September 18, 2008, - 2:24 pm
Allah’s Irony: Only American Dead in Yemeni Terrorist Attack was Relative of Lackawanna Six Terrorist
By Debbie Schlussel
Even though we know yesterday’s Al-Qaeda terrorist attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Sana’a, Yemen were targeted at Americans and America, it’s ironic that the only American who died was a relative of Jaber El-Baneh, the fugitive seventh member of the Lackawanna Six Al-Qaeda terrorists–homegrown terrorists in Suburban Buffalo.
I’ve written about Jaber El-Baneh–who, in 2005, was allowed to escape a Yemeni prison by Yemeni police and prison guards and who has never faced justice in America for training to foment terrorist attacks on our soil.
Mr. El-Baneh trained at the Al-Farooq terrorist training camp run by Osama Bin Laden and was indicted. He eventually returned to Yemeni authorities, but they refuse to extradite him and let us try him here. In Yemen, he was convicted of participating in Al-Qaeda attacks including the bombing of the French Limburg oil tanker in 2002.
Since Muslims usually look at successful terrorist attacks (and hurricanes and other natural disasters) against us Westerners as a sign that “Allah is on our [the Muslims’] side,” one wonders how they look at the death of Susan El-Baneh. Although Susan El-Baneh was only a relative, she was a devout Muslim in a family that fiercely supported the views and behavior of terrorist Jaber El-Baneh.
Susan El-Baneh’s family tried to avoid talking about their terrorist relative, Mr. El-Baneh, with the press and tried to stress that “anyone can be a victim of a terrorist attack.” But let’s be clear. Again, the attack was against an American target for a reason, not to strike and send a message to just “anyone.” And I’d bet if they could choose the American they killed, Susan El-Baneh, relative of one of their own, wouldn’t have exactly been their first choice, or even their 3,000th.
Yemen is a hotbed of American hatred and a place where Al-Qaeda is not only welcome but terrorists, including one from Buffalo and several who attacked the U.S.S. Cole, are broken out of prison with the help of Yemeni police and its government. It’s very likely that Ms. El-Baneh and the Yemeni arranged marriage hubby she was bringing here didn’t exactly hate their Lackawanna Six family member or his efforts and “training”. In fact, I’m quite sure they were all in favor of it, like the rest of the El-Baneh family in Buffalo.
Eighteen-year-old Susan El-Baneh and her husband of three weeks died holding hands, her brother said, victims of a terrorist attack Wednesday on the U.S. Embassy in Yemen. [DS: An they know this because . . .?] American citizen Susan El-Baneh, 18, and her Yemeni husband of less than a month were killed in the attack.
The Lackawanna, New York, native, a high school senior, had gone to the Arabian Peninsula country a month ago for an arranged marriage. She and her husband were in the waiting area of the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, trying to find out the procedure to bring her spouse back to the United States. Susan El-Baneh was the only American killed in the attack. . . .
Susan El-Baneh had traveled to Yemen 30 days earlier with younger brother and mother, who gave her away during the wedding. . . .
She was going to go there and try and bring her new husband back to the United States after paperwork was done and then complete her last year of high school.” . . .
Susan El-Baneh probably was going to come back to the United States in December, her brother said, or whenever the paperwork for her new husband was cleared. She planned to finish her final year at Lackawanna High School . . . .
Susan El-Baneh is related to Yemeni-American Jaber El-Baneh, who is on the FBI’s most-wanted list, accused of being the seventh member of the Lackawanna Six. The six were convicted or providing material support to al Qaeda.
El-Baneh confirmed the relation but preferred to talk about his sister and how the attack proved anyone can be the target of a terrorist act.
Anyone? Then, why did they choose the American Embassy?
Yes, anyone can inadvertently end up the victim of an Islamic terrorist plot. But not just anyone is the target. The U.S. Embassy was targeted for a reason, and that reason wasn’t Ms. El-Baneh.
The reason was you and me. She and her family will never be the intended victims, though they belligerently supported their relative who was a would-be perpetrator.
It’s sure different when the shoe(-bomb) is on the other foot, isn’t it?
It is a miracle that other Americans–especially Americans who didn’t come from Al-Qaeda families–weren’t killed.
Susan El-Baneh’s relative targeted Americans on behalf of Al-Qaeda on American soil and failed to kill any. Al-Qaeda targeted Americans on Yemeni soil and hit a relative of one of their own.
I think Allah is sending Muslims a message: Allah is not on your side. Pick up your marbles, er . . . ball-bearings, and go home.
Thanks to reader Mark for the tip.
G-d has a strange sense of humor. And nothing in this world happens by coincidence. Those who do evil will sooner or later pay the price.
NormanF on September 18, 2008 at 3:14 pm