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An FBI informant who has helped catch some of the world's most dangerous terrorists is coming out of witness protection to warn that a terrorist sheik in prison remains a significant threat to the U.S.
Emad Salem is urging the U.S. to keep the ailing 74-year-old sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, often known as the Blind Sheik, behind bars and to not transfer him, even as governments overseas continue to press for his release.
"He will kill Americans," said Salem. "He will kill anyone who disputes what he says with a fatwa."
Salem, a one-time Egyptian military officer, had warned officials about the looming 1993 World Trade Center bombing, but his warnings were ignored after a lie-detector test was inconclusive and he said he would never testify at any trial.
After the bombing, Salem agreed to become an FBI informant and managed to become the sheik’s personal assistant and bodyguard. Salem was able to record the sheik ordering the killing of Americans during his time in Jersey City, N.J., and Brooklyn, N.Y.
Salem was also able to link the sheik to the 1993 World Trade Center bombers. Six people were killed and more than 1,000 injured in that first attack.
Now Salem is concerned about the mounting pressure on the U.S. from Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and other Mideastern government leaders to get Rahman out of American custody.
'A terrible price'
In one letter dated Feb. 26, 2008, the justice minister of Qatar relayed a request from Rahman's family asking U.S. officials to have him transferred back to the nation to serve the rest of his sentence. They said they wanted to be able to visit him more easily, according to the letter by Qatar Attorney General Dr. Ali Bin Fetais Al Marri.
More recently, on this 20th anniversary week of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Rahman's sons wrote on their family website that "America will pay a terrible price" if he is not released soon.
"The rain begins with one drop. America should expect more violent reactions if it does not release the sheik," the sons wrote on the website.
Don Emmert / AFP, file
A 1993 photo shows Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, who is serving a life sentence in the U.S. for his role in terrorist attacks, including an explosion at the World Trade Center in 1993.
The sons pointed to the killing of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens as an example of terrorists acting on behalf of the sheik. The terrorists in that attack are believed to have called themselves the “Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman Brigade” in honor of the Blind Sheik.
The family also pointed to the recent attack on a gas plant in Algeria where hostage takers demanded the sheik be set free or American hostages would be killed.
The sons said they were hopeful that Morsi would make progress in working to free the sheik next month or they will "review their options."
Experts said the sheik’s family was intensifying an already active campaign to both seek the sheik’s release and inflame passions among the sheik’s extremist followers.
Calls monitored
The sheik has also been able to call his relatives twice a month from his prison, NBC 4 New York has learned. Officials said the calls are monitored, and his relatives tell NBC News' Ayman Moyheldin that the calls are personal in nature and do not include calls for a violent jihad.
But in one posting on their website, Rahman's sons posted a political message they said was from the sheik. In that message, Rahman urged Egyptians to vote for Morsi in the recent presidential election "because he is the candidate who represents Islam and represents the revolution."
A Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman declined to discuss the specifics of the sheik's phone privileges.
Rahman's lawyer, Lynne Stewart, was arrested in 2002 and later convicted for her role in sneaking out terror messages for the sheik in which he called for more attacks on Western tourists in Egypt after the Luxor massacre killed 58 people.
“When are we going to wake up and smell the coffee?” asked Salem. “This man is dangerous in prison. What will happen when he is out of prison?”
A Justice Department spokesman insisted the U.S. government will not be swayed by the appeals from Mideast leaders calling for Rahman's release.
“The Blind Sheik will spend the rest of his life in a U.S. federal prison. Period,” said DOJ spokesman Dean Boyd.
Still, Rahman remains an inspiring figure for al-Qaida and radical jihadist figures across the globe. Salem said he was risking his life stepping forward because the sheik and his followers want him dead.
“They are seeking to get me killed to be a feather in their hat, that 'We killed the man who helped America,'” Salem said.
But he said not stepping forward to warn about the potential threat the sheik and his followers still pose could be an even greater danger.
A New York Police Department spokesman said there is no new specific threat to New York but intelligence officials are aware of the Rahman family website and the terror warnings posted there this week.
While security experts said the sheik does not have operational capability from prison, they agree that as long as he is alive in a U.S. prison he could serve as inspiration for extremists to act.
“This guy -- 1990 or 2013 -- sadly, unfortunately, [is] still in charge of his followers,” Salem lamented. “He is the 'Prince of Jihad’ and will continue to be.”
Related:
New York-area politicians condemn Egypt's new leader over bid to free terrorist
Leave a Comment:
They mean to kill innocent people. Kill them first, Drone their sorry-a--ed bigmouthed bodies up the behind. What is to talk about? Morsi wants this F--- released? F Egypt too then. They deserve nothing if they think this POS should ever see the light of day. Oh, he can't anyway. Too F-ing bad. If he could, I'd be happy to poke out what's left. My god, how disgusting they are.
This is from a socialist. There is such a thing as having a brain, and having a purpose, and these-things-are -not having those things.
We get more and more like the middle east every day.
Is this going to cost us another 1.5 billion $$ and another half dozen F-16's ?? Probably.
My God! Why do the Republicans love this Sheik? Is he the Tea Party's secret inspiration? Is he related to the secret Muslim Mittens Romney? Is it one radical religion befriending another radical religion? Regardless, all Republicans seem to adore Sheik Rahman. Why do Republicans hate America?
Northlite,
What is wrong with you. Who said republicans loves this Sheik? You are a troll for the left now go away with your dribble.
@Northlie
Well people have noticed the GOP is like the taliban, the taliban treat women badly, the GOP is trying to do the same. Then they wondered why they lost this last election.
But I wouldn't say they love them, they just admire their way of ruining other's lives, thats all.
SallyAnn,
Northlite, welcomes you with open arms to the moron club! You another troll for the left.
Last I checked, it was the liberal sheep that embraced Islam with open arms. Ah, such loving folks, those Muslims, they deserve freedom of religion, peace loving, blah, blah, blah.
really northlite i dont think your lite has been ever turned on what a dumb ass
I'm sure his family's empty threats will get him released. Let him die serving his sentence here. I don't mind taxes going to keep him where the jury said he should be.
Keep him in an American prison and SCREW HIS CRONIES AND alaha.......
Whatever happened to the good ole days when you could just throw them out of a helicopter at 2000 ft. and let Allah provide the parachute ?
"stupid" seems to be contagious everywhere... jus sayin'
A modest prison term, followed by a death from "natural" causes.
A pork laden Ball Park Frank shoved up his wrinkly old ass and shipped home via tramp steamer.
Problem solved...
So, the article wishes us to believe that Beghazi and the raid on the oil refinery in Mali was because of the Blind Shiek. I'm sure he feels flattered, but, I doubt it's true.
@Perry
The low informed people of the GOP think's it's true, witness their fake outrage about Beghazi. But not one wimper when 60+ embassy's got attacked when Bush was President.
Note to the low informed: I am not holding Bush accountable like you are with Obama. See, you are the hypocritical people. But being low informed you don't realize it.
No SallyAnn they just don't place Allah Obama as high as you do.
Why not a long range enteric handover? - RC
(Be sure and put an identity chip in him, so he can be tracked.)
He can't Kill Me if He can't See Me.
Truly, all we have to do is airlift him into Tehran strapped with more explosives than he can carry and then tell him he's in the middle of Manhatten.
This is America, buddy. We turn our prisoners over to foreign countries at the drop of a hat, and we don't worry about consequences.
And as dangerous as this "religious" dog is, it's amazing he hasn't been released sooner.
We don't have time to do things right, but we always have time to do things over.
Give him a nice clean shave, smear him in pig blood, then shoot him in the head. Save the taxpayers all that money, because we all know he's a terrorist. Stop fooling around trying to rehabilitate these murderers. They only want to kill Americans. Nothing else.
If this nut job got those sixteen Virgins when he kicks the bucket, how would he find them? He's blind.
He wouldn't be there in Egypt a month and he'd escape. Then, we could blame it on Bush.
After surgically implanting a small thermonuclear device in his chest, he should be released. He can then be detonated once he is surrounded by other terrorists.
This should be the fate of all of their kind.
You've been watching too many Tom Cruise movies.
Idigo-Rage: That is the best idea I have heard in a long time. That would work for the terrorists at Gitmo as well. Just like the drones we could control it from here. Only I would install that device where the sun don't shine.
I'd be more apt to want to implant it in their skulls, where any attempt at removal would result in, bare minimum, a lobotomy, though tampering with the device should cause detonation as well.
Let me understand--the shiek's followers say they wil kill americans until he is released and the shiek says he wants to kill americansa and if he is released he would do that. duh - why would we ever release him? If the family is calling for violence for the shiek we should take out his family.
Salem may as well start preparing for his funeral. Just because he came out of the witness protection program, does the media need to print his name for the whole world to see?
If Obama had a son, he would look and act like the blind Sheik.
@larry
Really, are you sure about that? I was thinking if you had a working brain you might be a decent person. But then, we all see your comments. So there goes that thought.
Larry: Good one.
SallyAnn: Sour grapes because you didn't think of it first?
All we have to do is remain vigilant. Our government will do the rest. Didn't you get the memo ?
You really need a hobby.... or a job...
Hey Perry, that reminds me, what terror level color are we on now anyways?? These binoculars are getting heavy!
We can always talk about this. It never hurts to talk, right? Sticks and stones may break our bones but words will never hurt us!
(adm. 2 stage oral -> chill out/iv-cocktail-g.s.)
If Obama releases him, they should start impeachment hearings. He allowed terrorists into the White House, armed the Muslim Brotherhood and if he releases this guy, he is clearly providing aid and support to the enemy, an impeachable offense.
Egypt's army is secular, and not part of the Muslim Brotherhood. We have been gifting them jet fighters and tanks since they recognized Israel's right to exist and signed a peace accord. This is nothing new, though some of you Bill O'REilly fans act as if it is...
The Blind Shiek isn't going anywhere, calm down.
@moneyos1
You are sooooo funnnnny with that impeachment crap. How many times have you low informed idiots of the tea baggers said Obama violated the constitution? HUH? HOW MANY TIMES?
And how many times have they tried to impeach him for all of those constitutional violations? O times oh low informed people. That explains all of your lies. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
No one has tried to impeach him. He cant be impeached because there are too many uninformed and misinformed people out there like yourself. You watch Chris Matthews and all is well. Obama is trampling the Constitution everytime he talks, there's just no one in congress with the balls to do anything about it. And Egypt is the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist organization.
Obama will release him. He is the friend of terrorists.
How quickly the "informed" forget... Maybe Obama had a personal spat with Bin Laden?
If your claims are true, why has more Al Qaeda leaders been killed under Obama than Bush? Obama just making it look good fer ya?
Your tin foil hat is too tight Money
You would defend Bush, who pre-empted an illegal war under false information and call Obama a traitor? I suspect you might be about one of them 80% of Americans that harbor some racist sentiments...
He hasn't released him in the past 4 years, nothing has changed... your crystal ball is damaged, clouded by your over-informed mind...
I hope you're right. He will kill Americans. He needs to die in prison.
These POS TERRORISTS have more rights and privileges than US Citizens!!! He is in prison for terrorism - he should be given the minimum amount of food to sustain life and should have NO contact with the outside world. To transfer him would be the equivalent of signing multiple death certificates of US Citizens/sympathizers/supporters.
Couldn't they just take this guy down a loooong flight of stairs and then trip him?? Of course our government is going to release this nut job. We MUST please Muslims at ANY cost you know. Muslims are our friends, our allies. Just ask them. Our government has gone Muslim nuts. They are bringing them to this country by the thousands upon thousands and situating them all over the country. Look at Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas, Minnesota. etc.
Meanwhile, dare to mention the word Jesus at the wrong place and you will find yourself with a lawsuit. What a screwed up nation we have become.
Apparently we are currently "reaping" what we have "sown".
Obama should quit kissing Morsi's butt and tell him the Blind Sheik will die in a US prison.
No, he should not tell Morsi anything. He should tell the guards that the Blind Sheik needs to fall over the railing from the top floor.
But then if that happens, McCain and his fellow clowns would want to hold a hearing. So, just let the a hole rot in prison. Make him go on a hunger strike. At his age, he might last 45 days if he is lucky.
Just start feeding him pork, exclusively. Problem solved.
Mr.Steady
Will that leave enough for some good BBQ? We have to watch where we waste pork.
Oop's.... my bad. Plenty of pork comes out of Washington.
LOL, like I said, problem solved. No fear of a shortage.
The solution: Kill the Sheik and his followers.
If Prez Carter had killed Khomeine when he left France we would not be in this sh*thole we are in right now.
But that's not all folks. There's more to come with the alliance of the communist leaders of the banana republics of South America (Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador), seeking alliance with these radical terrorists muslim countries, with the sole intention to destroy our way of life.
But what can you expect from the socialist leadership of our president...nothing!
Welcome to the United States Socialist Republic USSR
@AMERICAN TEA "BAGGER" PARTY
Gee another YELLOW ELEPHANT heard from. Lets see, you are about arm chair general #105 1/2. Joing the party late, aren't you?
And all along everyone thought that under Bush we were joing up with Nazi Germany. Same thing, just different players.
Give'em hell, SallyAnn. You go girl !
"American Tea Bagger Party"-Ha Ha Ha Ha. Wasn't that the name of a gay porno film?
Another brilliant diatribe from a (fortunately) dying breed of idiots from the short bus! How's that "Tea Baggin" goin for ya?