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Terrorist threat closes Fla. highway - ME men detained said "Americans would cry on 9/13"
Associated Press ^ | September 13, 2002 | Associated Press Staff

Posted on 09/13/2002 6:00:43 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP


Terrorist threat closes Fla. highway

09/13/2002

Associated Press

NAPLES, Fla. - Officials shut down Alligator Alley, the main East-West highway crossing the Everglades, and people in two vehicles were detained after a possible terrorist threat, police said.

Bomb-sniffing dogs alerted authorities to material in both vehicles, said E.J. Picolo of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Explosive charges were being used to blast open what appeared to be a backpack taken from one of the vehicles. A suitcase was also set out beside the car.

"The information we have is very specific," Picolo said.

MAP
AP

He said the three people had not been arrested, but were being detained.

The Florida Highway Patrol shut down a 20-mile stretch of Interstate 75 shortly after 1 a.m., when the vehicles were stopped. It was still closed more than six hours later.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation had issued an advisory Thursday after a waitress in Calhoun, Ga., in the northwestern part of that state, told police she overheard three men of Middle Eastern descent discussing terrorist plans Wednesday night.

The Georgia woman said the men were talking about amounts of explosives and warned that Americans would "cry on 9/13," said Miami Police Lt. Bill Schwartz, quoting from the Georgia advisory.

Alligator Alley is the main road from Naples to Fort Lauderdale across the Everglades in South Florida.

The highway patrol said the road was blocked off from a toll booth east of Naples to State Road 29.


Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/091302dnnatflaterror.19f1bb46.html


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: florida; naples; terrorthreat
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To: MeeknMing
I get the gnawing feeling that these guys -- reported to be stereotypical muslim fanatics from central casting (loudly celebrating 9-11 in a diner in Calhoun, beards, blowing thru a Florida toll plaza) -- ARE A DIVERSION!

Suggest something BIG gonna happen someplace outside FL.

21 posted on 09/13/2002 7:38:35 AM PDT by Dick Bachert
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To: bankwalker; Illbay
Oh, that's just pure speculation.
22 posted on 09/13/2002 7:42:04 AM PDT by wideawake
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To: Dick Bachert
"I get the gnawing feeling that these guys -- reported to be stereotypical muslim fanatics from central casting (loudly celebrating 9-11 in a diner in Calhoun, beards, blowing thru a Florida toll plaza) -- ARE A DIVERSION!"

Alarmed dittos to that. Not to mention specifying 9/13 as another "hit" date, all in English. They blow through a toll booth, and the feds and dogs are kept busy with a pile of M80s in the trunk. Sorry, not buyin' it. Nobody's THAT stupid. What are they really up to?

23 posted on 09/13/2002 8:24:14 AM PDT by oprahstheantichrist
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To: Dick Bachert
A diversion would cause us to expend a great deal of time and effort arresting and interrogating these jerks, to the detriment of other efforts. I really don't think that the FBI and whoever else is working on Homeland Defense is going to say, "Well, that's it. We've taken care of the threat and now we can go back to sleep." On the contrary, any terrorist activity is more of an alert that there is potentially more terrorist activity possible. If creating a diversion causes us to be more alert and more vigilant, then let them "divert" away.
24 posted on 09/13/2002 8:31:04 AM PDT by TruthShallSetYouFree
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To: Dick Bachert
get the gnawing feeling that these guys -- reported to be stereotypical muslim fanatics from central casting (loudly celebrating 9-11 in a diner in Calhoun, beards, blowing thru a Florida toll plaza) -- ARE A DIVERSION!

Suggest something BIG gonna happen someplace outside FL.

I fear you may be right, too many things don't add up in this story

Why Were they insulting America loudly in ENGLISH?

If they were 5 hours late on a military type mission, why were the hanging around drinking coffee for half an hour?

Why were they specualting abut having "enough to bring it down" whatever "it" is in English?

Why would they bring attention to themselves by running a toll booth if they were on a clandestine mission?

Almost looks like they wanted to be caught.

25 posted on 09/13/2002 8:48:36 AM PDT by Wil H
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To: Teacher317
Friday the 13th part 77, Attack of the brain-dead Muslims?




26 posted on 09/13/2002 8:55:34 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP
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To: bankwalker
It just makes sense. All terrorist acts against the U.S. have been spectacular in scope, and very well-planned.

H*ll, Ted Kasczinsky did a better job of planning than whoever did this Anthrax thing.

It's just some lonely nut who can't get a date.

BTW, my speculation is just as valid as yours. More, in fact, because all the investigative evidence points to internal terror; none has indicated anything different.

I make this point (continually) because the worst thing is to get sidetracked.

The Anthrax thing was a non-story except for the poor one or two folks who died.

27 posted on 09/13/2002 8:55:49 AM PDT by Illbay
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To: Wil H
I think the fact that the second car pulled over voluntarily pretty much eliminates this as some sort of terrorist mission. The news channels are hyping this stuff for ratings.
28 posted on 09/13/2002 8:55:52 AM PDT by mikegi
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To: Dick Bachert
I get the gnawing feeling that these guys.......ARE A DIVERSION!

Perhaps. I think they just aren't too smart, imho. See #19 & #26.

29 posted on 09/13/2002 9:00:50 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP
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To: Illbay
my speculation is just as valid as yours

I'm not speculating at all. I have a wait and see attitude on this. I was merely asking a question because you made a statement that could be mistaken for a fact.

30 posted on 09/13/2002 9:19:39 AM PDT by bankwalker
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To: Illbay
Anthrax was domestic terrorism.

The "Single Richard Jewel Theory."




31 posted on 09/13/2002 9:20:20 AM PDT by Sabertooth
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To: bankwalker
"Fact"? What is "fact"? We have no "proof" to this day that Al-Qaeda was behind 9/11. But I happen to know it for a "fact."

How about you?

32 posted on 09/13/2002 9:23:20 AM PDT by Illbay
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To: Illbay
Anthrax was domestic terrorism.

Prove it.

33 posted on 09/13/2002 9:23:50 AM PDT by pgkdan
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To: Sabertooth
I said nothing about "Richard Jewel," nor about it being a "single" person.

But it was a silly, silly little stunt that a 16-year-old might have dreamed up.

The terrorist attacks we've experienced over the last thirty years or so have been anything but silly contrivances.

Maybe you ought to get outside your agenda-template and face "facts" yourself.

34 posted on 09/13/2002 9:24:59 AM PDT by Illbay
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To: Illbay
How about you?

If you re-read my post, you will have your answer.

35 posted on 09/13/2002 9:28:26 AM PDT by bankwalker
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To: MrB
Good post. Though I've never actually seen a uniformed Armed Forces member get the mogoloid groping at the airport, the mental imagery is hilarious.
36 posted on 09/13/2002 9:31:46 AM PDT by jjm2111
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To: Illbay
But it was a silly, silly little stunt that a 16-year-old might have dreamed up....

Maybe you ought to get outside your agenda-template and face "facts" yourself.

Maybe you could post your available facts about all of the 16 year-olds who've got the ability to produce weapons-grade anthrax.

While you're at it, please explain why Bush and Cheney and others in the White House started taking Cipro on 9/11.

A tour bus of 16 year-olds?




37 posted on 09/13/2002 9:37:06 AM PDT by Sabertooth
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To: genefromjersey
Two of them were naturalized citizens. In a crowded Shoney's, english conversation would, to one passing by, seem innocuous, while Arabic would stand out to the ear. BTW, if any of these bozos lied on their application to be a citizen, they can lose their citizenship and be subject to deportation.
38 posted on 09/13/2002 9:45:18 AM PDT by sheik yerbouty
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To: MeeknMing
I have a great doubt that these were terrorists. All the terrorists, as we know were Arab Moslems, who are up to their ears in Islamic fanaticism. Therefore, they are typically new immigrants or illegal aliens, and accordingly would prefer to talk in Arabic. Obviously, if they have a deviant plan, they would not announce it in English. The hysterical lady in Georgia and the police department in Florida and Georgia can benefit from an Israeli lesson in profiling.
39 posted on 09/13/2002 9:58:36 AM PDT by philosofy123
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To: MeeknMing
This brings to mind an old song containing the plaintive question "Who's crying now?"
40 posted on 09/13/2002 10:00:32 AM PDT by tracer
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