December 14, 2006

Terrorism in Queens, NY -- the Al Muhajiroun Connection? (UPDATED: Bumped)

UPDATE 12/14/2006 08:18: Another important Queens link was indentified by Mrs. Abe Froman in the comments: Queens is were Ramzi Yousef rented a garage to build the truck bomb that went off in the WTC in '93. Now, why does that make me worry?

I also bumped this post because, well, I thought that it needed a second reading. If you haven't checked it out, be sure to click on the "Read More" link if you are coming here from the main page. The majority of the post is below the fold.

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I had passed on this story when I first heard about it, that an illegal immigrant, Mohammed Yusef Mullawala, had been arrested. Formally, he was arrested for overstaying his visa. But the real reason he was detained was that he set off red flags when he enrolled in truck driving school, didn't want to learn to back up, and was interested in getting licensure to transport hazerdous material. Fast.

But after Belch e-mailed me about this today (see his post here), I began to think about terrorism in Queens. There is a connection. Queens & terrorism have been connected in the past. Could be nothing, but then again, could be something. At least, it's something for the authorities investigating Yusuf to look into.

To the above right we have a picture of a rally organized by Muslims in Queens.

Fox News:

Mohammed Yusef Mullawala wanted a license to transport hazardous materials and to learn how to drive commercial tractor trailers. There was nothing unusual about that, until he told his teacher that he only wanted to learn how to drive forward, and he wanted to learn fast...

Federal and state authorities are investigating why Mullawala was seeking a commercial trucking license after his behavior raised flags at the Rhode Island driving school. Crawford said he was also insistent on taking the test necessary to earn a license to transport hazardous materials....

[His last known] address is 161 84th Road in Jamaica, Queens, according to Rhode Island police. He also has a residence on Carpenter Street in Providence, R.I., which he apparently hasn't lived at since 2003.

Police are also studying a computer taken from one of Mullawala's residence, O'Donnell said, adding that the man apparently was a computer expert. They will look at his e-mails, as well as any Web sites he frequented. Any potential overseas connections will be handled by the FBI and DHS, O'Donnell said, although none have yet turned up.

AN AMERICAN [Mohammed Junaid Babar] al-Qaeda operative who was a close associate of the leader of the July 7 bombers was recruited at a New York mosque that British militants helped to run.

British radicals regularly travelled to the Masjid Fatima Islamic Centre, in Queens, to organise sending American volunteers to jihadi training camps in Pakistan.

The green "start" bubble is where Mullawala lived, the red "stop" buble is the Islamic Center of Queens. This is where the London bombing mastermind, Mohammad Sidique Khan, is said to have set up a cell of terrorists.

Even more troubling is the fact that the suspect's home is just a few blocks from La Guardia airport.

What else is in Queens? The American branch of Omar Bakri Mohammed's al Muhajiroun organization, The Islamic Thinkers Society of New York is said to be centered in Queens. This is a group which praises the 9/11 attacks. And it was al Muhajiroun which attempted to take over the Masjid al-Fatima in Queens.

Moreover, the foiled August 10th British terror plot also included a number of al Muhajiroun followers of Pakistani ancestry. Where is Mohammed Yusef Mullawala from? Indian citizenship, but of Pakistani ancestry.

The FBI should look carefully into any links between Mohammed Yusef Mullawala, al Muhajiroun in America--The Islamic Thinkers Society of New York, and those involved in both the 7/7 London bombings and the foiled August 10th airplane plot.

The only thing linking Mullawala that I know of is proximity, but that should be enough to start an investigation. Like I said, could be nothing, but it's something for the authorities to keep in mind.

Incidentally, Carpenter street--an old address of Mullawala's-- is less than a mile from the Rhode Island Islamc Center in Providence. I'd hazard to guess that a few people there know him.

So, what's the big deal about some Muslim illegal alien getting a truckers license? Well, at first glance it may not seem like much. But then again, as Michelle Malkin reminds us:

Must I remind you that the 9/11 hijackers obtained some 364 separate pieces of identification, including driver's licenses, in order to conduct their murderous business? Hijackers Hani Hanjour and Khalid Almihdhar conspired with illegal alien day laborers at a Falls Church, Va., 7-Eleven to obtain government-issued photo IDs. Three other hijackers obtained IDs at an Arlington, Va., DMV.

Terrorist truck bombs have killed hundreds of Americans in Beirut, at the Khobar Towers, and Iraq. For the operatives behind the wheel, a license to drive is a license to kill. Over the past two years, the FBI has put law enforcement officials on high alert for U.S.-based operatives connected to al Qaeda who may be in possession of commercial driver's licenses and may be planning to use truck bombs.

But if we were to ignore this guys behavior lest we offend the tender hearts at CAIR and we were wrong.....boom. Bye bye La Guardia!

Here is some more background from the Rhode Island authorities, who I'm guessing have no clue on what al Muhajiroun is: MORE BELOW

On November 27, 2006, the newly created Rhode Island State Fusion Center received a bulletin from the United States Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Operations Center. The information provided pertained to a student enrolled in a local tractor-trailer training school, who was displaying reportedly suspicious behavior, while attempting to obtain a commercial driver’s license and a permit to haul hazardous cargo.

A joint investigation was initiated by investigators from the Rhode Island State Fusion Center, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force in Rhode Island, New York & New Jersey and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Investigators learned that the student, identified as Mohammed Yusef Mullawala, age 28, of 161 84th Road, Jamaica, New York, possessed driver’s licenses in three different states, including New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island. Investigators also learned that when Mohammed Yusef Mullawala obtained his driver’s license from the Rhode Island Registry of Motor Vehicles he had provided a false statement indicating that he was a Rhode Island resident. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted an inquiry concerning Mohammed Yusef Mullawala’s immigration status, which determined that Mohammed Yusef Mullawala was a citizen of India, who was in the United States on a temporary student visa, but the visa had expired. Based on this information, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement obtained an administrative warrant for Mohammed Yusef Mullawala’s arrest.

On December 5, 2006, Mohammed Yusef Mullawala responded to State Police Headquarters regarding another matter. He was taken into custody. Mohammed Yusef Mullawala was turned over to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and will be held in custody until a hearing is held at an Immigration Court in Boston, which is expected to occur within the next few weeks. Mohammed Yusef Mullawala is facing possible sanctions, including deportation back to his native country of India, and he will be charged with Identity theft. The investigation continues.

This investigation was an excellent example of the collaboration of various law enforcement agencies working together on the Federal, State, and Local levels in an effort to strengthen homeland security. The Rhode Island State Fusion Center is a component of the Rhode Island State Police Intelligence Unit and is tasked in conducting investigations relative to Homeland Security initiatives.