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Europe
Dutch Citizen Accused of Crimes in Iraq
2005-07-30
The United States has charged a Dutch citizen with conspiring to kill Americans in Iraq, the first U.S. criminal case connected to terrorist activities there, the Justice Department said Friday. Iraqi-born Wasem al-Delaema, 32, was arrested in May during a raid on his home in the Dutch city of Amersfoort. On Wednesday, U.S. authorities filed a criminal complaint in U.S. District Court in Washington and asked the Dutch government to extradite him for prosecution.

Among the charges is conspiring to kill Americans overseas. U.S. authorities allege al Delaema was one of several men calling themselves the Fighters of Fallujah who plotted attacks near that Iraqi city in October 2003. Dutch prosecutors say they seized a videotape showing Fallujah-born al Delaema and other masked men describing how they laid mines along a road where a U.S. military convoy was expected to pass. The tape's Arabic-language commentary said, "These are the explosives. The American vehicles travel over this road. As they approach, we can detonate them with a remote control from a distance of 500 meters, so our people won't be in any danger."

Most attackers slip away unnoticed. When they are caught, they typically face charges in Iraqi courts set up to try people suspected of crimes against coalition forces, Venable said. What makes this case unusual is that al Delaema was arrested outside Iraq, in a country that has an extradition treaty with the United States. "This prosecution serves notice that we will make full use of the laws and resources of our criminal justice system to defend Americans, and particularly members of our armed forces, against terrorist insurgents in Iraq and elsewhere," said Kenneth L. Wainstein, the U.S. attorney in Washington.

Dutch Justice Ministry spokesman Ivo Hommes said it will be up to the Dutch courts to determine whether al Delaema is extradited to America. Al Delaema's Dutch attorney, Victor Koppe, denied his client was involved with any attacks.
... and this is absolutely classic taqiyya...
"He was in Iraq to plan his marriage and was kidnapped by insurgents who thought he was an American spy," Koppe told Dutch television. It was unclear what would happen to three other Iraqi immigrants detained on the same day as al Delaema. Also seized in the raid were guns, ammunition, telephones and a computer.
Posted by:Fred

#5  There are many more of those around in the Lowlands...The video which shows this GI being sniped down on his bullet proof vest....also 2 Dutch speaking arabs on the video......
Posted by: Dutchgeek   2005-07-30 15:56  

#4  I strongly suspect that attempting to nab Seafarious would not be a good idea in any jurisdiction, regardless which chromosome set she carries. ;-)
Posted by: trailing wife   2005-07-30 13:03  

#3  anon and want to stay that way

Too many assumptions, including that Seafarious is a guy.

I like the idea of arriving at tolerance in an imperfect world, but I believe you’re wrong if you think that can be based on anything other than universal moral absolutes. When you say, “the point of America is to allow everyone to fight it out on the basis of agreed-upon rules,” it strikes me that you are promoting Utilitarianism and social deconstructionism.

In my book, the deconstruction of socio-emotional cognitive concepts and schemas, and the traditions and mores honored worldwide and cross-culturally over millennia, is not a good thing. It was not deconstructionism that resulted in the Reformation, in Abolition, or in Suffrage. Those redresses of societal ills all came from a bedrock of Natural Law belief.

That said, I do think this scum should be given a robust and strong legal defense (sorry, it’s an occupational hazard). The defense we give the worst of us primes the system for when innocents someday get caught up in it. Then, after that defense, the scum should be taken out and shot -- after being drug through the streets.

P.S. If the lawyer has been less than candid -- as opposed to simply doing what criminal defense attorneys do -- then he should go down, too.
Posted by: cingold   2005-07-30 03:59  

#2  I wouldn't worry about it too much, Seafarious. Were you nabbed -- I'm assuming you are a guy, thus nabbable in most US jurisdictions-- you'd want an unapolgetic defender like Koppe.

To my mind, Holland and the USA are kindred countries, both making promising attempts at arriving at real tolerance in an imperfect world. Others try - Britain and Italy, to take two examples -- but the mask of tolerance often conceals the ancient desire of local elites and would-be elites to be patrons. In Holland and America it is possible to think, if impolitic to assert, that one's children should prepare for a world in which immigrants are their equals.

What Americans often don't get, until it concerns their persons or loved ones, is that the point of America is to allow everyone to fight it out on the basis of agreed-upon rules . Gay-atheist-dopesmoking-greyhaired-ponytailed-apologist for genocide - defense attorneys are not the problem. They are the canary in the mine, almost as wierd as the rest of us. Once the bird expires, our bowhunting, handgun soirees, gundog training, and roughshooting are next.

To my way of thinking, the tasty bit of this story is the hell it should raise in Holland.

Two cents, less: worth less probably than the paper it's not printed on.
Posted by: anon and want to stay that way   2005-07-30 03:40  

#1  Koppe is the Dutch Ummah's go-to lawyer. I still want to know who is paying his bills.
Posted by: Seafarious   2005-07-30 00:55  

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