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FBI investigating Las Vegas man's claim he overheard attack threat
YAHOO NEWS ^
| Fri Jun 21,12:15 AM ET
| By KEN RITTER, Associated Press Writer
Posted on 06/21/2002 5:09:36 AM PDT by RaceBannon
FBI investigating Las Vegas man's claim he overheard attack threat
Fri Jun 21,12:15 AM ETBy KEN RITTER, Associated Press Writer
LAS VEGAS - The FBI ( news - web sites) said it is investigating a Nevada man's claim that he picked up a conversation in Arabic on his cell phone during which someone said there would be a "hit" on the "day of freedom."
"We've initiated a full-scale investigation to determine if this constitutes a threat, and if so, what kind of threat," said FBI Special Agent Daron Borst in Las Vegas on Thursday. Borst said agents have interviewed the man who reported the conversation, Michael Hamdan, and planned to question him again Friday.
Hamdan, 54, said he's a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Lebanon and speaks Arabic.
Hamdan said he was trying to call his wife on his cell phone Saturday when he heard Arabic voices.
"They said in Arabic, not even a word of English, 'We are in the city of corruption, the city of prostitution, the city of gambling, the city of unbelievers,'" Hamdan told The Associated Press late Thursday. '"We are going to hit them on the day of freedom.'"
Hamdan said the call lasted about 90 seconds before the line went dead. He said he believes the men were talking about July Fourth.
"I was frozen, absolutely cold," Hamdan said. "I was sweating. I couldn't believe what I heard."
Hamdan said he reported what he heard to the FBI early Sunday morning.
Hamdan, who is married and has two children, described himself as a semiretired businessman. He said he moved to the United States in 1976.
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TOPICS: Breaking News; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; US: Nevada
KEYWORDS: lasvegas; terrorism
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To: angcat
Angcat . . . I'm going to be in Washington D.C. at a large gathering in a public arena in a few weeks and I am not entirely comfortable about it . . . but on the other hand, I can't live life being held hostage by terrorists either . . . so we do what we have to do, and life goes on (or not) . . . I leave that decision to a higher authority
To: Poohbah
I don't think it is Al Queda. I think it is a small cell of a couple people perhaps....probably very loosly organized, if it is real at all. However, I have a hard time believing this guy would make this up, let his name be released, talk to the FBI, all knowing he could be charged with making a false threat if he is found to be lying.
As people have stated on here with their examples, it is possible to get crosstalk on your cellphone, especially in the LV area.
It certainly seems awfully convenient that this was picked up by an Arabic guy, but stranger things have happened. Heavens, Lincoln foresaw his own death. Several of the founding fathers died (forgot who) around the same time on a significant holiday. Just because something is a little weird does not make it a lie.
Could this be a lie and a way to get some 15 minutes of fame? Yes. But, it could be real and I am going to wait to see what the investigation reveals before I call this guy a liar.
To: luckystarmom
I am not very scared here in the heartland. I was concerned when I started seeing the mailbox bombs, but I live in small town, not the country, so I wasn't too scared. If Al Queda wants to scare the crap out of people like me, they better actually do something to attack small towns. If LV gets bombed on the 4th, I will feel sad, but I won't stop shooting my fireworks off and eating good food. Now, if they strike a small Nebraska town and then strike one in SD, one in Texas, and then one here in Kansas, all within an hour, I will be running for cover.
To: ProudEagle
One thing I am noticing on this thread is the idea that it can't be Al Queda, so it can't be real. I agree this is not Al Queda, but just because it isn't them doesn't mean it isn't another group or a lone wacko out to try to hurt us.
To: rwfromkansas
It won't stop me from carrying on with the usual festivities in my NJ town either - but I won't be heading anywhere near any of the big cities that day. It's stressful enough having to work here in NYC on a daily basis.
To: rwfromkansas
rw, given that we just heard (yesterday?) that the NSA had tracked telephone conversations made right before 911 between terrorist types in the know, I'm not sure why everyone seems to think Al Queda is so great at maintaining "OPSEC" . . . I suspect they have plenty of "loose lips" problems, like any big organization.
To: LikeLight
Hey... I just came back from Key West on Wednesday.
Don't worry about the planes, they went that route. This time it will be something(s) different.
Just keep yur eyes peeled and good luck!
127
posted on
06/21/2002 2:01:01 PM PDT
by
johnny7
To: jiggyboy
Jig, I can second you about Sprint wireless -- all types of crossed connections, blackout areas in our experience in South Florida. Never had a the same problems with other wireless services before or since -- both analog and digital.
To: katze
Not a chance.. because he intercepted a call on his phone through the Cell tower frequency. He wasn't called.. therefore there is no number to trace since it was merely a merging of calls since the tower was most likely being heavily overused at the time. I can happen.. it's very unlikely.. the odds of him picking up another conversation are about in the million to one range i would assume.
To: eno_
Actually I was in Vegas over the weekend.. the local news jumped all over it(of course) and they interviewed him and he was holding his cell phone.
To: mil-vet
It's not a two-way TELEPHONE converstaion, it's a converstation taking place between two people in the vicinity of the inadvertently dialed cell phone!
So not only does your phone have to dial another number, the person on the other end must not only have their phone on, and be near it, but be talking on a THIRD phone?
To: Poohbah
>>And I still find it amazing that this piece of crosstalk JUST happened to hit the phone of a guy who speaks Arabic, and that it was understandable. <<
That I agree with.
To: Salvation
"Let us pray that the FBI, local law enforcement, etc. are checking out the guest rosters of all the motels and hotels."
For what? 85-year-old Grannies from Iowa?
To: rwfromkansas
One thing I am noticing on this thread is the idea that it can't be Al Queda, so it can't be real. I agree this is not Al Queda, but just because it isn't them doesn't mean it isn't another group or a lone wacko out to try to hurt us.Good point -- we've been fed so much about al Queda, we've forgotten about such darling domestic groups as Al Fuqra and others -- who all have the same goals and peaceful religion -- whether coordinated by Bin Laden's thugs or not. There's a whole lot of Muslims in U.S. religious schools, camps, prisons and mosques that are being given the same poisonous brainwashing as the kids in the Palestinian territories and Pakistani madrassas, and their numbers swell each day with the State Department's newest additions, courtesy of their business-as-usual visa programs.
To: VA Advogado
So not only does your phone have to dial another number, the person on the other end must not only have their phone on, and be near it, but be talking on a THIRD phone?Sorry to have confused the situation - *rueful grin"! No, there are only two phones involved, the inadvertently "speed dialed" one, and the one which "heard" the conversation (having been "speed dialed"). He picked up his phone to dial his wife and heard the conversation.
For this scenario to work, he had not actually dialed his wife yet; he had picked up his phone and the conversation was going on in the vicinity of the phone which had accidentally been "speed dialed" to his number. It is easy to think that this guy had his ringer off, so had not heard the ring of the incoming call.
This is why some posts have made the statement that the "hearer" must have known the people involved somehow. Why else would this guy's number be in the "speed dial" menu of the phone in the possession of the folks talking about the attack?
Hope this clears it up some - I do a lot better with a blackboard on which to make illustrative sketches - LOL.
135
posted on
06/21/2002 3:12:45 PM PDT
by
mil-vet
To: Almondjoy
My knowledge about cell phones could get lost on a pinhead; heard this on Fox & Friends this AM. Heard later today that he volunteered for polygraph.
About 10-12 yrs ago, I picked up a cordless phone to dial, and heard my neighbor (4 doors away) talking with someone. Not before, not since, however.
136
posted on
06/21/2002 3:18:47 PM PDT
by
katze
To: LikeLight
yes i am better tonight i'm packing and planning my kid is very excited. once i arrive and have drink in hand i will be find. thanks and be well.
137
posted on
06/21/2002 6:53:33 PM PDT
by
angcat
To: RaceBannon
Now why did I have a feeling I'd be seeing this:
(Mooove along, nothing to see here...)
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/ MGAU4A6UQ2D.html
FBI Calling off Las Vegas Threat Probe, Says Man's Claim Is 'not Credible'
LAS VEGAS (AP) - The FBI said Friday that a Nevada man's claim that his cellular phone picked up people talking in Arabic about a planned terrorist attack was "not credible."
"The results of the investigation to date do not substantiate these allegations and the FBI has determined that this information is not credible," Ellen Knowlton, special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI office, said in a statement.
FBI Special Agent Daron Borst called the investigation "substantially complete" after agents spent 4 1/2 hours questioning Michael Hamdan and giving him a polygraph test Friday. Borst declined to discuss results of the test or elaborate further about the investigation.
Hamdan, 54, told The Associated Press that he failed the lie-detector test.
"They told me everything was OK, but there was some uncertainty about a few things," Hamdan said as his wife drove him to their home in suburban Henderson following the test.
Hamdan, who was born in Lebanon and speaks Arabic, stuck by his story during the interview with the AP.
He said that on June 15 he overheard Arabic-speaking men say to another, "We are in the city of corruption, the city of prostitution, the city of gambling, the city of unbelievers."
Hamdan said he believed the men were referring to Las Vegas and that one who said, "We are going to hit them on the day of freedom" meant a terrorist attack was planned for July Fourth.
138
posted on
06/21/2002 7:55:59 PM PDT
by
adaven
To: mil-vet
Well, this whole story appears to be a hoax. Interesting theories though.
To: patriot31u
You and I think similarly. It seems stupid to bomb hotels or restaurants, but I suppose that's what the whackos have been doing in Israel.
Nevertheless, I agree with you. If I were the federal gov't, I'd be sending up choppers to scout the upstream/upflow water areas leading to the dam. The scuba gear observation fits with a hit on the dam too.
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