Man Caught Photographing Refinery in Texas

Fox News Channel ^ | 12/30/01 | Self

[The_Media_never_lie]

This morning on Fox News there was a report of a middle eastern man being noticed by an off duty policeman photographing a Diamond Shamrock oil refinery in Texas. The man was apprehended by law enforcement. When questioned, he did not come up with any logical explanation for his photographing the refinery. The Fox video report showed the man in custody. The report also showed his late model car which was found to contain only maps of undisclosed locations.

[No Left Turn]

Blowing up a refinery would have about the same effect of setting off a decent sized nuclear bomb. A total disaster. And given the fact that we have very limited refining capacity in this country -- we don't produce anywhere near our demand levels -- energy prices would skyrocket. Refineries should have the same type of defense forces as nuclear plants.

[xJones]

If you can not prove citizenship or have an expired visa, you must go!! It's just a matter of time before we get spanked again.

I vote with you. There are so many oil refineries in Texas and one nuclear power plant. Enough already!

[csvset]

I saw on either Fox or Pmsnbc's news ticker that this was the 4th such incident in Texas.

Just members of the local petrochemical photographers union.

[NetValue]

I think I would arrest (as a public nuisance) any middle eastern person photographing a potential target. Let him explain his purpose to a Magistrate. We are in a war. Smart people do not do provacative things. Sleeper-agents take the risk in the name of Allah.

[VOA]

...there was a report of a middle eastern man being noticed by an off duty
policeman photographing a Diamond Shamrock oil refinery in Texas.
The man was apprehended by law enforcement.

Moron. If he is an Al-Quida sleeper.
First rule for terrorists operating within the boundries of the USA.

Start, prosecute, and finish your evil acts in states known as "The Blue Zone".
Those would be the states that were carried by Gore in the Nov. 2000 Presidential
Election (or stolen by Democratic operatives).

These are the states where you won't be profiled (even covertly), attentive citizens won't
report you because they are too self-conscious to tell the police "he looked Middle-Eastern
and his presence/activity was inexplicable.).

Also, in the Blue Zone, you are virtually sure that a citizen who catches you in the act
won't shoot you...because they won't have a gun...and the cops will be less likely to stop you
or shoot you because local juries will convict them on the slightest claim
of racism, profiling, harassment, yada-yada-yada.

So, at the least, don't try anything in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama,
Georgia, Florida, N. or S. Carolina, or Virginia.
It just ain't worth the risk, Mohammed, Ali, or what ever name you're using today.

[seahawk]

Did you hear which Diamond Shamrock Ref. this was at?? I live 45 miles south of the one in George West and right now my husband is having lunch in that little town on his way back from a hunting trip.

[LadyDoc]

It's not illegal to photograph a refinery, is it?

No, and there is nothing illegal until you do something illegal.

Hopefully the Texas police will find something...jaywalking, a bounced check, and angry girlfriend...

[VOA]

I forgot to suggest Portland, Oregon as a prime site for Al-Quida sleepers.
Although there are probably no oil refineries there to "photograph".

[Moonman62]

Where was Chelsea when this happened? Maybe she will write a magazine article to describe her thoughts about this incident and how it relates to the Bush tax cuts.

[Allegra]

Where was this? What city?

My guess would be just east of Houston where there are lots of plants and refineries. YIKES! (I'm on the west side of Houston - outside the fallout range, but this is still rather unsettling.)

[Mixer]

Middle Eastern? Like maybe Muslim? I dont't buy it.

[kinghorse]

Not buying it. The dangerous part is the attacks will be simultaneous for maximum psychological effect. Imagine the horror of refineries (and the adjacent neighborhoods) exploding in different parts of the country at the same time. It would make this Peru tragedy look like a 1 alarm brush fire.

[Nov3]

I think I would arrest (as a public nuisance) any middle eastern person photographing a potential target. Let him explain his purpose to a Magistrate. We are in a war. Smart people do not do provacative things. Sleeper-agents take the risk in the name of Allah.

I don't know. I think our law enforcement resources could be more wisely used. There are bound to be old white and black ladies getting on planes without being frisked.

We could be accused of profiling if this type of law enforcement continues. I mean they had to mention he was middle eastern. If he was Nordic do you think he would have been hassled?

Seriously now kudo's to this cop who had his eyes open and a head on his shoulders. This is good law enforcement.

[VOA]

It's not illegal to photograph a refinery, is it? Or is there something else about
the situation that made it suspicious?

Here's a friendly jog for the memory cells.
Soon following 9-11, it was found that a fair number of our Middle Eastern neighbors
(some illegal on INS violations) had gotten (or were getting) training/licenses to
operate semi rigs.
I think the general fear was one of them driving a rig with a trailer full of
explosives (Tim McVeigh x 5 ?) to blow up buildings, collapse buildings, etc.

But I suspect (having grown up in a refinery town in Oklahoma), that one or two semis
so equipped...would simply blast through the gates of most refineries and if properly set off...
hugh explosions, hundreds (thousands?) dead/wounded, and a loss of petroleum capacity for
months, if not years.

Scary thing? What if they hit four or five big, crucially-important refineries...
within a five-to-ten minute window?
Dead, suffering, and economic destruction.

[cardinal4]

Whats the matter,Net?Are you discriminating against those of us who take pictures of power plants,refineries,and dams?Tolerance,please tolerance!

[nicmarlo]

Here's a link about what Peggy Noonan thought about similar suspicious behavior, videotaping in N.Y. by middle eastern men: Peggy Noonan: profiles encouraged

[VOA]

I don't know. I think our law enforcement resources could be more wisely used.

Just a friendly challenge.
Maybe you've not lived within a few miles of a refinery "tank park", e.g., where there are about
100 large tanks holding petroleum feedstock or product.

Living within about 2 miles of one...it's a pretty awesome thing when ONE of them
blows up due to accident or lighting strike, etc.

I'd say the refinery I lived next to lost one to explosion about each decade.

Having not only a tank farm, but the adjacent refinery go up in a conflagration from
a couple of suicide-crazed Muslim extremists driving explosive-laden semi rigs...
that scars the be-je-sus out of me.

[BUSHdude2000]

Will this guy be introduced to the media so we can feel sorry for racially profiling him? Can someone resurrect Jack Ruby for the news conference?

[mac_truck]

Maybe it was a member of the Holyland charity scouting for new office location?

[Mitchell]

This is exactly what happened before the Dec. 13 terrorist attack on India's parliament; see this thread. There were also numerous similar reports in this country in the days following 9/11.