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OTHER NEWS STORIES - Campus observes 9/11 anniversary - Executive Board minutes update - Aug. 13, 2002 - Photographer captures stories of immigrant students - Welcome back, welcome back, welcome ba-a-ack! - News Briefs Three falsely jailed for terrorism Ty Garfield Editor-in-Chief On September 14, 2002, The Seattle Times reported authorities near Naples; Fl detained three medical students of Middle Eastern descent as terrorist suspects. The students Ayman Gheith, Kambiz Butt, and Omer Choudhary were held for 17 hours after Eunice Stone, a nurse, contacted authorities. Stone's suspicions were raised when she allegedly overheard the students make the comments, "If they don't have enough to bring it down, I have contacts. If they're mourning 9/11, what are they going to do about 9/13?" Helicopter view of the search that blocked "Alligator Alley", a section of I-75. Photo courtesy of CNN.com Collier County Sheriff, Don Hunter said, "If this is a hoax, they'll be charged." The Seattle Times reported that one federal source said there is a federal statute against making terrorist threats, although it remains unclear what happened. As reported by the Associated Press, Butt said, "Not once did we mention 9/11. Not once did we mention anything about 9/13, nor did we joke about anything of that sort." During a news conference, flanked by Gheith and Choudhary, Butt stated, "We're medical students. We are not terrorists." After Stone's telephone call, a Collier County sheriff's deputy stopped the medical students for not paying at a tollbooth. A subsequent search of the students' vehicle (including the use of a bomb-sniffing robot) revealed nothing to indicate they were involved in terrorist activity. The search closed a stretch of I-75 known as "Alligator Alley" lying between Georgia and Florida. The students were traveling from the Chicago, Mid-West area to Miami's Larkin Community Hospital to participate in a medical internship program offered there. Upon the release, Gheith, Butt, and Choudhary are no longer welcome to continue their education at the hospital. Dr. Jack Michel, president and chief executive officer of Larkin said he had received more than 200 e-mail messages after the incident, some of them threatening to the school. The three men's medical school, Ross University, has agreed to transfer them to a different training program but made no further comment. The trio has gone to great lengths to debunk theories about their loyalties even appearing on CNN's "Larry King Live" last Monday night. With their patriotism under scrutiny, the men have adamantly proclaimed their allegiance to the United States. In spite of the set back to their education, the three young men hold no grudge against anyone involved and call the entire incident a misunderstanding. Nevertheless, concerned about his future Butt said, "I want to tell the American people that we are not a threat." Collier County sheriff's office acting on Stone's interpretation of events raises the question of racial profiling: does a potential terrorist investigation employ a suspect profile solely comprised of physical characteristics? The three students are all college-aged (18-30 year-old) men of Middle Eastern descent. At the time of this printing the Collier County sheriff's office of Media was unavailable for comment. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) office in Seattle had no comment on this particular situation. Although, a representative of the ACLU said they continue to work to eradicate racial profiling as an investigative tool. The representative also stated, "the Florida chapter is likely looking into these incidents and will take action if necessary." © 2002 Shoreline Community College™