Saudi Men Who Rode School Bus Arrested (Tampa, FL)

Tampa Bay Online ^ | May 20, 2006 | Keith Morelli

[STARWISE]

Two Saudi men were arrested Friday after they boarded a school bus and rode to Wharton High School in New Tampa.

Students on the bus became alarmed, as did the bus driver, who called ahead. Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies met the bus at the school and detained the men. No one was injured and nothing out of line occurred on the bus, deputies said.

Mana Saleh Almanajam, 23, who lives in Apt. 302 in The Point apartments, and Shaker Mohsen Alsidran, 20 Monticello Gardens, Apt. 304-A, each were charged with trespassing on school property. Both remained in Orient Road Jail on Friday evening. Bail for each was set at $250.

"Both defendants gave several versions of the reason they took a school bus to a high school," said Hillsborough County sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway.

"They said they wanted to go to Wharton to look around, and then they said they wanted to go there to have some fun, and then they said they wanted to enroll in the English classes there," Callaway said.

"We're not sure if this was a situation of them just being new to this country, or if they were confused or what it was," Callaway said. "We were unsure as to exactly what the final reason was, but it did cause great concern for the students on the bus and for us. One of the guys was wearing shorts with a black trench coat."

While on the bus, the men laughed and spoke in Arabic, Callaway said.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

"During the Cold War, did we let Russians or satellite communist country citizens into the U.S.?"

Yes, on Business Visas and Americans were allowed over there on business visas also.
My first trip was to the University of Geophysics in Brno, Czechoslovakia in the late sixties.

[singlemomofone]

"They were practicing something."

EXACTLY. This has been my fear for sometime. They know that the heart of America is our children. They know we will die for our children.

And they know that putting our children in harm's way is the the best way to gut us.

[Mariner]

Agreed. It was practice.

Terrorists took practice runs with planes too.

Talk about terror? How would middle America react to such an act...if, say, 30 busses were boarded and the worst possible scenario played out?

How about 5 man teams hitting 30 shopping malls?

You can BET this is in the Iranian playbook.

[Popman]

And why exactly are they in this country?

To buy the convenience store on the corner.

[pollyannaish]

I despise the MSM. I used to think they were just dumb and lazy. But I have to admit that recently, I have begun to think of them as wicked. Even if it does make me sound slightly unhinged.

There is so much we don't know. That is why we need to take time to assess character in our leaders. We MUST be able to trust them to be up to this task.

[devane617]

I believe you nailed the next attack. A coordinated attack with small arms or bombs in schools, sporting events, or malls. These attacks could kill thousands.

[woofer]

Another lying al Queda sc*mb*g operative. Is that why they gave false testimony, lying about where they were from?

Mohammed bade his followers to lie to infidels, if in the cause of islam.

Muzzies will lie to anyone if for no other reasons than to keeping their skills sharp.

I have yet to meet any muzz I'd turn my back on or believe what ever they spew from behind their lying teeth.

[bondjamesbond]

...testing...testing...

[dynachrome]

Did you see this?

[PistolPaknMama]

Get these skunks out of our country!

These two skunks just arrived 6 months ago on "student visas". Now they how how simple it is to board school buses. Unreal.

[4integrity]

...didn't know difference between school bus and public transportation..'

and, guess they were confused about where they came from...Morocco or Saudi Arabia. And, yes, why did driver let them on the bus to begin with??
While America sleeps..

[combat_boots]

"Just a shake down cruise for a real school bus hijacking?"

Testing responses. And, will.

[PA Engineer]

I normally would agree with you, however I am very troubled that one of them was wearing a trench coat over shorts. This seems like a dry run (I know about the hillbillies you speak of).

[Judith Anne]

Thanks, Cindy.

[muawiyah]

A trench coat over shorts ~ has a lot of meaning to Americans and the English, and maybe even the French, but guys wear bathrobes out in public in Saudi.

I suspect these two are REAL hillbilly types ~

[jimbo123]

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/05/20/Hillsborough/School_bus_ride_takes.shtml

School bus ride takes 2 to jail
By REBECCA CATALANELLO, Times Staff Writer
Published May 20, 2006

---

TAMPA - Two Saudi Arabian men climbed aboard a school bus Friday morning bound for Wharton High and landed in jail.

Although the case caught the attention of state and federal authorities, officials suspect it might have been a case of cultural confusion.

When Mana Saleh Almanajam, 23, and Shaker Mohnsen Alsidran, 20, caught the yellow bus at 7 a.m. at Fletcher Avenue and 42nd Street, students alerted their substitute bus driver.

Driver Roberta McCray radioed the school district. By the time the bus arrived at campus at 7:30 a.m., a sheriff's deputy was on scene to charge the two with trespassing.

Though their actions only resulted in misdemeanor charges, Almanajam and Alsidran were quickly under the microscope of the FBI, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Regional Domestic Security Task Force, the Sheriff's Homeland Security Division, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway described the two as cagey and evasive as they answered questions. They said they were from Morocco, Callaway said, and then Saudi Arabia. The men told authorities they said they were from Morocco because they worried Americans fear Saudi Arabian men.

Sgt. Mike Klingebiel, spokesman for the University of South Florida Police Department, confirmed the two have been enrolled at the English Language Institute at USF since January. They came to the United States six months ago on student visas, he said, and are taking the language classes to help them qualify to enroll as full-time college students.

When asked why they boarded the bus, Callaway said Almanajam and Alsidran gave different answers. They wanted to enroll in an easier English language program than the one they have attended at USF; they wanted to see a high school; and they thought it would be fun.

"It was a very odd occurrence this morning," Callaway said.

Despite all the hubbub, Callaway said authorities became convinced they were here legally.

Ahmed Bedier, director of the Central Florida Council on American-Islamic Relations, said it sounded like a cultural mixup.

"Obviously, if they had recently arrived here and they are from Saudi Arabia, they may not be familiar with American rules and laws," Bedier said. "They might have thought it was some kind of public transportation."

Bedier said the incident highlights the need for programs like the English Language Institute to provide some kind of civics education for their students to help them avoid such situations.

As for Alsidran and Almanajam, they remained in Orient Road Jail late Friday, each on $250 bond.

[Cindy]

"...and is someone 'watching' them??"

OPINION-SPECULATION:

If they are having this much trouble by getting on a school bus instead of a regular bus, give severals reasons as to why they did this -- probably someone is watching. After all, they may start getting into personal cars thinking they are taxis...I mean...assimilating to American culture can be difficult.

[jimbo123]

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=31615

Saudi men arrested for riding on school bus, court date set for next week

By: Valerie Boey

Tampa, Florida - According to investigators when Mana Saleh Almanajam and Shaker Mohsen Alsidran got on the bus at Fletcher and 42nd Street students became suspicious.


J.D. Callaway, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
“They were speaking in Arabic, they were making funny sounds, it was very unusual. It was alarming for the students on the bus.”

A school district spokesperson says bus drivers normally don’t allow strangers on a bus.


Steve Hegarty, Hillsborough County School District

“The bus driver is a regular bus driver but filling in on someone else’s route.”

However the bus driver did the right thing by calling authroites. Deputies arrested the men as soon as the bus arrived to Wharton High School.


J.D. Callaway, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

“One was dressed in a black trench coat it's 80-degrees out, their attire raised questions, their language raised questions, their evasiveness raise questions with the students that raised questions with us.”

Investigators say the men kept giving them conflicting information. Even telling them they were from Morocco instead of Saudi Arabia.

J.D. Callaway, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
“One of their explanations to us was that they wouldn't say they were from Saudi Arabia cause they say if they tell people that, people become alarmed and somewhat fearful.”

The FBI, FDLE and immigration authorities searched their apartments, but found nothing suspicious. Alsidran’s neighbors say he fit right in.

Michael Sinclair, Alsidran’s Neighbor:

““I seen him around, not like personally. Hey what's up, he didn't look suspicious to me, average guy.” ”

Deputies determined the Muslim men are not a threat. They say this isn’t about racial profiling, it’s about keeping students safe.

J.D. Callaway, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
“Anybody whose an adult, gets on a school bus with students is gonna have to answer questions to law enforcement.”

Both men were charged with trespassing and taken to the Hillsborough County Jail. Deputies say the men are enrolled at the English Language Institute at the University of South Florida. But they thought they could find easier classes at Wharton High. It’s part of their immigration requirements, since they arrived to the U-S six months ago.

[pgyanke]

Testing... probing... laughing... cause for great alarm.

[STARWISE]

Thanks .. rehearsal is a possibility .. note that chest hairs not shaved.