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FBI: No terror groups in cell phone case
AP on Yahoo ^ | 8/14/06 | AP

Posted on 08/14/2006 12:16:12 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

CARO, Mich. - The FBI said Monday it had no information to indicate that the three Texas men arrested with about 1,000 cell phones in their van had any direct connection to known terrorist groups.

Authorities had increased patrols on Michigan's 5-mile-long Mackinac Bridge after local prosecutors said investigators believed the men were targeting the span.

Local authorities didn't say what they believed the men intended to do with the phones, most of which were prepaid TracFones, but Caro's police chief noted that cell phones can be untraceable and used as detonators.

The FBI issued a news release Monday saying there is no imminent threat to the bridge linking Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas.

The release also said the FBI had no information indicating that the men, Palestinian-Americans living in Texas, had any direct links to any known terrorist groups or to the alleged plot to bomb trans-Atlantic jetliners that was announced in London last week.

William Kowalski, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Detroit field office, said authorities believe concern about the bridge was connected to images of the Mackinac Bridge found on a digital camera belonging to the men.

Kowalski said there was nothing illegal about buying cell phones in bulk, but that profits from that kind of activity can be suspicious.

Adham Abdelhamid Othman, 21, of Dallas, and Maruan Awad Muhareb, 18, and Louai Abdelhamied Othman, 23, both of Mesquite, Texas, were stopped by police Friday outside a Wal-Mart store in Caro, about 80 miles north of Detroit after employees became suspicious when they purchased about 80 cell phones.

Local prosecutors charged them with collecting or providing materials for terrorist acts and surveillance of a vulnerable target for terrorist purposes.

The men told a magistrate Saturday that they were buying the phones for resale.

Louai Othman's wife, Lina Odeh, told The Associated Press on Saturday that she thought her husband and relatives were targeted because of their Arab descent. She said the men's families come from Jerusalem.

Tuscola County Prosecutor Mark E. Reene said Monday that representatives of his office and Caro police had met with Sunday with officials from the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. attorney's office. He said all the agencies were working together on the investigation.

Messages seeking further comment from Reene were not immediately returned.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government; US: Michigan; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: carocell; cellphone; cellphones; fbi; jihadinamerica; mackinac; nonterroristattack; terrorgroups; tracfones
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On Fox news, I heard a spokesman for the Arab American Chamber of Commerce say that the 3 individuals were entrepreneurs who were piece parting kits and selling the TracFones as stand alone items and that that was perfectly normal business activity for their community or such.
1 posted on 08/14/2006 12:16:13 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge

If it is normal than I am sure the IRS is currently investigating their past tax records.


2 posted on 08/14/2006 12:18:30 PM PDT by ibbryn (this tag intentionally left blank)
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To: NormsRevenge

Without their chargers??


3 posted on 08/14/2006 12:18:44 PM PDT by truthkeeper (It's the borders, stupid.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Misleading AP headline.

Having no information is not verification.


4 posted on 08/14/2006 12:20:06 PM PDT by SpaceBar
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To: truthkeeper

The value is in the SIM card. I'm sure lots of criminal types like to buy them in bulk.


5 posted on 08/14/2006 12:21:37 PM PDT by lugsoul (Livin' in fear is just another way of dying before your time. - Mike Cooley)
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This article was also posted earlier

Terrorists in Caro?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1683493/posts


6 posted on 08/14/2006 12:22:22 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: NormsRevenge
The FBI issued a news release Monday saying there is no imminent threat to the bridge linking Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas.

Did the alleged perps intend one?

7 posted on 08/14/2006 12:22:57 PM PDT by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: ibbryn

The IRS is not your friend.


8 posted on 08/14/2006 12:23:33 PM PDT by Concho (IRS--Americas real terrorist organization.)
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To: NormsRevenge
The key word here is "direct". Anybody who knows squat about how the these folks work understands that the peripheral participants never have "direct" contact with anyone or to anything.
9 posted on 08/14/2006 12:24:16 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter ( Helen Thomas on anticipating and handling a crisis: "I'll live under that bridge when I get to it.")
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To: mewzilla

Yeah, really.


10 posted on 08/14/2006 12:24:37 PM PDT by txhurl
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To: truthkeeper

I can't grasp how this makes any sense without the chargers. Could someone enlighten me?


11 posted on 08/14/2006 12:24:44 PM PDT by travelagent (Ohio)
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To: truthkeeper; NormsRevenge
"Without their chargers??"

If I recall, they were also removing the batteries which would seem to support their assertion that they were selling them as parts (noted from post #1). A cell phone without a battery is useless for anything including a detonator.
12 posted on 08/14/2006 12:24:56 PM PDT by ndt
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To: SpaceBar

Our lovely FBI.

The Muslim shooting the clerk at the El Al ticket counter was not terrorism.

The Muslim driving the SUV int the crowd at UNC was not terrorism.

The Muslim shooting Jewish women in Seattle was not terrorism.

The Muslims in the windowless rented van buying cellphones by the gross is not terrorism.

This is the kind of stuff that almost makes me agree with the left that Bush is an idiot, but in reality, he is just another nutless washington republican.


13 posted on 08/14/2006 12:25:13 PM PDT by Idaho Whacko
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To: txflake

I really hate Fed speak.


14 posted on 08/14/2006 12:25:25 PM PDT by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: Idaho Whacko

Welcome to FR.


15 posted on 08/14/2006 12:26:48 PM PDT by RabidBartender (an ex-fan of the Dixie Chicks)
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To: ndt

The battery current would be needed to use them as initiators, however if they were building initiators, they would remove the batteries for safety while they were modifying the phones.


16 posted on 08/14/2006 12:27:06 PM PDT by Idaho Whacko
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To: NormsRevenge

Me thinks the FBI got cards they ain't showin'. Could be some psych ops going on here for secretive purposes.


17 posted on 08/14/2006 12:27:54 PM PDT by tflabo (Take authority that's ours)
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To: Idaho Whacko

Well...the FBI did crack the case of a 20 year old mob homicide in Chicago a few months ago. Give em some slack...


18 posted on 08/14/2006 12:30:16 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (BTUs are my Beat.)
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To: NormsRevenge
The FBI said Monday it had no information to indicate that the three Texas men arrested with about 1,000 cell phones in their van had any direct connection to known terrorist groups.

had no information, direct connection, and known terrorist groups. I'm well on my way to winning Weasel Word Bingo.

19 posted on 08/14/2006 12:30:45 PM PDT by KarlInOhio ("Advertisements... contain the only truths to be relied on in a newspaper" - Thomas Jefferson)
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To: Idaho Whacko

Welcome to FR and thanks for having the courage to BLAME/BASH BUSH, it is something seldom done here!!


20 posted on 08/14/2006 12:30:46 PM PDT by PISANO
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