Muslim Cleric's Legal Strategy Is Uncertain; Lawyer Asks if Sheik Can Leave U.S., but One Adviser Says He Prefers to Fight Deportation

The lawyer for Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the Egyptian cleric who islinked to several figures charged in New York terrorism cases and whohas been fighting off a U.S. deportation order, yesterday asked theJustice Department if it would allow the cleric to leave forAfghanistan.

The move is an abrupt about-face in Abdel Rahman's two-year-longattempt to stave off deportation. But the 55-year-old cleric, nowheld at the federal prison in Otisville, N.Y., thinks he is waging "afight that he may not win," said Barbara Nelson, his immigrationlawyer, who conveyed Abdel Rahman's request yesterday to the officeof Mary Jo White, U.S. attorney for the southern district of NewYork.

Nelson said she was communicating with the sheik through a closeassociate of his. But another adviser to the sheik, Mohammad T.Mehdi, general secretary of the National Council of Islamic Affairs,met with Abdel Rahman in prison yesterday and said the sheik prefersfurther legal appeals of the pending deportation order against him.

Whether Afghanistan would accept Abdel Rahman and under whatconditions were not clear. Last month, Afghan Prime MinisterGulbuddin Hekmatyar reportedly said he would allow Abdel Rahman intohis country if he were deported by the United States. Later, however,Hekmatyar said that he had no intention of offending Egypt, whichsupported the Afghan rebel war against Soviet occupation in the 1980sand is seeking Abdel Rahman's extradition to face charges of incitingviolence in 1989 anti-government riots.

But the Associated Press reported that Hekmatyar said yesterdaythat he would accept Abdel Rahman, whom he called the "leader of theIslamic nation," into Afghanistan.

Officials at the Egyptian Embassy here had no comment. Some ofAbdel Rahman's supporters have expressed fear that he would facedeath if extradited to Egypt, where he is spiritual leader of theIslamic Group, an extremist organization whose members are believedby some to have increased violence in that country.

This weekend, an Egyptian man demanding Abdel Rahman's freedomhijacked a KLM Airlines jet with 138 people on board and forced it toland in Dusseldorf, Germany, where police stormed aboard and arrestedthe hijacker.

A State Department official would not comment on the status of anyarrangements being made with another country to receive Abdel Rahman."The problem with this is it's getting a little ahead of the game,"the official said.

White said in a statement that "there are many questions that needto be resolved before we can consider this proposal" by the sheik.

Abdel Rahman, who was tried and acquitted on charges of givingspiritual sanction for the assassination of Egyptian President AnwarSadat in 1981, came to the United States for brief visits in the late1980s. He began living here after his July 1990 entry on a visaissued in Khartoum, Sudan.

In obtaining the visa, Abdel Rahman slipped through a "look-out"list of suspected terrorists. State Department officials have saidthe granting of the visa was a mistake.

The cleric faces deportation for allegedly lying when he wasissued a permanent resident "green card" in April 1991. On Monday, afederal justice denied his appeal of the deportation order but agreedto a stay of 10 business days before the order is carried out.

Abdel Rahman, who resided most recently in Jersey City, has notbeen been charged in the Feb. 26 World Trade Center bombing or thethwarted plot to blow up the United Nations, two tunnels and otherNew York City locations on July 4.

But Abdel Rahman's sermons denouncing the United States, Egypt andother "infidels" have made him popular among several of the Muslimextremists charged in the New York bomb cases.

Many of the suspects prayed with Abdel Rahman at mosques in NewYork and New Jersey. Some worked for Abdel Rahman as drivers ortranslators, and others were involved in his effort to recruitvolunteers to fight for the U.S.-backed Muslim rebels in Afghanistanin the 1980s.

Recently, leaked transcripts of conversations recorded by agovernment informer have raised questions about how much Abdel Rahmanknew about the New York bomb plot and when he knew it.

Nelson said the sheik has not decided if he wants to leave theUnited States, but he wants to know if he has the option. And ifAfghanistan is ruled out, Nelson said, Abdel Rahman may consideranother country.

"He's aware that U.S. public opinion is substantially againsthim," Nelson said. "He doesn't think that he's ever going to get afair shake through the court system in the U.S."

Muslim Cleric's Legal Strategy Is Uncertain; Lawyer Asks if Sheik Can Leave U.S., but One Adviser Says He Prefers to Fight Deportation

The lawyer for Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the Egyptian cleric who islinked to several figures charged in New York terrorism cases and whohas been fighting off a U.S. deportation order, yesterday asked theJustice Department if it would allow the cleric to leave forAfghanistan.

The move is an abrupt about-face in Abdel Rahman's two-year-longattempt to stave off deportation. But the 55-year-old cleric, nowheld at the federal prison in Otisville, N.Y., thinks he is waging "afight that he may not win," said Barbara Nelson, his immigrationlawyer, who conveyed Abdel Rahman's request yesterday to the officeof Mary Jo White, U.S. attorney for the southern district of NewYork.

Nelson said she was communicating with the sheik through a closeassociate of his. But another adviser to the sheik, Mohammad T.Mehdi, general secretary of the National Council of Islamic Affairs,met with Abdel Rahman in prison yesterday and said the sheik prefersfurther legal appeals of the pending deportation order against him.

Whether Afghanistan would accept Abdel Rahman and under whatconditions were not clear. Last month, Afghan Prime MinisterGulbuddin Hekmatyar reportedly said he would allow Abdel Rahman intohis country if he were deported by the United States. Later, however,Hekmatyar said that he had no intention of offending Egypt, whichsupported the Afghan rebel war against Soviet occupation in the 1980sand is seeking Abdel Rahman's extradition to face charges of incitingviolence in 1989 anti-government riots.

But the Associated Press reported that Hekmatyar said yesterdaythat he would accept Abdel Rahman, whom he called the "leader of theIslamic nation," into Afghanistan.

Officials at the Egyptian Embassy here had no comment. Some ofAbdel Rahman's supporters have expressed fear that he would facedeath if extradited to Egypt, where he is spiritual leader of theIslamic Group, an extremist organization whose members are believedby some to have increased violence in that country.

This weekend, an Egyptian man demanding Abdel Rahman's freedomhijacked a KLM Airlines jet with 138 people on board and forced it toland in Dusseldorf, Germany, where police stormed aboard and arrestedthe hijacker.

A State Department official would not comment on the status of anyarrangements being made with another country to receive Abdel Rahman."The problem with this is it's getting a little ahead of the game,"the official said.

White said in a statement that "there are many questions that needto be resolved before we can consider this proposal" by the sheik.

Abdel Rahman, who was tried and acquitted on charges of givingspiritual sanction for the assassination of Egyptian President AnwarSadat in 1981, came to the United States for brief visits in the late1980s. He began living here after his July 1990 entry on a visaissued in Khartoum, Sudan.

In obtaining the visa, Abdel Rahman slipped through a "look-out"list of suspected terrorists. State Department officials have saidthe granting of the visa was a mistake.

The cleric faces deportation for allegedly lying when he wasissued a permanent resident "green card" in April 1991. On Monday, afederal justice denied his appeal of the deportation order but agreedto a stay of 10 business days before the order is carried out.

Abdel Rahman, who resided most recently in Jersey City, has notbeen been charged in the Feb. 26 World Trade Center bombing or thethwarted plot to blow up the United Nations, two tunnels and otherNew York City locations on July 4.

But Abdel Rahman's sermons denouncing the United States, Egypt andother "infidels" have made him popular among several of the Muslimextremists charged in the New York bomb cases.

Many of the suspects prayed with Abdel Rahman at mosques in NewYork and New Jersey. Some worked for Abdel Rahman as drivers ortranslators, and others were involved in his effort to recruitvolunteers to fight for the U.S.-backed Muslim rebels in Afghanistanin the 1980s.

Recently, leaked transcripts of conversations recorded by agovernment informer have raised questions about how much Abdel Rahmanknew about the New York bomb plot and when he knew it.

Nelson said the sheik has not decided if he wants to leave theUnited States, but he wants to know if he has the option. And ifAfghanistan is ruled out, Nelson said, Abdel Rahman may consideranother country.

"He's aware that U.S. public opinion is substantially againsthim," Nelson said. "He doesn't think that he's ever going to get afair shake through the court system in the U.S."

Muslim Cleric's Legal Strategy Is Uncertain; Lawyer Asks if Sheik Can Leave U.S., but One Adviser Says He Prefers to Fight Deportation

The lawyer for Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the Egyptian cleric who islinked to several figures charged in New York terrorism cases and whohas been fighting off a U.S. deportation order, yesterday asked theJustice Department if it would allow the cleric to leave forAfghanistan.

The move is an abrupt about-face in Abdel Rahman's two-year-longattempt to stave off deportation. But the 55-year-old cleric, nowheld at the federal prison in Otisville, N.Y., thinks he is waging "afight that he may not win," said Barbara Nelson, his immigrationlawyer, who conveyed Abdel Rahman's request yesterday to the officeof Mary Jo White, U.S. attorney for the southern district of NewYork.

Nelson said she was communicating with the sheik through a closeassociate of his. But another adviser to the sheik, Mohammad T.Mehdi, general secretary of the National Council of Islamic Affairs,met with Abdel Rahman in prison yesterday and said the sheik prefersfurther legal appeals of the pending deportation order against him.

Whether Afghanistan would accept Abdel Rahman and under whatconditions were not clear. Last month, Afghan Prime MinisterGulbuddin Hekmatyar reportedly said he would allow Abdel Rahman intohis country if he were deported by the United States. Later, however,Hekmatyar said that he had no intention of offending Egypt, whichsupported the Afghan rebel war against Soviet occupation in the 1980sand is seeking Abdel Rahman's extradition to face charges of incitingviolence in 1989 anti-government riots.

But the Associated Press reported that Hekmatyar said yesterdaythat he would accept Abdel Rahman, whom he called the "leader of theIslamic nation," into Afghanistan.

Officials at the Egyptian Embassy here had no comment. Some ofAbdel Rahman's supporters have expressed fear that he would facedeath if extradited to Egypt, where he is spiritual leader of theIslamic Group, an extremist organization whose members are believedby some to have increased violence in that country.

This weekend, an Egyptian man demanding Abdel Rahman's freedomhijacked a KLM Airlines jet with 138 people on board and forced it toland in Dusseldorf, Germany, where police stormed aboard and arrestedthe hijacker.

A State Department official would not comment on the status of anyarrangements being made with another country to receive Abdel Rahman."The problem with this is it's getting a little ahead of the game,"the official said.

White said in a statement that "there are many questions that needto be resolved before we can consider this proposal" by the sheik.

Abdel Rahman, who was tried and acquitted on charges of givingspiritual sanction for the assassination of Egyptian President AnwarSadat in 1981, came to the United States for brief visits in the late1980s. He began living here after his July 1990 entry on a visaissued in Khartoum, Sudan.

In obtaining the visa, Abdel Rahman slipped through a "look-out"list of suspected terrorists. State Department officials have saidthe granting of the visa was a mistake.

The cleric faces deportation for allegedly lying when he wasissued a permanent resident "green card" in April 1991. On Monday, afederal justice denied his appeal of the deportation order but agreedto a stay of 10 business days before the order is carried out.

Abdel Rahman, who resided most recently in Jersey City, has notbeen been charged in the Feb. 26 World Trade Center bombing or thethwarted plot to blow up the United Nations, two tunnels and otherNew York City locations on July 4.

But Abdel Rahman's sermons denouncing the United States, Egypt andother "infidels" have made him popular among several of the Muslimextremists charged in the New York bomb cases.

Many of the suspects prayed with Abdel Rahman at mosques in NewYork and New Jersey. Some worked for Abdel Rahman as drivers ortranslators, and others were involved in his effort to recruitvolunteers to fight for the U.S.-backed Muslim rebels in Afghanistanin the 1980s.

Recently, leaked transcripts of conversations recorded by agovernment informer have raised questions about how much Abdel Rahmanknew about the New York bomb plot and when he knew it.

Nelson said the sheik has not decided if he wants to leave theUnited States, but he wants to know if he has the option. And ifAfghanistan is ruled out, Nelson said, Abdel Rahman may consideranother country.

"He's aware that U.S. public opinion is substantially againsthim," Nelson said. "He doesn't think that he's ever going to get afair shake through the court system in the U.S."

Muslim Cleric's Legal Strategy Is Uncertain; Lawyer Asks if Sheik Can Leave U.S., but One Adviser Says He Prefers to Fight Deportation

The lawyer for Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the Egyptian cleric who islinked to several figures charged in New York terrorism cases and whohas been fighting off a U.S. deportation order, yesterday asked theJustice Department if it would allow the cleric to leave forAfghanistan.

The move is an abrupt about-face in Abdel Rahman's two-year-longattempt to stave off deportation. But the 55-year-old cleric, nowheld at the federal prison in Otisville, N.Y., thinks he is waging "afight that he may not win," said Barbara Nelson, his immigrationlawyer, who conveyed Abdel Rahman's request yesterday to the officeof Mary Jo White, U.S. attorney for the southern district of NewYork.

Nelson said she was communicating with the sheik through a closeassociate of his. But another adviser to the sheik, Mohammad T.Mehdi, general secretary of the National Council of Islamic Affairs,met with Abdel Rahman in prison yesterday and said the sheik prefersfurther legal appeals of the pending deportation order against him.

Whether Afghanistan would accept Abdel Rahman and under whatconditions were not clear. Last month, Afghan Prime MinisterGulbuddin Hekmatyar reportedly said he would allow Abdel Rahman intohis country if he were deported by the United States. Later, however,Hekmatyar said that he had no intention of offending Egypt, whichsupported the Afghan rebel war against Soviet occupation in the 1980sand is seeking Abdel Rahman's extradition to face charges of incitingviolence in 1989 anti-government riots.

But the Associated Press reported that Hekmatyar said yesterdaythat he would accept Abdel Rahman, whom he called the "leader of theIslamic nation," into Afghanistan.

Officials at the Egyptian Embassy here had no comment. Some ofAbdel Rahman's supporters have expressed fear that he would facedeath if extradited to Egypt, where he is spiritual leader of theIslamic Group, an extremist organization whose members are believedby some to have increased violence in that country.

This weekend, an Egyptian man demanding Abdel Rahman's freedomhijacked a KLM Airlines jet with 138 people on board and forced it toland in Dusseldorf, Germany, where police stormed aboard and arrestedthe hijacker.

A State Department official would not comment on the status of anyarrangements being made with another country to receive Abdel Rahman."The problem with this is it's getting a little ahead of the game,"the official said.

White said in a statement that "there are many questions that needto be resolved before we can consider this proposal" by the sheik.

Abdel Rahman, who was tried and acquitted on charges of givingspiritual sanction for the assassination of Egyptian President AnwarSadat in 1981, came to the United States for brief visits in the late1980s. He began living here after his July 1990 entry on a visaissued in Khartoum, Sudan.

In obtaining the visa, Abdel Rahman slipped through a "look-out"list of suspected terrorists. State Department officials have saidthe granting of the visa was a mistake.

The cleric faces deportation for allegedly lying when he wasissued a permanent resident "green card" in April 1991. On Monday, afederal justice denied his appeal of the deportation order but agreedto a stay of 10 business days before the order is carried out.

Abdel Rahman, who resided most recently in Jersey City, has notbeen been charged in the Feb. 26 World Trade Center bombing or thethwarted plot to blow up the United Nations, two tunnels and otherNew York City locations on July 4.

But Abdel Rahman's sermons denouncing the United States, Egypt andother "infidels" have made him popular among several of the Muslimextremists charged in the New York bomb cases.

Many of the suspects prayed with Abdel Rahman at mosques in NewYork and New Jersey. Some worked for Abdel Rahman as drivers ortranslators, and others were involved in his effort to recruitvolunteers to fight for the U.S.-backed Muslim rebels in Afghanistanin the 1980s.

Recently, leaked transcripts of conversations recorded by agovernment informer have raised questions about how much Abdel Rahmanknew about the New York bomb plot and when he knew it.

Nelson said the sheik has not decided if he wants to leave theUnited States, but he wants to know if he has the option. And ifAfghanistan is ruled out, Nelson said, Abdel Rahman may consideranother country.

"He's aware that U.S. public opinion is substantially againsthim," Nelson said. "He doesn't think that he's ever going to get afair shake through the court system in the U.S."

Muslim Cleric's Legal Strategy Is Uncertain; Lawyer Asks if Sheik Can Leave U.S., but One Adviser Says He Prefers to Fight Deportation

The lawyer for Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the Egyptian cleric who islinked to several figures charged in New York terrorism cases and whohas been fighting off a U.S. deportation order, yesterday asked theJustice Department if it would allow the cleric to leave forAfghanistan.

The move is an abrupt about-face in Abdel Rahman's two-year-longattempt to stave off deportation. But the 55-year-old cleric, nowheld at the federal prison in Otisville, N.Y., thinks he is waging "afight that he may not win," said Barbara Nelson, his immigrationlawyer, who conveyed Abdel Rahman's request yesterday to the officeof Mary Jo White, U.S. attorney for the southern district of NewYork.

Nelson said she was communicating with the sheik through a closeassociate of his. But another adviser to the sheik, Mohammad T.Mehdi, general secretary of the National Council of Islamic Affairs,met with Abdel Rahman in prison yesterday and said the sheik prefersfurther legal appeals of the pending deportation order against him.

Whether Afghanistan would accept Abdel Rahman and under whatconditions were not clear. Last month, Afghan Prime MinisterGulbuddin Hekmatyar reportedly said he would allow Abdel Rahman intohis country if he were deported by the United States. Later, however,Hekmatyar said that he had no intention of offending Egypt, whichsupported the Afghan rebel war against Soviet occupation in the 1980sand is seeking Abdel Rahman's extradition to face charges of incitingviolence in 1989 anti-government riots.

But the Associated Press reported that Hekmatyar said yesterdaythat he would accept Abdel Rahman, whom he called the "leader of theIslamic nation," into Afghanistan.

Officials at the Egyptian Embassy here had no comment. Some ofAbdel Rahman's supporters have expressed fear that he would facedeath if extradited to Egypt, where he is spiritual leader of theIslamic Group, an extremist organization whose members are believedby some to have increased violence in that country.

This weekend, an Egyptian man demanding Abdel Rahman's freedomhijacked a KLM Airlines jet with 138 people on board and forced it toland in Dusseldorf, Germany, where police stormed aboard and arrestedthe hijacker.

A State Department official would not comment on the status of anyarrangements being made with another country to receive Abdel Rahman."The problem with this is it's getting a little ahead of the game,"the official said.

White said in a statement that "there are many questions that needto be resolved before we can consider this proposal" by the sheik.

Abdel Rahman, who was tried and acquitted on charges of givingspiritual sanction for the assassination of Egyptian President AnwarSadat in 1981, came to the United States for brief visits in the late1980s. He began living here after his July 1990 entry on a visaissued in Khartoum, Sudan.

In obtaining the visa, Abdel Rahman slipped through a "look-out"list of suspected terrorists. State Department officials have saidthe granting of the visa was a mistake.

The cleric faces deportation for allegedly lying when he wasissued a permanent resident "green card" in April 1991. On Monday, afederal justice denied his appeal of the deportation order but agreedto a stay of 10 business days before the order is carried out.

Abdel Rahman, who resided most recently in Jersey City, has notbeen been charged in the Feb. 26 World Trade Center bombing or thethwarted plot to blow up the United Nations, two tunnels and otherNew York City locations on July 4.

But Abdel Rahman's sermons denouncing the United States, Egypt andother "infidels" have made him popular among several of the Muslimextremists charged in the New York bomb cases.

Many of the suspects prayed with Abdel Rahman at mosques in NewYork and New Jersey. Some worked for Abdel Rahman as drivers ortranslators, and others were involved in his effort to recruitvolunteers to fight for the U.S.-backed Muslim rebels in Afghanistanin the 1980s.

Recently, leaked transcripts of conversations recorded by agovernment informer have raised questions about how much Abdel Rahmanknew about the New York bomb plot and when he knew it.

Nelson said the sheik has not decided if he wants to leave theUnited States, but he wants to know if he has the option. And ifAfghanistan is ruled out, Nelson said, Abdel Rahman may consideranother country.

"He's aware that U.S. public opinion is substantially againsthim," Nelson said. "He doesn't think that he's ever going to get afair shake through the court system in the U.S."