March 6, 2007, - 6:03 pm
HAMAS Operative: “I’m Going to Disney World”
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You know the drill. A team wins the Superbowl, and the game’s MVP gets asked, “Payton Manning, You’ve just won the Superbowl. What are you going to do next?” Response: “I’m going to Disney World.”
Well, now, it’s a HAMAS operative’s chance at the refrain. , has asked a federal judge for permission to go to Disney World.
While he was found guilty of some charges in the early February verdict in his trial, Salah was, unfortunately—-acquitted of terrorism charges, thanks to an O.J-style jury and an incompetent U.S. Department of Justice. My friend, , warned the government to do something about Salah. But they did too little, too late, and disciplined him for pushing the issue.
Still living under restrictive bail conditions while he awaits sentencing this summer on the obstruction charge, Salah has to get court permission to leave the area — and his movements are tracked by an electronic monitoring device strapped to his ankle. He now wants permission to take it off.
“The ankle monitor will be of no use in Florida and will only unnecessarily hamper Mr. Salah’s enjoyment of his family’s vacation,” [his lawyer] wrote.
Salah wants to pack up the family van and take his wife and five kids on a one-week road trip to the Orlando, Fla., tourist mecca later this month.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Ferguson said he had not yet reviewed Salah’s request and declined to comment. If approved by U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve, the spring break sojourn will mark a light-hearted escape from a legal saga Salah’s been living for the past 14 years.
The only U.S. citizen to be designated an international terrorist by the federal government, Salah spent nearly five years in an Israeli prison after he was nabbed at a military checkpoint in 1993 and accused of running money to Hamas leaders in the Occupied Territories.
After returning to Bridgeview, he found himself the target of a civil lawsuit that resulted in a $156 million judgment against him and others, as well as a long-running criminal probe that led to his indictment in 2004.
So nice that he gets a “light-hearted escape,” but his two American homicide bombing victims (whose families won multi-million dollar lawsuits against him) will never have such “light-hearted” anything.
A HAMAS terrorist wants to visit Disney World. Time to warn Mickey and Minnie!
Tags: Amy St. Eve, attorney, Debbie Schlussel, District Judge, electronic monitoring device, Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal government, federal judge, Florida, Hamas, international terrorist, Joseph Ferguson, lawyer, Mickey, Minnie Still, Mohammed Salah, Muhammad Salah, operative, Orlando, Payton Manning, ranking member, Robert Wright, Special Agent, U.S. Department of Justice, United States, USD
Very minor quibbles here, but it’s “Peyton” Manning, and he didn’t go to Disney World–coach Tony Dungy and running back Dominic Rhodes did.
BTW, can Orlando still be called a “tourist mecca”?
barrypopik on March 6, 2007 at 8:24 pm