WASHINGTON, 29 September — US Attorney General John Ashcroft is urging the passage of legislation that would give authorities stronger tools to fight terrorists, and said the new numbers show that the investigation is “moving aggressively forward.”
US authorities have also conducted 324 searches and issued 3,410 subpoenas, he said.
Law enforcement authorities say some of the people arrested in the case are cooperating with authorities and that the investigation has already produced key evidence about how the suspected terrorists were organized, financed and trained.
But several Arab-American leaders and civil rights groups are questioning whether authorities are rounding up Middle Easterners with little or no direct connection to the case.
Of the several dozen people whom authorities have publicly acknowledged detaining, virtually all are of Middle Eastern origin. “When you’re talking about hundreds of people being arrested, it brings a chill to the whole American Muslim community,” said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Southern California branch.
“The problem is that we know very little about who is being held and on what basis. We’re putting a lot of trust in our government not to abuse the powers given them,” he said in an interview.
US airlines warned against racial profiling
Meanwhile, US airlines are being warned to refrain from racial profiling following reports of racial profiling at airports across the country.
The US Department of Transportation has issued a directive to all airlines urging caution and reminding them that targeting Arab Americans, Muslims or Sikhs is against the law. “We strongly encourage each airline to take steps to ensure that its employees understand that, not only is it wrong, but it is also illegal to discriminate against people based on their race, ethnicity, or religion,” said Norman Strickman, assistant director for aviation consumer protection at the Department of Transportation in Washington, DC.
Since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, a number of Pakistani, Egyptian, and Indo-American passengers have been taken off domestic flights because airline crews and passengers expressed discomfort flying with them.
National civil rights organizations have denounced the practice as racial profiling, and have started collecting information on other incidents not reported to airlines.
“Whatever racial profiling went on before, multiply that by 100 and you have an idea of what’s going on now,” Helal Omeira, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in San Jose, told journalists.
In an effort to protect Arabs and Muslims from racial profiling, CAIR has issued a pocket guide called: “Know Your Rights As An Airline Passenger.” The text reads: “As an airline passenger, you are entitled to courteous, respectful and non-stigmatizing treatment by airline and security personnel. You have the right to complain about treatment that you believe is discriminatory. If you believe you have been treated in a discriminatory manner, immediately: 1) Ask to speak to a supervisor. 2) Ask if you have been singled out because of your looks, dress, race, ethnicity, faith, or national origin. 3) Ask for the names and ID numbers of all persons involved in the incident. 4) Ask witnesses to give you their names and contact information. 5) Write down a statement of facts immediately after the incident. Be sure to include the flight number, the flight date, and the name of the airline. 6) Contact CAIR to file a report. If you are leaving the country, leave a detailed message, with the information above, at Tel. 202-488-8787. You may also file online at http://www.cair-net.org/ireport/
