My Trip to Lebanon: Gunshots and Celebrations

Note: These were written during my trip to Lebanon and so are not currently occurring. I wrote them each day during my trip on my computer because my internet accessibility was greatly restricted. They are each being posted on a different day. The time and date is usually mentioned at some point in the piece and you may notice changes in word tense because I alternate between what I’m doing as I type the blogpost with events that happened throughout the day. Although I went for family, I took the opportunity to blog my experiences mostly surrounding my discoveries of political, social and religious issues in the country.

Sunrise from my window (My picture)

I went to bed shortly after 5 am Saturday morning (just a few mins after I finished my last blog post). Jetlag still controlled my sleeping habits and I stayed up as the sun rose. I’d watch my second sunrise in Lebanon until all my three sisters’ alarms rang. They had a busy day to prepare for the wedding. As they dressed and left for their Salon appointments I began to dose into sleep. Finally I would get some rest before the long day ahead of me.

                Suddenly, a loud bang rang through the neighborhood. My head jerked out of sleep and my brother and I made eye contact; he asked me “Did you hear that?” before he slowly went back to sleep. We both knew it was a gunshot (my sister later told me she heard another one several weeks ago). Instantly I remembered the story my dad told me of violence in my diverse neighborhood when sectarian tensions were running high some years ago. I couldn’t go back to sleep because my bed was directly underneath a set of mammoth windows with curtains covering.

The shot seemed so close to the building that I wanted to see what was going on (without dying of course). I sat up in my bed and slowly peaked through the large curtains, pushing them open enough to allow an eye to look through. Peering to the tops of buildings first (sniper), I found nothing. Looking down to the street below, again nothing. It was clear I had waited too long to see anyone firing, but maybe that was a good thing. I stayed awake for two hours before I was able to fall back to sleep and get some rest for the long day ahead of me.

Late in the afternoon my brother and I decided to walk around the neighborhood searching for a male barber. I was guiding him around since the previous day, my sister and I had walked all over the place while buying some delicious Lebanese ice cream. Making our way up and down the hills and buildings, we were walking back through our own memories. Every other young man had pounds of gel in his hair while the old men sat outside on plastic chairs discussing the day ahead. We recognized so much from the stores we always used to buy from to the largest waste management company in the country, Sukleen. Walking on the street with taxis from the 60s and 70s and mopeds driven by teenagers brought back many a good time.

Much had also changed, as stores we once knew were closed now and at least 7 more buildings were being built around us. Our much treasured ocean view was now blocked by a new building which rose just 6 floors (ours was on the second floor). Neighborhood friends had grown up and moved on, or became so different I couldn’t relate to them anymore.

By nighttime we were back and prepared to leave. Everyone was dressed in formal wear: men in fresh and clean suits, ladies in beautiful night gowns (in typical Lebanese extravagant style). The wedding was in old fashioned castle and everything was profligate, from the dancers to the singing to the other festivities. I’d take this time to congratulate my sister and brother-in-law on their wedding and hope they have a great honeymoon (this happened at least a week ago but only got internet when I returned to the U.S.).

We returned home at 2:00 am. There wasn’t much today in relation to politics and sectarian disputes because today was a day of celebration; a day that began with a gunshot but ends with smiles and a thousand pictures worth one million words.

Sunday 6/26/2011 4:00 pm

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former Hell's Angel was sentenced to 2½ years in prison Friday for a 2009 fight

former Hell's Angel was sentenced to 2½ years in prison Friday for a 2009 fight Judge Steven Conn said he still has little idea as to what actually occurred.

George Walters was one of seven members of the Hell's Angels and Desert Road Riders motorcycle club arrested and charged with riot and participating in a gang for a fight with a rival motorcycle club at Lazy Harry's bar in Bullhead City June 19, 2009.

Walters is the only one to have pleaded guilty so far. The others continue to contest the charges and appear headed for trial.

"I've always wondered what this trial will actually consist of," Conn said, adding that there has never been any statements or evidence offered as to what the fight consisted of or the level of involvement by each of the men.

The seven motorcycle club members, who included Kingman residents Dale Leroy Hormuth and James Snider, were arrested five months after the reported fight. In that time, motorcycle riders complained about harassment by law enforcement and the community was embroiled over whether businesses had the right to deny entrance to those wearing "colors," referring to motorcycle club insignia.

Officials with the GIITEM task force (Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission), said after the arrests were announced that the investigation into the fight was the reason for their increased surveillance. They later added that they were trying to prevent the Hell's Angels from getting a foothold in Mohave County.

Walters' attorney, Ron Gilleo, said it appeared the County Attorney's Office was prosecuting the club members more for their reputation and for the threat of what could have happened during the fight versus what actually occurred.

Gilleo said that by the time police responded to the fight complaint at Lazy Harry's, the band had already resumed playing, people were dancing and patrons were enjoying their drinks on the patio.

Prosecutor Bob Moon conceded that the fight did not meet most people's definition of a riot but said that the men couldn't use the "no harm, no foul" defense for what occurred that night.

In handing down his sentence, which could have been as much as eight years, Conn said he was not going to use this case as a means to send a message to the Hell's Angels or any other motorcycle clubs.

He added that for a "notorious" member of the Hell's Angels, Walters had an especially brief criminal history, which only included a failure to appear felony charge out of federal court and a misdemeanor citation from the Game and Fish department. Otherwise Walters had no prior convictions involving drugs, weapons or violence.

Gilleo said Walters, a friend of Hell's Angels founder Sonny Barger, grew tired of the biker lifestyle and began distancing himself from the club in the weeks after the fight. Walters had been scouting ranch locations in Mexico to become a cowboy of sorts, Gilleo said.

Walters himself spoke only briefly at the hearing, saying that he had grown tired of the "10 years of drama."

"I'll never put anyone at risk or put them at risk to have harm done to them again," he said.

Wanted: an angel with bail for bikie

BIKIE boss Felix Lyle continues to languish in jail because he does not appear to know anyone ''acceptable'' or with a spare $100,000 in cash from legitimate sources to meet his bail requirements.

When the 54-year-old Hells Angels chieftain was charged last week over his alleged role in a massive fraud ring, police set bail at $100,000 in cash.

But the problem for Mr Lyle, also known as Big F, is the set he moves in. ''Thus far we haven't been able to find an acceptable person,'' said Mr Lyle's solicitor, Martin Ricci, yesterday. By ''acceptable person'' the police mean no one with a criminal record.

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Also not able to provide bail money is a bankrupt, which is the position Mr Lyle is in after an unfortunate hotel deal in Kings Cross. When he was bankrupted in 2009 he listed his occupation as unemployed and claimed to have only $100 to his name.

Outside Central Local Court yesterday Mr Ricci said that police had raised the bar so high, they might as well have refused his client bail. ''No one has $100,000 lying around,'' he said.

Mr Lyle's good friend the underworld boss Tony Vincent cannot put up the money himself having done a stint behind bars in recent years for drug and fraud offences.

Mr Lyle has been charged over three serious fraud offences worth $2.3 million and one count of knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.

 

Hells Angels leader accused of traffic assault against fellow member

apparent dispute over an Evergreen man's wish to drop his affiliation with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club came close to becoming deadly last week.

A Denver man is now facing felony menacing charges after an arrest for allegations that he tried to run down a member of his motorcycle gang with a truck for quitting the group.

Todd Allan Zahn, 37, of Denver, and the apparent president of the Nomads/Hells Angels chapter, posted a $20,000 bond to get out of jail after his July 12 arrest in which fellow club member Donald Dilling, 52, accused the man of trying to run him down.

"Dilling believes that the motivation for this action is that Zahn was going to attempt to forcibly remove a Hells Angels' tattoo on his chest and then murder him," the affidavit stated.

An Erie police officer driving on Colo. 66 near Weld County Road 17 west of Platteville said he saw a black truck blocking westbound traffic and a man on a motorcycle who appeared to be trying to get away from the truck. The officer stopped to determine the problem.

Dilling, according to a Weld Sheriff's Office affidavit, told the officer Zahn was trying to assault him with his truck, and Zahn sped off. The officer stopped him and waited for a Weld sheriff's deputy to arrive.

Dilling said he was driving his motorcycle west on Colo. 66 when Zahn pulled up alongside him and began shouting at him.

"Zahn is the president of the local Nomads/Hells Angels chapter and is upset at Dilling because he has decided to leave the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club," the affidavit states. "Dilling said Zahn attempted to 'force him off the road.' "

Dilling told the officers he avoided a collision by running into weeds on the side of the road.

Zahn has a long history of driving infractions and was convicted in 2006 for being a previous offender in possession of a weapon. He received 18 months probation and 120 hours of community service.

Zahn and Dilling both were part of a group of Hells Angels motorcycle members who in 2007 sued the Mountain View Police Department, as well as the city and county of Denver, for an unlawful traffic stop in 2005. A Mountain View officer stopped the group of 11 motorcyclists as they rode in formation in Denver, according to the group's lawsuit. The group was held at gunpoint and handcuffed during the stop, in which dozens of officers participated, including the Denver SWAT team and a police helicopter. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed when the parties settled out of court.

 

Former Santa Clara cop goes on trial in federal court

For Clay Rojas, it has been a long, hard fall from being a Santa Clara police officer and former Marine sergeant who served in Iraq to a disgraced ex-cop tied to a Hells Angel with a rap sheet.
Starting Tuesday, the 37-year-old Rojas will begin the process of finding out whether that fall will ultimately land him in a federal prison cell.
Jury selection is set to begin in federal court in San Jose for Rojas' trial on charges he illegally supplied confidential law enforcement information to a member of the Hells Angels to pay off a debt. Lawyers are expected to then move into opening statements in U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh's courtroom, where the trial is scheduled to unfold over the next two weeks.
A federal grand jury last year indicted Rojas on charges that he furnished confidential law enforcement records, such as criminal histories and DMV records, to William "Billy" Bettencourt, a suspected member of the Hells Angels' Santa Cruz chapter who also faces related criminal charges in state and federal court. Bettencourt, with past convictions for witness intimidation and other violent crimes, could wind up in prison for life under the Three Strikes Law if he is convicted in the state case.
Rojas, who has pleaded not guilty, is being tried separately. He faces at least several years in prison if convicted in what his lawyers say is an overblown case against an officer who made a mistake and lost his job.
In court papers filed

in June, federal prosecutors laid out a simple case against Rojas, who has remained free on bail while awaiting trial. The jury will consider 12 counts against Rojas for conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, improper access of a computer and illegal use of a computer for financial gain.
Rojas, a five-year veteran of the Santa Clara Police Department who was fired in the aftermath of his arrest, admitted to investigators in October 2010 that he conducted the records checks for Bettencourt because he was under pressure to repay a loan, according to government court papers. Rojas' alleged scheme was uncovered in September 2010.
In court documents filed in a related state case, Rojas told investigators he knew Bettencourt was a Hells Angel, but said he did not believe he had committed any wrongdoing. There were repeated BlackBerry text message exchanges between the two men uncovered by investigators, including one in which Bettencourt allegedly asked Rojas to get information on someone else.
"Want me to check her record?" the cop texted back. "Yes," Bettencourt messaged back, "Just lookn 4 dirt I guess."
The U.S. attorney's office declines to comment on pending cases, but in a recent court filing branded the conduct a breach of public trust. Santa Clara police brass will testify that other officers were warned in a memo not to associate with Bettencourt, court papers show.
"The quid pro quo was confidential information in exchange for additional time to repay a loan owed to Bettencourt," prosecutors wrote. "By providing this information to Bettencourt, Rojas breached the duty of honest services he owed the Santa Clara Police Department, as well as the citizens of Santa Clara."
Daniel Jensen, Rojas' lawyer, said he is puzzled by the federal charges, describing them as an overreaction to conduct that usually results in a firing, a misdemeanor and perhaps community service. Jensen concedes Rojas made a mistake and should not have accessed the law enforcement data for Bettencourt, but will argue there is no proof of a conspiracy or that Rojas got any financial benefit from the favors.
In addition to Bettencourt, Rojas also is charged in one instance with supplying confidential information to Vivian Rodriguez, a San Jose woman connected to the biker who also has been indicted in the case.
"They've overplayed the hell out of this case," said Jensen, who often represents police officers in trouble. "You say the words 'Hells Angel' in law enforcement and they think it's a big conspiracy."

 

New site for promoters to reach bboys and bgirls!

'd like to introduce to you new website for bboys / bgirls and organizers:
http://www.BboyEvent.com

Site is made for sharing info about all breaking events like jams, battles, champs all over the world:
For bboys / bgirls it is beautiful, elegant and easy to use calendar.
For organizers - it is the single place for sharing info about their events. You don't need to be registered to publish your events. All you need is to fill in the simple form.
This is the main idea.

The site is FREE. And we are going to support it and implement more very and very interesting features in future. But...We need promotion and we need support from the side of users.

Therefore I have 2 things to say:
1. If you will organize any breaking events please publish it to as well: http://www.BboyEvent.com
2. If you have a chance to tell other organizers about the resource - it will be very helpful

Hells Angels bikie Samir Jouayde marries long-time love Susie Arida

HE came close to spending his special day behind bars - but an 11th-hour reprieve saw Hells Angels biker Samir Jouayde celebrate his wedding with his long-time lover Susie Arida.

Dressed in his bikie gang colours but with a Nomads logo on the front, Jouayde danced the night away with his bride at a lavish bash in Lidcombe - featuring hip-hop artists, a magician and a Lebanese rock band.

"It's party time," said Jouayde, flanked by members of the Parramatta chapter of the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gang.

But his celebration last night with 300 guests almost didn't happen.

Jouayde and four of his Hells Angels associates were arrested last week and charged over the alleged theft of four luxury cars and an attempt to extort $120,000 from Terry Mullens, owner of a luxury Burwood car dealership.

The cars were taken on Thursday, July 7, but in a bizarre turn of events were returned undamaged 26 hours later. The gangs squad arrested Jouayde and four others last Monday.




Initially refused bail, and set to miss his $32,000 wedding, Jouayde's barrister made a successful last-ditch appeal on Friday which saw the bikie released under strict curfew.

He said sitting in a cell thinking he was going to miss his wedding "was a bit nerve-racking".

His bail condition means he is under house arrest between 8pm and 8am but last night was allowed out until 2am for his wedding.

Jouayde granted The Sunday Telegraph exclusive access to the event at the New Westella Reception Centre, Lidcombe

"Just make sure you write good things and tell people how nice we are," Jouayde said.

He laughed when asked what he thought of his barrister, George Thomas, who said: "What I can't understand is why a fellow would want to get out of jail to get married, which is like a life sentence anyway."

"He's funny like that, always joking around," he said. "It's a life sentence I'm happy to serve."

The bride said she was nervous the wedding would not go ahead.