Ohio Ping!
Posted on 06/16/2004 6:59:17 AM PDT by flutters
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- High-ranking officials said the arrest of a Columbus terror suspect won't be the last in Ohio's capital city, NewsChannel 4's Elenora Andrews reported.
The FBI and Ohio's terrorism task force say they are still tracking terror in the city. A key federal official told NewsChannel 4, "There is more to come" in Columbus, Andrews reported.
Ohio's top law enforcement officials said the arrest of Nuradin Abdi, 32, who was accused of planning to blow up a Columbus-area shopping mall, should serve as a wake-up call.
"Understand that we are at war with terrorism, we are at war with an enemy that has no flag, and we are at war with an enemy that has no uniform," said Ohio State Highway Patrol Col. Paul McClellan said.
Federal officials said the public might not have noticed anything unusual about Abdi, and his family said people shouldn't. But high-ranking FBI officials told NewsChannel 4 that surveillance and evidence seized from Abdi, including cell phones and computers, show otherwise.
On Tuesday, the FBI told NewsChannel 4 that agents previously contacted some Columbus-area shopping malls. Key federal officials also said the government expects to make another arrest in connection to terrorism, Andrews reported.
Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman and Safety Director Mitchell Brown worked with federal officials on Abdi's arrest.
"This is an example where we've worked closely with the FBI and federal authorities, and a threat has been taken off our streets," Coleman said.
The mayor said the city is assisting in the continuing investigation and is aggressively using police and fire resources, including $12 million in federal funding. Officials said the anti-terror tactics won't be noticed, but said they are working.
"The fact that we're able to work at it without alerting or causing any undue concern for our citizens shows you the effectiveness of the task force," Brown said.
Local and federal officials maintain that Columbus is safe, but said they need the community to report any activities they believe may be suspicious.
Abdi's detention hearing will be held Wednesday in federal court. Abdi's brother said his family has hired a San Diego attorney who will fight the government's plea to deny bond.
MESSAGE TO THE USA - If we in Ohio are having bomb plots hatched against us, then you are ALL at risk.
Does anyone know which "Columbus area mall" this guy was targetting?
Thanks for the ping Tony.
I guess our government's policy of relocating the Somalli's to Ohio was a bad idea......................
This from The Columbus Dispatch:
The third man suspected of plotting to blow up a shopping mall in the Columbus area is the man whose apartment was raided by a federal anti-terrorism task force last week, three federal sources confirmed yesterday.
Christopher Paul, who had shared a Northwest Side apartment with admitted al-Qaida supporter Iyman Faris, is said to be under "close surveillance."
Unconfirmed, but my sources say Polaris................
Polaris
Nobody has said which mall yet but, I bet the management at Easton, Polaris and Tuttle are worried. Probably not much interest in City Center though. I don't think there is anyone left there to do any worrying.
How in the heck do you blow up a mall?? Large fertilizer truck?
"However, it really broke my heart to have to trample on our city's lovely diversity and violate this man's sacred civil rights. Gosh, that's probably one less DEMOCRAT voter who'll support me next time around!
"Darn it, we need more unassimilable foreigners in here who hate America and don't speak English...it makes my city more fun to invent big socialist government programs for!!! Plus, it has the added benefit of scaring away all those pesky stable, white/Anglo suburban families. I'm sick of those conservative people around here!
"This city needs more diversity, more multiculturalism, and more dysfunction so that me and my ghetto homeboys and fellow DEMOCRAT machine wonks here at city hall can justify our existence!
"Hey, maybe if I can get these Muslims and some of my favorite pet gay activists to start a riot together..." </Democrat Mayor>
Supposedly, Polaris.
LOL! I think you may be onto something :)
Ha! Yeah, hitting City Center would just cause a big, loud echo. What terrorist wants to blow up an empty building?
"If we in Ohio are having bomb plots hatched against us, then you are ALL at risk."
Yes, I think that is their point. Ohio, the Heart of it All. Symbolically safe middle-America. They want us to feel unsafe, "terrorized", everywhere . . .
Ohio is on of the swing states in play for the November election. It's been ever so slightly leaning toward Bush. I wonder if this wake up call will move the Ohio electorate more in Bush's direction.
"relocating the Somalli's to Ohio was a bad idea"
want to bet the liberals won't see any connection?
"The fact that we're able to work at it without alerting or causing any undue concern for our citizens shows you the effectiveness of the task force," Brown said.
Local and federal officials maintain that Columbus is safe, but said they need the community to report any activities they believe may be suspicious.
I believe the articles have said something about this guy Abdi blending into Columbus' "Somali community."
I'd bet our chances of having a terrorist attack would be immeasurably reduced if we lived in a city withOUT a "Somali community."
Or an Arab commumnity.
Or a an Afghan community.
Or...
Want to bet the liberals won't see any connection?
I, myself, doubt that anyone holding elected office above the local level would see a connection.
I'm sure he had no problem blending into an alien community that's completely out of place here in otherwise stable, peaceful, patriotic Central Ohio.
But I echo your sentiments: why in the heck must we have any "ethnic communities" that refuse to blend in with America???
Lots' of speculation but no confirmation.
Polaris and City Center would seem likely targets. Polaris becuase it's busy and City Center because it's right across the street from the state house.
I heard the exwife of this guy last night say there are a large number of people like him in Columbus.
"Polaris and City Center would seem likely targets. Polaris becuase it's busy and City Center because it's right across the street from the state house."
Gut reaction is they would go where there are the most people available for slaughter. I don't think they would come to Ohio to make a "political point" by hitting something across from a State Capital building. They would do that in Washington, or New York - home of the UN and known worldwide as the center of both Capitalism and Liberalism (weird combination when you think about it).
Personally, I've been waiting for a mall to be hit since 2001, its the obvious choice for these monsters. Combine it with the Christmas shopping season, and you get a "two fer"....large number of casualties, plus a slap at Christian beliefs as a by product of the attack.
Make it "Mall of America" and you get a "three fer".
This also demonstrates to me the terrorists really don't understand the psycology of the average American as it relates to politics. Ohio is indeed "in play" this year for the election...but hitting Ohio is counter what the terrorists would obviously prefer, Kerry winning and thereby discrediting the Bush Administration's war on terror. I think another attack will guarantee a second Bush term.
Seems likely to me also. That would effectively shut down I-71 as its right off the exit.
I live/work in Cleveland, but my servers are in a secure hosting facility in that general area. I can't be more specific (that's part of the security) but there are many facilities like this one in cities across the U.S. They aren't as sexy as a shopping mall, but hitting one of them could do far more damage commercially, although probably not a lot of human casualties.
Whiteguy
When I was at OSU back in the early '80's we called White Castles "Rectum Rockets"
Heh heh heh..............
Hadn't heard that one......................
Call them whatever you wish, put the bad mouth on the whole place......................
And we all still buy a sack for ourselves every now and then!!!
2nd & High, here I come!!!
I go to Columbus twice a year for car shows and still buy them evertime I go. I've tried the frozen kind at the grocer but the taste is just not the same.
Say it colonel, We're At War With Islam!
Right!
The frozen ones don't have pickles!!
That's right!
The pickles were found to become too hot when microwaved following package directions.
(there is also something special about leaning against the glass watching your castles simmer on the grill at 4:00 AM)
I live near one, my wife works at one.
LOL! I used to go by that White Castle every weekday en route to work downtown. More often than not, I'd see a police cruiser (one day I saw two!) queuing up in the drive-thru lane. It amazed me that so many folks would start off the day with ‘Rectal Rockets’...but hey, whatever floats yer boat :o)
I do get a hankering for them every now and then...just not first thing in the a.m.
Please add me to the ohio ping. I am close to a mall.........
Since Jun 18, 2004
Welcome to FreeRepublic!!! :-) Glad to have you as part of our community!
Have a blessed day...
TR76
Thanks so much for the ping and looking up this old post. I haven’t had a chance to research any information as a result of the arrest, but I look forward to doing so later this afternoon. This arrest poses a lot of questions about the time line and whether or not something new was cooking.
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