Tuesday, April 22, 2003

Free Mike Hawash?

The Microsoft programmer who is jailed without charges or bail because of the Patriot Act writes a letter. I don't know all the facts, but I sure hope there is good cause for this. This may sound naive, but the man sounds legit. Read the letter. Then get the facts.

On Thursday, March 20, 2003, our friend and colleague Maher (Mike) Hawash was arrested ("detained") as a "material witness" by the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force in the parking lot of Intel Corp's Hawthorne Farms offices. Simultaneously, FBI agents in bulletproof vests and carrying assault rifles awoke Mike's wife Lisa and their three children in the home, which they proceeded to search. Since then, Mike has been held without charge in the Federal Prison at Sheridan, OR. All proceedings in his case are secret.

Sigh...the Patriot Act.