Fla. Gov. Bush Talks With Muslims (Officers will visit 200 mosques and schools to assess security )

AP ^ | 8/26/2002 | AP

[TLBSHOW]

Fla. Gov. Bush Talks With Muslims

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Aug. 26 — Gov. Jeb Bush told Muslim leaders Monday the state will assess the safety of all Florida mosques and Islamic schools following the arrest of a doctor accused of plotting to blow up Islamic buildings.

Officers with the state's regional anti-terrorism task forces will visit each of the buildings by Tuesday, Bush and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Tim Moore told Muslim leaders during a conference call.

"We're here to provide a level of security," Bush told the leaders. "It is a duty of the state government, and local government and federal government ... to protect people's rights and to make sure they are not targeted because of their ethnicity, their nationality or their religion. Period. I take this very seriously."

Robert J. Goldstein, 37, was arrested Friday and charged with possession of a non-registered destructive device and attempting to use an explosive to damage and destroy Islamic centers.

He was being held Monday without bond at Hillsborough County Jail.

Officers will visit about 200 mosques and schools to assess security and any potential threats, Moore said.

Deputies found more than 30 explosive devices, including hand grenades and a 5-gallon gasoline bomb with a timer and a wire attached, and a cache of up to licensed 40 weapons, including .50-caliber machine guns and sniper rifles, during a search of Goldstein's Seminole home, court records said.

They say they also found a typed list of about 50 Islamic worship centers in the state and a detailed plan for bombing an Islamic education center.

Muslim leaders told Bush their community is fearful, and that they want to work with officials to ensure people are safe.

"Sometimes out of any bad can become a good. We took the incident of Sept. 11 and said ... what can we do as Muslims ... to establish better relationships and better ties with our government?" said Altaf Ali, executive director of the state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Ali said earlier that his Broward County-based group advised all Florida mosques to have floodlights on at night, install video cameras on their grounds and organize neighborhood watches.

"The magnitude of planning that was involved shows that this is not something designed by one individual," Ali said. "If there's other people out there, that's a significant concern to us."

U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Special Agent Carlos Baixauli said Monday that no other arrests have been made but declined further comment.

"We're following all the leads," he said. "It's still a very active investigation."

Bush said there isn't any indication others were involved.

"This appears to be the case of a psychologically unstable individual that is isolated," he said, adding that Goldstein was seeking mental health treatment and was taking anti-psychotic drugs.

Bush also suggested members of the Muslim community join him on Sept. 11 to mark the one-year anniversary or the terrorist attacks.

"Maybe there's a way we can participate together. It might send a good signal," he said.

[Dialup Llama]

>Bush also suggested members of the Muslim community join him on Sept. 11 to mark the one-year anniversary or the terrorist attacks.

So they can celebrate what a good job they did?

[SBeck]

Bush also suggested members of the Muslim community join him on Sept. 11 to mark the one-year anniversary or the terrorist attacks.

"Maybe there's a way we can participate together. It might send a good signal," he said.

Uh, is he looking to make the election close?

[Dialup Llama]

>"Maybe there's a way we can participate together. It might send a good signal," he said.

Jeb on Sept 11 I received another kind of signal which overrides this faint, contrived peaceful signal you are sending.

[LarryLied]

was taking anti-psychotic drugs.

Seems to be common in these cases. But did he take them because he was nuts or did he become nuts after taking them? And what drugs were they? If he was truly psychotic, why was he allowed to buy guns?

[Dialup Llama]

>"Sometimes out of any bad can become a good. We took the incident of Sept. 11 and said ... what can we do as Muslims ... to establish better relationships and better ties with our government?" said Altaf Ali, executive director of the state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The INCIDENT of Sept 11? The bastids. The clowns STILL don't get it.

[UbIwerks]

Seems to be common in these cases. But did he take them because he was nuts or did he become nuts after taking them? And what drugs were they? If he was truly psychotic, why was he allowed to buy guns?

One takes those pills because one is nuts and unless he was involuntarily committed to a mental institution, I think he could still buy guns.

[Moonman62]

Officers with the state's regional anti-terrorism task forces will visit each of the buildings by Tuesday, Bush and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Tim Moore told Muslim leaders during a conference call.

I hope they get some good intelligence on their visits. Look out for bomb belts and high levels of radiation.

[TLBSHOW]

bingo

[LarryLied]

I'm not for many gun laws but if someone is suffering from schizophrenia or paranoid disorders so acute they are on haloperidol or a similar drug, there should be a effort made to keep them away from firearms. In some states, doctors are required to report anyone who says they have fainting spells and the DMV pulls their license (this I do not favor).

Whatever the case, if this guy is truly sick I hope they don't make an example out of him because of politics. Take his toys away, get him supervised and on proper medication.

[Publius6961]

Can't we just transfer all the existing airport security morons... errrr.. personnel to guarding mosques, and get better... errr different ones to deal with the airports?

[TLBSHOW]

another over looked part of the story.



200 mosques and schools
in Florida alone.........

[LarryLied]

Talk to Joe Lieberman about it. He wants more Palestinians to come to America. Ted Kennedy wants any illiterate peasant who isn't Christian to come here. Bush was elected to keep law and order and protect everyone equally. Don't be bashing him for a situation he didn't create.

Bush's Palestinian Plan Questioned (Lieberman wants more Palestinians in US) ^

[summer]

Bush was elected to keep law and order and protect everyone equally. Don't be bashing him for a situation he didn't create.

I agree. And, I see his polite invitation / suggestion to these people re 9-11 as intended to be a major hint to them to publicly acknowledge the pain and suffering this country went though on that day and thereafter. Good for Gov. Bush for leading the way, because the silence of some of these people has been deafening.

[summer]

From the state web site, www.myflorida.com:

Governor Conference Call

TALLAHASSEE—Governor Jeb Bush today held a conference call with Islamic community leaders in Florida who have expressed concerns for the safety of their children and those who visit Islamic centers and mosques. The Governor was joined on the call by Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Tim Moore.

“People should not have a fear of expressing their faith. Those who send their children to religious schools or who pray at mosques, synagogues or churches have every right to practice their religion in a peaceful and safe environment,” said Governor Bush. “My message today is to assure all Floridians that persecution of people based on their faith or nationality will not be tolerated.”

In light of the recent arrest of Dr. Robert Goldstein of Tampa, Governor Bush has directed the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to contact mosques and Islamic centers throughout the Tampa region and statewide. Through Regional Domestic Security Task Forces, FDLE agents, local law enforcement officers, and ATF agents will make personal contact with the leadership of the mosques and the leadership of each Islamic center to advise that there is no imminent threat on the Islamic community. The Task Forces will make physical security assessments of mosques upon request.

FDLE has also reached out to Altaf Ali, Executive Director for the Center on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), and Derick Daniel, Executive Director of the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR), to inform them of our efforts and to assure them that there is no credible information of any conspiracies against Islamic centers in the state.

FDLE is currently assisting the ATF and the FBI in the investigation of Goldstein. Goldstein was taken into custody Aug. 22 after officers from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office entered his home, upon his mother’s request, and found several firearms, explosives, and documentation regarding Islamic centers.

# # #

[summer]

See post #15 for additional comments by Gov Bush on this matter.