Man falsely links son-in-law to al-Qaida

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Man falsely links son-in-law to al-Qaida
32 minutes ago



STOCKHOLM, Sweden - A Swedish man accused of falsely telling U.S. authorities that his son-in-law had links to al-Qaida has been charged with defamation, a newspaper reported Friday.

The false warning spoiled a business trip to the U.S. for the man's son-in-law, who was stopped at a Florida airport and questioned for 11 hours before being sent back on a plane to Sweden, the Sydsvenska Dagbladet daily reported.

U.S. authorities apparently reacted to an e-mail sent to the FBI saying the man "likely has links to the Muslim terror organization al-Qaida's network in Sweden," the newspaper reported.

The 52-year-old father-in-law admitted to having sent the e-mail after it was traced to his home computer, the paper said. He reportedly told police he sent the e-mail in anger after a dispute with his son-in-law, who was divorcing his daughter.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071102/ap_on_fe_st/sweden_al_qaida_hoax

[MADem]

1. What a baaaaaastid!!! Looks like soon to be ex-son in law might get a nice payday out of this.

Do the Swedes pay compensatory and punitive damages for defamation? It looks like Pappy could end up doing a bit in the can!

The asshole comes off like an aggrieved Republican! What a whiner:

The man said he did not expect such a "paranoid reaction" from U.S. authorities, Sydsvenska Dagbladet reported.

According to court documents, he was charged Thursday with grave defamation in the district court in Lund, southern Sweden, and could face up to two years in prison if convicted.

[kimmylavin]

2. What an ass.

Didn't expect such a paranoid reaction?
American citizens can't travel with shampoo and little old ladies are being forced from their wheelchairs for security checks, but emailing the FBI and saying a man has ties to al-Qaida is just a harmless prank?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. And maybe some of the protofascist asshats who are fine with all the surveillance

and waterboarding and disappearing people to secret prisons forever might want to think carefully about this incident: Suppose you have an enemy -- an angry ex-spouse or a vengeful business associate, for example -- who wants to harm you but can't quite bring himself to hire a hit man or whack you himself. All that person has to do is figure out a credible way to finger you as a terrorist conspirator, and presto! You're hauled off to god knows where with no access to a lawyer or any sort of due process, no way to defend yourself at all. Being innocent won't help. So if you think all this crap won't hurt you because you're a "good citizen" who hasn't done anything wrong, think the fuck again. The Swedish guy was lucky he got away. An American probably wouldn't be so lucky.

[DBoon]

4. This is part of what makes up a police state

when private grievances are settled by denouncing the other party to the secret police

[momster]

14. Or a Gov't Employee

Doesn't have to be an ex-spouse or ticked off business associate. If you don't say 'yes, sir, no, sir' or act in some way that doesn't spell 'respect' to some low-level gov't dweeb, how long is it before you find yourself facing some kind of b.s. charge. After all, most people never met Hitler or Himmler or any of that crowd. It was the low-level sods that put people on lists and assigned the box-cars. Watch out for the otherwise useless types given a fancy uniform and a little bit of power -- they turn into mini-Satans awfully darn fast.

[Exultant Democracy]

5. His son is lucky that he isn't Egypt being tortured.

[Akoto]

7. Exactly my thinking. Lucky he wasn't vanished. n/t

[sarcasmo]

6. Wonder if I can do this to the step-mother.

[mainer]

9. or to all the rightwing nutjobs we happen to know?

If it happened a few too many times, to too many Republicans, they might get the hint that it's not such a good thing to be "disappeared."

[rucky]

8. am I the only one who finds this hilarious?

:shrug:

[NeoConsSuck]

10. Apparently

[fbahrami]

11. no

it's both tragic and comic.

[SyntaxError]

12. I would find it amusing if I didn't think it's going to even more assholes the idea...

I can see it now...

internet-user 1: you suck internet-user 2
internet-user 2: oh yeah? Well I'll get you, internet-user 1.
internet-user 1: bring it on.

internet-user 2: *calls DHS and reports internet-user 1 as a terrorist*

intener-user 1:
intener-user 2: hah! I win.

[treestar]

13. They actually sent him back over it?

That gives assholes like the accuser too much power.

The DHS needs to learn to use judgment and discretion, rather than allowing things like that to happen - it lets anyone with a big mouth and a lot of vengeance in them have way too much power.

It'll be like the McCarthy era.

Stupid, stupid government. Of course, considering their leader, it's no wonder they do the job the way third graders would.