Crying "Terrorist!" Is The New Redbaiting

By Sam Bakken in News on Aug 16, 2005 1:10AM

If you're involved in a family dispute, and taking your family members to court on TV (and, of course, during your testimony revealing sordid details about their love-lives and drug use) just doesn't quite pack enough spite for you, you may want to try accusing them of being terrorists. Judge Mathis will probably only shake his head and ask you what it has to do with your case when you tell him that when you were a kid your dad and uncle used to bring you along when they did cocaine (and the waitress) at the local saloon. But federal authorities won't just srhug you off when you accuse your relatives of planning a bombing spree.

Chicago man Abdul Rauf Noormohamed did just that, but got caught—you may want to try planting some evidence. He told federal agents that a number of his relatives were al-Qaeda and Islamic Jihad operatives that planned to bomb the Sears Tower, Soldier Field, O'Hare International Airport and other landmarks in the Chicago area. Authorities arrested him in January 2004, and he admitted to giving the false statements today. He faces up to five years in prison and will likely be ordered to pay for the cost of the investigation into the accusations.