Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Sunday September 29 2002 — A7 LacCtawanninia Sox: LACKAWANNA NY (AP) — Kamal Derwish once boasted to fellow Yemeni- Americans in this old steel town that he expected to take up arms for the Taliban in Afghanistan according to federal authorities A burly and ebullient Islamic activist Derwish was bom in nearby Buffalo but spent most of his 29 yean in Saudi Arabia and Yemen Neighbors say he promoted hard-cor- e Muslim beliefs during periodic visits here over the last three years and enlisted a string of young adherents Now six men who authori- -' ties say are Derwish recruits all Americans of Yemeni descent who lived just blocks from each other in Lackawanna stand charged with providing “material support" to a foreign terrorist organization Authorities described them as a sleeper cell awaiting orders from Osama bin Laden’s Al- Qaida network A debate swirls around whether the “Lackawanna ' Six” are acolytes or small-tow- n dupes who had no intention of carrying out ter-rorist acts in their native land Defense attorneys describe the six as victims of misinforma- lion Derwish an alleged described as their ringleader is believed to be in hiding in Yemen More than 1000 Yemoni-Americalive in this Lake Erie town of 20000 working mostly in the fading steel industry or in jobs in the Buffalo region - In spring 2001 six of them made their way to Pakistan ostensibly to undergo up to two months of religious ies Greeting them at a Karachi hotel Derwish instead guided them to an Afghan training camp run by the government alleges There prosecutors revealed in documents Friday they heard bin Laden giving a malevolent speech telling them “in unequivocal terms that there 'is'going to be a fight against mail in July titled “The Big Meal” that suggested an attack using explosives was imminent prosecutor William Hochul Jr told the court “The next meal will be very read “No huge” the one will be able to withstand it except those with faith” ’ Defense attorney John Mol-Io- y maintained the government misunderstood the missive noting that a reply sent by an unidentified co- conspirator in Lackawanna asked “What are you talking about? What is this meal? Do you mean a hamburger or Al-Qaid- a- -- 66 ail al-Ba- merely quoted hearsay gathered from an old man and a cabdriver during a dinner party in Jeddah Saudi Arabia two months earlier told After his arrest the FBI he had heard the explosion was going to be in Saudi Arabia Molloy added The criminal complaint these kids jf they were up to something they will pay for it if they “We know weren’t may God help them see the light of day” ail what?” Molloy said the acoDyties or dwipes? - Mohamed Albanna pictured left vice president of the Lackawanna NY American Muslim Council chapter and Yemeni community spokesman u hinges solely on statements allegedly made by and Sahim Alwan 29 They admitted visiting the military camp but indicated they didn’t know their ultimate destina-tion until arriving in Pakistan When Derwish told group members they would be meeting “the Most Wanted” meaning bin Laden seemed “quite comfortable in camp and appeared to know people" Hochul the prosecutor told (he court He added that Derwish had confided his desire to fight for the Taliban Afghanistan’s austere rulers and allies of Officials say there’s growing evidence that terrorist cells are operating on US soil blending into their sur-roundings for long spells but poised to spring into action In the murky war against terrorism Hochul said investiga said “he felt as if a shovel hit his head” according to an FBI agent Alwan described being so terrified by the “crazy radical mentality of people" at the camp that he feigned an ankle injury to win release 10 days later The pair maintained all six were trained in explosives Kalashnikov assault rifles and handguns although none got to fire live rounds In contrast Derwish underwent advanced training in weaponry da anti-aircr- aft tors are having to head off possible catastrophes before there’s harder evidence of a specific attack Hochul said the men’s mere presence at the camp constituted a crime But four of the men — Yahya Goba 25 Faysal Galab 26 Yasein Taher 24 and Shafel Mosed 24 — denied ever going to Afghanistan and their lawyers questioned the credibility of Alwan arid What’s more the 314-pouGoba was too fat to be a trained terrorist his lawyer said ' Alwan a jobs counselor appeared to have a cooperative relationship with the FBI He helped the agency on an unrelated fraud case two years ago and even responded right away to a message waiting for him when he returned from Pakistan In talking about the trip he never mentioned See SIX on A8 X xi t - VS?- V" h' u frr j Zions Bank and Snyderville ns 4 s - ' V Y A-- ’ ' ” i V ' low-payi- I Blazing trails and building parks together an Americans'” : None of the men could give details regarding any of the mosques or schools that they ' ' visited for what they said was religious training in Pakistan prosecutors wrote Almost 1 12 years later just days after the Sept 1 1 anniversary the six men were arrested and charged Routine security checks after last Sept 11 noting the men’s return from Pakistan in June 2001 had placed them on the FBI’s radar screen For largely unex- plained reasons possibly because of informants or traffic intercepted interest in them flared up this summer US Magistrate H Kenneth Schroeder Jr said he would rule by Thursday whether to grant bail or keep the men locked up until trial “I want to know if they are a danger to the community now — not in 2001 Now” Schroeder demanded during bail hearing He the three-da- y also said the Constitution not fears about “another 911 God forbid” would largely guide his decision Defense attorneys say the six pose no danger and won’t flee but prosecutors say they all have strong familial ties to Yemen and the USlacks ah extradition treaty with the ail s No doubt about it Bonnie Park had a tall order to fill As District Administrator for the Snyderville Basin Recreation District Bonnie needed to keep pace with new growth—which meant acquiring additional recreational open space expanding trails : v ’? h r Ar KA hf7- k v— x and building trailheads constructing an ice rink and beginning plan for indooi recreation facilities Bottom line: the Snyderville Basin Recreation District needed $11 million So Bonnie called Kent MichieVice President of Public Finance iV' x Kent advised Bonnie on the election process helped structure the bond and prepared it for 'is sale Now not only does the Snyderville Basin Recreation District have plans for an ice rink and other improvements it also has an' Al Moody’s bond rating Just one 'more example of how partnering with Zions Bank brings opportunity to local immunities country If convicted the men could get up to IS years in prison federal law under a little-use- d that prohibits giving money weapons or other tangible support to foreign groups des- ignated by the LfS govern- ment as terrorist organizations Four of the six men dehy ever going to Afghanistan or to the training camp near Kan- dahar : - f 'I ' $6500000 Snyderville Basin Recreation District General Obligation Recreation Bonds i Authorities acknowledged they had no evidence the suspected cell was planning a tera rorist strike But they said centered on communications Derwish picked up alarmingly in recent months The youngest suspect' 22 who Mukhtar had gone to Saudi Arabia in preparation for his arranged marriage sent an obscure e-- ‘ T? 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