William H. Webster, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, disclosed yesterday that the FBI had provided the Israeli government with specific details concerning Sami Esmail, an American citizen of Palestinian origin, who was arrested and tried in Israel for collaborating with a terrorist organization.
Webster, a former federal court judge, revealed the FBI’s role in the case during a question period after he addressed a session of the national commission meeting of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith at the New York Hilton Hotel.
He said he had informed the Israeli authorities that Esmail underwent training in Libya in terrorist techniques and provided further information about his intended activities in Israel. Webster said he found out subsequently that the Israel is had more information on Esmail than the FBI. But, he said, he acted correctly and would do it again. Esmail, a 24-year-old Michigan State University student, was paroled last month after serving 10 months of a 15-month prison term imposed for collaborating with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). He returned immediately to the U.S.
Webster discussed terrorism, international and domestic, in the course of his speech to the ADL’s national commission. He recalled the seizure by Black Muslims of the B’nai B’rith head-quarters and two other buildings with over 130 hostages in Washington, D.C. in March, 1977 as an illustration of “the potential for destruction by a group whose single-minded purpose outweighed all other considerations.”
“The terrorism that has occurred is abhorrent, and we are aware of the potential for escalation,” the FBI chief said. “We have made contingency plans and have trained our people and others in low enforcement to meet possible emergencies.” He noted a seminar held at the FBI Academy at Quantico, Va, last July attended by representatives of nine foreign countries, including Israel “to share their experiences with representatives of the FBI and other American enforcement agencies” on the problem of terrorism.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
