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#1
12-11-2001, 01:49 PM
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Profiling of Arabs? Or Investigation?
DETROIT, Michigan (CNN) -- Federal officials were waiting to hear Monday from about 300 mostly Arab men in Michigan on whether they would voluntarily submit to an interview as part of the investigation into the September 11 attacks.
The U.S. attorney's office of the Eastern District of Michigan sent letters at the end of last month asking 566 mostly Arab men in southeast Michigan between 18 and 33 to be interviewed. The letters were part of the U.S. Justice Department's probe in which 5,000 men who have arrived in America on a student, business or tourist visas from Middle Eastern and other countries since January 2000 have been asked to talk with the FBI. More than 200 recipients in Michigan contacted the office to schedule an interview, said U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Collins. Two declined. Collins extended the contact deadline from December 4 to Monday. A spokesperson for his office said Collins met with representatives of Michigan's Anti-Terrorism Task Force Monday to discuss among other things whether his office should continue to try to reach the 300 men who have not responded. Arab American leaders in Dearborn, Michigan -- home to one of the country's largest Arab communities -- told government officials the letter is a form of "racial profiling." Attorney General John Ashcroft denied those charges when he met with several leaders in a recent visit to Detroit. Attorneys said their clients are receiving mixed signals from the government. An internal Immigration and Naturalization Service memo said the government could detain immigration violators without bond if it was determined they might have pertinent information. Mohammed Abdrabboh, one of several lawyers representing Arab men who have agreed to be interviewed, said the Arab American community is against terrorism and wants to help in any way possible. But its members do not want their civil rights compromised. Ashcroft has said the government would assist those who provide credible information on the attacks in obtaining visas or green cards. Abdrabboh said he is advising in-status clients -- that is, those who have valid immigration papers -- to submit to an interview with counsel present. He has different advice for clients who may have overstayed their visas, or are out-of-status -- advising them to not submit to an interview. "I don't know if they [government officials] are holding their [Arabs'] immigration status over their heads as a hammer, and I don't know the true intent of the government," said Abdrabboh. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if the government would be clear that they're not targeting these people specifically for deportation, then it would be much easier to advise clients to come forward." Abdrabboh said FBI agents were respectful and professional during interviews of his clients he has attended. Wissam Safa, a 24-year-old Lebanese business administration student at Wayne State University, agreed. The FBI interviewed him last week. "I went to seek legal advice, to know my rights, to know my duties, what to do ... and then I was expecting much more difficult questions," Safa said. "The interview went well; it was smooth. The agents were really friendly. They were great. I was expecting a more difficult interview." Safa said he was asked if he knew or recognized any of the 19 hijackers responsible for the attack, if he had participated in any political or military training in Lebanon, or if anyone from a terrorist organization had ever approached him. He said his answer was the same to all questions -- no. The interview took 15 to 20 minutes, said Safa, who was relieved it was over. "There's no need to panic. Everything will go great and just go for that interview," he said. www.cnn.com 
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#3
12-11-2001, 05:45 PM
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People justify this form of racial profiling as investigation. "If a white guy robs a liquor store, why should the cops look for a black man." Okay, I can accept that. But we've moved beyond investigating a crime. We're looking into crime prevention... I think we should be doing this with EVERYONE in this country on a student visa. Not only does that become a much more thorough investigation, but it avoids this VERY VERY thin line.
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#4
12-11-2001, 05:50 PM
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Hell, even an American was shown to be sympathetic to the cause, and could've joined Al Qaeda after the war and done damage. Native White Europeans left behind economically have joined Al Qaeda as well. Many members aren't Middle Eastern or Central Asian, and America would be better served knowing that. Profiling (if done without false arrests and harrassment) is common sense police work, but they are overlooking a large section of possible terrorists here.
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#5
12-11-2001, 05:52 PM
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Exactly neero! And that is when the line between good police work and prejudice becomes thin...
I do not want to accuse anyone in the justice department of rasicsm, but definately a lack of forsight.
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#6
12-12-2001, 12:14 AM
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Even if they rounded all the Arabs up and put in a pen, the "evil doers" would probably find some white extremists to do the deed, or even black ones, just like they used box cutters instead of guns. We looked for guns and ignored knives, when we should have been looking at everything all along. I see your points. If I were in the Arabs position here In the states I would be very tempted to send a letter back telling the feds to GFT's. Eventhough no laws are being broken, that doesn't necessarily make it the right thing to do. Tough call, very close to stepping over the edge into the police state with methods like this, IMO.
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#7
12-12-2001, 01:13 AM
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#8
12-12-2001, 10:34 AM
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#9
12-12-2001, 10:44 AM
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Stop any Arab/moslem from entering the country until we have a system in place to deal with them.
Proposing that we don't "profile" but investigate everybody is another way of saying don't do anything, since it is impossible to investigate everybody. Liberals say this knowing it can't be done. The irony is if we tried to do it that way they would be talking about the gov't in terms of the SS. Maybe someone can explain to me why profiling is wrong thing to do, since it will accolmplish its immediate purpose, lessen the risk of a further attack from within.
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#10
12-12-2001, 11:13 AM
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Ack! Ack! Did I just hear that right? Oh, my lord. And I remember thinking at one point that Cosmo was actually level-headed. OK, just concentrating on the moral side of it, we can't. And on the realistic side of it, we can't. I mean, I don't even care that that was such a blatantly ignorant statement, the fact that people with racist views like that actually believe that that is a practical and doable thing is scary!
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#11
12-12-2001, 11:20 AM
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I'll take a go at explaining it. And I'm being serious, this is a good question. I will try to drop all prejudices aside and answer. The reason we can not simply profile everyone, even when it would expedite the process of bringing criminals to justice is really, really complex. But, let me give you some examples. If we start allowing profiling based on race, where does it stop? Not to use the logical fallacy of slippery slope, but seriously, couldn't it lead to the eventual expulsion of any racial group deemed "unworthy" by whoever happened to be in control of the government that moment? More practically, you're right that it would lessen the risk of a immediate attack, but don't you think that the problems that arise from it would outweigh the benefits? Do you really think that the Arabic population of the US is going to sit still and let themselves, their daughters, sons, mothers and fathers just get randomly checked out just for being Arabic? And do you really think that other minority groups, fearing what the next step will be won't join forces with the currently prosecuted? I mean, do you really want to blatantly slap in the face a good portion of America? Is that wise? And if we do that, what are we truly protecting, because it wouldn't be the constitution or what I hold close to my heart as the American Ideal. And I guess Voltaire said it best, I forget the exact wording but..."I'd rather set a hundred guitly men free than imprison one innocent man."
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#12
12-12-2001, 11:21 AM
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OK, now that I'm not trying to be open-minded to Cosmo's post.... what a dumb, dumb idea. *shakes head* Wake up and smell the real world, man.
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#13
12-12-2001, 11:24 AM
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I mean, I'm not really for this, but hell, the thing about expired student visas, yeah, kick em out or at least background check them. ALL of them. How would that be bad, really?
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#14
12-12-2001, 12:48 PM
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You know enough of me by now to peg me as a racist by your definition. Doe's that mean my view is not practical? You admit it will lessen the degree of risk, which is all I'm advocating. So by advocating something which will in fact work, I am a racist.
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#15
12-12-2001, 01:03 PM
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Interestingly, a friend of mine from Kuwait who visits here frequently agrees with me. He asked me THIS QUESTION. "Don't you think if the situation were reversed, we (Arabs) would be doing the very same thing? We wonder why America hasen't done it." Knowing my friend, and reading between the lines, he thinks we are stupid for not doing it. I know Voltaire said it, but I don't agree with it. And if you really thought about it, i don't think you do either. After all, we would have to virtually let EVERYBODY out of prison. Because we know for a fact that innocent people do get locked up. Agreed? So the only way to avoid that is to not lock up anybody. Agreed? I don't think I am a racist, but it is OK for you to refer to me that way.
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