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Preparing for Jihad ...in Alabama
ABCnews.com ^ | 07/25/02 | Brian Ross

Posted on 10/24/2002 5:12:32 AM PDT by Thane_Banquo

Preparing for Jihad ? in Alabama
Islamic Militant Training Camp Allegedly Operating in Alabama

July 25 ? A training camp linked to Islamic militants has been operating in Alabama, and European law enforcement officials believe Muslim extremists were using it to prepare for a holy war.

British authorities also thought that militants from overseas were training in the United States to take advantage of America's gun laws, sources told ABCNEWS. The looming question for law enforcement is whether there is a connection between the camp and the al Qaeda terror network.

An investigation by Britain's Scotland Yard led to the discovery of the camp in Marion, Ala. The facility is called "Ground Zero USA."

Bullet-riddled police cars and a school bus with mannequin targets are scattered around the property. Inside a huge shed is an equally macabre scene ? shot-up mannequins, male and female, in domestic settings, some with red, blood-like stains on them.

Ground Zero's operators promised state-of-the-art, world-class training in automatic weapons, urban warfare, SWAT tactics and martial arts, supposedly to fight terror attacks.

Marion Police Chief Tony Buford said he became suspicious of the use of police cars and buses as targets.

"It was rumored that the camp here was used as training site for possible people that were sent here to do bodily harm to Americans," Buford told ABCNEWS.

Web Site Provides Terror Link

The suspected terror ties of the Alabama camp were unknown until after Sept. 11, when officials in London arrested an accused al Qaeda supporter, Zain-ul-Albidin

He is charged with operation of a Web site, under the name of Sakina Security, allegedly recruiting Muslims for an Islamic jihad or holy war. He is now on trial in London.

The site, since taken down by British authorities, described what seemed to be the Alabama camp, including live-fire exercises at a state-of-the-art shooting range in the United States ? something that would not be legal in Britain.

"In the United States, it is not illegal for anyone to receive military training, high-grade military training," said Rohan Gunaratna, author of Inside Al Qaeda.

The actual owners of camp, who are also British, say it was used primarily to train law enforcement personnel. Officials consider them unwitting accomplices. The camp owners declined to talk to ABCNEWS.

Scale of Secret Camps Unknown

It is not known how many holy war recruits came through the camp or when. But the FBI is now investigating a number of suspected training camps around the country.

"We know of a number of cases where Islamic terrorists came and training in this country in the early 1990s. It is likely that this scale of training is still continuing," Gunaratna said.

The most radical and belligerent of London's Islamic clerics, Abu Hamza, told ABCNEWS in a phone call that America's laws make such paramilitary training easy, "like a picnic."

British intelligence officials told ABCNEWS they are closely examining alleged ties between Hamza, who is said to have recruited alleged "20th hijacker" Zacarias Moussaoui, and Zain-ul-Albidin.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Alabama
KEYWORDS: alfuqra; alqaeda; blackmuslims; blackpanthers; campgroundzero; islam; jamaatalfuqra; newblackpanthers; sniper
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To: anniegetyourgun
It's not a race thing, and it's not a religion thing....it's a criminal thing. These are joy-riding, attention-seeking common criminals (who also like robbery, drugs, extortion and fraud).

And you know this how?

41 posted on 10/24/2002 6:35:50 AM PDT by valkyrieanne
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To: martin_fierro
Bingo, some signal was passed. The office of home security should have been involved. The govt is showing itself to be inept at fighting this "war on terror". If enemies began a sniping campaign in different states at the same time, what would the response be?
42 posted on 10/24/2002 6:37:34 AM PDT by jeremiah
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To: valkyrieanne
And you know they are Islamic international terrorists how? My point is that no one knows for sure and I'm sorry to see the sentiment of folks who want to string up every muslim and every person of arabic descent who resides in this country legally. I understand the anger at these killers, but Williams is a black American who converted. I'm not ready to round up all who fit in that category.
43 posted on 10/24/2002 6:42:06 AM PDT by anniegetyourgun
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To: anniegetyourgun
I'd go for arresting anyone who commits crime. If they are found to be connected to international terrorism, they should be strung up. If they are homegrown copycats who commit murder, they should also be strung up.....regardless of what color they are or which brand of religion they practice.

I can't understand what your point is. Who has said that we should or should not arrest anyone based on their color or affiliation? You stated above that this is just a common criminal...I say Barbra Streisand. This guy is an angry black muslim who is evidently NOI affiliated. This takes it out of the realm of common criminality and places it squarely in the islamofascist post 9-11 worldview.

Get a grip!

44 posted on 10/24/2002 6:47:10 AM PDT by Pharmboy
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To: smiley
Yes, this was former Maj. Bevacqua. He is quite bright and absolutely right on. He strongly implied that they could not EXCLUDE anyone, such as Muslims with suspicious connections.

However, in fairness, I have to ask this: one of MY measuring sticks for Muslim "loyalty" to the U.S. after 9/11 was enlistments. In 1917, German-Americans enlisted at double the rate of other groups. Likewise in WW II with Italian Americans (Japanese-Americans, due to clearance problems, had a harder time, but still enlisted). Where is the rush of Muslim-Amerians to enlist after 9/11? And, given the Major's comments, would that even be desirable?

45 posted on 10/24/2002 6:47:55 AM PDT by LS
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To: Pharmboy
We have Freepers expressing just that sentiment today. ("all muslims are hatefilled" and all should be "rounded up", etc.) And you want me to get a grip?
46 posted on 10/24/2002 6:49:03 AM PDT by anniegetyourgun
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To: anniegetyourgun
Nor am I. But I do see a distressing trend with Americans (both black and white---like Jihad Johnny) who are so mind-numbed that they apparently adopt Islam without even reading the damned books (and I say that the way I mean it). I have. The Koran and Hadith are FULL of murder that is sanctioned by Mohammed, some of it at his direct orders (you cannot find such a thing about Jesus ever ordering a person's murder).

Moreover, the EASE with which these people slip into anti-American violence at least SUGGESTS that there is something inherently anti-American about SOME of Islam, no?

47 posted on 10/24/2002 6:52:37 AM PDT by LS
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To: anniegetyourgun
Well, then, post your opinions to them and not to me, since it appears you are reacting to what I have posted; that can't be since I have said no such thing about "rounding up all muslims."

What struck me as odd is that in the face of all this evidence (security for NOI, muslim conversion, post 9-11, sympathy for 9-11) you are so quick to say this is a common crime--I believe that that is nonsense.

48 posted on 10/24/2002 6:56:01 AM PDT by Pharmboy
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To: anniegetyourgun
Okay, I'll say it - their two angry black men on a crime rampage.

I disagree annie. it's a religion thing . . . the religion of islam and their american-hating adherents.

49 posted on 10/24/2002 6:57:13 AM PDT by itsinthebag
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one of my co-workers is a white, blond, blue-eyed man. he hates america, and is not particularly sad about 9/11. islam is not about race, it's about religion and their perverted way of life.

50 posted on 10/24/2002 6:59:21 AM PDT by itsinthebag
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To: anniegetyourgun
These are joy-riding, attention-seeking common criminals...

Sorry, but their actions were decidedly UN-common. This requires a lot more examination before any definitive pronouncements are made... either way.

51 posted on 10/24/2002 6:59:34 AM PDT by PBRSTREETGANG
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To: anniegetyourgun
"It's not a race thing, and it's not a religion thing....it's a criminal thing. These are joy-riding, attention-seeking common criminals (who also like robbery, drugs, extortion and fraud)."

Annie, I agree with you that we don't round up all Muslims. But your above sentiment is just wrong - a Seattle Times frontpage article is showing interviews state that Mohammed had sympathies for the 9-11 terrorists. Not linked but sympathies,,,,that easily translates to hate and the spree.


52 posted on 10/24/2002 7:00:33 AM PDT by rbmillerjr
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To: Thane_Banquo; freeperfromnj
This was posted back in July 2002 a couple of times. Here's one link Preparing for Jihad in Alabama - Islamic Militant Training Camp Allegedly Operating in Alabama

Reply #10 on that thread from freeperfromnj was amazingly precognizant:

It is not known how many holy war recruits came through the camp or when. But the FBI is now investigating a number of suspected training camps around the country. "We know of a number of cases where Islamic terrorists came and training in this country in the early 1990s. It is likely that this scale of training is still continuing...

I don't think we know half of what's really been going on.

10 posted on 7/25/02 7:49 PM Eastern by freeperfromnj


53 posted on 10/24/2002 7:01:38 AM PDT by LurkedLongEnough
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To: rbmillerjr
Of course he is a sympathizer and of course he is muslim. But he has no connections to international terrorism. This hatefilled, power-hungry guy wanted to kill, and his conversion to the muslim faith will be a convenient excuse.
54 posted on 10/24/2002 7:03:07 AM PDT by anniegetyourgun
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To: Fifth Business; martin_fierro
Bubbah Alert.
55 posted on 10/24/2002 7:03:48 AM PDT by small voice in the wilderness
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To: anniegetyourgun
But he has no connections to international terrorism.

What your basis for making this statement?

56 posted on 10/24/2002 7:07:28 AM PDT by Jack of all Trades
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To: thinden
The suspected terror ties of the Alabama camp were unknown until after Sept. 11, when officials in London arrested an accused al Qaeda supporter, Zain-ul-Albidin

He is charged with operation of a Web site, under the name of Sakina Security, allegedly recruiting Muslims for an Islamic jihad or holy war. He is now on trial in London.

thinden, this is what you brought to light yesterday for me. Thanks.

57 posted on 10/24/2002 7:09:43 AM PDT by Fred Mertz
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To: FLdeputy
What are they trying to say? Are they trying to tell us we support terrorism bacause our citizens have the right to bear arms?

That's EXACTLY what they are trying to say. Gun + white male = Gun Nut.

58 posted on 10/24/2002 7:11:52 AM PDT by Jerrybob
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To: bankwalker
New Jersey license plate on the car........registered in Camden, NJ.......
59 posted on 10/24/2002 7:27:38 AM PDT by OldFriend
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To: 6ppc; honway; Wallaby; Fred Mertz; Lion's Cub; rubbertramp
more dots. excerpt for link posted by 6ppc:

Under questioning, Abbasi said Ujaama introduced him to people at Al Qaeda facilities in Afghanistan, "thus enabling Abbasi's matriculation into a terrorism training camp," according to an FBI internal report.

The first arrest in the case came in May, when Osman, 32--who "helped coordinate" the Bly camp, according to the FBI document--was taken into custody as he turned up for his citizenship interview in Seattle with U.S. immigration authorities.

A search of his Tacoma apartment turned up various weapons, military maps and field manuals, "instructions on poisoning water sources," papers by Abu Hamza, "and various other items associated with Islamic radicalism," according to a law enforcement summary. Osman, a Navy reservist, pleaded guilty to a weapon charge and is said to be cooperating, hoping to avoid deportation.

60 posted on 10/24/2002 7:29:10 AM PDT by thinden
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