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Last update - 00:00 12/07/2008
Former U.S. diplomat gets year in prison for anti-Arab remarks
By Reuters
Tags: James Zogby, Patrick Syrick 

A retired U.S. diplomat was sentenced on Friday to one year in prison and fined $10,000 for sending racist, threatening messages to an Arab-American group, the Justice Department said.

The diplomat, Patrick Syring of Arlington, Virginia, sent abusive and intimidating e-mails and voice mails to employees of the Arab American Institute, a Washington group.
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He was sentenced in federal court in the U.S. capital after pleading guilty to federal civil rights charges, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Among his comments in a series of e-mails, Syring wrote that "the only good Arab is a dead Arab."

Of particular target was the institute's president, James Zogby, "and his wicked Hezbollah brothers."

"They will burn in hellfire on this earth and in the hereafter," said Syring, 50, in an e-mail that was included in the indictment last year.

Syring was a U.S. diplomat in the Middle East and had worked more recently in the Human Resources division at the State Department.

"Threats of violent hate crimes have an impact far greater than the impact on the individual victim," said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.

"These are crimes against the fundamental ideals on which America was founded," she added.

Syring, who retired from the State Department last year, was ordered to serve 100 hours of community service and have three years of post-release supervision, the Justice Department said.

"There is no room in our society for the intolerance of other races or national origins, particularly by those who hold positions within the government," said Jeffrey Taylor, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.

The State Department had no immediate comment, but when Syring retired last year, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said utterances such as those made by the ex-diplomat were unacceptable to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
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  1.   Former US Diplomate gets year in prison for anti-Arab comments. 01:15  |  Asher Rapp 12/07/08
  2.   I`m amazed my government even cared. 01:54  |  Che Vive 12/07/08
  3.   He should have denigrated islamists, not Arabs. 02:09  |  Absolute Israel 12/07/08
  4.   Diplomat and Justice 02:26  |  Brod 12/07/08
  5.   absolute israel 2 03:04  |  potobac 12/07/08
  6.   the first honest person in the state department 03:52  |  bored 12/07/08
  7.   This Clearly Violates The First Amendment Freedom of Speech 04:41  |  Laguna Geno 12/07/08
  8.   PROOF OF AMERICAN IGNORANCE 04:43  |  Antoine 12/07/08
  9.   brod 4 04:45  |  potobac 12/07/08
  10.   He should work for Israel 05:24  |  jack 12/07/08
  11.   Looks like a good ruling 05:58  |  Gina 12/07/08
  12.   the guy plead"guilty" to the charge,maybe it was a plea deal for 06:31  |  Susanna?Shoshana 12/07/08
  13.   What Was He Thinking? 07:26  |  Yosemite 12/07/08
  14.   More wisdom from Syring 09:46  |  Malka Leifer 12/07/08
  15.   Laguna Geno - 14th Amendment 09:52  |  Mark of Lewiston 12/07/08
  16.   #10 Jack 09:58  |  Mahmoud Finkelstein 12/07/08
  17.   Suzanna Shoshanna - A Subtle Difference 10:06  |  Mark of Lewiston 12/07/08
  18.   A good example for Israel 12:06  |  Ghadi 12/07/08
  19.   @10 & 14 14:23  |  Edithann 12/07/08
  20.   Unusual case with strange handlings ? what?s being hidden? 14:39  |  H.H.M. 12/07/08
  21.   #4 Brod...death threats are not a form of 15:55  |  Lynn 12/07/08
  22.   If the shoe was on the other foot 16:20  |  Sam C 12/07/08
  23.   AMERICAN DIPLOMATE IN JAIL 16:32  |  HANY 12/07/08
  24.   Hebron`s racist Americans 17:50  |  Boycott 12/07/08
  25.   Potobac: Saying How Things Are In His Puny Mind 18:25  |  Tex 12/07/08
  26.   Does anyone know what is a "good Arab"? 18:57  |  Boris 12/07/08
  27.   potobac,if what you say is true then why haven`t 18:59  |  terrornator 12/07/08
  28.   ANIMALS LIKE syrinc 19:12  |  elyaho ben ami 12/07/08
  29.   I can`t believe anyone would support this guy! 19:31  |  Gordy 12/07/08
  30.   H.H.M. 20:20  |  wh 12/07/08
  31.   Brod You are an Idiot; it was a civil right issue. 20:38  |  American in NY 12/07/08
  32.   Bow Down And Serve Your Masters Amerabia 20:47  |  UsedToPostHereAlot 12/07/08
  33.   Can He Be Re-Habilitated ? 21:02  |  Sheik Yer Bhouti 12/07/08
  34.   standing ovation to ameican in NY 21:11  |  wh 12/07/08
  35.   CAN find stuff like that about Jews in many hatesites in the USA 22:17  |  PETER SM 12/07/08
  36.   CHE.You government doesn`t care about anti semitic websites 22:21  |  PETER SM 12/07/08
  37.   BOYCOTT you should see what your people get up to in the UK 22:42  |  PETER SM 12/07/08
  38.   terromator 21 23:07  |  potobac 12/07/08
  39.   THAT`S RIGHT TAKE OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH;LIBERTY DOES NOT EXIST 23:15  |  glenna 12/07/08
  40.   Unkind remarks 23:52  |  Amram 12/07/08
  41.   glenna -- You have freedom of speech 00:53  |  Gina 13/07/08
  42.   The guy is just shy of a full deck 00:55  |  Mark Lincoln 13/07/08
  43.   second for gordy 01:03  |  K.J 13/07/08
  44.   The dollar must be linked to the brains of the civil rights commi 01:33  |  Pass D. Buck 13/07/08
  45.   glenna #32 02:05  |  wh 13/07/08
  46.   # 31. glenna. Holy Moly...whats up sister ?? 02:36  |  Stephen. 13/07/08
  47.   This reminds me 02:41  |  Janice 13/07/08
  48.   glenna, glenna, glenna 03:00  |  Janice 13/07/08
  49.   To number 8 04:23  |  Tony 13/07/08
  50.   stephen vo genf smille 04:29  |  wh 13/07/08
  51.   # 4 to brod in the usa re: homework (2nd try) 06:50  |  eric 13/07/08
  52.   # 12 to susanna?shoshana in ny re: "rights" (2nd try) 06:52  |  eric 13/07/08
  53.   I`m Game! If A Bad Arab Is A Terrorist Then... 08:24  |  Yosemite 13/07/08
  54.   Potobac #9, NY #31, Eric #51 15:40  |  Brod 13/07/08
  55.   Proof is in the pudding for anti US posters 18:25  |  Joe Frazier 13/07/08
  56.   His actions do not count as free speech 19:54  |  LW 13/07/08
  57.   brod 54 22:25  |  potobac 13/07/08
  58.   O yeah Gordy (29), here it comes again the double 22:40  |  Jew- and Bookburner 13/07/08
  59.   Potobac #57 01:08  |  Brod 14/07/08
  60.   brod 01:25  |  potobac 15/07/08
  61.   Hey, #36 li`l Petey from Melbourne 03:11  |  Che Vive 15/07/08
  62.   Brod # 59 We do not know the full story on this case.? Yes we do 04:26  |  American in NY 15/07/08
  63.   Potobac #60 05:54  |  Brod 15/07/08
  64.   our system worked after 8 years.. 02:06  |  Edithann 17/07/08
  65.   jews and arabs 16:21  |  ishtarot 17/07/08
  66.   In pprison for having an opinion 00:18  |  Gerahrd Falk 23/07/08
  67.   Showcases what many feel but don`t express. 20:39  |  Travis Nasser 02/03/09
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