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.

[Sir Gawain]

Why did the moronic bus driver let them on in the first place? The driver should lose their job over this.

[Let's Roll]

"And why exactly are they in this country?"

That has to be the first thought of everyone reading this thread.

Why the h*ll are they still letting them in this country? Do we have to go ballistic on something EVERY DAY? Is there no one with ANY common sense inside the beltway?

And I don't care if it is profiling or racist - talk about terms that have more than lost their sting!

[peggybac]

This is just plain SCARY.

[Old_Mil]

The only thing I can say is that President Bush must have put the fear of God in the muzzie terrorists with a threat of retaliation so devastating they would prevent another domestic attack rather than commit one. What other possible reason could there be for the absence of any follow-up attacks on America? None that I can think of.

You are incorrect in stating that there were no follow-up attacks on America. The shooting at the El-Al counter in Los Angeles post 9/11 was one such attack. The Virginia sniper was another such attack. The suicide bombing outside the University of Oklahoma football stadium was one more - fortunately there were no fatalities in that one. The SUV on the commons at UNC was another such attack - again, fortunately no fatalities.

We have been importing 100,000 legal Muslim immigrants a year since 9-11 and the day will come when this policy bites us back.

[JSteff]

"As part of a student project "way back when"

Was that pre 9/11? How about pre Gulf War I?

Just curious. The world has changed a bit, so a time line for your student project might help put it all in perspective for us.

[Cindy]

Thank you Judith Anne.

[jennyjenny]

Thank heavens for that.

[Dustbunny]

Judge Revokes Bail For Saudi Bus Riders

What a concept, a judge with common sense.

[Smokin' Joe]

It would have been funny to have seen the bus driver pull out a piece and smoke both of their asses...

Gun free school (target) zone.

[gondramB]

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

I'm sure that real calming for the kids.... /s

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

Mana Saleh Almanajam, 23, who lives in Apt. 302 in The Point apartments, and Shaker Mohsen Alsidran, 20 Monticello Gardens, Apt. 304-A

I bet their neighbors are psyched...yikes.

[gondramB]

>>Mana Saleh Almanajam, 23, who lives in Apt. 302 in The Point apartments, and Shaker Mohsen Alsidran, 20 Monticello Gardens, Apt. 304-A

I bet their neighbors are psyched...yikes.<<

Is it normal to give an apartment number in a newspaper article?

[danamco]

Ahmed Bedier, Tampa director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said the men likely meant no harm and that because "they were from Saudi Arabia, that escalated the situation."




How many of the 9/11 hijackers were from saudi arabia???
Hmmmm!!!

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

It does seem unusual that they would see fit to mention that Mana Saleh Almanajam, 23, lives in Apt. 302 in The Point apartments, and Shaker Mohsen Alsidran, 20, lives at Monticello Gardens, Apt. 304-A. Unusual indeed.

[Cindy]

Let's add these links to go with the article you posted, STARWISE.
---

ON THE NET...

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&q=%22school%20bus%22&btnG=Google+Search&sa=N&tab=wn

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ie=UTF-8&ncl=http://www.sptimes.com/2006/05/20/Hillsborough/School_bus_ride_takes.shtml


http://www.foxnews.com
http://www.cnn.com
http://www.wtop.com

===
===

UNRELATED TO ARTICLE ABOVE and ON THE NET...

http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060521/NEWS01/605210371/1006

NEWS
"Bus 'hijacking' a learning experience
Students assist emergency personnel in drill"

By Liz Hacken
Press & Sun-Bulletin


ARTICLE SNIPPET: "OWEGO -- Concerned on-lookers watched from bleachers as firefighters nimbly crawled into the shattered windows of an overturned school bus, rescuing victims who needed medical treatment. Emergency medical technicians were on hand to treat their injuries, even if the most severe wounds were only a few smears of red paint.

Although the exercise Saturday for Tioga County emergency responders was just a drill, the preparation and lessons were real."


ARTICLE SNIPPET #2: ""School buses are soft targets," Quaranta said. "You can have problems of this magnitude at any time.""

[beezdotcom]

"The bus driver, a substitute, reached her supervisors by telephone."

The more conspiratorial-minded of us might wonder if it was merely a coincidence that this happened on a day with a substitute - or, if the guys had been casing the bus route enough to know that TODAY was the day to try a "dry run", since it looked like a different driver.

[BJungNan]

And why are they in this country?

If they are visitors, not citizens, on a visa, that visa should be revoked and they should be put on a plane out of here.

This is the part that is so upsetting... "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."

Callaway should be fired if he can not understand what they were up to.

[BJungNan]

A night in jail probably got them squared away on the whys and hows of NOT riding the yellow school buses!

You are being sarcastic right? I mean, no one really accepts that these two should remain in this country a day longer, right?

We have a zero tolerance policy for kids in school regarding certain infraction against school safety. The same policy should be in effect for visitors on visas.

Again, you were kidding right?

[MIchaelTArchangel]

And why exactly did they lie to the police--a criminal act in and of itself--saying they were from Morrocco? I suggest the local district attorney charge the two with making a false statement to police, then have the U.S. State Department revoke their visas, and have ICE take them into custody so they can be deported.

And I am tired of hearing excuses from CAIR. Even the name suggests there is a wall dividing Americans and Mohammedans which indicates a Mohammedan cannot be an American and an American cannot be a Mohammedan which is about the only truthful thing CAIR has ever said.

[john drake]

Understood regarding Americans going overseas in a highly selective process I suspect, maybe a few thousand a year that were greatly monitored, correct? What about the reciprocal?