Athletes help raise money for attack victims

Tuesday, October 2nd 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

IRVING, Texas (AP) _ Dallas Cowboys safety George Teague and cornerback Jason Bell were among NFL athletes at a celebrity fund-raiser organized by a sports agent for survivors of firefighters killed in the New York terrorist attacks.

Teague said he was getting ready for work the morning of Sept. 11 when the hijackings occurred. He showed up at Monday's event at Las Colinas to help do his part for relatives of firefighters who perished at the World Trade Center.

``I think this showed a lot of people the big picture,'' Teague said. ``These problems are far bigger than anything in my life. This loss is huge. But it moves us all closer together.''

Organized by sports agent Jordan Woy, who represents about 40 NFL players, the charity event raised at least $30,000. A silent auction included items autographed by actors John Travolta and Mike Myers and baseball legend Hank Aaron.

The agent said he often asks athletes to participate in fund-raisers.

``If there's ever been a cause to sit down for and raise money and do their part, this is it,'' Woy said.

Former Miss USA Christy Fitchner also attended the $1,250-and $5,000-a-table event.

The former FBI special agent in charge of the Dallas region after the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 said Osama bin Laden should not be the focus of America's war in stamping out a terrorism network that stretches from Morocco to the Philippines.

Oliver ``Buck'' Revell, a former FBI deputy director whose office oversaw the investigation of Wadih el Hage, the Arlington man convicted in connection with the bombings of U.S. embassies in Africa, said winning a war against terrorism will take covert operations, military operations and ``the entire spectrum of our abilities.

``You have to understand, we're not talking about a few people running around ... ,'' Revell said. ``There is a deep religious belief on the part of a number of individuals who look at Western values as anathema to what they believe.''

He said Bin Laden's brand of terrorism is different from previous organizations that have worked their deadly trade to force political change.

``He is the public face of an entire environment,'' Revell said before taking the stage as guest speaker at the celebrity fund-raiser.

Whereas other terrorist organizations knew there was a limit to the casualties they could inflict and still gain public support, Bin Laden's al Qaeda network ``is not looking for public support,'' said Revell.

``Their only public is Allah, and they believe that the more infidels they are able to disperse of, the higher their standing,'' he said.

El Hage's arrest spurred the FBI in North Texas to investigate groups and individuals in North Texas, including some who openly supported other terrorist organizations, such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Some of those investigations are still ongoing, said Revell, current president of the Institute for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence in Washington, D.