BBC News
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VIDEO: Drone footage shows migrants' arrival September 23, 2015
Matthew Price looks at one of the Greek hotspots for migrants entering Europe.
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VIDEO: The Olympian who never gave up September 23, 2015
In 1992, 400m medal hopeful Derek Redmond pulled up injured in the semi-final of the Barcelona Olympics, but still finished the race.
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VIDEO: Football legend Pele at 75 September 23, 2015
Football legend Pele is 75 this year. He talked to the BBC about what inspires him and what he makes of football today.
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VIDEO: Pope Francis lands to cheers in US September 22, 2015
President Obama and his Family have greeted Pope Francis upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
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VIDEO: Lesbos struggles as 4,000 arrive daily September 22, 2015
The Greek island of Lesbos is still struggling to keep up with the steady flow of migrants and refugees.
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VIDEO: How much does making a drug cost? September 22, 2015
As Turing Pharmaceuticals raises the price of an Aids treatment, Daraprim, BBC News looks at how the pharmaceutical industry tries to balance the pursuit of profit with a patient's need to access medication.
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VIDEO: Refugee crisis: Food and phone charging September 22, 2015
The BBC's Mark Lowen reports from a sports stadium on the Turkey-Greece border where agencies are providing shelter and food to refugees trying to reach Europe.
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VIDEO: On the ground at refugee hotspots September 22, 2015
EU ministers have approved a controversial plan to relocate 120,000 refugees and migrants across the EU using compulsory quotas.
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VIDEO: A guide to strange initiation ceremonies September 22, 2015
Initiation ceremonies are in the news, here are some of the stranger ones from around the world.
– LAKAWANNA SIX
All the six Lakawanna cell members traveled in 04-05/2001 to Afghanistan for training in Al Qaeda’s Al Farook camp, near Kandahar, in southeast Afghanistan. They returned to USA in 07-08/2001, before The 9/11.
After the arrest of Juma al-Dosari in Pakistan, in 12/2001, and his interrogation in Guantanamo, the USA authority began to reveal the full extent of Lakawanna Cell activity and the six members, who were in Afghanistan, were arrested on 09/2002.
The Lakawanna six were convicted in 05/2003 and sentenced in 12/2003 for 7-10 years in jail.
* Shafal Mosed, a USA Muslim citizen, was born in 1979 in Michigan, USA, and moved to, Lakawanna, New York as a boy. He is married and has a young son. He was a member in the local soccer team. In early 2002 Shafal Mosed found a job in telemarketing in his hometown Lakawanna.
He was arrested on 09/2002 for his participation in Al Qaeda’s training camp and was sentenced in 05/2003 for eight years in jail.
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* Mukhtar al-Bakri. a Muslim USA citizen from Yemeni descent. He was born in USA in 1981. His family moved, shortly after his birth, back to Yemen but returned to USA in 1985-6 and settled in Lakawanna. In Lakawanna he was a member in the local soccer team.
Mukhtar al-Bakri came under increased surveillance after the USA authority reviewed and analyzed an e-mail he sent while traveling in Saudi Arabia on 08/2002. The e-mail referred to an upcoming “big meal” that authorities interpreted as a code for an impending terrorist attack.
Mukhtar al-Bakri was arrested in Bahrain the day after his wedding and interrogated there by USA agents on 09/11/2002, before extradition to USA for his participation in Al Qaeda’s training camp. He admitted the charges and was sentenced in 05/2003 for ten years in jail.
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* Faysal Galab was born in Yemen in 1977. His family moved to Buffalo, New York, USA in 1981. Faysal Galab was the only Lakawanna Cell member that was not born in USA. He seemed to be a typical American teenager, interested in clothes, partying, and going to casinos. He was a star soccer player and loved watching the Buffalo Sabres hockey team. He spoke only minimal Arabic. Faysal Galab was a part-owner of a gas station in Lackawanna. He is married and has three children. Faysal Galab was arrested on 09/2002 for his participation in Al Qaeda’s training camp. On 01/10/2003 Faysal Galab pleaded guilty to lesser charges, admitting he’d had transactions with Al Qaeda and was sentenced in 12/2003 for seven years in jail.
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* Yasein Taher was born in 1978 in USA. He graduated in 1996 from Lackawanna High School. Yasein Taher worked at firm and had attended a local community college. He was living with his mother at the time of his arrest in 09/2002 for his participation in Al Qaeda’s training camp. Yasein Taher pled guilty in 05/2003 to providing material support to Al Qaeda, and was sentenced for eight years in jail in 12/2003.
* Sahim Alwan was born in 1976 in USA. He was a college-educated, married man with three children, who worked as a counselor with the Iroquois Job Corps Center, a job training facility located in Medina, NY. Sahim Alwan was active in the Lackawanna Yemeni community and served as president of the local mosque. He was a former soccer player in the Lackawanna team. Sahim Alwan was arrest in 09/2002 for his participation in Al Qaeda’s training camp. He cooperated with the authority and admitted to have military training in Afghanistan.
Sahim Alwan pled guilty in 05/2003 to providing material support to Al Qaeda, and was sentenced for nine years in jail in 12/2003.
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* Yahya Goba was born in 1977 in the Bronx, New York City, USA. When he was a child his family moved back to Yemen for few years. They returned to USA and in 1996 settled in Buffalo, in the West of New York State, close to Lackawanna. Yahya Goba attended, from 1998, regularly, Kamal Derwish’s gatherings at his apartment after evening prayers for Islamic lessons and general discussions. Yahya Goba maintained phone and e-mail communication with Kamal Derwish for a short time after he returned from Afghanistan in summer 2001.
Yahya Goba was arrested on 09/2001 for his participation in Al Qaeda’s training camp. He pled guilty in 05/2003 to providing material support to Al Qaeda, and was sentenced for ten years in jail in 12/2003.
Summery ;
All evidence suggests that the Lakawanna Six were not devoted terrorists but more of reckless adventurers looking for excitement. The sentence is, probably, the outcome of the public and political mood after The 9/11.
* Related topics –
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2001- THE PORTLAND SEVENPROFILE – SHAHAWAR SIRAJ & EL-SHAFAY
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