Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

British pair arrested in U.S. on terror charges over Twitter jokes
Mail Online ^ | 30th January 2012 | Richard Hartley-Parkinson

Posted on 01/30/2012 11:40:27 AM PST by billybudd

Two British tourists were barred from entering America after joking on Twitter that they were going to 'destroy America' and 'dig up Marilyn Monroe'.

Leigh Van Bryan, 26, was handcuffed and kept under armed guard in a cell with Mexican drug dealers for 12 hours after landing in Los Angeles with pal Emily Bunting.

The Department of Homeland Security flagged him as a potential threat when he posted an excited tweet to his pals about his forthcoming trip to Hollywood which read: 'Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America?'

After making their way through passport control at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) last Monday afternoon the pair were detained by armed guards.

Despite telling officials the term 'destroy' was British slang for 'party', they were held on suspicion of planning to 'commit crimes' and had their passports confiscated.

Leigh was also quizzed about another tweet which quoted hit US comedy Family Guy which read: '3 weeks today, we're totally in LA p****** people off on Hollywood Blvd and diggin' Marilyn Monroe up!

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: british; britishterrorists; marilynmonroe; terrorism; tweets; twitter
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-92 next last
To: JimSEA
"If this is a warning as to what will merit a homeland security detention, we are all screwed. The Gestapo is upon us."

Orwell was not a Novelist, he was a modern day prophet who delivered his predictions in Novel form.

Big Brother is watching...

thoughtcrime

doublethink

tis all coming true...

61 posted on 01/30/2012 2:22:43 PM PST by Mad Dawgg (If you're going to deny my 1st Amendment rights then I must proceed to the 2nd one...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: LibFreeUSA
Your “Fire” comparison is not anywhere close to being correct or sufficiently adequate to support your approval of government control over a ‘tweet’. I am glad you are not my attorney.

When did I ever say that I approved of this!!???? Pull your head out and consider the information from an objective perspective, NOT a subjective one!! You want to make me into some kind of cop controlling what each person does. I didn't make the rules, but, like everyone, I have to live by them until we can make a change.

If YOU don't like the status quo, don't blame me - blame your legislators and do something about it!!

62 posted on 01/30/2012 2:24:01 PM PST by DustyMoment (Congress - Another name for white collar criminals!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: LibFreeUSA
It was assertive HUMAN and AUTHORITARIAN DECISION-MAKING APPROVAL THAT USED "communications system" information-gathering data.

Right!

BUT . . . . . all they get from the computer is that a word on the watchlist came up in a conversation. They DON'T get the context, they DON'T get the entire conversation, NOR do they get an association with an idiotic TV program.

IOW, in their opinion (and I have to agree with it), it is better to err on the side of caution than to ignore something and potentially allow a disaster to occur. If they had to pull the entire conversation up, then cross-check it with all known instances of the term and try to determine whether an actual threat has been made, it could take hours or days.

If the threat is real, how many people can be murdered in those hours or days while they try to go through your scenario?? Think back to FEMA and the phoney outrage after Hurricane Katrina. WE attacked the Bush Administration for alledgedly not acting fast enough.

Now we have a situation in which the government acted quickly to secure what they believed was a potential threat and you're upset about THAT!!!

What will it take to make you happy?? They're bureaucrats, NOT mind readers!

63 posted on 01/30/2012 2:36:10 PM PST by DustyMoment (Congress - Another name for white collar criminals!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: Mad Dawgg

Yeah. Speaking of Orwell, look at all the posters who think TSA was perfectly justified. Maybe they want to live in that kind of a country, I sure don’t. Now our politicians are calling for more regulation, redistribution of wealth and something called ethical capitalism. I never had claustrophobia before but now I have a distinctively political variety.


64 posted on 01/30/2012 2:37:32 PM PST by JimSEA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: JimSEA
Not one freeper here who believes that the TSA was wrong in this regard has explained to me why the words “I am going to destroy America” are innocuous and should have been overlooked. Can YOU explain what I'm missing?

Like all Americans, I have been critical of the stupidities of the TSA. But in this case, sorry, they did their job. For once.

65 posted on 01/30/2012 2:49:15 PM PST by miss marmelstein
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: JimSEA
"Yeah. Speaking of Orwell, look at all the posters who think TSA was perfectly justified."

Yep that be the "doublethink" Orwell told us about:

Supposed Conservatives talking themselves around to thinking the government arresting people for typing thoughts is a good thing. That is the very definition of "doublethink"...

66 posted on 01/30/2012 2:56:14 PM PST by Mad Dawgg (If you're going to deny my 1st Amendment rights then I must proceed to the 2nd one...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: billybudd
Watch what you say on FreeRepublic folks, or the Department of Fatherland Security will kick you off your next flight!

OK!

If there are any of the FAT BEATCH's (Big Sis) Dept of Homeland [IN]Security's Jack-Booted-Thugs monotoring this site, I have a few choice words for you:

[Please] "Kiss my arse!"

Oh, and come and find me if you can, cuz I'm done flying due to mostly morons working for the TSA in Airports.

67 posted on 01/30/2012 2:58:17 PM PST by Conservative Vermont Vet (l)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: miss marmelstein

Context here seems obvious. “I’m going to kill a few lagers and take down Bonn”, doesn’t mean anything ominous but taken literally could get me jailed. If we have to be so circumspect in our speech, how can I keep from getting in trouble for my political opinions about taking down, stomping on and demolishing Obama, not to mention some of the frequent posts on FR. For our perfect security, any hint of a threat must be acted on.

Thanks, I’ll take some risks to live free. I’ve been doing just that for 70 years.


68 posted on 01/30/2012 3:01:52 PM PST by JimSEA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: JimSEA

Again, you and others avoid explaining why the words “I am going to destroy America” are innocuous. I think it is because you do not like the TSA (which is your right; I have trouble with it, too) and so are willing to overlook a very serious remark. But having lived a little too personally through 9/11, I have a different opinion. These brats were not American citizens and not due any particular respect.


69 posted on 01/30/2012 3:21:57 PM PST by miss marmelstein
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: miss marmelstein
You have all the facts at your finger tips so it’s easy to say these two snarky brats were innocent (rather than incredibly stupid, spoiled and arrogant).

Are you kidding? They asked the girl if she was going to be a lookout when he dug up Marilyn Monroe. They were looking in his bag for shovels and picks. TSA was playing those two just like a cat plays with a mouse before they kill it.

They were probably just rejoicing they got a hit on their new "Twitter Terroism Algorithm" that cost us a few billion and went to the lowest bidder.

From your comments I believe you think these people should be jailed and treated like this because they personally annoy you.

Like someone once said, we used to put people in jail that were a threat to our society. Now we put them in jail because they make us mad. America is no longer the home of the brave or land of the free, and that is our hypersensitive wussie generation's legacy from now until mankind no longer exists.

Too late to change it now. We can only hope future generations look at us with disgust and bring America back to what it was before we came along.
70 posted on 01/30/2012 3:29:44 PM PST by microgood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: microgood

Some of you people are very dishonest with this story. You keep bringing up the Marilyn thing and ignoring the Destroy America remark. I wonder why? Could it be it undercuts your argument?


71 posted on 01/30/2012 3:35:17 PM PST by miss marmelstein
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]

To: miss marmelstein

That’s not being dishonest. The Marilyn thing is so out there that there is no way this ‘terrorism threat’ could be taken seriously.

This was scumbags on a power trip. Nothing more, nothing less...


72 posted on 01/30/2012 3:59:21 PM PST by LastNorwegian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: miss marmelstein

Once again, you must take them in context. I can easily envision a political operative like Rove or Carville say when refuring to an election, “We have to kill him and drive a stake through his heart so he can’t rise from the dead like Carter”. Taken out of the electoral context, it seems a clear death threat when political “death” was all that was contemplated. They wanted such a crushing defeat that no political resurrection would be possible.

The UK tourist was plainly tweeting about partying using today’s slang. What about a Man U soccer player saying they will destroy America before a friendly match? Context.


73 posted on 01/30/2012 4:36:55 PM PST by JimSEA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 69 | View Replies]

To: miss marmelstein
-"Please explain to those of us who do not understand, how that tweet was harmless. I do not mean the Marilyn reference."

Gladly. It was not a terrorist threat. There, was that simple enough?

74 posted on 01/30/2012 4:53:49 PM PST by LibFreeUSA (Pick Your Poison)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: miss marmelstein
Some of you people are very dishonest with this story. You keep bringing up the Marilyn thing and ignoring the Destroy America remark. I wonder why? Could it be it undercuts your argument?

That is because "destroy America" is so nebulus and general that it really has no meaning. How would some teenager and his girlfriend "destroy America".

On the other hand, I can see how someone like TSA could "destroy American airport security" since they already have .

TSA should be concentrating on stopping weapons from getting through the security checkpoints since the people that they have hired to test the security checkpoints get their weapons through about 80% of the time, and quit harrassing dumb stupid kids. We are just lucky noone bad has tried to get through yet.
75 posted on 01/30/2012 4:57:42 PM PST by microgood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: JimSEA
What about a Man U soccer player saying they will destroy America before a friendly match? Context.

Excellent analogy.
76 posted on 01/30/2012 5:02:34 PM PST by microgood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: DustyMoment

“Now, go read my responses to some of the other folks who also didn’t like my comment and educate yourself.”

Ja mein Fuhrer!!!


77 posted on 01/30/2012 5:10:18 PM PST by achilles2000 ("I'll agree to save the whales as long as we can deport the liberals")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: miss marmelstein
Please explain to those of us who do not understand

If only that were possible

78 posted on 01/30/2012 5:16:30 PM PST by Oztrich Boy (Americo Delenda Est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: microgood

Oh, I don’t know. “Destroy America” sounds pretty specific to me.


79 posted on 01/30/2012 6:47:37 PM PST by miss marmelstein
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: Oztrich Boy

Thanks for editing my question in a dishonest way.

I seem to have fallen into a thread filled with Ron Paul liberatrian jackasses.


80 posted on 01/30/2012 6:50:40 PM PST by miss marmelstein
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-92 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson