WarCriminalsWatch Events

Gather at 8:30 am on the first day of the Newburgh Four Trial
Prayer Service to begin at 8:45 am

Leading our prayers will be:

Pastor Doug Cunningham,
New Day United Methodist Church, Bronx, New York

Alicia Mc Williams
aunt of David Williams of the Newburgh Four

Imam Salahuddin M. Muhammad

Masjid Al-Ikhlas, Newburgh, New York

Imam Abdus Saboor

Masjid Dar Al-Ihsaanto, White Plains, New York

A representative of the Jewish faith and other spiritual leaders to be added
shortly.

ALL ARE WELCOME!

We invite you to join our vigil before the trial begins and to attend the trial
to witness the proceedings and show our support for the Newburgh Four.

Directions to the Court House:
http://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/jury_travel.php?location=whiteplains

For more information please email call Anne Gibbons at 212-799-4686 or
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..
This vigil is endorsed by the Newburgh Four Support Committee, WESPAC, Project
Salam, the Peace and Justice Foundation, DRUM Desis Rising Up and Moving, Middle
Eastern Law Student's Association at CUNY Law School, CODEPINK NYC, Coalition to
Free Mumia Abu-Jamal NYC, Masjid Al-TaweedA Peekskill, Al-Awada NY, World Can't
Wait and the Council on Ethical Relations.

Background on Newburgh Four:
Four Men Victims of FBI Entrapment

On May 20, 2009, federal and New York City authorities arrested four men on
charges of plotting domestic terrorist attacks in the Riverdale section of the
Bronx. Lawyers for the men, now known as the Newburgh Four, recently filed a
motion to dismiss the federal charges, citing entrapment by a paid government
informant.

Many people believe that the Newburgh 4, from Newburgh NY– James Cromitie,
David Williams, Onta Williams, and Laguerre Payen––were unfairly bribed into
participating in a government- created terror plot. One had mental problems, one
was a cocaine addict, and one was homeless. The agent reportedly offered them
tens of thousands of dollars to join the conspiracy.  Entrapment, a practice in
which law officials trick people into breaking the law (which the defendants
would have not broken otherwise) is becoming a more common tactic since the U.S.
government began its War on Terror. The legality of this practice under the
Constitution is debatable.

All four men have served time in prison and have found it near impossible to
find work given their criminal records.  They considered the informant, Malik,
"a good Muslim brother" who would help them with their financial and medical
problems.  Malik relentlessly pursued the men, would show up in various luxury
cars and provided them with large amounts of money and marijuana.  He bought
them food, took them out to dinner, paid the rent for James, and promised to
give James his BMW.  He told David Williams he would receive $25,000 to pay for
a liver for his brother, who is fighting liver cancer.   Laguerre Payen, a
schizophrenic who can't be deported to Haiti due to his mental illness, was
arrested in a crack house surrounded by bottles of his own urine.  Alicia Mc
Williams, David Williams’ aunt, recounted that prior to Malik's arrival "these
four couldn't organize a successful barbecue let alone plot a terrorist attack."

The indictment of the Newburgh Four is just one in a long series of illegal
entrapments. The FBI hires Muslim criminals as agents provocateur to infiltrate
Muslim communities and try to involve innocent law abiding members in illegal
activities by large gifts of money, friendship, trickery and manipulation. Many
people question the morality of FBI entrapment as a valid method of enforcing
justice. Anne Gibbons, a resident of the Bronx says, "The idea that these
entrapments are legitimate law enforcement activities that make us safer is
ridiculous and shocking. The use of agents provocateur by the FBI is morally
wrong and a danger to the rule of law in this country."