From the UK Times: "Breaking the Al-Qaeda Code," by Christina Lamb--
Sleepy Charleston, the South Carolina hometown of Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind, seems an unlikely place to be on the front line of the global war on terror.
Yet on the third floor of a glass office building overlooking the Cooper river is a locked room that is straight out of a futuristic thriller.
Inside, a series of control panels with flashing lights and whirring hard drives comprise the master computer of the world’s largest free-standing database of intelligence on Islamic terrorism. It could hold the key to dismantling Al-Qaeda.
“It’s the best database on Islamic terrorism in the world,” said a senior counter-terrorism official at the FBI.
The database was compiled by Plaintiffs' lawyer Ron Motley and his staff, who are working through the investigation phase of Motley's class action on behalf of 1,431 dead and 1,325 injured in the 9/11 attacks. The 205 defendants, which are accused of financing Al-Qaeda, include "biggest banks in the Middle East, wealthy Saudi individuals and corporations and several leading Islamic charities."
Motley says he has spent $18 million of his own money on the case. His information is superior to the U.S. government's in some areas because "we just outbid the US government in getting people to sell things such as hard drives."
For more amazing facts about the database and what it reveals, see the article.
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This is interesting, but have you ever covered STanley Hilton's case concerning 9/11 i think you'll find it more interesting- he's a lawyer practising in San Franscisco and was the former chief aid to senator Bob Dole( reputable republican)- theis man has also launched a lawsuit concerning 9/11 but its been along time since i heard anything about it- would you mind covering this in the name of freedom of speach- you still believe in that don't you?
Posted by: roys | February 17, 2005 at 04:29 PM
Roys: Yes, I am a card-carrying freedom-of-speech lover. Never stopped believing in it, in fact.
Since all freedom-of-speech lovers are welcome here, I'm glad you stopped by. I'm not sure I'll have time for Mr. Hilton, though. If not, don't fret--it's not because I don't love freedom of speech. It's just because I don't have time. Okay?
Posted by: Evan | February 17, 2005 at 04:37 PM