Secret Service Agent Admits Anti-Muslim Graffiti
WASHINGTON,
July 26 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - A Secret Service agent
admitted writing anti-Muslim graffiti on a Muslim prayer calendar
while searching the Detroit home of an Arab-American charged with
bringing into the U.S. $12 million in counterfeit checks, federal
authorities announced Thursday, July, 25, 2002.
The
agent, a 10-year veteran of the agency, who was not named, wrote,
"Islam is evil, Christ is King."
He
came forward Tuesday after Omar Shishani's family complained to the
news media and Arab-American groups about the slurs.
The
agent was taken to headquarters in Washington Wednesday morning and
interviewed by the agency's office of inspection. After the initial
interview, he was placed on administrative leave. Pending the
completion of the investigation, further action will follow.
U.S.
Attorney Jeffrey Collins told a news conference, "This type of
unprofessional behavior by a fellow agent will not be tolerated."
"This
unprofessional conduct by a single agent is a gross aberration and a
great embarrassment," said Collins.
Secret
Service spokesman Anthony Triplett said the agency regretted the
agent's actions, saying the agency "does not and will not
tolerate racial, cultural, or religious bias. The Secret Service
regrets the unprofessional action taken by this individual
agent."
The
agent could face suspension or possible termination and may face
criminal charges for a civil rights violation.
Asked
about the agent's possible motivation, one senior law enforcement
official said, "I think the guy just went brain-dead,"
reports news agencies.
Shishani's
lawyer, Nabih Ayad, said he was likely to sue the Secret Service and
the agent involved for alleged civil-rights violations.
"We
feel that this action taken by this individual in the Secret Service
is not only startling, basically it's outrageous," Ayad said.
"It really undermines the Secret Service's and the terrorism task
force's credibility and their effectiveness."
"It's
outrageous that one of our law enforcers who swears to serve and
protect is making religious slurs against individuals," said
Ayad.
The
Secret Service contacted the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's office in the
eastern district of Michigan immediately upon finding out about the
violation. The Secret Service investigates allegations of
counterfeiting.
Shishani
was indicted Wednesday for entering the United States with $12 million
in counterfeit cashier's checks. His home in Dearborn, Michigan, was
searched after his arrest. The Secret Service agent who has admitted
to scrawling the words was a member of the team of federal agents
taking part in the search, officials said.
Shishani
has pleaded innocent to the charges against him. He was denied bail,
however, on Thursday, as the court deemed Shishani a flight risk and
that his possession of the checks was "highly suspicious."
Shishani,
47, was detained Wednesday as he arrived at Detroit Metropolitan
Airport from Indonesia. He was carrying $12 million in false cashier's
checks at the time of this arrest.
On
Wednesday, Shishani, a U.S. citizen, pleaded not guilty to one count
of possession of a counterfeit security and one count of smuggling
merchandise into the United States, reports CNN.
Authorities
said Shishani's name appeared on a watch list of people trained in
Afghanistan by al-Qaeda. His name turned up in documents captured in
Afghanistan, sources said.
However,
investigators are still trying to determine if the man named in those
documents is the same Omar Shishani as the one arrested in Detroit,
reports CNN.
National
Public Radio (NPR) reported that relatives of the Omar Shishani
arrested say the Omar Shishani on the watch list died in Chechnya over
one month ago.
However,
officials said the circumstances surrounding Shishani's arrest were
worrisome.
"It
has really alarmed a lot of people that al-Qaeda may be trying to get
that much money into the United States for operational purposes,"
one official told the Washington Post.
"We
don't know what he was up to, but he was coming from Indonesia, he had
$12 million in bogus checks ... he was born in Jordan and his family
is from Chechnya. There is a lot of smoke there to investigate."
Prosecutors
submitted a court document Wednesday saying Shishani "claims to
have no sympathy for terrorism" but quoted him as telling
investigators when questioned about terrorism that, "If you want
to know about terrorism, I can help you with that."
In
the same documents, Shishani claimed his family has close relations
with Jordan's king and military, and that he served in the Jordanian
Intelligence Service from 1974 to 1976 and that his brother was
commander of the Jordanian Special Forces.
Ayad
says his client was delivering the checks for a third party. He said
Shishani is an international businessman, not a terrorist, and was put
on the watch list solely because he is an Arab-American, reports CNN.
Shishani's
brother in Jordan, Ahmad Shishani, said Omar Shishani has
"absolutely no links at all with any terrorist group or
al-Qaeda" and that his brother is simply a wealthy computer
salesman who travels often, reports news agencies.
According
to the Post, Shishani told agents who interviewed him that the man
listed on three of the cashier's checks, Baharuddin Masse, "may
belong to al-Qaeda," has made "pro-al-Qaeda
statements," and named his daughter "al-Qaeda,"
according to documents submitted by prosecutors.
Ayad
asserted that his client told authorities only about Masse's
daughter's name and made none of the other statements attributed to
him in the court papers, reports the paper.
The
U.S. Joint Terrorism Task Force in Detroit late Thursday searched the
Dearborn, Michigan home where Shishani lives with his wife.
U.S.
intelligence officials believe that possibly hundreds of al-Qaeda and
Taliban fighters who escaped from Afghanistan had gone to Indonesia
and that nation has become a haven for the terrorist movement.
The
United States has asked Indonesia for help in investigating Shishani's
activities there, reports CNN.
"The
September 11 attacks only cost $500,000 in total," said one
official, who acknowledged that authorities have no idea how the bogus
checks were going to be used.
The
checks are similar to others used in a non-terrorism related scheme
uncovered in Las Vegas, Nevada, by the Secret Service, which led to
seven indictments, reports CNN.
Six
of the checks were dated June 10, 2002, and made payable to
"Baharuddin Masse," according to the indictment. The other
checks were dated Sept. 3, Sept. 5 and Sept. 6, 2002, reports news
agencies.
The
next hearing in Shishani's case has been set for August 6. If
convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.
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