What began as a petition for his release has evolved into a battle over the public's right to know what its government is doing. Bellahouel, 34, alleges that a series of federal judges sealed the entire case against him without giving any reason, without allowing him or anyone else a chance to challenge the action.
All of which places Bellahouel, an unassuming immigrant living with his wife, stepdaughter and mother-in-law in Deerfield Beach, at the center of a legal storm.
U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and his prosecutors have warned that releasing even the names of post-Sept. 11 detainees could undermine national security. The Supreme Court last week refused to hear an appeal by civil liberties groups, which contend that such basic information should be public.
...Federal agents detained Bellahouel in October 2001 and held him for five months on the theory that he might have served food to hijackers and maybe even went to a movie theater with one.
...Born in the Algerian city of Blida, Bellahouel worked as a rural veterinarian before coming to the United States in 1996 to study biology at Florida Atlantic University. Out of money a year later, he left school and eventually took a job waiting on tables at the Kef Room, a gyros-and-falafel restaurant on Federal Highway in Delray Beach.
Federal agents picked up Bellahouel at his home Oct. 15, 2001, ostensibly on a violation of his student visa. At some point, he was taken to Alexandria, Va., to testify before a grand jury investigating post-Sept. 11 terrorism.
He apparently had nothing to add to the investigation. Authorities released him on bond in March 2002, signaling that they no longer considered him a potential threat.
Investigators targeted him because at least two hijacking suspects, Mohamed Atta and Marwan al-Shehhi, were regulars at the Kef Room. article
And that's all it takes these days to lose your constitutional rights.
graphic courtesy POAC
I have a page tracking similar Constitution-busting, civil liberties smashing cases on my website. And one on citizens' attempts to resist this turn to fascism. Another has articles on courts that uphold the Constitution when presented with such cases. Unfortunately, they are not the Supreme Court.
Impeach.
Repeal.
And put the real criminals behind bars. Let Georgie put on another costume. Pajamas with horizontal black and white stripes.
Then will the real mission be accomplished.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
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