Posted on 12/13/2001 1:50:03 AM PST by newzjunkey
Wednesday December 12 8:03 PM ET
Jewish Militant Arrested in L.A. Bomb Plot
By Sarah Tippit
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The chairman of the militant [TERRORST] Jewish Defense League and a follower have been arrested in an alleged plot to bomb a major Los Angeles area mosque and the office of a Republican California congressman, among other targets, federal officials said on Wednesday.
JDL Chairman Irv Rubin, 56 and group member Earl Krugel, 59, who were arrested on Tuesday night, were charged with conspiring to bomb the King Fahd Mosque in the Los Angeles suburb of Culver City, the offices of Southern California Congressman Darrell Issa, who is the [CHRISTIAN] grandson of Lebanese immigrants and the Muslim Public Affairs Council office in the Mid-Wilshire section of Los Angeles.
``Last night's arrests confirm that we meant what we said: if you cross the line from expressing your political or religious beliefs to committing violent acts against those whose beliefs are offensive to you, then you will likely end up facing federal prosecution on charges carrying extremely long prison sentences,'' said John Gordon, U.S. Attorney for California's Central District.
The two men face one count each of conspiring to destroy a building by means of an explosive and possession of a destructive device during and in relation to a violent crime, according to an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. If convicted each could face 35 years in prison.
THIRD MAN TURNED INFORMER
Officials said the two men plotted with a third, a former JDL member, to make and detonate bombs. The third man, who was approached last October told authorities of the plot, officials said. No bombs were detonated and no one was injured.
A complaint against the two men said that Krugel told the informant the bombings were necessary because ``Arabs need a wake-up call.'' At that meeting Rubin added that the JDL needs to let people know they are ``alive in a militant way.''
The complaint added that the unnamed source was asked to photograph the Muslim Public Affairs Council and help purchase bomb components and that Krugel said he would build the bombs at his residence. The source would then place the explosives.
When the source asked Krugel how the bombings might affect human beings, he allegedly said: ``C'est la vie,'' Gordon said.
``The affidavit makes clear their primary motivation was to ... terrorize Muslims or Arabs and alert the national if not the local community to JDL's commitment to attack those targets,'' Gordon said.
The source told officials he was led to believe one bomb was to be placed in the offices of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). He arrived at Jerry's Famous Deli in the Los Angeles suburb of Encino with 5 pounds (2.2 kg) of explosive powder in his vehicle ready for delivery to Krugel.
The MPAC, which also has a Washington, D.C. office, describes itself as a public service agency working for the civil rights of American Muslims.
TARGETS CHANGED AT MEETING
However at the deli meeting the two men said they had changed their targets and bombs were instead to be placed at the Culver City mosque and Issa's office. Gordon said he believed Issa, a Christian American of Lebanese descent, was targeted because he made statements the JDL disagreed with.
There was no specific time frame for when the bombs were to be detonated, however they were expected to be set off ``in the near future. Things were fluid,'' Gordon said.
Issa was not made aware of the plot because authorities only learned of it moments before the arrests, Gordon said.
Because the informant wore a wire when he met the two men, federal agents followed and arrested them a short time later. A search of Krugel's Reseda, California house turned up bomb making materials including caps, pipes and fuses and a dozen firearms. The bombs were adequate to cause ``considerable damage'' to the areas where they were to be detonated and possibly death to people in the vicinity, officials said.
Issa, who appeared at a press conference Wednesday flanked by several Jewish congressmen, thanked law enforcement officials for their quick action and said he had ``no way of knowing'' why he had been a target of the JDL. ``Like most Americans, my hope and wish is for a peaceful resolution to the Middle East conflict. Unfortunately, there are extremists on both sides who oppose a peaceful resolution.''
``I describe myself as an American,'' he said, when asked about his ethnic background. ``I'm an American, somebody who served in the military both as an enlisted man and as an officer, who does have an Arabic surname.'' He said he had grown up in a Jewish neighborhood.
Several Jewish congressmen stood by him and denounced the Jewish Defense League and urged prosecution of the suspects.
``This is a small group of wackos,'' said Rep. Gary Ackerman, a New York Democrat. ``They get more attention than they deserve but they can't get more punishment than they deserve.''
The JDL was founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was assassinated in New York in 1990. Prior to his death he founded the extremist KACH party in Israel which advocated the expulsion of all Arabs from Israel and Israeli-occupied territories. The party was later outlawed.
OBL'S apologists have quite rightly been criticized on this board, and Rubin's defenders are fair game too!
It does get tedious on these threads doesn't it.
Yes but SOME religions seem to have many more 'fanatics' than others, and are more 'adept' at things like flying, hijacking, blowing up huge buildings, killing public figures (Bobby Kennedy) - and on and on. Let's look at the 'results.'
Irv Rubin - 0
Islamic crazies - 3000 and UP.
Oh and course there is McVeigh - how many did he kill - 68 or so?
As opposed to the Palestinians and Egyptians who applauded on 9-11.
AND my name is not 'Ronnie'...my name is not even veronica...that's my 'nom de plume'...you don't know what my name is.....have a nice day. (-:
Yeah, the Jews flew those planes into the WTC and Pentagon, didn't they?
Do you believe 'Jihad Darrell' (Issa)?
Not that it would excuse Rubin - IF he is guilty but interesting nevertheless...
Rubin = 0
domestic .50 rifles = 0
Anti-abortionist Waagner = 0
Islamic terrorists in the US = 3000+
Let's roll.
Of course the militia groups will be here soon with evidence that Rubin was framed.
LOL. I am not an agent or spy or anything as romantic as that. Just a boring little worker bee. Now if I was a bit younger and had it all to do over again....(-: I think I'd look sharp in a US army uniform with a few shiny medals on it.
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