ISSUE 156 » VOLUME 002 » WEDNESDAY AUGUST 11, 2004 NEW YORK’S FREE DAILY NEWSPAPER NewYork » CHANCE OF NATIONAL NATIONAL T-STORMS GOSS AS BOSS? PETERSON TRIAL 6 » DEMS CRITICIZE BUSH’S CIA PICK, 6 » SCOTT’S GAL PAL AMBER 83º 71º CONFIRMATION MAY BE TOUGH TALKS OF THEIR TRYSTS GASSY AUSSIE » FLATULENCE ON THE SET Naomi Watts THE BUZZ ‘Toothless tiger’ 14 Schumer slams Bush proposal for national intelligence chief TRUMPED DONALD’S BY MICHAEL CLANCY » amNewYork Staff Writer CASINOS GO BANKRUPT The White House “is doing a terri- $400 million ble job” on homeland security and bailout President Bush’s proposal for a MONEY director of national intelligence would be a “toothless tiger,” Sen. 12 Charles Schumer said yesterday. In an editorial board meeting with PRINCESS amNewYork, Schumer said creating a new director of national intelli- DIARIES gence without budgetary power and ROYAL ANNE the ability to hire and fire depart- » ment heads, including the CIA HATHAWAY director, would not improve U.S. G-Movie Queen intelligence gathering. THE BUZZ “It would make it a toothless tiger,” Schumer said. “You may as 14 well have the 9/11 commission report, wonderful document that it is, sitting on a shelf gathering dust.” WEBPOLL New York’s senior Democratic WWW.AM-NY.COM senator called Rep. Porter Goss (R- Do you think Scott Peterson Fla.), whom Bush nominated yester- murdered his pregnant day to run the CIA, “a good man.” wife Laci? Schumer noted that Goss has New York roots and said he didn’t have a problem with putting a Republican ANIMALREPORT in that post. But he added that Goss’ confirmation hearings would provide Cat scratch a good opportunity to examine the 9/11 commission’s recommendation GEORGE/AMNEWYORK) (KATE A Belgian airliner made an emer- to create a national intelligence czar Sen. Charles Schumer told amNewYork that Rep. Porter Goss (R-Fla.), President Bush’s choice to be the new director of the CIA, is a gency landing after a cat got into the with real power. “good man,” but that the United States needs a director of national intelligence who can control this country’s intelligence gathering. cockpit and attacked the co-pilot. “My questions to Porter Goss are The flight from Brussels to Vienna going to be are you for ceding your Khan’s name was leaked to reporters with all sorts of Al Qaeda agents and because it involved financial institu- had been in the air 20 minutes when authority, or some of it, to the direc- last week as the administration they were not yet finished. The tions, truck bombs and terrorists a passenger’s pet escaped from its tor of national intelligence? What’s defended the latest terror alerts that Pakistani Interior Minister said it’s a crossing land borders at Canadian or cage. It slipped into the cockpit your position on that? Why would warned of strikes against financial disgrace that the U.S. leaked this. Mexico — three Al Qaeda hall- when meals were being delivered to you take this job, if you were gonna institutions in America. They blamed us and said that if we marks. the crew and became agitated and give that up? But if you’re not, I “The leak of this man’s name may had more time, it might even have “When you get that kind of infor- nervous. The cat scratched the copi- won’t support you,” Schumer said. have been the greatest mistake in led to (Osama) bin Laden.” mation, you have no choice but to lot’s arm. To avoid a “cat-astrophe,” Schumer also demanded to know the war on terror,” Schumer said. But Schumer did defend the ter- tell law enforcement,” Schumer the pilot and 58 passengers returned who leaked the name of Mohammed “The word is that no one knew this rorist warning issued on Sunday, said. “You have to tell five or six hun- to Brussels. Naeem Noor Khan, the Al Qaeda guy was caught and they were hav- Aug. 1, saying that he also would dred law enforcement officials and computer guru captured in Pakistan. ing him interconnect computers have made the information public once you do that, it leaks.” 02 amNY WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2004 local Feds say tech wiz Mosque leaders get ran terrorist site out of New Jersey no bail in terror case NEW BRUNSWICK — Fede- Mokhtar to the New Haven, ral authorities are investigat- Conn., office, which declined ing New Jersey resident comment yesterday. Mazen Mokhtar, a technolog- Ahmad has not been ically savvy Internet whiz charged with any crime, but who they say operated a an arrest warrant issued July Web site soliciting funds and 28 by a federal judge in recruiting fighters for the Connecticut accuses Ahmad Taliban and other Muslim of running several Internet warrior groups. sites used to support and raise money for the Taliban Mokhtar is listed in regime in Afghanistan and Internet directories as the Mujahadeen Islamic militants registrant and administrative in other countries. and technical contact for the But Mokhtar’s friends paint Web site www.minna.com, a far different picture of a which authorities said is an devout, peaceful Muslim who exact duplicate of one run by taught classes on Islam and Babar Ahmad, who was arrest- sometimes led Friday prayer ed last week in London and services. charged with aiding terrorists. “It doesn’t seem like he was A neighbor, William involved with anything like Copprue, said plainclothes that,” said Asim Uzmani, a law enforcement officers board member of the New searched Mokhtar’s apart- Brunswick Islamic Center, ment several months ago, where Mokhtar volunteered hauling away several large to lead prayers at the small black bags of items in a search storefront mosque about that lasted about half the day. twice a month. Uzmani said The FBI’s Newark field he spoke to Mokhtar a few (AP) office referred inquiries on days ago. (AP) Yassin Muhiddin Aref, left, and Mosharref Hossain are led out of federal court after being denied bail yesterday in Albany. ALBANY — A federal judge promote terrorism. It did not An FBI informant who told life of our ambassador,” Khan yesterday rejected bail for provide details about allega- Aref and Hossain he was an said in a statement. He said two leaders of an Albany tions they are tied to an arms dealer asked the two Pakistan had filed a protest mosque charged in an FBI extremist group linked to Al suspects to launder money for with the U.S. Embassy in sting involving a purported Qaeda. profit from the sale of a shoul- Islamabad. plot to assassinate the The indictment chronicles der-fired missile that would Aref and Hossain have been Pakistani ambassador to the exchanges of money that be used to kill the diplomat jailed since Thursday. United Nations. authorities allege was for a in New York City, according Yesterday, defense lawyers fictitious missile sale. It to the federal complaint. Kevin Luibrand and Terry Federal Magistrate David claims that in a Feb. 12 meet- Pakistani officials have Kindlon asked Homer to set Homer said the government ing, the men believed the protested the FBI’s tactics bail, saying their clients were has sufficiently shown that attack on the ambassador used in the sting operation. needed by their families. Yassin Muhiddin Aref, 34, and would take place the follow- Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry They also called the case Mohammed Mosharref ing week. Authorities said the spokesman Masood Khan entrapment since there was Hossain, 49, are a threat to men were paid $50,000 and condemned the FBI sting no assassination plot. $215 | the community and are a Hossain was to disguise the operation, saying it was Aref’s lawyer, Kindlon, said flight risk. source of the money by writ- bizarre and dangerous. the entire case is based on A 19-count indictment, ing checks — $2,000 at a time “This has increased our government fabrication. “The unsealed Monday, charges — back to the informant from ambassador’s and our mis- facts of this case exist in the Aref and Hossain with con- his businesses, which include sion’s vulnerability . and imagination of the govern- spiring to launder money and rental properties. could have endangered the ment,” he said. (AP) GO BAG Contract talks stalemate Police and firefighters been showing up at Mayor offer to the police and fire end in arbitration. announced an impasse yes- Michael Bloomberg’s daily unions was a $1,000 lump But yesterday, the police terday in their contract nego- public appearances and pick- sum payment plus an 8% pay and fire union representatives tiations with the Bloomberg eting outside Madison Square hike — though 5% of the said they deserve more signif- administration, refusing to Garden, the site of the raise would come from pro- icant raises than other city rule out a strike or sickouts Republican National Conven- ductivity enhancements. The employees. The police union during the Republican tion beginning Aug. 30. police and firefighter unions declared an impasse in its National Convention. Several other city unions, said they had no intention of negotiations several weeks such as District Council 37, accepting productivity ago, while the firefighters “Everyone has a limit, and the city’s largest, have already enhancements, which they said they reached the same the mayor needs to know accepted a 5% raise plus denounced as “givebacks.” conclusion this week. 158 ALLEN STREET we’re close to our limit,” said $1,000 over three years with Police have been without a “Mike Bloomberg says Stephen Cassidy, president of 2% coming from productivity contract since July 31, 2002, we’re no different than peo- (Between Stanton & Rivington) the Uniformed Firefighters enhancements such as lower and firefighters since May 31, ple that push paper,” said Tuesday - Saturday 12 - 8 p.m.