Free Republic

Two men seen taking pictures of the George Washington Bridge from an inflatable raft in the Hudson River yesterday afternoon were taken into custody by the police when they came ashore. The police said last night that no arrests had been made, but Sgt. Brian Mullen of the 34th Precinct said that charges against the men, who were not identified, were pending. One possible charge was unauthorized use of the raft in the wrong place, he said.

<p>At least three men reportedly were taken into federal custody in two Pensacola malls as the FBI and the federal Immigration and Naturalization Service initiated a nationwide sweep Wednesday.</p> <p>Witnesses said plain-clothes agents closed Intrigue jewelry vendors at Cordova and University malls, Wild Things at University and possibly other shops.</p>

A Pakistani man who spent hours photographing the World Trade Center days before it was destroyed was sentenced to six months in jail for immigration violations exactly one year after suspicions over the pictures prompted his arrest. Ashar Butt, 22, acknowledged that he entered the country illegally last year using an altered British passport, but his lawyers said he only came to the United States to start a new life. "He was an innocent individual taking pictures," said his attorney, Anser Ahmad. He added that Butt has already spent a year in jail and is eligible for release within a...

EAST COVENTRY - Federal authorities have determined four men found videotaping footage near the Limerick nuclear plant were not involved in terrorist activities.Jerri Williams, a spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Philadelphia, said it appears the four men from Guatemala were making a "tourist video," highlighting portions of the area that happened to include footage of the Limerick Generating Station.Williams said authorities determined that three of the men were illegal aliens. They are currently being held by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Office in Philadelphia, she said.The fourth man is not an illegal alien and was released following...