Prosecutor: Mackinac Bridge was target (plan for cell phones)

The Saginaw News ^ | JUSTIN ENGEL08/12/06

[SE Mom]

Tuscola County prosecutors filed terrorism-related charges Saturday against three men who they say bought dozens of cell phones Friday in Caro in a globally coordinated plot involving the Mackinac Bridge.

They charged brothers Adham Abdelhamid Othman, 21, and Louai Abdelhamied Othman, 23, along with their cousin, Maruan Awad Muhareb, 18, with identical counts of collecting material to support terrorist acts and surveillance of a vulnerable target with intent to committ terrorism.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

"Very clever. Is internet access used to detonate explosives? No."

D@mn that H323 gateway! We must have the all knowing President Bush shut down any Internet gateway that might trigger a device somewhere in the world. For the children.

[TankerKC]

Post 221.

It's always a good idea to ping someone if you are going to talk about them.

[CindyDawg]

My husband would probably go nuts but I think most of us could be without a cell phone for a few hours, IF the Feds knew the time the attacks were supposed to start.

[Corvair]

They better not touch that bridge because that's where my wife and I are going on vacation next week!

[Deo volente]

If the unthinkable happens, and hundreds or even thousands of bombs go off across America, then all bets are off.

If I were president, I would consider declaring martial law, sending in troops to close down ALL mosques, and confiscate their membership lists.

Then I would proceed to order the detaining of all young men on those membership lists, for an indefinite time, as suspected armed combatants.

I would also do whatever it takes to prevent any more men of Muslim extraction from entering this country, by air, sea, or by land.

It would be a mess, but it might be the only way to forestall further attacks, and give us a chance to survive as a free people.

After we got our own house under control, I would begin to look at neutralizing the threat from abroad, specifically from Iran, Syria, North Korea, and the like.


(The preceding was only a dream. The sad reality is that nothing would probably be done to truly protect us.)

[CindyDawg]

You are going to take your wife to a bridge for vacation?:")

[browardchad]

Don't know, but they were separating the batteries, the phones and the chargers into separate boxes in the van when they were caught. That made me think the batteries were what they were actually after, but an explosives expert would know better, I'm sure.

[hoosiermama]

Do your part: Call your local police or FBI.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

http://www.positivenetworks.com/enterprise-req-ov2/index.php?cmpn=70150000000CZUp&source=overture&keyword=remote_access&roiid=798&cid=219036&c=1&oid=5&OVRAW=remote%20access&OVKEY=remote%20access&OVMTC=standard

Whew! I am glad that clocks, timers, and PC's cannot be accessed from anywhere in the world. Maybe I was wrong about the League of Nations and the UN. We can have peace if we simply capitulate and give away our technology.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

here is what you wrote at post #45:

"Having worked with demolitions for many years msny years I can tell you it would take far more than 10 tons of high explosives to bring down the Mackinac Bridge."

1st....a "daisy cutter" is one example of what only 7 1/2 tons of HE will do.....and THAT is as an air burst, NOT even placed ON the target.

2nd....main cables.....genuine incendaries, NOT oxy/acetyl torch like the jokers in NY tried

3rd....main cables....acid

your resume' doesn't ring true (again)

[b4its2late]

We won't hold our breaths!!!!

[EnquiringMind]

Thanks for the link idkfa.

Just one or two small bombs going off as 65,000 cross the bridge on 9/4 could create similar, devastating panic.

[Miss Marple]

Look. I have three grandchildren. A temporary shut down of these phones, given what I have read, would not be unreasonable.

You can risk your life if you wish. My grandchildren need to be able to grow up.

I am sick of people whining about their rights while we are in a battle with people who want to kill all of us, including our children and granchildren. We suspended some civil rights during WWII, and they were restored after the war. The same thing should apply here.

If you are so concerned about rights as opposed to stopping terrorists, might I suggest that you go live in Spain?

[eleni121]

I've called on a few...but I don't know how serious the cellphone thing is. They told me that it was a way to make money.

I guess I will...just in case.

[rintense]

Hey, I'm an MSU alum. I'm not going to give the Wolverines any extra fans. ;)

[fso301]

Don't know, but they were separating the batteries, the phones and the chargers into separate boxes in the van when they were caught. That made me think the batteries were what they were actually after, but an explosives expert would know better, I'm sure.

The lithium ion batteries are explosive. Especially when directly shorted. I just don't know how explosive or, how multiple batteries could be added to get a more powerful explosion.

[rintense]

Every game is a sell out. And how easy would it be for these Muslims to blend in? VERY.

[jmcenanly]

It is a drive of 295 mi , or about 4 hours 50 mins.

[GarySpFc]

Granted a daisy cutter will disable the bridge, and "might" even bring down one of the towers, but it would not cut one of the cables. How many terrorists have you ever heard of obtaining a daisy cutter?
Secondly, how long do you think it would take for acid to cut through 24.5 inches of high strength steel?
Thermite explosives will cut the cable, but even so there are problems, which I shall not detail.

[rintense]

It is rather scary to think of the aftermath of such a scenario... troops patrolling the streets to prevent chaos, a break down of civil defense... something this large of scale could cripple this country. Even if its only a short period of time, the effects would be massive.

Of course, if this scenario plays out, the liberals will insist all our troops be pulled from Iraq and Afghanistan and brought home to protect us. They think both those causes are lost anyway. So why not kill two birds with one stone? Cry to end the war in Iraq to save the people over here. And you know what? I think the majority of MSM dependent sheeples would believe them. In an election year, a scenario such as this would probably help the liberals as they would incite fear in the (dumb) voting populace.