FBI arrests man for uploading a 5-minute YouTube video critical of US foreign policy

What is the “material support” he allegedly gave? He produced and uploaded a 5-minute video to YouTube featuring photographs of U.S. abuses in Abu Ghraib, video of armored trucks exploding after being hit by IEDs, prayer messages about “jihad” from LeT’s leader, and — according to the FBI’s Affidavit — “a number of terrorist logos.”

The FBI also claims Ahmad spoke with the son of an LeT leader about the contents of the video and had attended an LeT camp when he was a teenager in Pakistan. For the act of uploading that single YouTube video (and for denying that he did so when asked by the FBI agents who came to his home to interrogate him), he faces 23 years in prison.

Riiiight. Now people who post YouTube videos are promoting propaganda for terrorist organizations, and can face 23 years in prison for it. If a terrorist really wanted to incite any kind of violence he wouldn't be posting it on youtube while residing in the country he is conspiring against

Source:
www.salon.com...

"What about my freedom of spee..whaa"
Jackboot stepping on face
"Yur a terrist son, yer goin to Gwantana Mo!"

Okay, this guy is no American, he's a Paksitani here by the good graces of our Government and immigration tolerance. While a guest of our nation, and as a man with a history of training with and working with a terrorists organization, he goes and posts materials supporting that same terrorist organization. Some this material even highlights and seems to celebrate the killing of U.S. troops. Recall...all this while living on the good graces on our nation.

Good riddens and I don't see what there is to complain about here. If I were to immigrate to England..I wouldn't go on a rampage again the Royals and downgrading English culture. Likewise, if I immigrated to India, I wouldn't immediately set out to convert the nation to the wisdom of a big greasy cheeseburger for dinner.

Why people come here and think they can just crap on us in ways we couldn't even JOKE about where they came from without arrest and much worse..they can go BACK to where they come. All those looking to become American, oh please stay..and I don't care where you're from. If you're anti-American though..go be that somewhere else. At least it won't be 100% hypocritical that way.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Right, so care to explain how uploading a youtube video criticizing US foreign policy warrants facing up to 23 years in prison?

reply to post by seenavv


As I understand it, the First amendment right to free speech is for citizens of the US, but, does not necessarily extend to non-citizens.

If you're in the US on a VISA, you should do a some looking into of what rights, if any, you have under US laws.

Me thinks free speech isn't one of them.

As to the 23 years in prison, my guess is that detention will actually be indefinite, but, as part of the psychological game of information gathering, tossing a number like 23 around for a detainee to have a good think about, might provoke a response of spillage of names of people and associations that might just be bigger, tastier fish.

reply to post by muse7

I think it's ALL context here. Although, I'll be honest in saying I read several months worth of back issues for Al Qaida's "Inspire" magazine..and while I was tempted, I thought better of quoting a word, let along linking a single page of any of it. It just ran TOO far beyond the realm of free speech and into the realm of direct emotional and moral support for the enemies of my nation. So...it made for a good read, but context context context.

In this case, the context is that was wasn't Ma and Pa Kettle from Kansas who posted a Youtube video in rather bad taste...but someone whose shown by action and deed that he doesn't just dislike the West, he's dedicated himself..or at least DID at one time...to fighting it by violent Jihad. They don't take trainees into the camps just to observe..and he apparently did his time there.

Originally posted by nineix
reply to post by seenavv

 

As I understand it, the First amendment right to free speech is for citizens of the US, but, does not necessarily extend to non-citizens.

If you're in the US on a VISA, you should do a some looking into of what rights, if any, you have under US laws.

Me thinks free speech isn't one of them.

Maybe so, but locking people up for saying things isnt really the American Way.

It sounds more like something from....oh say...Thailand where you can be imprisoned for insulting the King.

So great, we run our country like a 3rd world republic and lock up dissidents. Hooray freedom and home of the brave lalala

They could be using this guy to try and scare others like him with similar views from posting videos like that, hence the 23 year sentence.

An exciting headline that doesn't quite deliver as promised.

I went to the source article and discovered two things.

1) The affidavit they're talking about and quoting from comes from a request for a search warrant. It's not an indictment, or an arrest warrant, just a search warrant.

2) There's an update to the article pointing out that the Supreme Court case they're talking about had been modified:

UPDATE: A couple of commenters, such as abhisaha, argue that the government’s prosecution of Ahmad has been made more plausible by last year’s Supreme Court decision in Holder v. Humanitarian Law (which I wrote about, among other places, here, when I interviewed the plaintiffs’ counsel). It’s certainly not an unreasonable point, except (1) that case did not overrule or purport to overrule Brandenberg, which remains good law; and (2) Holder itself emphasized that “pure speech” remains protected. It did, however, allow that one “may not coordinate the speech with the groups on the terrorist list,” though whether Ahmad did that is far from clear, as opposed to the MEK advocates, who quite likely would be found to have done so virtue of those payments (nor would it have any bearing on the indictment discussed by Lederman). In any event, Holder is easily one of the worst free speech decisions in several decades, and the fact that prosecutions are now being brought that hinge on a broad reading of it only underscore how relentless is the free speech assault from the Obama DOJ (which, naturally, vigorously advocated for the broad “material support” interpretation upheld in Holder).

(emphasis added) That coordination is exactly what he did.

So he's getting it for lying to the FBI and coordinating his speech with groups on the terrorist list. Looks like he's fried.

www.salon.com...

The less I knew about my country the more I loved it, now with the help of the internet I have grown to be an anti-american american.

The people condoning this behavior by the U.S. Government are the anti-american ones.

2nd

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Okay, this guy is no American, he's a Paksitani here by the good graces of our Government and immigration tolerance. While a guest of our nation, and as a man with a history of training with and working with a terrorists organization, he goes and posts materials supporting that same terrorist organization. Some this material even highlights and seems to celebrate the killing of U.S. troops. Recall...all this while living on the good graces on our nation.

Good riddens and I don't see what there is to complain about here. If I were to immigrate to England..I wouldn't go on a rampage again the Royals and downgrading English culture. Likewise, if I immigrated to India, I wouldn't immediately set out to convert the nation to the wisdom of a big greasy cheeseburger for dinner.

Why people come here and think they can just crap on us in ways we couldn't even JOKE about where they came from without arrest and much worse..they can go BACK to where they come. All those looking to become American, oh please stay..and I don't care where you're from. If you're anti-American though..go be that somewhere else. At least it won't be 100% hypocritical that way.

It doesn't matter where you are or where you are from, we all have a duty to expose hypocrisy, corruption and human rights abuse.

The man is right. Why does it matter where he is?

If the US doesn't care about which border they invade, break all the rules and are hell bent on a one World Govt., why does he have to play by any rules?

He's only doing what natural born Americans should be doing.

Peace

Why don;t we just send him back to Pakistan and tell him:

Dude, it's not worth dying over.

BAD BOY!

Right with you, there. I used to love my country, and now I hate it with such a passion. But, for the mean time, we're better off here than in most other countries. So, I'm stuck here until SHTF. Then off to live in the ocean!

This is a very sensational and incorrect title. First of all he isn't being charged with being critical of US foreign policy, he's being charged with helping/supporting the terrorist organization LET. Also he's not going to jail unless he's guilty. If the FBI can't prove their case in a court of law, he won't go to jail. If they can, he will, because he committed a crime. To reiterate the youtube videos were not the crime, they were just the probable cause. The crime was aiding terrorists.

reply to post by jude11

Well, now with all respect here, I must disagree. Where he's from makes all the difference. If he were a naturalized citizen, it would NOT make any difference anymore and I'd grudgingly acknowledge his right as an American to protest the American Government all he'd like. It's the right of every American and in fact, our duty as parts of the Constitution reads. The fact he'd once come from Pakistan having become unimportant when he raised his hand, took his oath in that final step and become an American.

Until then.... I don't go to someone else's house and tear up the place while telling them how much their house sucks..even if it really does suck. If he wanted to bash us to his heart's content from home in Pakistan? Again.. His right, if Pakistan agrees. lol... I just ask that these people stop LIVING OFF the good standard of living America provides those who are here while trying to tear that very nation apart. THAT aspect is getting awfully old, isn't it?

reply to post by seenavv


Upon review of the case, the guy is guilty of more than uploading a video to youtube...

Originally posted by muse7
reply to post by Wrabbit2000

 

Right, so care to explain how uploading a youtube video criticizing US foreign policy warrants facing up to 23 years in prison?

Well he pleaded guilty to providing material support to a terrorist organization.

This is the type of thread that makes ATS a joke. The OP posts an article from September 4, 2011. Didn't bother to show the results by also posting the article from December 2, 2011 where the guy pleads guilty. This article also provides court documents that state more clearly what criminal activity he was involved in.

I guess just throwing out the arrest is easier to stir emotion.

www.justice.gov...

Originally posted by nineix
reply to post by seenavv

 

As I understand it, the First amendment right to free speech is for citizens of the US, but, does not necessarily extend to non-citizens.

If you're in the US on a VISA, you should do a some looking into of what rights, if any, you have under US laws.

Me thinks free speech isn't one of them.

As to the 23 years in prison, my guess is that detention will actually be indefinite, but, as part of the psychological game of information gathering, tossing a number like 23 around for a detainee to have a good think about, might provoke a response of spillage of names of people and associations that might just be bigger, tastier fish.

edit on 12-2-2012 by nineix because: (no reason given)

Freedom of Speech is a not only our right as citizens, but it is also one of several basic principles that this country supposedly stands for. Are you suggesting the anyone who visits this Country should not have Freedom of Speech? That would make us no better than the Countries we bomb and speak out against.

Either we are a free Country or we are not. Either a person can speak freely in this Country or they can not. There is no grey area or middle ground on this. Today it may be this guy, but next time it will be a US Citizen. That's how it works. If people have not figured it out yet, then they are stupid.

We have done the same thing with the Patriot Act and Warrantless Wiretapping. It was used against non citizens and "terrorist" and very few spoke out. Now it is used against Citizens and people accept it. The reason they accept it, is because they accepted it when it was used before. People do not make a distinction between Citizens and Non Citizens. We are literally acclimating ourselves to be stripped of our rights under the Constitution.

Unless you are under oath in a court of law, why is it a crime to lie? Does the 1st amendment have a clause where it says that we have freedom of expression except for when the jack booted thugs are fishing for reasons to thump you? Since he wasn't under oath, he couldn't really plead the 5th...

I guess every question should've been answered with "I f-ed your wife"?

Then the old obstruction of justice would be thrown at him... again w/o protection of the 5th amendment.

Welcome to the police state... get ready for the black bag ops where folks are whisked away in the night and they are denied to have ever existed.

Derek