Paul Abbate, head of the Detroit FBI
The FBI responds to concerns in the Arab American community about a Detroit News report that it has been flying a spy plane over Dearborn.
Robert Snell, who wrote the original story, reports that the FBI says it was conducting a specific criminal probe -- not investigating credible terror threats, nor targeting racial or religious communities. The FBI has been using spy planes for decades for criminal probes.
Paul Abbate, head of the Detroit FBI, met Wednesday night with Arab-American leaders in Dearborn at the Arab-American News along with U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, and Dearborn Councilman Mike Sareini, The News reports.
“We are very satisfied that the community is not being surveilled,” Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab American News said, according to the News report. “There is no massive surveillance of any nature. We support whatever the FBI is doing to protect our country and our nation as long as they’re doing it according to the Constitution and under the law, and they’re targeting criminals.
“We believe they are telling the truth.”
Nabih Ayad, chairman of the Arab American Civil Rights League also expressed relief.
“We’ve earned this distrust and this paranoia and I think over the years, we see all the past history in our interactions with the FBI,” said Ayad. “So when something like this happens, it immediately triggers us — “Oh no not again.’ However, due to this FBI director Special Agent Paul Abbate and his excellent relationship in the community and the trust that has been built ... he has assured there is no mass surveillance going on. It’s particularized, detailed investigations that are happening. We are listening and we take his word at it.”
Abbate said in a statement earlier Wednesday:
“Contrary to the suggestion of some recent media reporting, the FBI does not employ aviation assets to conduct mass surveillance nor to target specific communities. Neither does the FBI monitor lawfully protected First Amendment activity. Further, the FBI Detroit Field Office is not aware of any specific or credible threats within the local Detroit Metropolitan area.”
Fatina Abdrabboh, director of the American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee, who also was at the meeting, said the “mere swiftness” with which the community leaders were able to meet with Abbate “speaks to the level of trust that we have worked toward as a community in relationship to federal government.”
The FBI did not provide details Wednesday of its investigation, community leaders said.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, who also attended the meeting Wednesday, said she thought the FBI was trying to be responsible, but hoped the local community would be portrayed accurately and not unfairly targeted.
“We want every American to be able to have freedom of speech, religion — all of their civil liberties,” she said.
Ayad said his office sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade asking for an investigation. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Michigan Regional Office also said they sought a probe.
