On Wednesday morning, armed FBI agents stormed the School of International Service building and arrested Dean Julius Rosenberg and professors Azzam Azzam, Robert Hansen and Alger Hiss. FBI agents also took 40 boxes filled with documents and what appeared to be a weapons cache.
The seed of the early morning raid was planted several months ago when the FBI began investigating SIS after a student walked into Rosenberg's office and heard him speaking Russian. The student, a native Russian speaker, allegedly heard Rosenberg talking about nuclear arms sales with a Ukrainian general.
The student then alerted the FBI, which had already been closely monitoring the school due to Gao Zhan's sentencing earlier in the year.
"I thought that Gao Zhan was just an anomaly. I didn't know she was a symptom of a larger problem," said AU President Len Badner. Earlier in the year, Zhan was sentenced for 15 months for exporting illegal items and tax fraud to China. Badner went on to say that the revered school would be shut down until an investigation by the FBI was complete.
"The SIS motto, 'My only regret is that I have but one life to give for my country, for I would gladly give 10,000' should have been a warning," said an FBI agent who requested to remain unnamed. That quote is often attributed to Nathan Hale, a famous spy from the American Revolution.
According to the FBI, Rosenberg made extensive contacts with enemies of the United States including Iran, China, Syria, North Korea and, the most lethal, Andorra.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Evan Wagner said in a press conference held in front of the SIS building, "Rosenberg is one of the biggest catches that the FBI has ever had. That he was selling nuclear arms at his position as dean of a school speaks volumes about the state of education in America today and the lengths that spies will go to look as if they carry on normal lives."
Wagner went on to describe Rosenberg as "a grave national security threat to the United States." He also said fallout from this case would likely implicate other SIS professors.
To date, Russian history professor Robert Hansen, Israeli studies professor Azzam Azzam and Korean history professor Alger Hiss have been taken in by the FBI for questioning.
In an interview with The Eagle Wednesday night, Hansen said that he was framed and suggested "forces from the highest reaches of government are reaching down to stifle and shut down debate and research at the University. The fact that I'm being investigated is truly terrifying and should be a canary in a coalmine for the rest of AU's professors."
Azzam echoed Hansen's contention and claimed that he had "nothing to hide" and would be released in a matter of hours.
Hiss spoke in somewhat cryptic terms about "judgment day" and said he "regretted that the University is turning into a McCarthyite courtroom where professors are arrested for having different ideas than the state."
Students were shocked to learn that the School of International Service is allegedly infested with spies.
"I always knew that my professors were liberal, but I didn't know they were Communist spies," said John Krauthammer, president of Students for Academic Freedom, an education watchdog group.
Other students had different reactions. "Professor Azzam is my student advisor and he has always been a great friend," said Julie Laskow, a senior. "I don't believe for a second that he or any of the other professors are guilty."
Laskow led a protest on Wednesday night along with 400 other students to protest the professor and dean's arrests. Holding signs that said "No to Ashcroft!" and "Free Our Professors!," the students led chants against the FBI and Badner, who said he had no idea about the raids of investigation.
"Hey! Hey! CIA! How many professors did you imprison today?" was a chant by the protestors who said the arrests are a setup by Attorney General John Ashcroft, and they were meant to send a signal about what you can and can't say in America today.
Although the event rocked AU's campus, students and faculty are urged to remain calm by University spokesperson Kate Osgood.
"Despite all of the furor and accusations going around, we must all remember to remain quiet, respectful and vigilant," Osgood said. "Although the FBI made these raids, they have been known to make mistakes and in America, everyone is innocent until proven guilty"
