Nearly a week after the death of the “blind sheik” Omar Abdel Rahman in a U.S. prison, the New York Times published an interview with his lawyer, Lynne Stewart, in which she remembered Rahman not as a terrorist but as the “personification of an American hero.”
Credit is due the New York Times for interrupting its loving ode to Stewart, who served prison time for smuggling messages from Rahman to his followers in Egypt, with a quick reality check from the National Review’s Andrew C. McCarthy, who was lead prosecutor in the case against Rahman.
No Lynne, the Blind Sheikh is most certainly not an 'American hero.' I thank the NYT for printing my response quote: https://t.co/SkVbdGqgha
— Andy McCarthy (@AndrewCMcCarthy) February 25, 2017
“The blind sheikh was neither an American nor a hero — he was the antithesis of both,” McCarthy added. “He would have been offended at the former suggestion, and all civilized people at the latter.”
Sad. This woman is unrepentant to the end. Had compassion for a terrorist & herself but not the Americans targeted
— Donna Diorio (@DonnaDiorio) February 25, 2017
@BenWeiserNYT Thank you for your service, Mr. McCarthy, in putting him away. No telling how many lives you saved.
— louise smith (@GrammaYayam164) February 25, 2017
Even though the blind sheik was convicted in 1995 of plotting “what prosecutors said” was a campaign of terror that included the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and hoped to take out tunnels and other landmarks, Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld took special notice of little qualifiers like that one sprinkled throughout the New York Times piece.
NYT couches the BS's crimes: "what prosecutors said was a campaign of urban terror" "They said it included the 1993 bombing…" https://t.co/JzSuKjgOWN
— GregGutfeld (@greggutfeld) February 25, 2017
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It certainly was good of the Times to allow the lead prosecutor to have a word, then, seeing as every mention of the blind sheik’s crimes is prefaced by the disclaimer, “prosecutors said.”
@AndrewCMcCarthy Six people can't respond to the cowardice of the @nytimes. Their names are on the World Trade Center Memorial.
— Anthony Bialy (@AnthonyBialy) February 25, 2017
For a more definitive look back at the trial of the blind sheikh, McCarthy offered his own take in National Review that pulls no punches.
On the death of the Blind Sheikh, Omar Abdel Rahman. My @NRO column:https://t.co/5dDHcrqTfE
— Andy McCarthy (@AndrewCMcCarthy) February 18, 2017
Thank G-d we have not only brilliant but decent patriots like @AndrewCMcCarthy in war w jihadis — this prosecution was/is essential to it https://t.co/gp6Nsxi9zJ
— Benjamin Weingarten (@bhweingarten) February 19, 2017
Thanks so much Ben. It was a great privilege, especially to be on a team of extraordinary Americans. https://t.co/YuuvsNgNBk
— Andy McCarthy (@AndrewCMcCarthy) February 19, 2017
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