Two Israelis Arrested in east Tennessee Transporting Suspicious Materials

Various local news broadcasts ^ | May 9, 2004 | who knows what evil?

[who knows what evil?]

My apologies in advance on this story; I just happened to catch this on several different newscasts a few minutes ago, and I am going by memory as best I can. Unicoi County (Tennessee) sheriffs arrested two Israeli men after a high-speed chase down mountain roads in this east Tennessee locale. While the sheriff was in pursuit, local witnesses noticed that materials were being thrown from the truck as it sped by, well over the posted speed limits. These witnesses were able to locate some of these items; one of which included a jug whose contents became "unusually hot" after the ingredients inside were shaken together. (Goes into the "Hey, y'all...watch this" category, WKWE.) Upon arrest, the police noted that the cab of the truck contained a "Learn How to Fly" brochure, along with passports and Florida licenses that "just didn't seem to add up". The Israelis claimed they were "just in the process of moving some furniture up to Boston". The police also stated that these two Israelis are "not being cooperative in any way." The FBI is investigating the nature of the substance in the jug that was recovered, which has been classified as an "inflammable fuel."

My questions:

1. What ELSE was in this (big yellow) 25-foot Ryder truck?
2. If they were travelling from Florida to Boston, what were they doing on a two-lane back road in the mountains of east Tennessee, several hundred miles WEST of Interstate 95; the most direct route from Florida to Boston?
3. What is the volatile substance in the jug, and why did they wish to avoid getting caught with it? (Why else would they pitch it?)
4. Why are they interested in "Learning How to Fly?"
5. Were they REALLY going to Boston, or were they MORE interested in the nearby Nuclear Fuel Services plant, or, G-d forbid, the huge Eastman Chemical Plant, about thirty miles further up the road?

It will be interesting to see if the national media picks up on this.

[MHGinTN]

Thanks, don-o. I don't buy the local rags so I would have missed this article.

On a side note, my uncle worked at the fuels reprocessing plant at the time the Isarelis were caught. Well, actually local employees wewre taking the thermoses out and selling them to Israelis. We have a huge oxycontin and other drugs problem in E.TN, so people are ripe for blackmarket sales of very nasty materials.

[sarasmom]

Best watch your mouth, son.
As a former Yankee, I can testify that many more Yankees found the KKK of any great interest than the multitudes of Southerners I have known.
Israel may be the cradle of monotheic religions, but that does not mean every Israeli, old or new immigrant,has claim to a halo.
Moroccan and Russian "Israeli'" have quite a reputation in the new and improved international criminal sphere.
But I guess you being such a knowledgeable,superior,Yankee type person, you might not have ever have heard of that fact.
Don't worry, Bubba, Billy Joe and LeRoy will still take criminals out of action every chance they get.No matter what passport a criminal travels under, nor who calls them racist and bigoted for doing so!
It's a Southern thing.

[Amelia]

Interstates throught the wilds of NC and TN are not full of cameras. We've only got new fangled things like cameras in the big cities.

That's what I thought, too.

[MHGinTN]

That may be the cover story that finally gets puddled out to the press when the 'Israelis' disappear and have no court dates set, but my bet is this is alot more sinister than hooch.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Well golleeeeeee, y'all - seems familyop has done got us figgered out! And I done did just bring in my sheets for the meeting this Saturday. Dayum - what is I gonna do now?

BTW - stay up north, ok?

[Amelia]

I'd like to read this article from the local rag but can't find it on the web site although it's listed on the front page of the paper......

Well, silly, you gotta go downtown and *buy* the paper to read the really important stuff. ;-)

[TheDon]

"Were they Israeli Arabs or Israeli Jews?"

Inquiring minds want to know. Are they Muslims?

[justanotherday]

It appears you would be attacking fellow Americans.

[zip]

Between this and the Hans Blix threads today, I suspect someone is trying to keep us all busy talking about non-existent stories...

I missed the part where the blix story was proven false. Source?

I am aware of your very recent signup date but that doesn't excuse attempts to disrupt.

[Bronzewound]

I say go lite if someone is capping on your state.

Might have been the very personal term, idiot, that set a few of us off.I don't think humor was the intent this time.

I agree with you though, in general, about not getting overly upset by comments from the uninformed.

[Tennessee_Bob]

I wonder if these two are in any way related

Oh, for gosh sakes, don't get that started. I live in Oak Ridge.

[Ciexyz]

This has to be Arab Israelis.

[don-o]

Thanks, don-o. I don't buy the local rags so I would have missed this article.

Welcome.

All the local rags are on line. That's where I saw the story this morning

[deport]

Yep, silly me...... Never in my life thought I'd have to go downtown or was it uptown to read the Johnson City rag....

Them ol' boys was just on the bottom side of I-26, taking the low road don'tcha see......

A view of I-26 bridge off U.S. Highway 23 (Ron Scalf / Johnson City Press)

[AlbionGirl]

...bring in my sheets for the meeting this Saturday. Dayum - what is I gonna do now?

Wa now, shouldn't thaat reaad 'from my meetin' dis Satuhday'? Come on now, can't I git a 'jimmy earl', I'm callin' fo 'jimmy-earl'.

P.S. Just an American South lovin' yankee, I(long i)talian girl tryin' to keep up.

On a more serious note though, many, and I mean many Blacks that I know here in Upstate NY are planning to retire in the South. There are many of us Yanks that love you guys and wish some of your mannerly ways would migrate North. Take care.

[who knows what evil?]

"Harris said he was on the former U.S. Highway 23 heading for his office after participating as a judge at the annual Ramp Festival in Flag Pond. Harris said he and Special Deputy Ed Sparks noticed the truck racing down the mountain. "I was really concerned because the driver would not stop after I flashed my headlights for nearly three miles," he said. "He was weaving back and forth and, I was wondering what a large Ryder Rental Truck was doing on the two-lane highway late Saturday afternoon instead of the faster I-26 Interstate."

These guys got bagged because they chose to travel the little-used US23 the SAME DAY as the Ramp Festival? ROTFLMAO! That is probably the ONLY day in recent memory that a Sheriff would even be travelling US23...as a festival judge! G-d certainly works in mysterious ways!

[Travis McGee]

WTF???

[satan]

I've long thought your idea has merit.

With all the jackets a t-shirts marked SECURITY, FEDERAL OFFICER, POLICE, FBI, US MARSHAL, etc. etc we can easily identify the "good" guys.

Why not a Federal law requiring terrorists to wear red t-shirts with TERRORIST in white leeters.

In addition to helping us identify the terrorists it would also provide an additional charge at their trial if they failed to wear the correct shirt.

[The_Media_never_lie]

Any bets these are phony names for two Islamics?

What better cover for Islamists than that of Jews. I wouldn't put it past them. BTW, I agree, NO ONE would use the old road except locals unless they had a reason.

Do you think we will ever find out or, if the intent were malevalent would reports be surpressed to avoid a panic?

[Tennessean4Bush]

If only familyop could just enlighten us on how to be sophisticated or perhaps, dare I say nuanced like Senator Kerry. I mean, if only we could get him to maybe just grace us with his presence for a day or two, it would mean so much. Alas, I think we are doomed to lives without familyop.