[Arec Barrwin]

Hmmm. Phones plus photographs and videos of the bridge = no good. I think Chief Page may need to reconsider letting them off so quickly.

[johnny7]

IED's? Lots of IED's?

[Peach]

No way if they were going to re-sell the phones they were going to do so without the batteries. No way.

[dinasour]

If you are using them as a bomb detonator, you don’t really need a battery in there, do you?

Of course not, the dilithium crystals will activate the detonator, won't they?

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

Local authorities were notified of the suspicious purchase by Wal-Mart employees after the men had went through check lanes multiple times.

Not to diminish how potentially serious these allegations are, do we really have staff writers who write "had went?" Is there an editor at that newspaper?

[garyhope]

So now they're making boms with Caro syrup in Caro, Egyp?

[kjo]

Want to bet the ACLU will be all over this? These poor Arab men were only trying to raise money for school! And these awful white-bread types in rural Michigan made all this trouble for them.

Must be a civil suit here somewhere.

[Sioux-san]

"Wal-Mart has a policy of allowing only three disposable phones to be purchased per customer."

Some policy - These guys were also picked up in N.Dakota, S.Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin doing the same thing. So, what about the Wal-mart employee who got them the 80 phones in Caro???? Was he/she bribed? Same goes for the two jihadists from Dearborn arrested in Ohio buying up cell phones. Why does the FBI keep letting these bums go?

[freespirited]

“They say they are purchasing the phones around the country for about $20 a piece and selling them in Texas for $38 each...

So we're supposed to believe that there are 1000 people in Texas who don't know that they can buy the phones, with charger and a $40 airtime card in their local Walmart or Dolllar General for $20? Where they would have the right to a replacement or refund if there is a problem.

I believe the correct legal term here is "a likely story."

[NormsRevenge]

FBI: No terror groups in cell phone case ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1683529/posts

[RepublicanHippy]

This story was on the front page of the Grand Rapids Press yesterday (Sunday) with photos of the three men. Their names are: Adham Abdelhamid Othman, Louai Abdelhamied Othman and Mauan Awad Muhareb. From their photos, they could pass for Hispanic or Middle Easterners. The headline of the article in the Grand Rapids Press says "Men Suspected of Mackinac plot." On the local news someone said they found evidence to suspect they planned to target the famous Mackinac Bridge. I can't believe this has not been a bigger story.

[sasha123]

walmart.com has them on sale for 19.97. They could have saved alot of time and gas money by purchasing them on-line. (that would have worked if it was truly legit).