notaniceguy February 07, 2012 at 8:37AM
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Was he in violation of US law?

Linda Taffs February 07, 2012 at 8:43PM
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Yes, he was in violation of US law, but he like a lot of other fellow Americans, many of whom were doctors following their conscience and the Nuremberg laws to help alleviate the death and suffering imposed by the US/UN sanctions on Iraq. Dr. Dhafir did not take money but rather according to the US government, donated $1.4 million of his own money. It seems that this case is one of smoke and mirrors to help justify money used on this “War on Terror” I traveled to Iraq with some of these other American doctors who in doing so were also in violation of US law. None of those doctors have not be charged. I believe that is because they are not Muslim. Furthermore, Dr Dhafir was not charged with terrorism and has already spent nearly nine years in a harsh Communication Management Unit, special prison that houses mainly Muslims. This man, a doctor who has saved so many lives, has more than served his time for violating the law, should be set free.

Ducati February 07, 2012 at 12:10PM
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Hitler fed the Jews until they were no longer useful to him, then he gassed them. He violated US Law by sending money to terrorists.

keepwaterclean February 07, 2012 at 12:56PM
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He broke U. S. laws and at the same time kept some of the funds for himself. Moral choice? I hardly think so.

Katherine Hughes February 07, 2012 at 3:01PM

There were no terrorists in Iraq before the war started in 2003: Saddam Hussein had a monopoly on terror. And, according to the government, Dr. Dhafir donated $1.4 million of his own money to his charity Help the Needy; yet he was convicted of stealing $500,000? I have been passionate about the protection of civil liberties since seeing a documentary of the Allies going into Bergen-Belsen as a teenager, 35 years ago. I decided to attend the trial of Dr. Dhafir because the government was duplicitous in this case from the outset and that was a grave concern to me. I attended almost all of the 14-week trial and filled 8 notebooks. Please give another citizen the benefit of 15 minutes of your time, as I hope others would do for you, and read the article for some information about this case that you have not heard before. http://www.dhafirtrial.net

johnbrown February 07, 2012 at 4:03PM
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This case was a travesty and a tragedy. The main reason for it was to create disinformation, a pretext among many others in the media at the time for invading Iraq and justifying the subsequent occupation and horror there. From the prosecutor to the judge, the atmosphere including the lurid publicity given was to stress the “aid to terrorist” canard and lies to get a jury to go along with the theory of the case. The Onondaga justice system took Doctor Dhafir’s rights and simply shredded them. It was so concerned with getting a conviction, that it basically treated him as if he were a terrorist murdering people in fact and as a history, and demolished his medical practice which included disrupting care and frightening many patients suffering from cancer. The disaster visited on Iraq was complemented by the Mordues, Suddaby’s and the get along go along crowd that has the blood of many thousands of innocents on their hands. Yes, Glenn Suddaby, yes, Norman Mordue, you played your part and victimized not only Dr Dhafir with extreme and exaggerrated claims, but you perpetuated a monstrous lie that will be the legacy and scandal of America right here in our town for many years. I saw the picture after the criminal trial years ago concluded, and the legal establishment, the judge and prosecutors dining together and partying as if they had won the Super Bowl. Congratulating themselves on a “win”. The man sentenced to 22 years helped thousands in Iraq suffering unjustly and you goons (I don’t have the words with what you represented that are printable) turned that act into some imagined monstrosity of killing Americans, a fanciful and wretched lie. That never happened.
A banker can steal millions and billions, throw people out of their homes, be complicit in causing failures and suicides and this same legal system will give him a deferrred prosecution, a fine, and not a day served. Dhafir’s crime is he was Iraqi, and had ties back to his country of birth, and helped struggling people. That could be perverted into a “crime” and then sold on the sensationalist news programs as a terrorist aider and abettor.
To call “shame, shame” is a waste of time and breath. The trial was a perversion of American justice. The ones touting it on their resumes should be remarked as selling out for a career boost or worse.
One of the worst things ever to happen in our part of NY state. I am still saddened by my own cowardice in not being more active or speaking up about the railroading of the man to serve a wretched and unspeakably dark agenda. A huge black eye for American justice. I couldn’t go to the courtroom because I knew that anyone outside Dhafir’s family would be screened as a sympathizer and potential target by the DHS. That is paranoia, and it is exactly what the prosecution wanted to create. To be fair, I am sure the DOJ in the Bush administration took a very active role in guiding their tools (Prosecutor, Judge, FBI, criminal forensic specialists, etc) in Onondaga to make the right steps in getting this result. They were the junior henchmen in the conviction apparatus.

Bob Elmendorf February 07, 2012 at 5:54PM

Dr. Dhafir, whose resentencing I just attended, is a brave humanitarian who has set a high standard for the rest of us to follow. At great personal sacrifice he helped for years to alleviate the suffering from the UN imposed sanctions on the people of Iraq which ultimately killed 1 million children under the age of 5. At home he worked as an oncologist in the underserved area of Rome NY, and helped many patients for free or reduced their bills. He was loved by his patients since he combined skill and compassion in his care of them. Many of them wrote letters of support which were submitted to Judge Mordue at the resentencing, unfortunately to no avail. He has even helped men in prison, though he himself is afflicted with several severe medical problems. He was never charged with terrorism. It was our government which was responsible for untold millions of deaths in Iraq, even though Iraq had no role in 911, nor weapons of mass destruction.

Chris Cook February 07, 2012 at 7:43PM

As someone who has always admired the principles that founded America, I can only shake my head in abject sorrow to see what has become of the nation that truly was the World’s leading light on rights and justice issues. Despite the regressive Post WWII period, millions around the globe yet look to the U.S. as a best-practice example; and what do those see today, but a soldier stripped of his rights and freedoms for reporting war crimes, and a doctor sent to prison for life for saving lives. It’s incredible, and sad.

johnbrown February 07, 2012 at 8:17PM

You commentors keep it short and I agree whole heartedly with your sentiments. I have known a few prisoners of conscience and it is very disturbing to know we have them still and are getting more in jail all the time. What a sad story for our country!

Please, let’s send a message to the Islamic community that our cultural values emphasize mercy and justice.

Please commute Dr. Dhafir’s sentence to time served.

Thank you!

Thank you for your tenacious support of the fight for freedom for Dr. Dhafir.

Tula