Man arrested in Houston (possible terrorist affiliation)

By The Associated Press

<a href="http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/092101_news_texasarrest.html">http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/092101_news_texasarrest.html</a>

(9/21/01) — Federal agents from a terrorism task force formed after last week's attacks in New York and Washington have arrested a suburban Houston man after he allegedly told a rental car clerk he was two weeks away from getting a pilot's license and that she should "watch the news," according to a federal agent's affidavit.

Atallah Fuad Khoury, who identified himself to federal agents as a Palestinian national, was arraigned Friday on a charge of having a gun while being in the United States illegally.
Agents assigned to the Houston Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Khoury this week after the rental car agent reported the alleged statement.

An affidavit written by Special Agent Rosanna Teneyuque said an Alamo Car Rental clerk told authorities that while Khoury was renting a car on Aug. 16, he told her he was Arabic, would receive his pilot's license in two weeks and that she should watch the news.

On Sept. 11, four hijacked airliners rammed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a southwestern Pennsylvania field.

The affidavit said that Khoury cooperated with agents when they interviewed him earlier this week. He was living at his parents' home in Spring, just north of Houston, and his parents are American citizens.

Khoury told authorities he speaks Arabic, and he received his private pilot's license in March. He said he was aware of his illegal status in the United States, and he had worked as a taxi driver for the past six months.

Khoury also told agents that he remembered talking to the Alamo clerk, but he didn't remember telling her to watch the news, the affidavit said.

Teneyuque wrote in the affidavit that Khoury, when asked if he had any weapons, voluntarily gave the agents an unloaded .45-caliber handgun and 45 rounds of ammunition that he kept in his bedroom at his parents' home.

Khoury told agents that he came to the United States on a visa in 1996. He said he didn't renew it when it expired three years ago "because it was too much trouble and he was sure it would not be approved," the affidavit said.

Khoury also told agents that when he bought the gun at a Houston gun shop, he claimed on a gun purchase form that he was a U.S. citizen and in the country legally. He said he did the same when he bought a shotgun at the same shop in 1999.

Khoury appeared before U.S. Magistrate Nancy Johnson Friday wearing black jeans and a gray T-shirt. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez argued that he was a "serious flight risk" and should remain incarcerated.

Johnson told Khoury that if convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

"Is it all right if I call my parents and let them know where I am?" Khoury asked.

"No," the judge replied. "Your lawyer can call your parents and let them know where you are."

A detention hearing for Khoury was scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday. Houston attorney Bruce Coane said his firm was representing Khoury in his immigration case, but not in the criminal case. As of Friday, Khoury hadn't retained a criminal attorney.

"We were going to finish his immigration case for him, and obtain the papers to show he is legally here," Coane said. "That may change now, since it appears they're charging him with criminal law violations."

(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

 

They should hound these guys until they break.

You're right rockHEAD. Terrorists are being arrested in France, England, Germany, and probably many other places.

One of them has to leak some information about the whereabouts of the terrorist organizations.