Comments on: Osama Bin-Laden confederate due to be sentenced tomorrow.

Osama Bin-Laden confederate due to be sentenced tomorrow.

dhartung — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 12:16:25 -0800

Osama Bin-Laden confederate due to be sentenced tomorrow. Saudi citizen Mohammed al'Owhali, convicted for arranging the 1998 US Embassy bombings in Africa, is due to be sentenced on September 12, 2001. From indications, that would be at the US Courthouse in Foley Square, which is about a mile from the World Trade Center. A possible reason for the timing?

By: dhartung

dhartung — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 12:20:52 -0800

The jury spared al'Owhali the death penalty, based in part on his strong religious convictions ruling his actions. The formal sentence was to be set by a judge tomorrow in federal court, and was expected to be life in prison.

By: davidmsc

davidmsc — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 12:28:13 -0800

Definitely a possible reason. Stunning. I simply cannot believe this is happening.

By: jjg

jjg — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 12:55:24 -0800

I was following the same thread (trying to find some significance in this particular date) but I'm not so sure about this theory. Sacrifice at least four of your guys in order to, at best, delay sentencing of one who got caught? Doesn't really work for me.

By: bas67

bas67 — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 13:00:05 -0800

maybe i missed something....i read the article you linked 3 times and it said he was sentenced in june to life in prision. what was he being sentenced for tomorrow? sorry maybe its clear and i'm just a little shook-up.

By: BoyCaught

BoyCaught — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 13:03:37 -0800

Let's not rush to judgement. All we know for sure at this point is that a terrible, terrible tragedy of epic proportions has occured. The factors behind all this are not known to us now, and may never be. I think we're ill served if we automatically parrot what the media feeds us without first asking lots and lot of questions -- and getting answers. Thanks for the link, DHartung, this is definitely one trail that needs to be checked. --LAG

By: rorycberger

rorycberger — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 13:13:20 -0800

cnn is now reporting that they have reports that government officials do have specific information which leads them to believe that this was organized by osama bin laden, but they are not ruling out any possibilities at this point

By: raaka

raaka — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 13:18:39 -0800

The Arab world feels that after the bombing of Libya, Afghanistan, oppression of Iraqis but support of Hussein and the oppression of the Palestinian people that they are fighting a war against an aggressive, powerful, violent nation. I wouldn't want to live in the Middle East, subject to the whims of US and Isreali policy. I don't agree with terrorist acts against anybody, so all I can do is deplore both US foreign policy (seen as international terrorism by others) and by foreign terrorists (seen as freedom fighters by others) alike. Law Enforcement and the Military cannot protect you from terrorist attacks. Only diplomacy can diffuse this — only peace for all people. Vengence and retaliatation will make this worse. It already has. (Granted, its not been confirmed that bin Laden is responsible for this, but he didn't take responsibility for the USS Cole, either. I seriously doubt this is anything but Middle East-orginated terrorism, in response to systematic oppression.)

By: PWA_BadBoy

PWA_BadBoy — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 13:24:31 -0800

Take a look here. Says that Hamas has denied involvement in this attack. Doesn't bin Laden lead Hamas?

By: dhartung

dhartung — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 13:36:17 -0800

jjg, as I understand it, the fanatics don't think it's saving a life or delaying the inevitable: they're just striking back, making our puny notions of "justice" seem just so much paperwork compared to the lives they can snuff. They are happy to go to heaven as martyrs. I don't want to delve any further into the religious significance or broad stereotypes. bas67: he was convicted by the jury of a crime with only two possible sentences, life in prison or death. He was spared death. The formal sentencing remains by a judge. Perhaps it's a red herring. But a chill went down my spine when I saw this. PWA: Hamas is a political party and social organization in Palestine. Osama bin-Laden is a Saudi Arabian multimillionaire who runs a group called al'Qaida. I'm sure they have connections, but they're not one and the same. [speechifying snipped, I got lost in my own rhetoric and made myself sick]

By: MattD

MattD — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 13:37:35 -0800

By: Sinner

Sinner — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 13:44:41 -0800

I'm told that it's the anniversary of the Camp David Accord. It seems plausible.

By: anildash

anildash — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 13:56:50 -0800

One thing that we know for sure is that the perpetrators of today's crime will not be tried anywhere near New York City, where there are so many bleeding hearts that they'd probably be spared the death penalty, just as the previous WTC bombers were. I vote for Mississippi. Hey, Matt? Shut the fuck up. The bleeding here in New York is quite literal and the only thing you can generalize about our city is that we're all shaken and moved and angry and hurt. I don't care about revenge, I care about all my friends being alive. I bet most people in Mississippi feel that way, too.

By: MattD

MattD — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 13:59:10 -0800

I'm in New York. I've seen the smoke covering the entire southern horizon. I have friends who work in WTC who are unaccounted for. And, alas, I know that my fellow New Yorkers are incompetent to effect justice.

By: Sinner

Sinner — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 14:01:58 -0800

MattD - there'll be ample time for recriminations later. For the moment, a united front is all we have.

By: rorycberger

rorycberger — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 14:03:48 -0800

why would they do it on the 23rd anniversary though?

By: Sinner

Sinner — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 14:09:04 -0800

Rory - whether it was commemorative or not, I can't say. I heard rumors that the plane which went down in Pa. was headed for Camp David. Whether that's true or speculation based on the coincidence, I don't know. Completely uncorroborated, and please clarify if I'm incorrect. I watched the buildings fall from my office on 23rd and 5th. I will never, ever forget that.

By: feelinglistless

feelinglistless — Sun, 20 Jan 2002 09:47:06 -0800

Hinsight is a terrible thing.