Date: Tue, 09 Apr 2002 15:26:31 -0400
From: Steve Smith <sgs at aginc.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: The Constitution and the Citizen
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

"Strong, Lee" wrote:
>
>         I skimmed the websites provided.  This charge that thousands of
> people have disappeared as a result of post-9/11 arrests simply is not true.
> According to the Rabih Haddad website, which only contains information
> provided by his friends and supporters without giving the other side of the
> story, Mr. Haddad was arrested for specific nonpolitical immigration law
> violations and is in contact with his lawyer.  Arresting people suspected of
> a nonpolitical crime hardly constitutes tyranny.

Yeah, can't trust those Quakers.

Haddad's "crime" was a trivial violation of immigration laws.
Basically, his visa expired while he was waiting for the INS to process
his application for permanent resident alien status.  (Do US immigration
laws and their enforcement need some serious reform?  Yahsureyoubetcha.
Another topic.)  There are probably tens of thousands of other people in
the same position.

His real "crime" (which he has not been charged with) is raising funds
for a "terrorist" organization.  Note that under the PATRIOT act, giving
money to a "terrorist organization" is, in itself, "terrorism", whether
you know where the money is going or not.  Even if the organization was
declared "terrorist" *after* you gave them money. (Prima facie
unconstitutional, IMHO.  I can't wait for the FBI to start busting
Irish-Americans who donate money to IRA related groups.)

>         The _Dawn_ newspaper and website is put together by people who
> scapegoat us because they're not allowed to criticize their own governments.
> I treat these people seriously as human beings but I reject their arguments.

Scapegoating??  Dawn, the largest English- language newspaper in
Pakistan, is very strongly pro-American.  The impression that I get of
Pakistani politics is that President Musharraf and cronys are trying to
be modern, progressive, sensible national leaders.  Unfortunatley, other
elements in Pakistan are nowhere near as progressive.  The Pakistani
intellegence service (the ISI), in particular, is a "government within a
government", and was the strongest supporter of the Taliban.  Musharraf
is putting himself in a fair amount of danger by his support of American
actions.

>         Everyone debating this subject needs to remember the story of the
> Boy Who Cried Wolf.

And the Camel with the Cold Nose.

--
Steve Smith                                           sgs at aginc.net
Agincourt Computing                            http://www.aginc.net
"Truth is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense."