From the WSJ Opinion Archives

by JAMES TARANTO
Friday, May 24, 2002 2:16 P.M. EDT

Did the FBI Blow It?
The FBI is coming under harsh criticism from within over its handling of the investigation of Zacarias Moussaoui, the suspected terrorist arrested Aug. 16. The Washington Post reports that a classified letter from FBI general counsel Coleen Rowley says that agents in Minneapolis "were severely hampered by officials at FBI headquarters, who resisted seeking search warrants and admonished agents for seeking help from the CIA." FBI director Robert Mueller says he's forwarded the Rowley memo to the bureau's inspector general's office for investigation.

The New York Times reports that hours after arresting Moussaoui, federal agents interviewed Hussein al-Attas, "who had driven Mr. Moussaoui from Oklahoma to a flight school in Minnesota." Attas told investigators that Moussaoui had told him "it was 'acceptable to kill civilians who harm Muslims' and that he approved of Muslims who died as 'martyrs' in such attacks." Police haven't linked Attas to the Sept. 11 attacks, but the government is holding him as a material witness in Moussaoui's case.

ABC News reports that a paid informant from Phoenix named Aukai Collins claims he warned the FBI three years ago about Hani Hanjour, one of the Islamic fanatics who flew American Airlines flight 77 into the Pentagon. Collins, who has written a book about his "exploits" called "My Jihad," says the FBI never regarded Hanjour as a threat. The FBI denies Collins's claims.

The Weekly Standard's Christopher Caldwell blasts FBI director Mueller's explanation for not following up on a memo from Phoenix agent Kenneth Williams about suspicious men in flight schools. Mueller testified recently that it would have been a "monumental undertaking" to investigate the 20,000 or so students attending flight school in America:

What a load of nonsense. Any small-town newspaper reporter could have narrowed down that 20,000 to under a hundred in an afternoon, just by focusing on names like . . . oh, I don't know . . . try Mohamed, Walid, Marwan, and Hamza. Couldn't the entire FBI have done the same?

As it turns out, no. And the reason is, whoever got Williams's memo would understand that there is one commonsensical way to implement it: Look for Arabs. And given congressional pressure on racial profiling and the president's own outrageous pandering on the subject during the 2000 election campaign, Williams's lead was something no agent with an instinct for self-preservation would want to touch with a barge pole.

Is This Why Mom Was Mum?
Back in December we praised Lesley Hughes, the mother of alleged "shoe bomber" Richard Reid, for maintaining a dignified silence after her son was arrested, in contrast with the parents of Marin mujahid John Walker Lindh. Now it appears Hughes may have known what Reid was up to. CNN reports that prosecutors say the alleged archterrorist "sent an e-mail 'will' to his mother telling her he was going to carry out a terror attack":

Reid prefaced his e-mail to his mother, says the government, by expressing his hope that it would not upset her "as what I am doing is part of the ongoing war between Islam and disbelief, (and as such a duty upon me as a Muslim)."

The e-mail says he is sending the will "so that you can see that I didn't do this act out of ignorance nor did I do (it) just because I want to die, but rather because I see it as a duty upon me to help remove the oppressive American forces from the Muslim land and that this is the only way for us to do so as we do not have other means to fight them."

The Los Angeles Times reports that a "federal law enforcement official confirmed that authorities are now looking particularly hard at whether two Palestinian terrorist organizations--Hamas and Hezbollah--were also somehow involved" in the alleged Reid plot, "which would mark a dramatic shift in the agendas of both groups."

Eli Federman, Hero
An Arab terrorist "tried to ram a car laden with explosives into a crowded Tel Aviv nightclub Friday but was killed when an Israeli security guard opened fire," Reuters reports (though it calls the terrorist "a suspected Palestinian militant"):

"I fired one bullet at him. He fell out of the car and blew up," the guard, Eli Federman, told reporters. "After the blast, I shot him twice in the head . . . and then moved closer and emptied the rest of the clip into his head."

Reuters calls this "the latest in a fresh cycle of tit-for-tat violence," though it gives no example of any Jewish suicide bombers.

Ha'aretz reports that Yasser Arafat's al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades put out a statement confessing to the attack:

"The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades has carried out the remarkable, heroic martyrdom operation in the heart of Tel Aviv this morning, in which a seeker of martyrdom blew up his pristine body, leading to casualties in the ranks of the enemy," the group said in a statement.

"It is our sole weapon to end the occupation of Palestine, and we will not give up our strength and resistance until victory," the statement said.

In more ways than one, that line about "our sole weapon" is reminiscent of Richard Reid's letter to his mother.

The Jerusalem Post, however, reports that Arafat's Fatah party is distancing itself from the remarkable, heroic martyr: "A pamphlet circulated by Fatah on Friday negated these claims, Israel Radio reported. The statements claiming the al-Aqsa Brigades were responsible for Friday morning's attack, as well as others, were misleading and in defiance of the orders of PA Chairman Yasser Arafat, the organization's only spokesman, it said."

Impersonating a Journalist
The Jerusalem Post reports Israeli authorities have arrested a Palestinian terrorist who was posing as a journalist:

Yesterday morning security forces discovered an explosive belt containing 10 kg. [22 pounds] of TNT in a marble factory at the Erez industrial zone in the northern Gaza Strip.

Border Police sappers defused the belt and security forces detained a number of Palestinians for questioning. The belt was found after security officials received information from a Palestinian arrested at the Erez crossing on Wednesday during a routine check.

The occupants in his car, which had a "Press" sticker on its window, were detained by security forces after a grenade was found in the car. One of the detainees, Iyad Abed al-Ghali, 23, claimed he was a journalist, but later told investigators he works in the industrial zone and had hidden the belt in the factory, planning to latter smuggle it across the Green Line.

We checked the Web sites of Reporters Sans Frontières and the International Federation of Journalists. Surprise, surprise--though both organizations have press releases condemning Israel for its supposed mistreatment of Palestinian "journalists," we found not a word of condemnation of Arab terrorists disguising themselves as journalists in order to kill Jews.

Laughing All the Way to the (West) Bank
Next time someone blames terrorism on poverty, read him this passage from a New York Times story on a pair of prospective successors to Yasser Arafat, West Bank security chief Jabril Rajoub and his Gaza counterpart, Muhammad Dahlan:

Both have also been living large: Mr. Dahlan built a mansion in Gaza so huge that Mr. Arafat had to tell him it was ostentatious. When an outraged Mr. Rajoub led a press tour of his damaged house after an Israeli rocket attack, journalists were fascinated by his marble whirlpool bath.

Pizza's Still On
PizzaIDF.org says it's still delivering pies to Israeli troops, contrary to earlier reports. "We applaud the army's recent concern that unordered packages may pose a security risk. Our pizzas are delivered with the cooperation and permission of the security forces," says a statement on the site, also reported by Arutz Sheva.

San Francisco Hate University Update
Police at San Francisco State University have asked the district attorney's office to prosecute three students for "hate crimes," the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "Campus officials would not give further details and declined to release the names of the students or their affiliations. But Ligeia Polidora, university spokeswoman, said the three students represent both the pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian sides." By all accounts the pro-Palestinian students were the aggressors, so one must wonder if this an affirmative-action prosecution.

Everyone Thinks the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Stinks
Remember when you were in grade school, and grown-ups would admonish you for saying that "everyone thinks" such-and-such? The editorialists at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution have committed a variation of this error. "Nobody wants pilots to have guns in the cockpit but pilots themselves and a few congressional supporters," proclaims the first sentence of an AJC editorial.

But wait. An online poll that accompanies an April 30 Zell Miller op-ed on the AJC's Web site seems to disprove this assertion. It's not scientific, of course, but as we write 1,374 votes (75% of the total) have been recorded in favor of guns in cockpits. It seems unlikely that every one of these votes was cast by a pilot or congressman.

Their Friends the Americans
Forty-nine percent of Americans have an unfavorable impression of Saudi Arabia, vs. just 32% favorable, according to a new poll by Fabrizio, McLaughlin & Associates reported by blogger Howard Fienberg. When asked, "In your opinion, which country is the United States' best or greatest ally in the Middle East?" Saudi Arabia is the second most popular response--but the 8% who cited Saudi Arabia was far behind Israel's 33%. Fifty-three percent of those polled agreed that "Saudi Arabia is just trying to capitalize on the events of September 11th and promote their country to Americans during this difficult time."

The poll also asks: "If you knew each of the following were true, please tell me whether it would make you MORE favorable or LESS favorable to Saudi Arabia? If it wouldn't affect your opinion either way, just say so." Results:

  • 67 percent were made less favorable when told that "13 [actually 15] of the 19 terrorist hijackers from September 11th were from Saudi Arabia"
  • 62 percent were made less favorable when informed that "Saudi Arabia has paid millions of dollars to the families of suicide bombers in the Middle East"
  • And 55 percent were made less favorable when the pollsters mentioned that "Some news reports have suggested that Saudi Arabia is using American dependence on their oil supply as a way to change our country's policies in the Middle East."

Imagine how much we'd hate the Saudis if they hadn't spent $3.8 million on an ad campaign to improve their image in America.

You Don't Say
"Military Would Be Stressed by New War, Study Finds"--headline, New York Times.

You Don't Say--II
Remember Dorothy Pelote? She's the erstwhile state representative from Savannah, Ga., who last summer claimed that she "communicates with the dead" and that she'd heard from murdered intern Chandra Levy, who was "lying in a ditch in a wooded area." The Savannah Morning News reports that "Pelote said Thursday that her vision, and the Washington, D.C., crime scene she viewed on television, were identical":

"Everything fits what I saw," said Pelote, who retired from politics last month after a decade in the House and six years on Chatham County Commission. "This thing brings chills down your spine. It's something, it's awesome."

So what exactly is the big deal about divining that a murder victim's body is in a ditch in a wooded area? Even the D.C. police thought of that.

Meanwhile, Fox News reports that "police investigating Levy's death said most evidence points to murder." Wow, they must be psychic!

Smile, You're on Candid Computer :)
A staff member for Rep. Marcy Kaptur, an Ohio Democrat, accidentally sent forwarded an e-mail memo to a Republican staffer. The memo "contains an apparent draft opinion piece on Social Security and reaction from staffers in the office," the Washington Times reports:

The memo argues that President Bush and Republicans want to "privatize" Social Security, which the author likens to "corporate gambling."

But another Kaptur staff member responded that the information in the opinion piece was "not entirely factually accurate," adding: "Talk about scaring seniors--this may be a little over the top. But it is sooo fun to bash Republicans." She included an e-mail "smiley face"--:)--after her comment.

Greens: Whites Need Not Apply
Ken Pentel, the Green Party nominee for governor of Minnesota, says "that his lieutenant governor would be a woman, a representative of 'an oppressed minority' and probably from the suburbs or rural Minnesota," the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

It's Wabbit Season!
"Thirty-one Ugandan prison inmates escaped when their guards ran off to chase a rabbit," Reuters reports from Uganda. Meanwhile, Jimmy Carter writes in a Washington Post op-ed that "Cuba has a superb system of education and health."

Homelessness Rediscovery Watch

"If George W. Bush becomes president, the armies of the homeless, hundreds of thousands strong, will once again be used to illustrate the opposition's arguments about welfare, the economy, and taxation."--Mark Helprin, Oct. 31, 2000

"Homelessness on Rise in Area, Survey Finds"--Washington Post, May 24, 2002

TNR Imitates SNL

"Hitler is dead."--Leon Wieselthier, The New Republic, May 27, 2002

"Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead."--Chevy Chase, "Saturday Night Live," 1975

Who Wants to Get a Job?
"The hottest game show on TV in Argentina right now isn't one where the winning contestant walks away a millionaire or with an all-expenses-paid vacation to the Caribbean," the Christian Science Monitor reports. "Rather, it's a measure of the economic duress here that the fantasy is simply getting a steady job." Contestants on "Recursos Humanos" ("Human Resources") vie to tell the most heart-rending sob story. The winner receives a one-year contract for a job with full benefits, while the runner-up gets a six-month family medical-insurance plan.

At Least He Didn't Forget Their Anniversary
"Honeymoon plans for a Texas couple came to an abrupt end when the groom suffered a case of amnesia, went missing and lost all memory of being married," Reuters reports from Austin, Texas. "Sean McNulty, 30, was found outside an abandoned hotel near Houston airport three days after he was to leave on a honeymoon to Italy, and five days after he tied the knot." McNulty, who had apparently bumped his head, didn't recognize a photo of his wife. He's in the hospital, "where his new bride is trying to revive memories of his life and helping him to remember the names of his new in-laws."

Current Events
Here's a shocking story: The Far Eastern Economic Review reports (fourth item) that 22-year-old Roderick de la Cruz, a Filipino man, "claimed to be immune to electricity" and "decided to demonstrate his skill":

His brother Rogelio told him not to do anything stupid. But the warning only "fuelled his desire to be proven right about his claims," The Philippine Star reported. He was promptly electrocuted.

Happy Memorial Day
"Memorial Day is a day of the dead, and in recent years many of us came to conclude that a nationally declared break from our busy days was too personally valuable and useful to spend thinking about the dead," our colleague Daniel Henninger writes in his column today. "Memorial Day for some has become a day to shop or sunbathe undisturbed by the dead who fell in wars." That may change this year:

The civilized world is at some sort of turning point. Our soldiers shoot at their soldiers, and their soldiers shoot at our civilians. Their terror, it seems, won't stop until we stop them. And so until V-T Day arrives, the White House warns that more of us may have to die. Well, more than 3,000 of us have already died--in lower Manhattan, in Washington and in rural Pennsylvania--and I believe that the circumstances of this new war justifies extending the honors of Memorial Day to these dead.

Best of the Web Today won't publish Monday, but we'll leave you with some Memorial Day sites. Henninger's column mentions usmemorialday.org, run by David Merchant of the University of Tennessee, which is full of information about the holiday. The History Channel also has a Memorial Day page. And the Davis Virtual Market has a page full of links to war- and peace-related sites.

Virtualwall.org is a site memorializing soldiers who died in Vietnam. "Each name or photo on The Virtual Wall index pages links to a personal memorial page to a woman or man named on The Vietnam Veterans Memorial. If you do not find a name here, you may request a memorial."

Finally, the Defense Department has a page where you can sign a simple letter: "Dear member of the U.S. military: Thank you for defending our freedom."

(Elizabeth Crowley helps compile Best of the Web Today. Thanks to S.E. Brenner, Marie Bourgeois, Robert Owen, Raghu Desikan, Elliot Ganz, David Siev, Alan Hegi, Robert LeChevalier, Hillel Jacobson, Michael Segal, Jerome Marcus, Paul Music, Carl Sherer, Damian Bennett, John Lott, Yehuda Hilewitz, Scott Atkinson, Tammi Weinstein, David Waghalter, Kevin Tharp, Daniel Goldstein, Chris Fenwick, Roger Jones, Bryan Tyson, John Archer, Frank Micciche, Jose Carbonell, David Johns, Colin Grabow, Aviva Ross, Tucker Quayle, Dale Wilson and Robert Fischer. If you have a tip, write us at opinionjournal@wsj.com, and please include the URL.)

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