the sniper was muslim???

[dnice35]

Muhammad: Gulf War veteran described as 'irrational'

Ex-wife described as 'in shock' over Muhammad's arrest

Thursday, October 24, 2002 Posted: 2:23 PM EDT (1823 GMT)

John Allen Muhammad

Authorities search outside a duplex in Tacoma, Washington.

(CNN) -- John Allen Muhammad, who police say is a suspect in the Washington, D.C.-area sniper attacks, is a twice-divorced, 41-year-old Gulf War veteran who converted to Islam 17 years ago.

The 6-foot, 1-inch Muhammad, also known as John Allen Williams, was a member of the U.S. military who was stationed in the 1980s at Fort Lewis, Washington, about 15 miles from Tacoma, and at the now-closed Fort Ord, near Monterey, California. A duplex where Muhammad once lived was searched by authorities on Wednesday.

Muhammad was arrested on a federal firearms violation early Thursday at a Maryland rest stop along with his 17-year-old stepson, John Lee Malvo, a Jamaican citizen who is also considered a suspect. Both are in custody at an undisclosed location in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Felix Strozier ran a martial arts school with Muhammad in Tacoma several years ago and described him as a "pretty nice person." At first, Strozier said their relationship was fine but said they had a falling out after Muhammad borrowed $500 from the school and never repaid the debt. The school closed in 1998.

"I know he was manipulative," Strozier said. "He would do anything to get his way."

He described Muhammad as a strong believer in Islam who attended the Million Man March. The Associated Press reported that a former neighbor of Muhammad's said he provided security at the march, which was organized by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Nation of Islam officials in Chicago had no immediate comment, according to the AP.

Tracy Urery, who said she knew Muhammad recently in Camden, New Jersey, said she as "shocked" at the news of Muhammad's arrest.

"I don't think he's like that," she said.

Bitter custody battles

The Seattle Times reported that Muhammad had four children by two marriages that ended in divorce. Both involved bitter custody battles and at least one accusation that he abducted the children, the Times reported, but court records showed no felony record for him in Washington state.

In court documents obtained by CNN, Mildred Diane Muhammad, Muhammad's second wife, wrote that her ex-husband was an irrational man who has repeatedly threatened to "destroy my life" and told her he would "not let me raise our children."

Muhammad, right, with his 17-year-old stepson, John Lee Malvo.

Mildred Muhammad twice applied for an order of protection against her husband, and was granted a permanent order on March 17, 2000.

"I am afraid of John," Mildred Muhammad wrote in a March 3, 2000, complaint. "He was a demolition expert in the military. He's behaving very, very irrational. Whenever he does talk with me, he always says that he's going to destroy my life and I hang up the phone."

But affidavits attached to the Muhammads' divorce filings described Muhammad as an "excellent father," and question his wife's version of their marriage.

In late 1998, family friend Anthony Muhammad said in divorce papers filed in 2001, "Mildred ... began losing the ability to maintain the professional standards she had set."

Anthony Muhammad said he prayed his affidavit "helps bring justice and closure to this unfortunate circumstance."

Gail Horne, a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, lawyer representing Carol Williams, Muhammad's first wife, said Thursday that her client was contacted Wednesday by federal authorities.

"She's in shock, like, you know I think anyone would be, if this came up in the middle of the night last night, you know you go about your daily routine and you know you're hearing about things that are occurring horrible things in other places, and then all of a sudden, it all converges on your doorstep, so I think that anybody would kind of be in shock," Horne said.

Sheron Norman, Muhammad's former sister-in-law, said Muhammad's took her nephew to Washington for visitation for the summer after not seeing him for six years. At the end of the summer, Norman said Muhammad's refused to send the boy home.

"I'm praying that John didn't do this, I'm just going to leave it at that," Norman said. "John, he's done some things to my family ... and I'm just hoping that this is something that he didn't do."

Converted to Islam after first marriage ended

The Times reported Thursday that Muhammad converted to Islam after he and Williams divorced. The Times quoted Williams as saying he converted to Islam 17 years ago, about the same time he joined the Army.

"After he changed his religion, he called and told me what not to feed my child," she said. "I told him as long as he (their son) lived with me, it was up to me."

Williams told the Times that Muhammad was outgoing and had a good sense of humor. "He wasn't a quiet type. He liked to talk. He liked to mingle with people," she told the Times.

The Seattle Times also reported that federal sources told the newspaper that Muhammad and Malvo were known to speak sympathetically about the September 11 hijackers and may have been motivated by anti-American sentiment.

Asked if Muhammad had ever expressed anti-American beliefs to him, Strozier said no.

Strozier also said Muhammad led him to believe that his military experience included serving in the U.S. Special Forces, the Army's special operations soldiers known as the Green Berets. The 1st Special Forces Group is located at Fort Lewis but military officials told CNN that Muhammad was not in the Special Forces, but had expertise in combat support missions and had the same basic firearms training anyone in the Army would have. Military officials also told CNN that Muhammad was discharged from the Army in the mid-1990s.

In Baton Rouge, Sheila Tezando, Muhammad's sister-in-law, said she last saw Muhammad and Malvo three months ago at her home in Baton Rouge when they were in town for a visit.

Tezando said that there was nothing in their demeanor that would lead her to believe that they were capable of any violent act, adding, "this is all a shock."

This scum bag is gonna fuck it up for the rest of the muslim community, if indeed he is the guilty party. If he is I am starting to believe this country would be better off without muslims in it. If they hate our way of life so much, they should just go back to humpin their camel and go back to whatever cokroach hole they climb out of....

[kramadas]

Yup..and Son of Sam was Christian!

Point being...?

[sassa]

This scum bag is gonna fuck it up for the rest of the muslim community, if indeed he is the guilty party. If he is I am starting to believe this country would be better off without muslims in it. If they hate our way of life so much, they should just go back to humpin their camel and go back to whatever cokroach hole they climb out of....

[dnice35]

Originally posted by sassa

This scum bag is gonna fuck it up for the rest of the muslim community, if indeed he is the guilty party. If he is I am starting to believe this country would be better off without muslims in it. If they hate our way of life so much, they should just go back to humpin their camel and go back to whatever cokroach hole they climb out of....

I am Muslim, and no one I know that is Muslim nor myself hump camels or live in cockroach holes. Dnice, you're really starting to piss me off with your racism. I don't call you a radical Christian fundamentalist, please show the same respect for Muslims. Thank you.

And you're right...this scumbag is going to fuck up things for the Muslim minority in this country, as well as the rest of the world.

[kramadas]

Originally posted by dnice35

I am Muslim, and no one I know that is Muslim nor myself hump camels or live in cockroach holes. Dnice, you're really starting to piss me off with your racism. I don't call you a radical Christian fundamentalist, please show the same respect for Muslims. Thank you.

And you're right...this scumbag is going to fuck up things for the Muslim minority in this country, as well as the rest of the world.

Why the fuck do you gotta jump on everything I say and why you gotta delete my post?????

Fuck it, everyone hates this country so much, yet they eat, shit and sleep in this great nation. If you dont like this country and its policies get the fuck out.......

And I am not a God damn racist either!

I am proud to say , I hate everyone equally.....

By the way I am not a christian, And I respect Muslims, just not those pricks that fly a plane into a building, shoot innocent people, or blow themselfs up and kill innocent people...

[dnice35]

Originally posted by raver_mania

Why the fuck do you gotta jump on everything I say and why you gotta delete my post?????

Fuck it, everyone hates this country so much, yet they eat, shit and sleep in this great nation. If you dont like this country and its policies get the fuck out.......

And I am not a God damn racist either!

I am proud to say , I hate everyone equally.....

By the way I am not a christian, And I respect Muslims, just not those pricks that fly a plane into a building, shoot innocent people, or blow themselfs up and kill innocent people...

Actually, you don't hate everyone equally...you do, after all, love this country, right?

[bigpoppanils]

the sniper also fought for the US in desert storm

[dnice35]

Originally posted by bigpoppanils

the sniper also fought for the US in desert storm

They should hang that piece of shit traitor........

[sassa]

i didn't delete your motherfucking post, and don't accuse me of shit you have no proof of!

pleaseeeeeeeeeee don't bring up that dumbass comment about leaving the US if we don't like it anymore either. american muslims are citizens just as you are,and have every right to be in this country, just as you do.

dnice, i thought you were a little cool...what happened.

[dnice35]

Originally posted by sassa

i didn't delete your motherfucking post, and don't accuse me of shit you have no proof of!

pleaseeeeeeeeeee don't bring up that dumbass comment about leaving the US if we don't like it anymore either. american muslims are citizens just as you are,and have every right to be in this country, just as you do.

dnice, i thought you were a little cool...what happened.

Dude chill out, I said sorry already.....

But wtf, I wasn't reffering to muslims alone, I think anyone who doesnt love their country should find residency elsewhere. and just cause I tend to dissagree with you on most (if not all) doesnt make me uncool....... as a matter of fact Im so fucking coolI make Icebergs jealous.

[Drunk]

Originally posted by bigpoppanils

the sniper also fought for the US in desert storm

And so did Timothy McVeigh. Your point?

[t0nythelover]

yeah everyone hates the us but still lives here because the us jacks everything from their countries anyway. might as well live in the country that u created the lifestyle for right. asians like in china and shit made the railroads and build sneakers and shit for mad cheap, tell them to go home. blacks built this fuckin country at the cost of their lives and freedom, let them go home too right. hey the native americans should go home because they dont like it here either, oh and the mexicans too, even though a third of the u.s. is really mexican land. this country is for everyone, blacks, whites, muslim, christian, whatever. im sick of people telling other people to leave the u.s., as if they are native american and really belong here. if ur not native american then technically you dont belong on this continent so there u go.

[normalnoises]

Originally posted by raver_mania

Yup..and Son of Sam was Christian!

Point being...?

And so was Timothy McVeigh and Adolph Hitler.

[dnice35]

Originally posted by t0nythelover

yeah everyone hates the us but still lives here because the us jacks everything from their countries anyway. might as well live in the country that u created the lifestyle for right. asians like in china and shit made the railroads and build sneakers and shit for mad cheap, tell them to go home. blacks built this fuckin country at the cost of their lives and freedom, let them go home too right. hey the native americans should go home because they dont like it here either, oh and the mexicans too, even though a third of the u.s. is really mexican land. this country is for everyone, blacks, whites, muslim, christian, whatever. im sick of people telling other people to leave the u.s., as if they are native american and really belong here. if ur not native american then technically you dont belong on this continent so there u go.

Then stop bitching about this country and its policies..... fucking people like you come here, collect a paycheck and then all you can do is bitch and moan about our goverment. If you dont like this country get the fuck out, go back to whatever hole you crawled out of.

[nifer]

Originally posted by t0nythelover

yeah everyone hates the us but still lives here because the us jacks everything from their countries anyway. might as well live in the country that u created the lifestyle for right. asians like in china and shit made the railroads and build sneakers and shit for mad cheap, tell them to go home. blacks built this fuckin country at the cost of their lives and freedom, let them go home too right. hey the native americans should go home because they dont like it here either, oh and the mexicans too, even though a third of the u.s. is really mexican land. this country is for everyone, blacks, whites, muslim, christian, whatever. im sick of people telling other people to leave the u.s., as if they are native american and really belong here. if ur not native american then technically you dont belong on this continent so there u go.

thank you.

Originally posted by dnice35

Then stop bitching about this country and its policies..... fucking people like you come here, collect a paycheck and then all you can do is bitch and moan about our goverment. If you dont like this country get the fuck out, go back to whatever hole you crawled out of.

just because we may complain about our country does not necessarily mean that we want to leave it or think we would be better some place else. it means we see the world with open eyes, not through rose-tinted glasses. we see things wrong with our society and work to change those injustices. with this change we hope to improve our country and make it better for everyone who lives here.

[t0nythelover]

Originally posted by dnice35

Then stop bitching about this country and its policies..... fucking people like you come here, collect a paycheck and then all you can do is bitch and moan about our goverment. If you dont like this country get the fuck out, go back to whatever hole you crawled out of.

the hole i crawled out of is queens nyc, so stfu first off. secondly, citizens are supposed to keep government in check, or would you say that washington, madison, and franklin should have left the country too because they "bitch and moaned", open up a damn book and learn about what democracy really is before talkin bs.

[sassa]

l

[sassa]

Originally posted by nifer

thank you.

just because we may complain about our country does not necessarily mean that we want to leave it or think we would be better some place else. it means we see the world with open eyes, not through rose-tinted glasses. we see things wrong with our society and work to change those injustices. with this change we hope to improve our country and make it better for everyone who lives here.

and thank you!

dnice, your comments are getting old...no one is leaving this country just because you say so. i will continue to collect my paychecks, pay my taxes, and bitch and moan just like any other american who is not blinded by the bush administration's bullshit.

now THIS is what the american cause is about. do you expect people to just sit back and believe everything the government tells us, much less support it in something literally the whole entire world is against? think again.

[dnice35]

Originally posted by t0nythelover

the hole i crawled out of is queens nyc, so stfu first off. secondly, citizens are supposed to keep government in check, or would you say that washington, madison, and franklin should have left the country too because they "bitch and moaned", open up a damn book and learn about what democracy really is before talkin bs.

The difference between them and you, is that their opinion counted.....

[dnice35]

Originally posted by sassa

and thank you!

dnice, your comments are getting old...no one is leaving this country just because you say so. i will continue to collect my paychecks, pay my taxes, and bitch and moan just like any other american who is not blinded by the bush administration's bullshit.

now THIS is what the american cause is about. do you expect people to just sit back and believe everything the government tells us, much less support it in something literally the whole entire world is against? think again.

the whole entire world is against what?

what ever we say goes, and thats final.....

[kramadas]

Originally posted by dnice35

the whole entire world is against what?

what ever we say goes, and thats final.....

Oh yeah, then why is Bush trying sooooo hard to convince the UN?

And seems to be making a lot of compromises along the way...wording has now changed from "regime change" to "change in regime"! haha

unfortunately, for all the war-mongers, the "we" in your statement is not unified in support of a war - thanks to the likes of people like us!

[dnice35]

Originally posted by raver_mania

Oh yeah, then why is Bush trying sooooo hard to convince the UN?

And seems to be making a lot of compromises along the way...wording has now changed from "regime change" to "change in regime"! haha

unfortunately, for all the war-mongers, the "we" in your statement is not unified in support of a war - thanks to the likes of people like us!

people like "you" weaken this country.

[sassa]

Originally posted by dnice35

people like "you" weaken this country.

and people like "you", who do not take into consideration many factors when it comes to these issues (war, etc) and are extremely gung-ho about their opinions are the reason the American country is disliked throughout the world.

You cannot continue this way, this is not your world only, you share it with billions of others. Cut others slack, take care of things with more human dignity and perhaps this world can become a little closer to achieving a goal of having world peace.

Bottom line: don't say shit like this, this comes from emotional background, a true statesman (which Bush is NOT) would not base foreign policy decisions on emotional feelings, this is a big no-no, you must do what is necessary to help your state, Bush was acting very unprofessional when he mentioned his father being a target of Saddam's back in the day. That has nothing to do with what is going on now. And remember that the US is starting this bullshit, not Iraq. Iraq hasn't done anything to provoke the US, the US just wants a war so it can prove itself and get Bush re-elected since it is quite possible this fucking war will go on during elections in 2004.

[dnice35]

Originally posted by sassa

and people like "you", who do not take into consideration many factors when it comes to these issues (war, etc) and are extremely gung-ho about their opinions are the reason the American country is disliked throughout the world.

You cannot continue this way, this is not your world only, you share it with billions of others. Cut others slack, take care of things with more human dignity and perhaps this world can become a little closer to achieving a goal of having world peace.

Bottom line: don't say shit like this, this comes from emotional background, a true statesman (which Bush is NOT) would not base foreign policy decisions on emotional feelings, this is a big no-no, you must do what is necessary to help your state, Bush was acting very unprofessional when he mentioned his father being a target of Saddam's back in the day. That has nothing to do with what is going on now. And remember that the US is starting this bullshit, not Iraq. Iraq hasn't done anything to provoke the US, the US just wants a war so it can prove itself and get Bush re-elected since it is quite possible this fucking war will go on during elections in 2004.

If it would have been your father wouldnt you have taken it a little personal? and Iraq has defied the UN and broken UN resolutions in my books Thats enough reason to take them out.

[kramadas]

Originally posted by dnice35

If it would have been your father wouldnt you have taken it a little personal? and Iraq has defied the UN and broken UN resolutions in my books Thats enough reason to take them out.

So has Israel. Wanna take them out too?