Reuters. 25 July 2002.

DETROIT -- A U.S. Secret Service agent has admitted to scrawling anti-Muslim graffiti in the home of an Arab-American man accused of possessing $12 million in phony cashier's checks, federal officials said
on Thursday.

The 10-year veteran of the Secret Service was placed on leave from the agency and could be fired and face criminal charges for scrawling "Islam is Evil" and "Christ is King" on a Muslim prayer calendar while searching the home of suspect Omar Shishani, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Collins said.

Shishani's home in Dearborn, Michigan, was searched after his arrest. The agent's name was not disclosed.

The Secret Service agent who has admitted to scrawling the words was a member of the team of federal agents taking part in the search, officials said.

Asked about the agent's possible motivation, one senior law enforcement official said, "I think the guy just went brain-dead."

Shishani was indicted by a federal grand jury on Tuesday on smuggling and counterfeit securities charges, and ordered on Wednesday held without bail.

Federal officials said on Wednesday that Shishani told government agents that he had a business associate with possible links to Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.

Shishani's lawyer, Nabih Ayad, denied that his client claimed to have any information about terrorism, and said he was likely to sue the Secret Service and the agent involved for alleged civil-rights violations.

"We feel that this action taken by this individual in the Secret Service is not only startling, basically it's outrageous," Ayad said.

"It really undermines the Secret Service's and the terrorism task force's credibility and their effectiveness," he said.



Dopo le scritte sulle bombe ora anche quelle degli agenti lasciate nelle abitazioni perquisite dei cittadini arabo-americani.