In an article titled, “Nation’s Frantic Dragnet Entangles Many Lives,” Los Angeles Times staff writer Patrick J. McDonnell reports on wave of detentions — often on scant evidence — that have come in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 11 September. The FBI has made wide use of polygraphy in interrogating detainees. This article documents some apparent false positives cases, such as that of Ahmad Abou El-Kheir. Excerpt:
Ahmad Abou El-Kheir was among the first wave of arrestees in the frantic days after the attacks. The son of a retired general, El-Kheir, 28, studied hotel management in college in his native Egypt. The FBI found that El-Kheir had checked out of a Maryland hotel on Sept. 11. He was believed to be an “associate” of two of the hijackers. A polygraph test showed “strong deception.”
El-Kheir was eventually hauled off to New York as one of a number of “material witnesses,” believed to have vital information. Soon, El-Kheir’s significance seemed to diminish. A federal judge dismissed the material witness warrant on Oct. 11. The onetime suspected associate of terrorist mass murderers found himself in a Bronx court answering to a minor disorderly conduct conviction outstanding from three years earlier.
Next was an immigration charge of having violated the terms of his tourist visa on a previous visit. As El-Kheir was shuttled to and from jails in New York and New Jersey, his lawyer worried about his physical safety amid the charged atmosphere after Sept. 11.
“As far as I know, he’s still alive,” said El-Kheir’s attorney, Martin R. Stolar, who has had difficulty finding his client and arranging for hearings. “They’re moving to deport him. I say fine with me. He’s had it with this country for a while. But I can’t get anybody to pay attention to the case.”