Beltway Sniper Shootings-FR Commentary-Thurs., Oct. 24,2002

Fox News, CNN, Press Conferences | October 24, 2002 | Fox News, CNN, Press Conferences

[wewillnotfail]

Overnite, two men arrested while sleeping in their car at a reststop in MD. John Mohammed aka John Williams and his stepson Lee Malvo. Mohammad is thought to be the likely shooter.

[Mo1]

That sounds possible

DANG .. I wish Fox News would stop doing those Breaking News alerts

[mhking]

Ummmm, do you mean CAIR hasn't shown up yet to defend the two "persons' of interest?"

Of course not - I'd look to NOI Mosque #1 on the south side of Chicago for any "defense" in that regard...

[BJR]

Then someone in the media sure needs to question Chief Moose about it. Or is that too politically incorrect?

[Yaelle]

If this Mohammed wasn't AQ, he was at the very least a enthusiastic sympathizer and that was obviously his motivation to kill and terrorize. If the media say anything else, they are more stupid than he is.

[Kip Lange]

I sure hope so. But I don't have THAT much faith in LE's intelligence and ability to keep leaks...I'll keep my fingers crossed. :p

[Terriergal]

UGH... gag me. But then again, 'criminal' and 'Islam' seem so often to go hand in glove...

[ezo4]

I emailed them as well. I couldnt believe they didnt even touch this story.

Pravda - English version

get some info here

[Howlin]

Their position is that during the period he might have been there, the "camp" was not "the camp" because it had been leased or rented to some fundamental islam koran study group for religious training.

Who said that?

[Quilla]

The camp has been investigated on several different occasions:

http://www.nbc13.com/news/1578748/detail.html

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- State officials say an investigation uncovered no evidence that a camp near Marion was used as a terrorist training camp.

Wednesday night, ABC News said the camp could have possible ties to Osama bin Laden's terror network.

A Tuscaloosa man operates the Marion Camp, called Ground Zero USA.

Marion Police Chief Tony Buford said he was misquoted. Buford said the camp is used by police officers from Alabama and Louisiana for training that includes target practice.

NBC News first reported in December that a man with alleged Al-Qaida ties, named Zain Ul Albidin, was arrested in Great Britain. Albidin alleged that terrorists trained in the camp in Marion.

A spokesman for Gov. Don Siegelman and Department of Public Safety officials said they are aware of the reports. But after conducting background investigations of the site they found no reason to be concerned.

The camp made news again Wednesday because Albidin is being questioned in connection with the terror attacks of Sept. 11.

[Darlin']

Not to sound toooo pesimistic but I'm afraid you're in for a looooong wait.

[LisaFab]

Hey commish, how you be? This Camp Ground Zero stuff makes me a little nervous. Ever see this movie?

[tomkat]

This is far from over

it's just getting started ...

[commish]

Camp Ground Zero is owned by British Nationals.

[Sacajaweau]

What I'd like to find in the car!

Tree leaves, rose bush prickers on their clothes.

Loaded address book.

Loaded "matching" weapon

Load of shells

Load of casings.

I'm sure there's a "load" of sh** from when that swat team surrounded them. Knock, knock!!

Sac

[Mo1]

I know I'm going regret this .. but I gotta walk away from this computer and get things done around this house

OK .. slowly .. step back .. I can do it ..LOL

[Naspino]

This TV coverage of the sniper's car being transported makes me nervous. You know it'll end up as a defense exhibit. I keep picturing his attorney as the guy from the Simpsons.

[freeperfromnj]

The Violence Policy Center has their own agenda of course, but this is interesting reading and relevant just the same:

Most-Wanted Al Qaeda Fugitive Said Bahaji Utilized Jihad Web Site That Urged Sniper and Assault Weapon Training in United States

Washington, DC—Muslim holy warriors should use lax firearms laws in the United States to get sniper and military assault rifle training according to a jihad training pamphlet posted on a web site that has been used by a most-wanted Al Qaeda fugitive. The Violence Policy Center (VPC) has obtained the full text of the pamphlet, which has also reportedly been found in abandoned terrorist safe houses in Kabul, Afghanistan. The pamphlet informs jihad trainees, "In some countries of the World, especially the USA, firearms training is available to the general public," and that "it is perfectly legal" to obtain weapons such as AK-47 assault rifles. It urges would-be warriors to take advantage of those lax laws and learn firearm fighting skills, especially sniping and assault rifle firing.

Said Bahaji—who authorities say helped obtain U.S. visas in Germany for the two pilots who crashed jetliners into the World Trade Center towers on September 11—has been linked as a subscriber to a newsletter published by the pro-jihad site on which the instructions for firearms training in the United States originally appeared. Bahaji has been described as the "brains" of a German terrorist cell that provided direct logistical support for the terrorists who hijacked the jetliners. The site has been cited as supporting the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

"This document and the link to the cold-blooded assassins who carried out the suicide attacks show conclusively that our lax gun laws and our tolerance of the most extreme factions of the gun culture have turned America into a one-stop shopping mall and training playground for terrorists," says Tom Diaz, VPC Senior Policy Analyst. "Since September 11, Americans agree that our country will never be the same and that we must make sacrifices—it is beyond time now for the Bush Administration to grasp this internal terror threat and to insist that its supporters in the National Rifle Association and the gun industry step up and make their share of the sacrifice."

Diaz—author of the October 2001 VPC study

[rrr51]

I am struck that both of these guys are named "John". I recall that in the film "The Adventures of Buckeroo Bonzai across the 8th Dimension", all of the aliens were named "John". At the time I figured it was a joke, but maybe they were on to something. Is it possible that these guys are aliens from the 8th Dimension?

[Henk]

Which part of "I think" requires any more justification?

Also, Bellingham press conference this morning, police captain suggested Muhammed was "posing" as Melvo's father.