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POSSIBLE WITNESS TO TERRORIST ACTIVITY?
10/26/04 | LibertyLass

Posted on 10/26/2004 5:38:03 PM PDT by libertylass

I HAD MY OWN LITTLE EXPERIENCE LAST SATURDAY THAT PROMPTED ME TO CONTACT THE LOCAL POLICE, AND WHEN THAT DIDN'T SATISFY ME, THE HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICE IN SACRAMENTO, CA. THEY IN TURN SENT ME BACK TO MY LOCAL FBI OFFICE, WHO CONSIDERS MY "EVENT" WORTH LOOKING INTO:

I was walking my dog at about 10:30 am when a man pulled up to the curb in front of my condominium units. We have 23 units that are place in a horseshoe shape with the "opening" of the horseshoe facing the street. The "opening" contains the building for our clubhouse and sauna room so you can't actually see into our common area from the street.

Anyway, I didn't pay any attention to him until about a 1/2 hour later when I left with my dog to take her to the vet. As I walked to my truck (on the street) this middle-Eastern looking guy was standing in the middle of the street taking pictures of our condos. Our condos are directly across from a school and less than 1/2 a block from an elementary school where voting takes place for our immediate area.

At first I wasn't going to say anything, thinking he works for a real estate company, but because there are no "For Sale" signs, or "For Rent" signs on our front lawn, I found it odd. I recently refinanced my condo and they never took pictures of the front of the condo units, but only of my interior and immediate outside walls.

So.....as I walked towards him I asked "do you mind me asking you what you're doing?" He replied "I don't know that it's any of your business" at which time I replied "well, I live here and you're taking pictures of my condos, and people are watching out for this kind of thing." (I was getting perturbed at his uncooperative and disrespectful attitude.) I figure if he was a legitimate real estate agent, or an appraiser, he would have offered an explanation or a business card.

He stated "this is a public place" and proceeded to go get in his car. Me, always being a bit bolder than I should be, got a bit mouthy and said "Oh, so now you're going to leave when someone questions what you're doing?" He replied "yeah."

As he got into car I read his license plate number out loud, got into my truck, wrote it down along with the type of automobile (Dodge Intrepid) and drove to my moms to contact the police.

It turns out that they didn't consider him committing any crime (which I knew), so I contacted the dept. of homeland security. They referred me to my local FBI office in L.A. where my story was welcomed, and that I would be getting a follow up call from an agent at some point.

After talking to a co-worker she reminded me that one school is directly across the street from our units and the other one is around the corner just a few houses down.

Perhaps I was overreacting, but taking pictures of PRIVATELY owned homes without offering an explanation from a resident makes me suspicious. He spoke good English, but has a middle Eastern accent.

I keep thinking I'm gonna wake up in the middle of the night with an orange jumpsuit on and my hands tied behind my back. Shiver........

I believe he also wrote down my license plate number, but can't be sure.

Was I over-reacting you think?


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; US: California
KEYWORDS: homelandsecurity; staysafe; terrorism
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To: pyx; libertylass
Purchase as large a caliber handgun as you can comfortably and safely handle.

On the other thread where you mentioned this, I advised you to be armed at all times while in public for the next few weeks. I like pyx's suggestion better.

Even if this is a false alarm, after the LA riots, any resident of California who does not own at least one good firearm, is a fool

81 posted on 10/26/2004 6:20:18 PM PDT by SauronOfMordor (What Is Best In Life? To crush your enemies and see them driven before you)
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To: libertylass

You are spot on. It smells of a recon activity to plan a terrorist attack on a school. These brave islamic warriors are at their best killing unarmed and helpless women and children.


82 posted on 10/26/2004 6:20:21 PM PDT by Redleg Duke (Stir the pot...don't let anything settle to the bottom where the lawyers can feed off of it!)
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To: libertylass

The next time I have some free time, I'm going down to my local mosque and start rolling video. I'll let evertyone know how it turns out.


83 posted on 10/26/2004 6:24:34 PM PDT by MrBambaLaMamba (Buy 'Allah' brand urinal cakes - If you can't kill the enemy at least you can piss on their god)
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To: libertylass

Not the same experience, but in past year more than half a dozen middle eastern men have moved to a rural area here (newly inc town of about 500), work in a convenience store less than 1/2 mile from TWO, NOT ONE, but two water treatment plants serving two towns opposite this area...one with 10,000+ and the other with approx 100,000 city water residents. Three schools within 1/2 -1 mile, and a feed and seed store just down the road. I reported them to SBI, a friend in gov, and the White House...so did I overreact?....I don't think so. Noone of Middle Eastern descent has ever lived in that particular area ...until this year, and they claim to be from Jordan? suspicious, yes...people just showing up in groups in areas not known to have them, that's suspicious, not immigration. Some of them are there at that convenience store in am and in pm, like they have no families....????
I believe we need to take notice of what changes are going on that are NEW and Unusual.


84 posted on 10/26/2004 6:24:42 PM PDT by Kackikat
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To: Redleg Duke

If they do attack a school, I don't think they realize that there will be damn few Mosques left that aren't smoldering.


85 posted on 10/26/2004 6:26:02 PM PDT by MarkeyD (<a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com>Maggot</a>)
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To: RaceBannon

I've been voting in a church fellowship hall ever since I moved here.

In my hometown, I voted at the volunteer fire department.

I wonder when some idiot will assert that polling places at churches violates separation of church and state?


86 posted on 10/26/2004 6:26:03 PM PDT by wimpycat (John Kerry has a fevah, and the only prescription is "MORE COWBELL".)
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To: libertylass

Good job.


87 posted on 10/26/2004 6:26:22 PM PDT by wtc911 (all zee children have mush!)
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To: libertylass

You did well, and should not think twice of reporting any suspicious activities to the proper authorities.


88 posted on 10/26/2004 6:28:40 PM PDT by Cultural Jihad
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To: libertylass
With a school nearby maybe he was looking for a place for a sniper's nest, hence the pictures of the apartment?
89 posted on 10/26/2004 6:30:30 PM PDT by DoctorMichael (The Fourth Estate is a Fifth Column!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: libertylass

You should tell the neighbors what happened (at least the ones you know who aren't sympathetic to Islamists). Considering the location (across from a school which will also be a polling place), you ought keep a real close eye out for that vehicle, esp. on election day.

If you can't arrange to be home, see if you can enlist a trustworthy friend or neighbor to keep a verrry close eye out for this creep, his car, or anybody else behaving suspiciously. After all, you already suspect that somethin' just ain't right in your neighborhood.

My 2 cents.


90 posted on 10/26/2004 6:31:06 PM PDT by Thinkin' Gal (Arafat is a slug. Pass the salt.)
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To: libertylass

CAUTION: never approach! quietly take info like license/car/description - quietly.

If the person is "just a person" no harm.
If not - don't get their attention!


91 posted on 10/26/2004 6:31:30 PM PDT by maine-iac7
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To: libertylass
Congratulations! This world would be a better place, if people took the time to report strange behavior they witness.
92 posted on 10/26/2004 6:32:01 PM PDT by Joee
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To: libertylass
Was I over-reacting you think?

Is there perhaps a person in Beslan who saw strange men in School House#1 in the weeks before school opened (they hid the explosives under the floors ahead of time) and dismissed it because he/she did not want to get involved?

The consequenses of not acting when it is real versus over-reacting when it is a false alarm are so overwhelmingly large that you have to report incidents such as yours.

93 posted on 10/26/2004 6:33:04 PM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: DoctorMichael

How can the FBI keep up with all the suspicious activity? There's just so much of it!


94 posted on 10/26/2004 6:33:11 PM PDT by diamond6 (Everyone who is for abortion has already been born. Ronald Reagan)
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To: cajungirl
any LE types she could email the plate number to and they could do a discrete inquiry? ****** she's done her part and done it well! but leave the rest to the FBI - I'm sure they've already run the plates. Of what purpose would it do for her to inquire - except maybe to get involved with someone who may be very dangerous and with no scruples.

*The watchword for us all is to be the ears and eyes,,,and then turn it over to the professionals....

95 posted on 10/26/2004 6:39:52 PM PDT by maine-iac7
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To: Lunkhead_01
As usual, your donut-eating-surrender monkeys had their usual response and would not even work with the homeland security people. Remember that when they come looking to the taxpayers for a raise. Also remember that they don't protect citizens, they only find clues after crimes are committed. That's why I my best friends are named Smith&Wesson. *******************

Kerrry's kinda protection!

96 posted on 10/26/2004 6:43:00 PM PDT by maine-iac7
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To: libertylass
Anyone else had an experience such as this? If so, please share your story and what YOU did about following up on it.

This might be an incredible coincidence, but today I went to McDonald's for lunch here in downtown Miami. (I usual go home for lunch, but my wife is out of town). I saw a guy with a turban taking pictures of a large office building in downtown Miami. I thought the same as you, he was a real estate agent or appraiser. After reading your story I am having second thoughts and will contact the FBI in the morning.

97 posted on 10/26/2004 6:44:33 PM PDT by GWB00
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To: pyx

Purchase as large a caliber handgun as you can comfortably and safely handle. A .40 minimum. Take a handgun safety course. If you are a smaller woman, also purchase a 20 gauge shotgun and take a safety course for it as well. Join a woman's shooting...etc


8
and an open bottle of amonia handy wouldn't be bad...


98 posted on 10/26/2004 6:45:30 PM PDT by maine-iac7
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To: libertylass
Was I over-reacting you think?

You were right on! Next time, don't be confrontational, could get you hurt. Be smart, take the license number, description of the car and the guy and don't make a federal case of it with the suspect.

Maybe your dog is why he didn't harm you...

99 posted on 10/26/2004 6:47:50 PM PDT by lancer (If you are not with us, you are against us!)
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To: libertylass

I'm curious, how did the FBI receive your report? I also noticed some suspicious activity at an apartment complex. A guy was transferring fuel-oil into an apartment, always backed his car in and parked 100 meters from his unit. He was a middle eastern guy who never spoke to anyone. Only time he talked to anybody was when the fire department came up sirens blaring one day for a small kitchen fire. He looked like that Atta guy. But when I tried to report it I was shuffled to an answering machine and there was no live person to talk to. I wasn't about to report something into a black hole where no one would take responsibility for receiving the report. So I tried to report it to my congressman's office but they had to have it in writing. In frustration, I gave up. I'll never try to report anything again. I don't think anyone in gov cares.


100 posted on 10/26/2004 6:51:00 PM PDT by ijkrst
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