Identifying pets and people

IT Confidential: Identifying Foreigners, Human And Not -->June 20, 2005

Animals with pet passports avoid six-month quarantines.
By John Soat
Never let it be said that the world of technology isn't chockablock with irony. At the same time that Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was pushing back plans for the United States to implement a "biometric passport," which will incorporate a radio-frequency identification chip that will hold retinal-scan, fingerprint, and other identifying data in order to check the identities of foreigners visiting the country, a Swiss company said it's prepared to offer the biometric technology required for pets to travel in the European Union.

In an effort to prevent the spread of rabies in Europe, the EU recently mandated the use of permanent identification for dogs, cats, and ferrets traveling between member countries, according to Sokymat, which identifies itself as "the world's leading provider of RFID transponders." Starting last October, traveling pets must bear either a clearly readable tattoo or an electronic ID; in eight years, only the electronic ID system will be valid. Ireland, Malta, and the United Kingdom already require the RFID chips. A pet's ID number and vaccination history are then recorded in a "pet passport," which travels with the feline or pooch. One significant difference between the EU's plan for pets and the United States' plan for visiting foreigners: For human tourists, RFID chips are embedded in their passports; for pets, it's in their bodies.

Lodi - Guns and Roses update

I attended a wedding at Lodi, at a B&B called Wine & Roses. It was an eclectic Californian wedding with dedication to redwood trees printed on recycled paper, Jane's addiction melodies played as the bridesmaids walked in and the vows were based on Apache songs and excerpts from Khalil Gibran. I met a debonair Pakistani-American gentleman whose illiterate father came to California in 1930's and married an American. The real estate developer went to school in Abottabad Public School in Pakistam between 1965-1969. He was very well mannered and reminded me of an Uncle of mine, we shared a delightful conversation, as his American wife watched him adoringly. It was a timely reminder on the history of the Pakistani community in Central valley.

Later I went to the local Mosque on Poplar Avenue in Lodi. The front door was barred. Around the back, I was followed in by a journalist with a goatee, a photographer’s half sleeve jacket and a couple of telephoto cameras. Inside random Shalwar adorned and bearded Pakistani lounged around. One of them asked, Can I help you, I said I am here to pray. One white bearded gentleman asked me if he could advise me. I said sure. ‘Please roll up my jeans as that is Sunnat.’
I replied with a tad bit of impunity . . 'Kaka, at least let me do wuzu first before you correct me'.
Two nafils later, I am chatting with them and over listening to the stern faced journalist question Kaka. He asked Kaka's last name and when he came to US. It amused him, ‘A girl was fishing in Sacramento River and she pulled me out'.

The journalist did not smile; he was investigating a scuffle that happened in the mosque last week. Finally I get Kaka to myself and I put on my best behaviour.

Kaka founded this mosque in 1983. He came to the US in 1957 from Attock in Pakistan. He came to NY, did not like it and settled in Sacramento valley and supplied farm contract labor for years.
'I use to own a lot of land in Lodi, all of which is developed as strip malls and hotels. I came here in 1957 by chance. I was a Policeman in Peshawar and some men came to obtain a bicycle permit, I helped them get it. They used to work in American consulate; this is when US had an Air Force base in Peshawar. They asked me for my name and a month later, I had a visa for America.'

What about Hyat Khan and his son arrested for terrorism charges?

'All contrived. His son grew up here, he just went to Pakistan to a JUI run seminary to hifz (memorize) the Quran. This is plain to us; none of them are involved in terrorist activity. There only crime is that when questioned, he lied to FBI if he had been to a madarsah in Pakistan, because he was afraid'

I said that this is post 911 hysteria. They will go after any Muslim given flimsy evidence.

'But this is not done by any American. There is politics in the mosque. We Pakistanis are responsible. The current President, he first informed the FBI against the old Imam and said he had over stayed his visa. We are also sure that he is the one who went to the FBI with the story of his son going to a Madarsah in Pakistan. Petty politics. Of course once you give a straw to FBI they will make a thousand bales out of it. That is why their was a scuffle in the mosque here last week, and the journalist was around asking questions'

I did not wait for Zuhr prayers, I was disgusted by the pettiness of Pakistani community as well as they incredible lax journalism. I have long ago stopped being disappointed by the investigative authorities of this country.

Terrorism case in Lodi begins to unravel

I love being right, and yes I am off to Lodi.....

Terrorism case in Lodi, California begins to unravel
By Patrick Martin11 June 2005

Within days of the June 5 arrest of two Lodi, California men supposedly linked to Islamic fundamentalist terrorism, the case has begun to come apart at the seams.

Attorneys for the two men, a Pakistani immigrant and his US-born son, announced Thursday that there were significant discrepancies in the affidavits used by the federal Department of Justice to charge their clients.

The affidavit released to the news media on June 7 said that the younger man, 23-year-old Hamid Hayat, had attended a terror-training camp in Pakistan along with hundreds of other would-be terrorists, and returned to the US intending that potential targets for attack would include hospitals and large food stores

Neither allegation, however, was in the affidavit actually filed with a federal court in Sacramento thesame day. Instead, the two men were charged only with lying to federal investigators about Hamid Hayat's itinerary during a recent visit to Pakistan

Ghazis and pur-israar banday

yeh Ghazi yeh teray pur-israar banday

jinhain tou nay bakhsha hay zouq-e-khudaii

do neem inn ki thokar pae sehra-o-darya

simat kar pahar in ki haibat sae rayi

I remember this poetic power couplet from Dr. Allama Iqbal as I found out that a co-worker by the name of M Ghazi had been detained by the FBI for threatening to bomb an Amtrak train in Sacramento. The poor chap’s last name means warrior, I never met him, although we are both Pakistani’s. Another desi told me that he has poor English and looks distraught. He was a programmer working as a contractor. Yesterday he came down to our floor looking for left over ice cream cake and I saw him as a disheveled and paranoid desi H-1 contractor.

A Swiss co-worker told me that he is not a very logical programmer and that he can’t believe that he is capable of anything except muttering, yes he does mutter. The reports have failed to mention that he wears a hearing device, yes, the guy is half deaf!

This all happened June 8th, and later I heard other rumors about his erratic behavior, like he once tried to kiss a girl on the Amtrak train, I am surprised strippers from the big tomato have not come up with stories about how during a particularly sweaty lap dance he promised them Male hoors (complimentary to the fabled 72 virgins of paradise, known as Ghulams . . . who says Islam did not give females equal rights)

And now snippets of the news

FBI questions man as bomb squad examines suspicious packages on train

The man, described only as Middle Eastern and in his mid-30s, attracted the attention of Amtrak conductors when he missed his stop in Martinez, according to Lt. Mark Gagan. The man, who was riding Capitol Corridor train No. 525, reportedly became "nervous'' and "agitated.''

When approached by train conductors, the man allegedly told them that the train would "fall into the sea'' and "disappear,'' Gagan reported. The man then began "chanting and praying in a foreign language,'' Gagan said. The officer said an initial X-ray of one package the man left revealed an electronic device consistent with a bomb, but it turned out to be a laptop computer.

Chalo Chalo Lodi Chalo

From Lodi, heart of Northern California farming country, where a Pakistani father (ice cream seller) and 21 year old son were arrested on terrorism charges. After the initial flurry of terrorist activites, it turns out that the FBI has actually filed much lesser charges (lied about his ittenary in Pakistan) in the court of law then they gave to the newsworth news organizations (trained at Al Kaeeda camps).

FBI: Al Qaeda plot possibly uncovered

LODI, California (CNN) -- Authorities said Wednesday they believe a father and son arrested in this quaint northern California community were involved in a larger al Qaeda plan to carry out jihad, or holy war, against the United States. He said those included "individuals who have received terrorist training abroad, with the specific intent to initiate a terrorist attack in the United States and to harm Americans and our institutions."

Authorities earlier this week arrested the father and son, identified as 47-year-old Umer Hayat and 22-year-old Hamid Hayat from Lodi, on charges they lied to FBI investigators. The son is to be arraigned Friday.

Terror allegations disappear from court filing: Different affidavit in Lodi father-son case given to media than used for court.

By Tom Regan csmonitor.com

The Los Angeles Times reports that the Federal Bureau of Invesigation apparently gave the media a different, far more damaging version of an affidavit against a Lodi, California father and son charged with lying to federal officials than the one that was finally given to a court in Sacramento Thursday.

Consternation over alleged Lodi terror connection
DON THOMPSON

LODI, Calif. - For nearly a century, Pakistani-Amercians have been part of the flavor of this small agricultural community.Umer Hayat cheerfully sold treats to children from his battered ice cream van and his son, Hamid, packed cherries grown in the surrounding orchards. And it's here that authorities say 22-year-old Hamid Hayat returned last year after training in an al-Qaida terrorist camp, with plans to attack hospitals and supermarkets in the United States.

Muslim murderers among us : FBI raids Lodi

Imam - son & 2 others plotted to blow up supermarkets and hospitals - update
Imam's US born son trained at Al Qaeda camp in Pakistan - " to learn how to kill Americans" used pictures of president Bush as targets