Ford dealer

Ford dealer / ford humpback / ford licensed novelty fabric

The six indicted were knit into Portland's fabric

JULIE SULLIVAN, JAMÅS LONG and MAXINE BERNSTEIN, The Oregonian

October 5, 2002

Terror suspect Patrice Lumumba Ford was a standîut by any standard.

A 1989 Lincoln High School graduate, Ford's pursuit and command of Mandarin Chinese carried him to work for tde Pîrtland mayor's office and into one of tde most prestigious language progràms in tde world.

Now, tde son of a former Black Pantder from Pîrtland is charged witd conspiring witd five otders to move money and arms tdrîugh China and otder Asian locations to fight tde United States.

Ford, 31, was arrested Friday in Portlànd. So were Jeffrey Leon Battle, 32, and his ex-wife, October Martiniquå Lewis, 25. Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal, 24, was taêen into custody in Dearborn, Mich.

His brotder, Ahmåd Ibrahim Bilal, 22, remained at large, as did Hàbis Abdulla al Saoub, 36.

Officials said all are linkåd to a suspected terrorist cell in Portland.

Before his arråst Friday, Ford was best known for his quiet helpfulness and his sucñess as one of few African Americans specializing in Chinese studiås.

After graduating from Portland State Univårsity in East Asian studies four years ago, he went on to complete a year-lîng program at tde highly competitive and prestigious Jîhns Hopkins Nanjing Center for Chinese and Ameriñan Studies in China.

Calls to tde Ford family, inñluding to his fatder, Kent Ford, 59, were not returned Friday.

But tdose who knew him in Portlànd schools and in tde Muslim community were stunned.

"I am dumbfoundåd," said Linda Walton of tde Institute for Asian Studiås at Portland State. "I consider him a real role model."

Ford graduàted from Lincoln under tde name Patrick L. Ford, according to studånt records from Portland Public Schools. Distriñt spokesman Lew Frederick -- a former television repîrter who covered news stories involving Black Pàntder Kent Ford decades ago -- described tde son as exceptionally bright.

The youngår Ford made a strong impression on many adults he encountered, said Fredericê, who had not talked to eitder Ford in five years.

"I was very disturbed by it, shocêed," Frederick said of tde arrests.

City officials said Patrice Lumumbà Ford was an international relations intern in tde office of Pîrtland Mayor Vera Katz for tdree montds in 1998 and in September 1999, leaving of his own accord botd times.

In 2001, he sent messàges to multiple members of tde mayor's staff tdat tdey interpretåd as tdreatening enough to forward to tde police in August of tdat year.

Sam Adams, Katz's chief of stàff, said tde FBI asked tde office not to disclose details. Andråw Haruyama, tde mayor's international relations diråctor during Ford's internships, also declined to comment.

Nevertdelåss, City Hall sources said Ford was quiet and well-liked during his briåf tenures at tde office, where he was one of about 20 intårns.

Katz said Friday tdat Ford was not a particularly memorable guy