December 05, 2006

American Among Terror Plotters in Egypt

*Bumped* because I don't think this is getting enough press. An American. Arrested in Egypt. Part of an international cell of jihadis. For, at the very least, encouraging people to go to Iraq and fight Americans. That. Is. TREASON.

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An American was among 15 foreign nationals arrested last week in Egypt believed to be part of a larger terror network. The cell is supected of plotting terror attacks on Middle East targets, although there is some contraversy over whether they were planning attacks or just encouraging them.

The foreign nationals were in Egypt in order to study the religion of peace, Islam. The American has not yet been identified.

The group also encouraged Muslims to go to Iraq for jihad against the United States. An American encouraging violence against American troops? Treason.

Looks like we have another Johnny Walker Lindh, who went to Pakistan to study Islam before joining the Taliban, or Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, who left his home in Virginia to study Islam in Saudi Arabia before joining a group of al Qaeda sympathizers and plotting to assassinate President George Bush.

It should be noted that the most prestigious (and oldest) Islamic university in the world, al-Azhar, is in Egypt. News reports indicate that at least some of the students were studying at al-Azhar. The President of al-Azhar is routinely described as a 'moderate' in the press, yet this so-called moderate believes that the prohibition against killing innocent women and children does not include Israelis.

Chicago Sun Times:

Along with the American, police arrested two Belgians, nine French and several others from Egypt and other Arab countries including Tunisia and Syria, the statement said.

The ministry did not provide names or say how many Egyptians and Arabs were arrested.

''Investigations have confirmed that those elements are related to some terrorist organizations abroad,'' the ministry said. ''They were seeking to recruit others, teach them destructive beliefs, urging them for jihad, traveling to Iraq to carry out operations via other countries in the region.''

Students outside of Al-Azhar Mosque, the most prestigious Sunni seat of learning in the world, are heard shouting 'Osama bin Laden, explode Copenhagen' in protest over a Danish newspaper publishing images of Mohammed.

UPDATE: Eugene Volokh e-mailed wondering if we knew anything else about this guy. The answer, as far as I can tell, is no. But wouldn't it be nice if the AP invested a little time in the story and found a few things out? I'd settle for knowing the guy's name at this point. Hell, I'd even settle for a stringer being sent out.

Also noticing this: Gateway Pundit, Dan Riehl, Pirate's Cove, Political Pit Bull, Internet Haganah, Mary Kate at Townhall, Clarity and Resolve, Blogs of War, Macker, Bluto, Charles "The Blogfather" Johnson & others, I'm sure, but since my stupid trackbacks don't work, who knows?