Treating Terrorism as a Crime…Nine years later!
The FBI said today that they are announcing the addition of two individuals to our Most Wanted Terrorists list, along with substantial rewards for information leading to their capture.
Fahd Mohammed Ahmed al-Quso is sought for his role in the October 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen, in which 17 American sailors were killed.
Husayn Muhammad al-Umari is wanted in connection with the 1982 bombing of Pan Am Flight 830, which resulted in the death of a teenage passenger and injury to 16 others. The flight, bound from Japan to Hawaii, carried 267 people.
The U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program is offering up to $5 million for information leading directly to the apprehension or convictions of these individuals.
We are also announcing today that we have added Abdullah al-Rimi to our Seeking Information-War on Terrorism list. Unlike al-Quso and al-Umari, who are under indictment in the U.S., al-Rimi has not been charged but is wanted for questioning in connection with the USS Cole bombing.
Al-Quso, who speaks Arabic, is believed to be 35 years old. He was born in Yemen and may still be living there.
The USS Cole bombing took place on October 12, 2000, when suicide terrorists exploded a small boat alongside the Navy destroyer as it was refueling in the port of Aden. The blast ripped a 40-foot-wide hole in the ship. In addition to the 17 who died, many were injured.
Al-Umari, 73, who may be carrying a Lebanese passport, is one of three people indicted for the Pan Am Flight 830 bombing and is alleged to have built the device that was placed under a seat and detonated while the plane was in flight.
Sometimes called “The Bomb Man” because he is an explosives expert, al-Umari formed the terrorist group 15 May Organization in 1979. The group’s mission was to promote the Palestinian cause through violence toward supporters of Israel. A Sunni Muslim who doesn’t drink or gamble, al-Umari is said to enjoy smoking Cuban cigars.
We need your help to find these three individuals, all of whom should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. If you have any information concerning these alleged terrorists, please contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or consulate, or submit a tip electronically.
With today’s additions, there are now 24 people on our Most Wanted Terrorists list, which was established a month after the 9/11 terror attacks. The State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program, established in 1984, has paid nearly $80 million to more than 50 people who provided information that prevented international terrorist attacks or helped bring others to justice for previous crimes.
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AUTHOR COMMENTS: Ok ladies and gentlemen, here is a perfect reason why terrorism should be treated as a military operation instead of a criminal prosecution. Don’t get me wrong, I think the FBI is doing everything they can; however, they are not equipped to handle operations such as these.
It pains me to hear Obama and many others on the left talk about our system of justice, and how great it is, and how they want the world to see how great it is by offering the same protections to individuals who are not U.S. Citizens and who would like nothing better than to kill more Americans.
When will these “do nothing” President’s understand that the only way to fight terrorism, is to act quickly and decisively! In many ways, Mr. Obama is no different than Mr. Clinton, in this case, it was Mr. Clinton who dropped the ball on the USS Cole and now Mr. Obama is trying to pick up the pieces, 9 years later!
Both of them could take a lesson from Reagan’s playbook:
In 1985 the Italian cruise liner Achille Lauro was hijacked by terrorists from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in an attempt to free political prisoners and terrorists by putting pressure on the Israeli government.
During the hijacking of the cruise liner, the terrorists murdered the American Leon Klinghoffer.
When hearing about it aboard Air Force One returning from Chicago, Reagan told his National Security Team, “Go Get Them!” and Get Them we did…
US intelligence uncovered the plans of the PLO terrorists and then US President Ronald Reagan ordered the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea to take action against the flight of the terrorists from Egypt to Libya.
What followed was condemned by many as an act of "airborne piracy", but it was in fact a well planned precision operation by carrier aircraft launched from USS Saratoga (CV-60) and intelligence aircraft from the USAF: No less than seven F-14As from VF-74 and VF-103 were launched, four to undertake the interception of the B737 plus three to fly top cover for the unlikely event that Libyan fighters would take aggressive action against the US aircraft. Additionally, an E-2C, four KA-6D tankers, EA-6B Prowlers, EA-3B Sky Warriors and a RC-135 electronic intelligence aircraft participated in the operation.
Once on its way to Libya, the Egypt Air Boeing 737 with the terrorists on board was located by an E-2C Hawkeye which vectored the Tomcats into position to perform the interception. The Tomcats approached the B737 with all lights extinguished in total radio silence, only using modern data link facilities between the participating aircraft. The Tomcats positioned themselves ahead, to the rear and on each side of the airliner.
Once in position, the F-14s switched on position lights and made a call to the B737 pilot to follow. Without another choice the airliner was escorted to NAS Sigonella in Italy, where a Navy SEAL (Sea-Air-Land) team surrounded the airliner and captured the terrorists.
All this was accomplished within 6 days of the incident.
When asked about the bombing of the USS Cole, Clinton had this to say, “This tragic loss should remind us all that even when America is not at war, the men and women of our military risk their lives every day in places where comforts are few and dangers are many.”
When asked about the shooting at Foot Hood, TX, Obama has this to say, “These are men and women who have made the selfless and courageous decision to risk and at times give their lives to the rest of us on a daily basis," the president continued. "It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil."
In comparrison, when asked about the Achille Lauro incident, Reagan had this to say, “Terrorists thought they could murder an innocent American and get away with it, they thought wrong.”
Sometimes I wonder if America couldn’t take a lesson from the Roman playbook when it comes to terrorism. There was a time on this planet, when a citizen of Rome could walk without fear anywhere in the civilized world, because it was well known that to harm a citizen of Rome was to attack Rome itself, the mere thought of which, coupled with Rome’s retribution for harming one of it’s citizens was too terrible to contemplate.