'He's Innocent'

'He's Innocent'

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Story Published: Sep 22, 2003 at 6:21 PM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 1:10 AM PDT

By Michelle Esteban

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OLYMPIA - KOMO 4 News is uncovering more about the former Ft. Lewis Army chaplain under investigation by the U.S. military.

Yousef Yee ministered to members of Al Qaida being held at Guantanamo Bay, now he's being investigated.

Those who know him say reports of classified documents, Al Qaida connections, and sympathizing with terrorists are unfounded and untrue.

Inside the Islamic Center in Olympia, Muslim cleric Mohammed Joban is praying for patience and for his friend, Muslim Chaplain Yousef Yee.

Joban believes his friend and fellow mosque member will be cleared. But he prays for patience because he knows it could be four long months of investigation.

"We're not too worried because he's innocent," said Joban.

Joban's certain because he says he knows Yee's character and his religious convictions. "He will not do something that will hurt the security of this country, because that's against his belief."

Last week, the military arrested Yee.

Ironically, the army hand picked the Muslim chaplain just ten months prior to minister to detainees, including suspected terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay. It was his job to offer spiritual guidance, lead daily prayers and make certain Muslims had copies of the Koran.

Sources say at times he met alone with detainees. On September 10th, he was returning home to Olympia, when customs agents in Florida noticed something suspicious. They won't say what. Minutes later military police arrested Yee.

ABC news has learned Yee is suspected of sympathizing with suspected terrorists.

A U.S. official tells ABC that Yee was carrying a diagram of the jail cells at Guantanamo Bay and had a list of the detainees. Both are alleged to be classified documents. Yee has not been charged, but a military magistrate says he has "sufficient reason" to detain the Olympia man.

"We have a congregation here, everybody is shocked and surprised because we know him as a good person and a very peaceful man." says Joban.

Friday the FBI raided the couple's Olympia home. His wife was stunned. Off camera she told KOMO 4 News she's too afraid to comment and has been advised by her attorney to say nothing.

Cleric Joban says Yee's wife only learned of her husband's arrest from news reports, ten days after he was detained."Nobody will tell her what happened," says Joban. Yee's wife got concerned when her husband failed to show up at Sea-Tac to pick her up after a flight.

The military has 120 days to decide what if any charges it will file against Chaplain Yee.

The military will not release any other details regarding the investigation.

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