Terror Suspect's Arrest (Padilla) May Spur Attack, FBI Fears

The London Times ^ | Friday June 21, 2002 Greenwich Mean Time | Roland Watson in Washington D.C

[codebreaker]

FBI officials fear that the arrest of Jose Padilla, the US-born terror suspect, may be a signal for other Al Qaeda operatives to stage attacks

Padilla who also used the name Abdullah al-Mujahir, walked knowingly into the hands of federal authorities at Chicago's International airport five weeks ago.

The FBI strongly suspects Padilla knew he was being tailed before his arrest. Many seats around him on the Swiss International Airlines Flight from Zurich to Chicago were taken by agents of the FBI and Swiss Intelligence. But before that, officials believe Padilla was tipped off that he was being followed after agents approached a travel agent that he had visited.

The FBI remains puzzled why Padilla should have declared $8,000.00 on his customs travel form, rather than the full $10,000.00 he picked up in Zurich. The discrepancy allowed authorities to detain him on a currency violation which he could have easily avoided

[codebreaker]

And everone knows $9,999 is the limit to declare for U.S.-Overseas travel..this doesn't pass the smell test at all.

[Lysander]

Oh yes. Guilty of traveling-while-rich crimes....

[Dialup Llama]

>The FBI strongly suspects Padilla knew he was being tailed before his arrest.

Probably the unusual number of cheap blue suits was the tip off.

Seriously, I don't understand this article. Let's not arrest the terrorists or we'll make them mad?

[Dialup Llama]

This article also has the 'terrorist qua genius' sub text in it. Padillia must have lied on his form because he really wanted to be captured. He's really two steps ahead of the FBI.

We'll from what we've learned of Atta's activites, the terrorist as cool, super operative is a romanticized media fantasy. I mean this cool operative went into a gov't office and threated to cut the throat of the worker there. He went back to the same office disguised in a fake beard. This stuff is straight out of the SNL Land Shark skit.

[Kerberos]

This thing just gets stranger and stranger as we go along.

[NetValue]

"This stuff is straight out of the SNL Land Shark skit."

Candy-Gram

[PokeyJoe]

Bass-O-Matic

[Nita Nupress]

They're probably trying to grow their botulism spores on a Chia Pet.

[SoDak]

Rich people don't travel carrying 10 large. They have people to carry it for them.

[ncpastor]

Avon calling.

[San Jacinto]

Earlier, the terrorist had unnecessarily called attention to himself at a diner by insisting on a hamburger, fries and coke when he knew they only served cheeseburgers, pepsi and cheeps.

Yeah, he was looking to get caught.

[LikeLight]

No Coke! Pepsi!

[Puppage]

The FBI also fears that the sun rising in the morning may ALSO spur an attack.

[wildehunt]

Yep... the "people" who are everywhere you want to be...

[Minutemen]

"Probably the unusual number of cheap blue suits was the tip off".
Cheap blue suits? that was in the good-old days! It's windbreakers and baseball caps with "FBI" emblazoned on them nowadays.