What is going on in Portland??!!! How can media miss?

Is the "friend and mentor" of detained Portland, OR attorney Brandon Mayfield the same Thomas (or Tom) Nelson who is suing the feds over the alleged mistreatment of a Canadian national?

Consider the following:

Washingon Post story about Mayfield :

WASHINGTON -- A lawyer from Portland, Ore., was arrested by FBI agents Thursday as part of the investigation into the deadly train bombings in Spain, federal officials said.

Brandon Mayfield, a U.S. citizen, was taken into custody on a material witness warrant, said a senior law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The arrest is the first known in the United States with connections to the March 11 bombings in Madrid.

The FBI also searched the man's home, which he shares with his wife, the official said.

Mayfield's fingerprints were found on materials related to the Madrid bombings, said a second senior law enforcement official, also speaking on condition of anonymity.

KGW story includes name of Mayfield's attorney friend and "mentor"

Portland attorney Tom Nelson, who described himself as Mayfield's friend and mentor, said Thursday afternoon that he received a call from Mayfield Thursday, pleading for help. Nelson said Mayfield would be represented by a public defender.

AP story about Canadian from Portland gives attorney's name as "Thomas Nelson"

PORTLAND - A Canadian civilian who claims he was falsely imprisoned, tortured and injured by Army interrogators shortly after the U.S. invasion of Iraq last year is suing the Army for $350,000.

Attorney Thomas Nelson said he filed the suit with the U.S. Army Claims Office on April 30 on behalf of Hossam Shaltout, 57, of Los Angeles.

The charges coincide with a larger scandal involving alleged mistreatment of prisoners in Iraq. Photos made public last week showed U.S. soldiers humiliating and abusing Iraqi prisoners at the U.S. Army-run Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad.

A search for licensed attorneys named "Thomas" or "Tom" Nelson at the Oregon State Bar On-line lists only one individual.

•  what about

  California bar?  Attourney is suing on behalf of a person from Los Angeles...

  by Demosthenes on Thu May 06, 2004 at 07:44:13 PM PDT

  •  The suit was filed in Portland

    I believe. The article mentions that the victim of the alleged abuse is now in Saudi Arabia, and that the US will not renew his green card.

    by stilwell on Thu May 06, 2004 at 08:05:48 PM PDT

    •  Wow

      Fantastic catch!

      by Soj on Thu May 06, 2004 at 08:33:08 PM PDT

      •  Thanks

        Spread it around if you get the chance. I guess my diary title was not interesting or clear enough. Few are reading this. I am breathlessly awaiting the 10 O'clock news in Portland to see if any stations see the possible connection, or at least say if it's the same attorney. If only I had Tivo and I had save the newscasts from a few days ago....

        by stilwell on Thu May 06, 2004 at 09:14:20 PM PDT

•  Portland based

  Australian refers to Nelson as "Portland, OR based."

  by stilwell on Thu May 06, 2004 at 08:18:49 PM PDT

•  I'm sorry...

  ...I've been sick lately, and my brain really isn't working properly.

  Pretend I'm a slow five-year-old and explain to me why this matters.  I don't get it.  

  by Oolong on Thu May 06, 2004 at 09:13:01 PM PDT

  •  IF this is the same Thomas Nelson

    1. Portland attorney Thomas Nelson files lawsuit against US Army on behalf of a Canadian national who claims he was tortured by the US Army in Iraq. (see AP link above.)
    2. A few days later, an attorney named Thomas or Tom Nelson shows up at the home of another attorney, Brandon Mayfield, who is  being held by the FBI as a material witness in the Madrid train bombings. Nelson tells TV crews that he is Mayfield's "friend and mentor."
    3. No broadcast I saw identified attorney Thomas or Tom Nelson in any way other than "a friend and mentor" of Mayfield.

    As my wife pointed out, this could go a lot of ways. Before I jump to any conclusions, I would like to know if this is the same guy. I have been threatening to call the TV stations, but this odd, non-computer thing called "reality" keeps getting in the way. Feeding, kids, dog, neighbors, etc.

    So if anyone on dKos is good at this billmon type of stuff, and wants to root around, please go for it!

    by stilwell on Thu May 06, 2004 at 09:23:47 PM PDT

•  Portland Seven (background)

  The attorney detained today in Portland by the FBI apparently represented one of the "Portland Seven" defendants, Jeffrey Battle, in a child custody case. I have not seen any reports that he was involved in their criminal defense.

  For those unfamiliar with it, the "Portland Seven"  involved some Keystone Kops types who wanted to fight for the Taliban. They were discovered by a Skamania Co., Wa, sherriff's deputy playing with guns in a rock quarry not long after 9-11.

  Here is a summary of what the Portland Seven case entailed, from Slate

  The "Portland Seven": Guilty pleas were entered in February for the last members of the so-called "Portland Seven"--a group of Oregon Muslims charged with conspiring to wage war against the United States. One member of the group died in a shootout in Pakistan; the other six never got past China in their efforts to join the fighting in Afghanistan after 9/11. They have been sentenced to terms of between three and 18 years. The group, which included Mike Hawash, a Palestinian-born Intel engineer, spent its time studying books and films on jihad and martyrdom. Hawash pleaded to the charge of providing material support to the enemy, in exchange for which the conspiracy to wage war against America charges were dropped.

  by stilwell on Thu May 06, 2004 at 09:47:36 PM PDT

•  More

  From KATU Portland

  Family spokesperson, Portland attorney Thomas Nelson, describes himself as Brandon Mayfield's friend.

  "He's a regular run of the mill guy. He happens to be a Muslim. He's not a radical fanatical Muslim, he's a straightforward guy," said Nelson.

  Nelson said the family is upset at the FBI's actions after they searched Mayfield's Aloha home Thursday morning.

  "My problem is somebody obviously leaked this in a very strategic time in order to make some political points," said Nelson.

  by stilwell on Thu May 06, 2004 at 09:54:34 PM PDT

•  KATU assignment desk

  A person at the KATU assignment desk told me that Thomas Nelson, the "friend and mentor" of Mayfield, is the same Thomas Nelson who filed suit against the US Army on behalf of a Canadian national.

  I asked the desk person, who seemed quite busy of course, if they were going to mention it on the air. He said he didn't know and he hadn't seen a script yet.

  by stilwell on Thu May 06, 2004 at 10:29:38 PM PDT

•  KATU mentions Nelson is the same person

  Here is an admittedly very bad transcript I tried to type as they spoke of the KATU 11 pm news. But you get the idea. The important thing is that now we know Nelson is the same guy...so what gives? Did the Feds come after this guy on purpose?

  Teaser:

  Wife: Husband is a good man.

  Air view in Aloha. go to reporter. Coos Bay born, material witness now in worst terror attack since 9-11. Wife and 3 kids. Beaverton mosque. Soft spoken according to friends. Fingerprint matches. Spanish lifted from bag connected to attack. Mayfield (fingerprints) was on file because (he was an) attorney. FBI only says 2 (search) warrants. House and other? Mosque? Neighbors not sure.

  Head of mosque can't believe Mayfield (is violent.) Mayfield not charged with any crimes, held under Patriot Act.

  Family speaking out. Reporter on scene. Family stunned. Wife speaks-- devastating for family and myself and husband. He's a good man. I'm upset this has leaked out there has (sic) been no charges against my husband.

  Thomas Nelson Portland att. Represents canadian citizen. previous quote about not radical guy.

  Unfairly targeted, strategic leak.

  Anchor: Mayfield now at center of firestorm

  Wife: unfair to my children, myself.

  by stilwell on Thu May 06, 2004 at 11:14:29 PM PDT

•  Good night

  I'm going to close tonight by saying that of course I don't know what any of this means. I just find it pretty odd and disturbing that

  1. The local media takes 5 or 6 hours to connect an attorney who was in the news only a few days ago about abuse of power with current "breaking news." Same name, same haircut, same guy. It may have taken a phone call from a blogger to get one station to mention it's the same guy.
  2. The FBI can simply shuffle someone off to Buffalo under the Patriot Act. He's not on TV and apparently can only speak with his lawyer.
  3. Hey, if the guy had something to do with Madrid, he deserves to be prosecuted, convicted and serve his life with jail rats. But it's hard for me to imagine some guy out in Aloha being able to bomb Madrid trains without leaving the country. Possible, I guess, but unlikely.

  by stilwell on Thu May 06, 2004 at 11:26:51 PM PDT

•  Bait and Switch

  Remember the military chaplain arrested and accused of aiding terrorists in Guantanamo?  There was a big to do in the press, but in reality, the only charges against him seemed to be some porn on his work computer.  Obviously bad behavior for a man of the cloth, but not treason.  However, the image of muslim terrorists in our own backyards is a pretty powerful piece of propaganda.  Curious stuff.

  by SME in Seattle on Fri May 07, 2004 at 02:59:16 AM PDT

  •  Captain Yee

    They even ended up dropping the "unauthorized use" of the computer, apparently even that turned out to be someone else's porn.  Yet they succeeded in ruining his life.

    I see us sliding into things, internment camps, show trials, etc, that I had believed that we had relegated to our past.  I simplistically accepted the notion of the progress of human liberty in the US, that we had learned, finally, the lessons of the Trail of Tears, of the internment of Japanese-Americans in WWII, of the nightmare of McCarthyism.  Yet now from around every corner I see those same things skulking back into our social order, thoroughly wrapped in the American flag.

    by Dancing Larry on Fri May 07, 2004 at 03:09:08 AM PDT

  •  Yes

    My official position (as in "honey, go to bed and stop looking stuff up on google, you're getting weird") is that in when the media gets all breathless and sends out the sat. trucks, they should at least MENTION who is who.

    Obviously one could draw any number of possible conclusions. The fact the media didn't even BOTHER to observe that attorney Thomas Nelson is the same guy suing the Army really frustrates me.

    Thanks for your comment.

    by stilwell on Fri May 07, 2004 at 08:49:14 AM PDT

•  Story changes + my tin foil hat leaks

  Thomas Nelson, attorney, has been widely quoted describing himself as Mayfield's "friend and mentor." (see KGW story above.) This morning's article in the Oregonian leads to a different conclusion:

  From the Oregonian

  He (Nelson) said he came to be Mayfield's attorney Thursday after a call from Charles Gorder, an assistant U.S. attorney. Nelson said that he was on television in an unrelated matter Wednesday night and that Mayfield had seen the program and asked for him.

  Long ways from "friend and mentor" to "saw me on TV." Well, I'm all out of Reynold's fine products, so off to the store I go.....
  

  by stilwell on Fri May 07, 2004 at 09:02:03 AM PDT

•  tin.foil.hat.

  [http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/front_page/1083931548156830.xml]
  

  It was unclear why Mayfield was booked into the Justice Center jail under the false name of Randy Taylor on Thursday evening.

  
  

  by stilwell on Fri May 07, 2004 at 09:07:05 AM PDT

•  Thomas Nelson interviewed on KATU-Portland

  I guess he's a mentor after all....

  KATU interviews Thomas Nelson

  "I've known him in a professional role and a mentor role for a number of years and he is a fine, upstanding man, an asset to the community, a good father, an excellent husband, and a friend to many around him," Nelson said.

   Watch KATU's exclusive interview

  "He has struggled to get his law practice started. He is a sole practitioner in Beaverton, Oregon, and this treatment by the federal government is having a devastating impact, not only on him professionally and his law practice, but also upon his children and his wife," he said.

   Nelson says he is very upset with the tactics used in the investigation, which he believes are masking a deeper intent.

  And this from the same interview: (and why isn't this being reported elsewhere?)

  "The FBI and the Justice Department have made very little progress on this so-called 'War on Terrorism.' I think what happened here is that they wanted to get a lot of media attention to the fact that they are trying to do something about terrorism," he said.

  "So what do they do? They pick a fellow who allegedly, according to the national reports, has a fingerprint on something that was found in Spain and they go hog-wild in dissemenating the information that he was somehow involved."

  The story continues....to be ignored.

  Full disclosure: I don't know these people in any way, shape or form. I am simply observing that something smells funny here, and it has since the story broke late yesterday.

  by stilwell on Fri May 07, 2004 at 09:57:22 AM PDT

•  plastic shopping bag...abandoned van

  From Fox "News" Service

  MADRID, Spain  -- The fingerprints of the American attorney arrested as a material witness in the Madrid train bombings were found on a plastic shopping bag that held detonators like the ones used in the deadly March 11 terrorist attacks.

  An Interior Ministry official from the Spanish government, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Friday the bag turned up in a van that had been stolen and abandoned near the station where three of the four trains departed from before they were bombed.

  Inside the bag was the same kind of detonators used in the attacks that killed 191 people.

  The van was found in Alcala de Henares, about 20 miles northeast of Madrid. Police said they also discovered an Arabic-language cassette tape with verses from the Koran in the vehicle.

  
  

  by stilwell on Fri May 07, 2004 at 11:59:02 AM PDT

•  family, friends react

  KOIN story on family and friends' reaction

  "I think this is a wakeup call that this is the age of Big Brother. I think the Patriot Act is an abomination against the laws of our country. I don't think anyone's safe

  by stilwell on Fri May 07, 2004 at 01:17:35 PM PDT

  •  (Avnel Mayfield, Brandon Mayfield's mother)

    by stilwell on Fri May 07, 2004 at 01:19:02 PM PDT

•  Wife says only part of one fingerprint found

  KATU Fri. afternoon May 7

  "I think it's crazy - we haven't been outside the country for 10 years," said his wife, Mona. "They found only a part of one fingerprint. It could be anybody. He was in the Army and they're just trying to fit a certain profile."

  by stilwell on Fri May 07, 2004 at 03:28:16 PM PDT