Re: Suspect in Mall Plot Sent for Evaluation 6/17

[Guest guest]

He just sounds like a potential criminal to me who puts on a good show. Sounds

perfectly abnormal to me, but he doesn't need a DSM label.

BCCdove1@... wrote:Suspect in Mall Plot Sent for Evaluation

By CARRIE SPENCER

Associated Press Writer

Published June 17, 2004, 3:26 AM CDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Somali man charged with plotting to blow up a shopping mall

has been ordered to undergo psychiatric testing after a court hearing in which

he displayed such bizarre behavior that a friend said he is " just the shell of a

man. "

In the courtroom, Nuradin Abdi pressed his face onto a glass-covered tabletop,

jerked his head randomly and muttered as his attorney successfully sought the

evaluation before trial begins.

Many of Abdi's supporters who attended Wednesday's hearing said they were

disturbed to see his shuffling gait and distracted behavior. Abdi has been held

in federal detention since his arrest in November.

" It was like a different person, " said his 17-year-old brother, Mohamed

AbdiKarani, who said Abdi is innocent. " He looked at me; he didn't know who I

was. "

Magistrate Mark Abel found that Abdi's behavior in jail and his attorney's

difficulties communicating with him made an evaluation necessary since he might

not understand the charges against him and might not be able to help defend

himself.

Authorities have accused Abdi, 32, of plotting the attack on an undetermined

mall with admitted al-Qaida member Iyman Faris, who is now imprisoned for plans

to sabotage the Brooklyn Bridge.

After being helped to a chair, Abdi slammed his face to the glass-covered table

and kept it there for a few minutes. During the proceedings, he looked around,

smiled at no one in particular, and put his head back on the table.

Abdi also kicked the table, jangled his wrist and ankle shackles and kept

pushing his chair back from the table. Toward the end of the hearing, he started

muttering.

" The government took a healthy man, and what we have here is a broken man,

mentally, " said his lawyer, Mahir Sherif. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana s

said he did not object to the evaluation but added, " We have no evidence of any

abuse of Mr. Abdi. "

The transcript of Abel's discussion with attorneys about Abdi's behavior has

been sealed, but Abdi acted strangely before and during Wednesday's hearing.

Jad Humeidan, executive director of the Ohio office of the Council on

American-Islamic Relations, said Abdi was his friend, and always quick to

volunteer to help new Somali immigrants find translators, jobs and housing.

" Just seeing Nuradin in court was an emotional experience, " Humeidan said. " This

wasn't the Nuradin that we know. This was just the shell of a man. "

About 100 supporters, including Abdi's family, filled the seats in the courtroom

and stood along the walls. Afterward they joined about 200 other supporters in

front of the courthouse, where many waved small American flags and a few held up

signs that read " Nuradin is 100 percent innocent " and " Patriot Act Religious

Profiling. "

Abdi, who operated a small cell phone business, was arrested last November at

his apartment. He was held at first on immigration violations; the mall-plot

indictment was unsealed Monday.

Sherif said it was too early for him to comment about the charges but added,

" It's not beyond the government to make mistakes for whatever reason. "

Authorities have a third suspect under surveillance and are trying to determine

how many others might have been involved, U.S. Attorney Lockhart said in

published reports Wednesday.

AbdiKarani said his brother was behaving normally the last time he saw him in

January, at an immigration hearing in Detroit. " We have no other choice but

praying, " he said. Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press

F. Prior

My Publicly Viewable Calendar: http://calendar./j_prior

T: 773/295-8056 OUT-OF-STATE 800/654-1215 F: 801/848-3451

E: jprior@... W: www.lgln.com

: 22:36-40, Deut 6:5, and Leviticus 19:18

[Guest guest]

He just sounds like a potential criminal to me who puts on a good show. Sounds

perfectly abnormal to me, but he doesn't need a DSM label.

BCCdove1@... wrote:Suspect in Mall Plot Sent for Evaluation

By CARRIE SPENCER

Associated Press Writer

Published June 17, 2004, 3:26 AM CDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Somali man charged with plotting to blow up a shopping mall

has been ordered to undergo psychiatric testing after a court hearing in which

he displayed such bizarre behavior that a friend said he is " just the shell of a

man. "

In the courtroom, Nuradin Abdi pressed his face onto a glass-covered tabletop,

jerked his head randomly and muttered as his attorney successfully sought the

evaluation before trial begins.

Many of Abdi's supporters who attended Wednesday's hearing said they were

disturbed to see his shuffling gait and distracted behavior. Abdi has been held

in federal detention since his arrest in November.

" It was like a different person, " said his 17-year-old brother, Mohamed

AbdiKarani, who said Abdi is innocent. " He looked at me; he didn't know who I

was. "

Magistrate Mark Abel found that Abdi's behavior in jail and his attorney's

difficulties communicating with him made an evaluation necessary since he might

not understand the charges against him and might not be able to help defend

himself.

Authorities have accused Abdi, 32, of plotting the attack on an undetermined

mall with admitted al-Qaida member Iyman Faris, who is now imprisoned for plans

to sabotage the Brooklyn Bridge.

After being helped to a chair, Abdi slammed his face to the glass-covered table

and kept it there for a few minutes. During the proceedings, he looked around,

smiled at no one in particular, and put his head back on the table.

Abdi also kicked the table, jangled his wrist and ankle shackles and kept

pushing his chair back from the table. Toward the end of the hearing, he started

muttering.

" The government took a healthy man, and what we have here is a broken man,

mentally, " said his lawyer, Mahir Sherif. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana s

said he did not object to the evaluation but added, " We have no evidence of any

abuse of Mr. Abdi. "

The transcript of Abel's discussion with attorneys about Abdi's behavior has

been sealed, but Abdi acted strangely before and during Wednesday's hearing.

Jad Humeidan, executive director of the Ohio office of the Council on

American-Islamic Relations, said Abdi was his friend, and always quick to

volunteer to help new Somali immigrants find translators, jobs and housing.

" Just seeing Nuradin in court was an emotional experience, " Humeidan said. " This

wasn't the Nuradin that we know. This was just the shell of a man. "

About 100 supporters, including Abdi's family, filled the seats in the courtroom

and stood along the walls. Afterward they joined about 200 other supporters in

front of the courthouse, where many waved small American flags and a few held up

signs that read " Nuradin is 100 percent innocent " and " Patriot Act Religious

Profiling. "

Abdi, who operated a small cell phone business, was arrested last November at

his apartment. He was held at first on immigration violations; the mall-plot

indictment was unsealed Monday.

Sherif said it was too early for him to comment about the charges but added,

" It's not beyond the government to make mistakes for whatever reason. "

Authorities have a third suspect under surveillance and are trying to determine

how many others might have been involved, U.S. Attorney Lockhart said in

published reports Wednesday.

AbdiKarani said his brother was behaving normally the last time he saw him in

January, at an immigration hearing in Detroit. " We have no other choice but

praying, " he said. Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press

F. Prior

My Publicly Viewable Calendar: http://calendar./j_prior

T: 773/295-8056 OUT-OF-STATE 800/654-1215 F: 801/848-3451

E: jprior@... W: www.lgln.com

: 22:36-40, Deut 6:5, and Leviticus 19:18

[Guest guest]

He just sounds like a potential criminal to me who puts on a good show. Sounds

perfectly abnormal to me, but he doesn't need a DSM label.

BCCdove1@... wrote:Suspect in Mall Plot Sent for Evaluation

By CARRIE SPENCER

Associated Press Writer

Published June 17, 2004, 3:26 AM CDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Somali man charged with plotting to blow up a shopping mall

has been ordered to undergo psychiatric testing after a court hearing in which

he displayed such bizarre behavior that a friend said he is " just the shell of a

man. "

In the courtroom, Nuradin Abdi pressed his face onto a glass-covered tabletop,

jerked his head randomly and muttered as his attorney successfully sought the

evaluation before trial begins.

Many of Abdi's supporters who attended Wednesday's hearing said they were

disturbed to see his shuffling gait and distracted behavior. Abdi has been held

in federal detention since his arrest in November.

" It was like a different person, " said his 17-year-old brother, Mohamed

AbdiKarani, who said Abdi is innocent. " He looked at me; he didn't know who I

was. "

Magistrate Mark Abel found that Abdi's behavior in jail and his attorney's

difficulties communicating with him made an evaluation necessary since he might

not understand the charges against him and might not be able to help defend

himself.

Authorities have accused Abdi, 32, of plotting the attack on an undetermined

mall with admitted al-Qaida member Iyman Faris, who is now imprisoned for plans

to sabotage the Brooklyn Bridge.

After being helped to a chair, Abdi slammed his face to the glass-covered table

and kept it there for a few minutes. During the proceedings, he looked around,

smiled at no one in particular, and put his head back on the table.

Abdi also kicked the table, jangled his wrist and ankle shackles and kept

pushing his chair back from the table. Toward the end of the hearing, he started

muttering.

" The government took a healthy man, and what we have here is a broken man,

mentally, " said his lawyer, Mahir Sherif. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana s

said he did not object to the evaluation but added, " We have no evidence of any

abuse of Mr. Abdi. "

The transcript of Abel's discussion with attorneys about Abdi's behavior has

been sealed, but Abdi acted strangely before and during Wednesday's hearing.

Jad Humeidan, executive director of the Ohio office of the Council on

American-Islamic Relations, said Abdi was his friend, and always quick to

volunteer to help new Somali immigrants find translators, jobs and housing.

" Just seeing Nuradin in court was an emotional experience, " Humeidan said. " This

wasn't the Nuradin that we know. This was just the shell of a man. "

About 100 supporters, including Abdi's family, filled the seats in the courtroom

and stood along the walls. Afterward they joined about 200 other supporters in

front of the courthouse, where many waved small American flags and a few held up

signs that read " Nuradin is 100 percent innocent " and " Patriot Act Religious

Profiling. "

Abdi, who operated a small cell phone business, was arrested last November at

his apartment. He was held at first on immigration violations; the mall-plot

indictment was unsealed Monday.

Sherif said it was too early for him to comment about the charges but added,

" It's not beyond the government to make mistakes for whatever reason. "

Authorities have a third suspect under surveillance and are trying to determine

how many others might have been involved, U.S. Attorney Lockhart said in

published reports Wednesday.

AbdiKarani said his brother was behaving normally the last time he saw him in

January, at an immigration hearing in Detroit. " We have no other choice but

praying, " he said. Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press

F. Prior

My Publicly Viewable Calendar: http://calendar./j_prior

T: 773/295-8056 OUT-OF-STATE 800/654-1215 F: 801/848-3451

E: jprior@... W: www.lgln.com

: 22:36-40, Deut 6:5, and Leviticus 19:18

[Guest guest]

He just sounds like a potential criminal to me who puts on a good show. Sounds

perfectly abnormal to me, but he doesn't need a DSM label.

BCCdove1@... wrote:Suspect in Mall Plot Sent for Evaluation

By CARRIE SPENCER

Associated Press Writer

Published June 17, 2004, 3:26 AM CDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Somali man charged with plotting to blow up a shopping mall

has been ordered to undergo psychiatric testing after a court hearing in which

he displayed such bizarre behavior that a friend said he is " just the shell of a

man. "

In the courtroom, Nuradin Abdi pressed his face onto a glass-covered tabletop,

jerked his head randomly and muttered as his attorney successfully sought the

evaluation before trial begins.

Many of Abdi's supporters who attended Wednesday's hearing said they were

disturbed to see his shuffling gait and distracted behavior. Abdi has been held

in federal detention since his arrest in November.

" It was like a different person, " said his 17-year-old brother, Mohamed

AbdiKarani, who said Abdi is innocent. " He looked at me; he didn't know who I

was. "

Magistrate Mark Abel found that Abdi's behavior in jail and his attorney's

difficulties communicating with him made an evaluation necessary since he might

not understand the charges against him and might not be able to help defend

himself.

Authorities have accused Abdi, 32, of plotting the attack on an undetermined

mall with admitted al-Qaida member Iyman Faris, who is now imprisoned for plans

to sabotage the Brooklyn Bridge.

After being helped to a chair, Abdi slammed his face to the glass-covered table

and kept it there for a few minutes. During the proceedings, he looked around,

smiled at no one in particular, and put his head back on the table.

Abdi also kicked the table, jangled his wrist and ankle shackles and kept

pushing his chair back from the table. Toward the end of the hearing, he started

muttering.

" The government took a healthy man, and what we have here is a broken man,

mentally, " said his lawyer, Mahir Sherif. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana s

said he did not object to the evaluation but added, " We have no evidence of any

abuse of Mr. Abdi. "

The transcript of Abel's discussion with attorneys about Abdi's behavior has

been sealed, but Abdi acted strangely before and during Wednesday's hearing.

Jad Humeidan, executive director of the Ohio office of the Council on

American-Islamic Relations, said Abdi was his friend, and always quick to

volunteer to help new Somali immigrants find translators, jobs and housing.

" Just seeing Nuradin in court was an emotional experience, " Humeidan said. " This

wasn't the Nuradin that we know. This was just the shell of a man. "

About 100 supporters, including Abdi's family, filled the seats in the courtroom

and stood along the walls. Afterward they joined about 200 other supporters in

front of the courthouse, where many waved small American flags and a few held up

signs that read " Nuradin is 100 percent innocent " and " Patriot Act Religious

Profiling. "

Abdi, who operated a small cell phone business, was arrested last November at

his apartment. He was held at first on immigration violations; the mall-plot

indictment was unsealed Monday.

Sherif said it was too early for him to comment about the charges but added,

" It's not beyond the government to make mistakes for whatever reason. "

Authorities have a third suspect under surveillance and are trying to determine

how many others might have been involved, U.S. Attorney Lockhart said in

published reports Wednesday.

AbdiKarani said his brother was behaving normally the last time he saw him in

January, at an immigration hearing in Detroit. " We have no other choice but

praying, " he said. Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press

F. Prior

My Publicly Viewable Calendar: http://calendar./j_prior

T: 773/295-8056 OUT-OF-STATE 800/654-1215 F: 801/848-3451

E: jprior@... W: www.lgln.com

: 22:36-40, Deut 6:5, and Leviticus 19:18