriate to mention yesterday since 9/11 is a day of honor and sober reflection, but it certainly bears worth mentioning the bit role that Central Ohio resident Ahmad Al-Akhras played in America’s infamous day of terror.

On November 19, 1999, America West Flight #90 from Phoenix to Columbus landed at Port Columbus Airport and was greeted by FBI and local law enforcement officials. Two Saudi students — Muhammad Al-Qudhaieen and Hamdan Al-Shalawi — were handcuffed and immediately placed into custody. All passengers were evacuated from the flight and bomb-sniffing dogs were brought in to search the plane.

Before the plane landed, the flight’s pilots had radioed ahead that Al-Qudhaieen and Al-Shalawi had repeatedly tried to enter the cockpit even after being warned by the flight crew not to attempt further entry, kept changing seats, as well as asking the flight crew strange questions about the plane and its destination.

According to the 9/11 Commission Report (page 520, footnote 60), intelligence authorities are convinced that Al-Qudhaieen and Al-Shalawi were conducting a “dry-run” for the 9/11 attacks. Both men were friends of Arizona-based Al-Qaeda recruiter, Zakaria Mustapha Soubra, who drove them to the airport that day in Qadhaieen’s car. Both men attended the Islamic Center of Tuscon, which counterterrorism expert Rita Katz described in a Washington Post article in September 2002 as “basically the first cell of Al-Qaeda in the United States; that is where it all started”.

Immediately after the Saudi students were taken into custody by law enforcement, Ahmad Al-Akhras (then the president of CAIR-OH) immediately lept into the situation making accusations of racial profiling and denouncing the FBI’s investigation into the matter. He, along with Andy Amid of Arab Americans of Central Ohio, were quoted in the local, national, and international media protesting the innocence of the two Saudi men. Al-Akhras was quoted by the Columbus Dispatch the following day:

Ahmad Al-Akhras, president of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Ohio chapter, said that the government and the airline industry appear to be profiling Arabs and Muslims.

“It seems like they single out some individuals because of their name, the way they look or their national origin,” Al-Akhras said. (Roger Alford and Kevin Mayhood, “Airline detains, releases ‘suspicious’ pair at airport”, Columbus Dispatch [November 20, 1999])

Al-Akhras’ comments were also picked up by the Egyptian daily, Al-Ahram, as were Andy Amid’s, who told the Egyptian paper, “Americans are programmed to think of Arabs as terrorists”. Amid also gave the Dispatch his take on the event:

“It’s called Islamophobia,” said Andy Amid, former president of Arab Americans of Central Ohio.

Except in this case, the two men involved were terrorists, Al-Akhras and Amid’s protestations notwithstanding.

CAIR held a press conference with the two Saudi men in Washington D.C. the day after the incident and called for Muslims to boycott America West. Ahmad Al-Akhras threw his weight behind the effort, sending an email to local Muslims on November 21, 1999 saying:

salam

CAIR is pursuing legal action and asking Muslims, Arabs and other concerned people to boycott American West until it investigates the issue and makes corrective measures.

Ahmad

When someone responded that the “innocent” Saudi students should not settle for anything less than the dismissal of the American West pilot, Al-Akhras went further:

salam

CAIR is exploring all leagl [sic] venues at this time and may press charges. i’ll keep you posted. salam.

Ahmad

What legal charges Al-Akhras and this CAIR crew had mind against the flight’s pilot he doesn’t say, but in fact, CAIR filed a lawsuit in 2000 against America West on behalf of the two Al-Qaeda terrorists over the matter, which the judge quickly dismissed. But the damage by Al-Akhras and his CAIR comrades had been done. Instead of beefing up airline security, CAIR’s intimidation tactics were no doubt instrumental in maintaining the status quo in aviation security, that is, until 9/11. Katherine Kersten of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reminds us that despite CAIR’s connection to the 9/11 dry-run, that incident has served as a prototype for CAIR’s response to aviation incidents ever since, such as the “Flying Imams” case last November.

Curiously, CAIR has scrubbed any mention of the incident and their participation in it from their website.

And what of Mohammad Al-Qudhaieen and Hamdan Al-Shalawi, who’s innocence Ahmad Al-Akhras and Andy Amid were quick to claim? As I reported in a FrontPage Magazine article back in April, “CAIR’s Grievance Theater, the Flying Imams, and 9/11”:

As the 9/11 Commission Report explains, Hamdan al-Shalawi was in Afghanistan in November 2000 training at an Al-Qaeda camp learning to make car bombs and planning to launch “Khobar Tower”-type attacks against the US in Saudi Arabia, and Mohammad Al-Qadhaieen was arrested in June 2003 as a material witness in the 9/11 attacks.

Not suprisingly, Ahmad Al-Akhras and Andy Amid have never apologized nor expressed any remorse for their contributions to America’s day of terror. While the two Saudi terrorists were later discovered to be an integral part of Al-Qaeda’s pre-9/11 network in the US, Al-Akhras and Amid’s intimidation campaign against law enforcement and airline security accomplished exactly what Al-Qaeda wanted it to. The result was 9/11 and the death of 2,996 innocent civilians.

Oh, did I forget to mention that Ahmad Al-Akhras is one of Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman’s closest advisors?

Today We Remember. . .

Today we remember that terrible day when we were attacked by our enemies. . .

Today we remember the innocent American victims of the global jihad murdered on 9/11 (photo from Zacharias Moussaoui trial exhibits). . .

Today we remember that on 9/11, uncommon bravery was a common virtue. . .

Today we remember those who have given their last full measure of devotion to take the battle to our enemies (photo Michel du Cille, Washington Post) . . .

Today we remember those families among us who have laid so costly a sacrifice on the altar of freedom (photo Michel du Cille, Washington Post) . . .

Today we remember the men and women of our armed services proudly and valiantly serving at home and abroad, many serving in harm's way, to keep us all safe and free (photo DefendAmerica.mil). . .

Today we remember and vow again to never forget (photo by Derek Jensen). . .

May God bless them all and God bless America.