Posted on 08/13/2006 9:44:16 AM PDT by WmShirerAdmirer
Mackinac Bridge; Alleged Target Of Terror
Aug 13, 2006 10:47 AM EDT
(TV5) -- We are following breaking news today after it was revealed that the goal of an alleged terror plot, uncovered in Mid-Michigan, was apparently to hit the Mackinac Bridge.
The suspects are 21 year old Adham Abdelhamid Othman, 18 year old Maruan Awad Muhareb, and 23 year old Louai Abdelhamied Othman; all are apparently from Texas.
All have been charged with one count each of collecting and providing material support for terrorism; and one count of surveillance of a vulnerable target (that target allegedly being the Mackinac Bridge).
Tuscola County Prosecutor Mark Reene couldn't go into specific detail about what exactly was found relating to the target.
What we do know is the van driven by the men contained about one-thousand TracFones. These cell phones are used by terrorists because they are cheap and virtually untraceable.
The phones can be used to remotely detonate explosive devices, or event to make methamphetamine. The charges against these men are 20 year felonies. We have also learned the men will face no federal charges.
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You make a good point regarding multiple targets, though I think the Labor Day walk would present all of the opportunity these murderers are looking for. Can you imagine what tens of thousands of people on a bridge would do in the event of multiple explosions? The fact it is lesser known that many other symbolic targets and its very remoteness could possibly magnify the sense of terror.
More than one target, sending some overseas to the ME terrorist, using a little imagination brings to mind several reasons for all the cell phone, plus this is just one incident, there were two other groups arrested for buying a large number of cell phone last week.
This group mentioned here had a list of particular cell phones to buy. This is because some phones have chips which lend themsleve to terrorist activities, such as untracable calls and bomb detonating devices.
BTW, it takes two cell phones if you want to detonate a bomb remotely, one if you want to use it as a timer. Remote has the advantage of being able to set it off when the maximum amount of people are in the vicinity of the bomb.
This is a correction for post 42, the bridge walk is not today, blush, it is labor day. Sorry about that.
Because it would help bush and because the perps are muslim and not christian conservatives.
Chill out. You're certainly right, but the MSM needs a bit of time to make the connection.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/13/michigan.arrests/index.html
Like you say, it's pretty clear now that they're stepping up to it.
We rounded up the Japanese and it was the only
fair thing to do given the circumstances. Later the
liberals loved condemning it. America is waiting for
the Muslims to be duly emboldened to strike again here.
Those who die will be martyrs, but their lives will
not be lost in vain. They will have awakened us to what's
necessary.
bridges are a problem.. not as the first target but as a secondary and main target. Imagine the traffic jam, the number of people on a bridge when then is an accident on one side... They would have nowhere to go, and a prime 'target' for the news media to cover while the people are stuck.
I live near a few 10mile long bridges.. it's been a concern...
I think they mainly targeted it for its symbolic value, a visually spectacular bridge that's also a magnificent engineering achievement. Anything they couldn't create with seventh century Arabic technology they want to destroy and replace with--NOTHING.
As I recall, the reason was both to prevent snow/ice build up, and because of the winter winds that whistle through the straights. (They didn't want a repeat of the Tachoma Narrows bridge.)
Reportedly, the winds are sometimes strong enough to lift vehicles. (In 1989, a 31-year-old woman was killed when her Yugo was blown off the bridge.)
It crosses over or near Mackinaw Island. There are no automobile connections to the Island available for the general public. You get there by ferry or private boat (just TRY to get a mooring!!) and get around by bike, foot, or horse drawn buggy.
The bridge has huge economic and strategic importance. Millions of tons of frieght cross the bridge every year.
Hey, cut them some slack; we already persecute them enough.
Why, do you realize we don't let them fire full-auto into the air every time they have an orgasm?
That we don't (legally) allow them to do clitorectomies on their daughters?
That we don't don't allow them to behead anyone who refuses to answer their call to "revert" to I-Slam?
That we only allow them one legal wife?
Allahu fubar! How much persecution can you expect them so swallow?
And now you want to send them packing just because they want to blow up a few things Americans don't want to blow up...nor want blown up?
I don't see a need to add a sarcasm tag; any illiterati out there reading this still wouldn't understand.
I heard an engineer who worked on the Mack say that it had an invisible profile as far as wind is concerned. The grate has something to do with that, but I hate to drive on it. It feels like my tires slip sideways - just an awful feeling.
The day that girl went over the side, I was driving across the bridge on my way to visit my parents in the UP. I must have gone across less than an hour before the woman went over the side, it was very windy and I was driving a little black Escort. I recall going about 40 and thinking that I was going WAY too fast and should slow down, so I did. I could feel the wind push the car and it really was the worst I've ever seen at the Straits. When I arrived at my destination a couple hours later, they had heard on the news that a young woman in a small black car had been seen going over the side rail.....
Very well stated. But in Europe they pretty much ignore many of the things below (as part of their "unique culture", don't you know). It will only be a short time before they start pulling the same stunts here (if not already). I understand your sarcasm, but it's scary because it is not at all far from the truth.
Those who never learned to recognize figures of speech is a large and growing number. On Fr, sarcasm is what mainly is not recognized, unless 'tagged'. Even more unfortunate, is that it is a growing phenomenon.
Worse, elsewhere I have found that an enormous number of people do not understand analogy, and scream 'that has nothing to do with _________! Even more have NO idea that a word may have more than the first definition in the dictionary...nor that the first may no longer be the most common usage.
Those, and others who are unable or unwilling to read with understanding, I refer to as "the illiterati". It scares me. First every day math fluency, then history & civics; now, reading itself: Welcome to the dawning of The New Dark Ages.
Seems ironic that a "religion" that espouses a would-be world wide "culture" only one step above the Andaman Islanders is making the attempt to dominate, same as they did in the previous Dark Ages, facilitated by the those who would be their first victims, the Libs.
We are already sick of the muslim presence in the southeast end of our state (Dearborn) Muslims belong in mid America like ice belongs in Hell.
Terror charges axed in 2nd cellphone bomb plot
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/18/barney_fife_rides_again/
The counterfeit charge likely stems from modifications the men are alleged to have been making to unlock the phones, enabling them to be used on competing networks. Presumably, they would then cease to be "authentic" (however much improved).
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