article hits close to home - Reader comments at The New York Sun

Submitted by Ric alford, Aug 9, 2007 00:52

This article hits close to home. I met Atta, Alshedi and Jirrah in the summer of 2000.
My next door neighbor asked me if I would train Students at the flight school where he was helping
his wife cleaning the offices. He asked if I would give them weight training and self defense training. I agreed to never having met them.
Later I met them when I was called to the place where they were living to work on their landlord's computer. Due to bad directions I arrived late and was let in by a man named Elbaneh. I explained I was there to work on the computer and he let me in. Atta arrived later and was very angry with the man who let me in. The computer could not be repaired there and I decided to leave and come back when the landlord was home.
However, when I was leaving Jirrah who lived across the street came up and asked if I was there to teach them martial arts. I told him no, but that I was there to work on the computer. He insisted though that I was the one who was to train them and asked me to go back inside with him. I found Jirrah to be likeable but had a bad feeling about Atta. I decided to go back inside with him to clear up what I thought at the time was a misunderstanding.
Inside Jirrah continued to insist I was the person who was there to train them. I had however, already decided because of how rude Atta had been to Elbaneh that I would not teach them. It did not occur to me at the time that these were the students my neighbor had asked me to teach.
I had a bad feeling about it at the time but did nothing and said nothing because I had no proof only suspicions.
All I can say is if you have a similar experience in todays world and political climate trust your gut instincts and say something.
The man I refer to as my next door neighbor can be viewed in action on youtube under the title
"Taliban's father of the year." This person lied to the FBI and denied any involvement. Yet he uses his children not only to vandalize my home and property but harass other neighbors as well. One of which he can be viewed threatening in the video. This man has used gangs of children to attempt to force his will on the neighborhood. I have also watched him attempt to cultivate the friendship of another neighbor who
is a retired nuclear scientist from the Maryland-Washington DC area. This man may indeed still be working with Al Qaeda. I say this because I know he took money from them. He told me that they payed in cash and that they payed well. However, when I pressed him for specifics he would not tell me only saying that they had paid him very well for his work.
His denial of this to the FBI and his ongoing actions leads me to believe that he is still involved. There may be others as this article points out. This is not fear mongering from me. This is not a political ploy from me. 911 happened. People died. I said nothing at the time and regret it but I encourage anyone with a similar experience now or in the past to speak out.
These people may portray themselves to be honorable American citizens. Fly the flag
etc. But when their true image has been viewed and nothing is said or done then that is a sad thing.

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
This article hits close to home. I met Atta, Alshedi and Jirrah in the summer of 2000.My next door neighbor...	Ric alford	Aug 9, 2007 00:52
It is so obvious once you have the mainstream media as partners feeding the fears, you have a captive audience... [MORE]	ROC doc	Aug 6, 2007 21:08
While the war on terror is of utmost importance at this time, our president is derelict in his duty by... [MORE]	stonebridge	Aug 6, 2007 19:08
Thank you for your comments. My large, extended multi-national family migrated to New York in the 1800s. Part of that... [MORE]	Jeanine MG	Aug 6, 2007 18:55
I have to agree with "R"'s comment ~ it's all fine & dandy that Homeland Security is focusing thier attention... [MORE]	Concerned	Aug 6, 2007 15:46
Having commented on our true vulnerability being spiritual, we need to seal our borders and conduct an intelligence-based "sweep" of... [MORE]	Patriot	Aug 6, 2007 13:55
It seems to me that the NSA is looking for evidence where there isn't any. I would guess that these... [MORE]	Kimdog	Sep 3, 2007 02:57
Family security is national security. To secure our families, to help them be stable and strong, is to strengthen our... [MORE]	Patriot	Aug 6, 2007 13:50
"The Sword of Damocles...the imminent and ever-present peril faced by those in positions of power." What to believe is the peril... [MORE]	Ash Dave	Aug 6, 2007 12:56
What led to the Romans fall? [MORE]	soi	Aug 6, 2007 12:50
Check out the Charleston, SC news. Two arrested with "explosives" , named Ahmed Mohamed and Yousef Megahed, Bet those are not homegrown... [MORE]	arby	Aug 6, 2007 12:29
Here we go again. Please take note. The closer we get to the genaeral elections the bigger the hype. Just... [MORE]	Doug Campbell	Aug 6, 2007 12:23
I think Ann Coulter said it best. "Darn that Bush. He made people who hate our guts and want to kill... [MORE]	K Johnson	Aug 6, 2007 11:34
Demand a stop to immigration. We don't need it. We don't want it. It is a conduit for terrorism and... [MORE]	Alex	Aug 6, 2007 11:34
Given all the hate and hostility in our political culture, terrorists should have no problem recruiting converts here. Most Americans... [MORE]	Walter S.	Aug 6, 2007 11:32
This government has failed their fiduciary responsibility, tactically failed and morally retreated abroad. How long before our shores are breached?... [MORE]	Donald	Aug 6, 2007 11:02
When we believed that Japanese spies were plotting against us from inside the United States decades ago, we set up... [MORE]	J.D.	Aug 6, 2007 10:59
Is there a confidential FBI site for leads in these cases? [MORE]	Eileen	Aug 6, 2007 10:52
Given the conditions along the border between American and mexico why would one be suprised to find a cell of... [MORE]	Lee Law	Aug 6, 2007 10:36
I object to the use of the word 'cell' in connection with the Al-Qaeda organization. It sounds much too antiseptic,... [MORE]	John McGrane	Aug 6, 2007 10:33
Terrorists have been here for much longer than this article suggests. Hearing reports from people such as Walid Shubat who... [MORE]	Kris	Aug 6, 2007 10:19
"Submitted by Steve Barry, Aug 6, 2007 00:32 Oh god please let our wise Christian President Bush take care of these... [MORE]	Kyle Coppola	Aug 6, 2007 10:00
If they DID NOT have an active cell here in the US, I would be very surprised. Then, to have... [MORE]	JD	Aug 6, 2007 09:46
I suppose that it would be politically incorrect to interview all the Middle Eastern medical doctors who have been issued... [MORE]	WAS	Aug 6, 2007 10:05
I think the government is better off pulling over & detaining hard working Americans on their way to work for... [MORE]	Jeff	Aug 6, 2007 13:04
As a 1st generation American born of Dominican immigrants, I dont understand why we are using public school funds to... [MORE]	1ST GENERATION AMERICAN	Aug 6, 2007 08:42
J.D. for President. He gets my vote.... [MORE]	Bob	Aug 6, 2007 09:56
I totaly agree with you, as I am a 1st gen. immigrants from SE Asia. If there are public money going... [MORE]	T. Lis	Aug 6, 2007 10:12
You sir, are a fine American, and thank you for your timely, well thought out and eloquent comments. Immigrants like... [MORE]	Steve Rupp	Aug 6, 2007 15:05
You are exactly right!! I do not know what is going on with our President and Congress. They tell us... [MORE]	Mauna	Aug 6, 2007 18:22
In the late 1980s, I collaborated with Department of State representatives on a comprehensive 10+ page compliance checklist. The embassies... [MORE]	Casey Harris, Sr.	Aug 6, 2007 08:04
HOw can Homeland Security be taken seriously when our borders are left wide open? [MORE]	R	Aug 6, 2007 07:51
EXACTLY!!!! WE HAVE NO SECURITY AS LONG AS WE HAVE OPEN BORDERS!!!! Build the fence and install many gates. Allow... [MORE]	JD	Aug 6, 2007 09:50
I trust that the temporary authorization to wiretap these Al-Quieda cells in the United States, is going to be a... [MORE]	Don	Aug 6, 2007 07:36
Right on Don [MORE]	Mark	Aug 6, 2007 12:03
It is clear to see that you may have a substantial policy difference with President Bush, but why was it... [MORE]	Ken Main	Aug 6, 2007 12:25
Make no mistake, there are already many, many terrorist cells already in the US and have been for some time.... [MORE]	Steph	Aug 6, 2007 13:57
The govenment has a responsibility to protect its citizens. To not address the high potential of a terrorist cell in... [MORE]	Phil	Aug 6, 2007 14:14
When I ask the question about illegal aliens, most immediately think about Mexican illegal aliens but rarely think about radical... [MORE]	TopAssistant	Aug 6, 2007 15:49
THAT'S WHEN, america really needs to wake up to the real threat ! [MORE]	American Patriot	Aug 20, 2007 06:06