The southeast corner of Michigan boasts one of the largest
enclaves of Arabs and Muslims living in any where in the United
States. And in the two years since 9/11/01, leaders of this
community say its members have faced more suspicion and official
scrutiny since Japanese Americans living on the west coast were
interred during World War II. In the first of a three-day series,
reporter John Bebow dug into court and Justice Department records
to document the government's terrorism enforcement effort in the
Detroit area. At the time of publication, Bebow found, prosecutors
had proven terror connections against only three of the155
suspects who federal investigators recommended should face
criminal charges. Very timely Justice Department data on TRACFED
helped Bebow mine court records and conduct his interviews with
federal prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys and community
leaders.
