Police Seize Rental Truck With Traces of TNT

FoxNews ^ | 05-13-02 | GRRRRR

[GRRRRR]

Two men in custody, believed to be Israelis (?!) after bomb sniffing dogs detected a Ryder truck with bomb residue in it. Additional tests with other higher tech sniffing devices confirmed the results.

Article HERE

It's Starting....GRRRRRRRollin'

[Tarakotchi]

I wrote "I refer to in post 159" but should have said 156.

[jrewingjr]

Now if they just took advantage of the preference for their brand of rental, you'd see the ads: "You'll get a bang out of Ryder!"

Reminds me, true story: Clyde Barrow was so impressed with the power and quality of the new Ford 8 cylinder that he actually wrote a letter of endorsement to Henry Ford in praise of his favorite getaway car.

[MarMema]

fascinating - thanks!

[veronica]

Ruthless and cunning...

Just the CIA, thank God. :)) Hey what happened to your Hillary picture? She take you off the payroll?

[xvb]

**What an "ally"

Whine whine whine. You types do anything but whine? Most of the Sept 11 killers were Sauds. What an "ally." Maybe you'd prefer life there. Need help packing?

[astounded]

Suicide bombs to attack the naval base, other military installations, or prominent tourist attractions such as the Space Needle? All of us need to keep a close eye out for Arabs wearing long coats or bulky backpacks. It seems possible the same terror that has befallen Israel will soon be here. Then all bets are off WRT American's attitudes towards "peaceful" Muslims. If I was Muslim, I'd lay very, very low after something occurs.

[hellinahandcart]

Jaso, the second paragraph of the article on the Fox news site says that explosives residue was found on one of the individuals.

LOL, how funny. It says that NOW but it sure didn't say it last night. Go to my post at #46, I copied & pasted the entire article as it existed at the time. Nothing about residue on individuals. We were (logically) wondering why, if it was on the steering wheel and gear shift, it wouldn't be on the hands of the driver as a result of contact.

What a detail to leave out of a news story, or to not have asked in the first place...I guess Carl decided he'd better get back together with his source...and this is a good example of why we should post full articles instead of only linking. The sites CHANGE things on a whim.

[Motherhood IS a career]

I bet the overwhelming, lasting impression of the populace is that Arabs were arrested in NJ in the 9/11 incident for cheering the WTC attack

Actually, I'm not aware of any such impression. I have heard from eye witnesses that Arabs in certain parts of Patterson NJ, where a large Arab community exists, were seen cheering, but I did not hear of any arrests. Furthermore, I am unaware that such cheering or celebration (as vile as it may seem) constitutes reason for arrest in this country.

I also heard that initial reports of these celebrations were swiftly retracted (upon request of the police department) because the police feared that upon such news, the Arab communities would be brutally attacked and the people would be beaten senseless by Americans who were outraged over the situation. The police wanted to prevent a riot, fearing they didn't have the manpower (or perhaps the will?) to protect these "citizens" from more patriotic members of the populace.

This makes sense to me, but why don't you enlighten us to the truth?

Actually when suspicious Israelis were arrested post 9/11 ...

Whatever came of these "suspicious Israelis"? Was it ever established that they were indeed terrorists or spies?

[anapikoros]

There are several Arabs with Israeli citizenship

1.2 million Arabs is hardly "several".

[wheezer]

Nothing about residue on individuals.

I didn't see the article on the web site, but I did see Cameron's intial piece on FOX last night and I'm pretty sure he stated residue was found on one of the individuals prior to stating it was also found on the gear shift and steering wheel.

I'm sure they'll turn out to be Arab-Israelis...just like the movers in Jersey City did.

[anapikoros]

There is even an arab Israeli member of the Knesset

There are 10 Arabs and 1 Druze out of 120 members of Israel's Parliament.

[hellinahandcart]

Well, this article was posted last night at 7:04 ET, I copied & pasted the entire thing into my post about half an hour later, and there was no mention whatsoever of residue on individuals. Just on the steering wheel and the gear shift. More than one of us thought that was odd, which explains some of the first 100 comments.

I don't get paid to write, by any means, but if I did I'd certainly include that bit of information (especially if the report had MY NAME on it, as it did with Carl Cameron). It would be important, if only for the accompanying mental image of Bomb Dog sitting down in front of the driver and barking "J'accuse!"

I mean, come on. They have next to nothing against these guys now (since I believe they're looking to charge them with more than visa violations and speeding); without the residue on an individual they've got absolutely nothing.

[vance]

My money's on them being Arabs. After all, we already know there is a Muslim/Arab fifth column here (American Jihad - Steven Emerson.) And in light of 9-11, (Saudi and Egyptian perps,) it's not a few Israelis I am concerned about.

[wheezer]

I agree 100%. That's quite an important piece of a puzzle.

I merely posted my recollection of the original FOX news TV piece.

[wheezer]

...it's not a few Israelis I am concerned about.

I'm concerned about them as well.

[hellinahandcart]

I have heard from eye witnesses that Arabs in certain parts of Patterson NJ, where a large Arab community exists, were seen cheering, but I did not hear of any arrests.

I heard the same thing from a friend in Jersey who was driving home through Paterson (his usual route, just at a much earlier time) on the afternoon of 9/11. He said they were literally dancing in the streets. And no, there were no arrests as far as I know. And no celebrating pedestrians rammed by cars either, which is even more surprising to me. I guess we really are more civilized than they are.

Naturally I could not possibly have seen this with my own eyes, since Manhattan was under lockdown that day, but I've known this person for several years, and I do believe him.

[vance]

On balance, we have a Hell of a lot more to worry about: namely Islamic terrorism. This obsession some have with Israel is so odd.

[ValerieUSA]

Seattle P-I
Case of Whidbey Island 'terrorists' is a dud, FBI says
Tuesday, May 14, 2002
By MIKE BARBER SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
A national cable TV news flash yesterday about the arrest of possible terrorists on Whidbey Island sounded explosive:
The FBI and other federal agents were investigating two Middle Eastern men who were arrested in Oak Harbor last Tuesday after police found traces of TNT and plastic explosive in a rental truck they were driving, the Fox News Channel reported.
The fact that Oak Harbor is near Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, home of the electronic warfare Prowler jets, heightened concerns.
But the FBI said last night it had taken a pass on the case, handing it over to immigration officials after further tests for explosives.
The two men came to the attention of authorities when an Oak Harbor police officer stopped them shortly after midnight May 7. "It was a minor speeding violation," said Oak Harbor police Sgt. Bill Russell.
The officer grew suspicious, however, when one of the men produced only an international driver's license and an expired visa and the other could show no ID at all, Russell said. And while the men said they were in Oak Harbor only to deliver furniture and were on their way back home to Canada, the officer noted that it was after midnight -- an odd hour for such work.
A bomb-sniffing dog was called in.
According to some reports, the dog indicated that it smelled something interesting in the driver's side of the truck cab, though a search turned up nothing suspicious.
Fox reported that a follow-up test had revealed traces of explosives on the steering wheel and gearshift. However, a law enforcement source told the Post-Intelligencer that the dog and the first round of tests may have picked up nothing more than residue left by a cigarette lighter.
Border Patrol agents took custody of the two men, who claimed to be Israeli citizens, for investigation of immigration violations. Garrison Courtney, a spokesman for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, last night said he was uncertain about their status.
Whidbey Island residents have been vigilant about possible terrorism since the Sept. 11 attacks, largely because of the island's large military base and proximity to the border.
In the weeks after Sept. 11, Island County locals flooded emergency centers with reports of Canadian truckers who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent, said Island County Sheriff's spokeswoman Jan Smith. Smith said delivery trucks from British Columbia routinely pass through the island on their way to the ferry slip at Keystone, a short-cut to the Olympic Peninsula. She said the trucks are inspected at the Canadian border and are presumed safe. "All were negative," said FBI spokeswoman Melissa Mallon.

I still see reason for alarm. Something is going on..... middle easterners with expired visas, suspicious mannerisms, and midnight delivery runs out of Canada should not be accepted as normal.

[wheezer]

On balance, we have a Hell of a lot more to worry about: namely Islamic terrorism.

I agree with that 100%.

This obsession some have with Israel is so odd.

One cannot agrue with the fact that more than a few Israelis have been deported over involvement in things that don't quite pass the smell test.

[watchwoman]

"toadally confusicated"?

Either you are an "Imus in the Morning" viewer, or your real name is Bo Dietel.