BEWARE OF SWARTHY MEN CARRYING CAMERAS (FBI Getting "a lot" of Reports)

October 11, 2001 | be-baw

[be-baw]

I work in a power plant in Michigan. Last Friday afternoon, three young middle eastern-looking men showed up in the plant carrying cameras. They asked for a tour so they can take pictures for a photo-journalism college class they were taking. My boss, the plant director, talked with them, got the name of their professor and turned them away. Having noticed the discussion I talked with my boss afterwards. I asked them if he thought that was peculiar. He said yes. I asked him if he was going to call the police. He didn’t answer. He just turned around and walked away.

This afternoon I noticed on Free Republic a post about three Pakistani men who were discovered inside of a water treatment in Hudson, New York. The similarity of that incident to the one in my plant seemed like it was far beyond coincidental. I called my boss (I’m off today), and told him about it. He told me he had contacted the professor of the three students. The professor told him he thought he knew who those three students were, but that they had had no specific assignment to try to get pictures of our plant. My boss told me he would follow up, without being specific how he planned to it.

Well, I decided I wanted to know for sure that the proper people were being notified, so after contemplating for a couple of hours, I decided to call the FBI. The office listed in my phone directory is in Detroit. I called and was connected to the command center. The gentleman I spoke with would not give me his name. I started out by telling him that I work in a power plant and three students showed up wanting to take pictures. “Oh yeah,” he said,”we’re getting a lot of that.” “What do you make of it,” I asked. “We don’t know what to make of it,” he said.

This guy did not seem interested in hearing about it. I say this because he did not ask me any questions, as I expected he would. Finally, I asked him, “Well, don’t you want to know more about it?” “Sure,” he said, “go ahead.” So I explained the rest to him. I asked what he thinks we should do. He said if it happens again, ask them for picture identification.

I find this rather disturbing. It sounds as if this is happening all over the country, yet those who have a responsibility to investigate don’t seem to want to pursue it. One would think, at the very least, warnings out to be going out to utilities to beware of swarthy men carrying cameras…

[be-baw]

Has anyone else had or heard of similar incidents? What do you make of it? What do you make of the FBI's response?

[atafak]

Arm yourself with a pocket camera at all times. When you see suspicious people, take lots of photos.

[jwalsh07]

Find out who his boss is and call him. And if he's not interested go to the next guy until you find somebody who takes you seriously.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

FBI Website

FBI Most Wanted Terrorists Page With Pictures

America's Most Wanted website

Call the FBI Toll Free at 1-866-483-5137
if you see or hear anything that threatens our national security.

[freeper12]

>>This guy did not seem interested in hearing about it.

Gee, government employees not talking their job very seriously...gee what a suprise. I have had similar problems..once I tried to call the FBI for a unrelated problem..tried at least 3 different numbers and let each ring probably 30 times and no answer...guess I should have tried to get ahold of anyone 3PM on a Friday.

[michaelt]

If they are getting a lot of it, then I would hope they are on the case. They did just issue that public warning, after all. Maybe they don't want to give too much away, in order to not inform the terrorists what they know.

[NetValue]

"What do you make of the FBI's response?"

To those of us who know the FBI, it is disappointing but true that they have a large percent of agents who are just plain lazy. The others however are great investigators who always ask the right follow-up questions and are not too lazy to file a report so their colleagues can benefit from what they learn.

[AuntToots]

There are so many wacky things going on now, I'm sure it is extremely difficult for the FBI to keep up with every report. Perhaps the FBI checked you out to find out if you're credible. And if you are credible I can really understand your frustration in such a lack luster response from them.

[ZOOKER]

Arm yourself with a pocket camera at all times. When you see suspicious people, take lots of photos.

Unless you are swarthy-complected yourself---in that case you can expect to be followed by people snapping your picture, and if they're swarthy, there'll be people following them...

I'm not flaming anyone, and I agree it's a serious threat, but there's absurdity out on the edges of every crisis...

[SarahW]

A: the FBI sucks.

B: Put it in writing - post it to the tip website.

C: Contact local police, too.

[Alberta's Child]

I don't know about you, but if I worked in a sensitive facility that was a potential terrorist target and had three Middle Eastern-looking guys come in looking to take pictures, I'd have them take the cameras apart and lick every component before putting them back together.

Then I'd shove the cameras up their @sses.

Sideways.

With the largest zoom lenses attached.

[MissAmericanPie]

Sounds like the FBI is the same as it ever was.

[Mr. D]

I live in the DC Metro area, and last Tuesday, a listener of WMAL Radio called in and stated last weekend, he encountered 2 men that looked like they were of middle eastern descent, video taping the interior of a local Costco store and gas station. When the management of the store encounetered the men, they became very belligerent, and would not leave. Finally, they left, the manager did get their license plate numbers. The witness/caller did report this incident to the FBI.

[Confederate Will]

I've seen these two arab guys videotaping Rockefeller center and St. Patricks in New York. A friend of mine saw them on Madison avenue. I reported it to the FBI, but I really thought it was nothing. Somebody e-mail Drudge...

[DoughtyOne]

Get the license plate and car in a photo if possible. At least get the license plate in your head and pass it on.

[DJ88]

I agree with you. There should be a National number for the FBI. Let me see if I can find it for you. We know the hijackers took dry runs before they hit the WTC and the Pentagon, this could be another type of thing. This should not be taken lightly. Here's the national phone number:

202-324-3000. Don't stop until you get someone that will talk to you. Tell them you will go to the media. Call the US Attorney General's Office. Just keep calling until you drive them nuts. :-)

[EuroFrog]

Unfortunately, I think the guys on that list are a bit too smart to be showing up at the local grocery store.

[GVnana]

Odd response. I made a report to the FBI concerning something I saw on the internet a few weeks ago. I got right through to an investigating agent, who took my information and I sent a report by fax. I was satisfied my information was accepted appropriately.

[OnSafariInBlueZone]

I used my occasional range bag as an overnight (less guns, ammo, cleaning kit, empty shells, ect,) on a quick trip to Las Vegas this past summer. Coming home, at Las Vegas Airport, they tested the handles of the bag for explosives resudue and I came back clean. How?

Didn't want to mention this to the security person as her English wasn't up to it (had to ask her four times what she was doing before she could answer) "I test explosives!" was all the answer i got. I did call the FBI office to mention this security loophole after I got home. Left a message on someone's voice mail and never got a call back.