[Mitchell]

There are a number of interesting tidbits here about Muhammad's time in Bellingham.

After he got to know Muhammad better, Archer grew so suspicious of his odd behavior that he suspected him of being part of a terrorist organization, and he called the FBI. But that was in October 2001, in the aftershock of the World Trade Center massacre, and Archer doesn't think he got the feds' attention.

This isn't just an after-the-fact statement; he actually called the FBI at the time with his suspicions.

Although Muhammad spent time at the homeless shelter, he sometimes flashed a wallet thick with currency, and showed off expensive-looking watches and gold bracelets, Parks said.

At the mission, Archer said, Muhammad would stay for a few days and then leave, saying he was traveling to Denver and New Orleans, among other places. The odd part was that Muhammad was traveling by airplane. Archer learned that when an airline ticket agent called the mission asking for Muhammad.

"At the mission, not many airline agents call and ask for residents," Archer said.

Muhammad's frequent flier status seemed odd to other people.
...
In the post 9-11 climate, Archer felt it was worth a call to the FBI.

"I felt like he was part of an organization. I felt like he had some connection with terrorists. ... I said he's got connections somewhere with somebody who's got money," Archer remembered telling the FBI.

There is definitely a question of where his money came from. Has he held any jobs since being discharged from the Army?

[aristeides]

He used to own some kind of auto shop and to be at least co-owner of a karate school, both in Tacoma in the 90's. But those could easily have just been ways to launder money.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so much for your observations and the heads up!

I believe the feds are all over this like a frog on a June bug. At the wrap up press conference, they used the term "terror" repeatedly. It was a red flag to me, especially considering their search of GroundZero.

Now, with this additional information, it appears even more likely that they are hot on another terror trail. My two cents...

[Shermy]

A great article, without the big city media PC filtering. The terrorism angle is definitley a possibility, and this guy might be like a Richard Reid, a low man on the totem pole, used by higher ups. Might have used him in the Caribbbean (he has family in Antigua, I believe) in laudering money or other schemes. DEFINITELY not just some random wacko.

[r9etb]

Has he held any jobs since being discharged from the Army?

I don't know if it was a paying job, but a former Tacoma neighbor said that Muhammed claimed to have been a bodyguard for Farrakhan at the Million Man March. (I haven't personally seen any confirmation of this claim, though.)

One rather doubts that a free-lance bodyguard would be allowed to get so close to Louie. So if (big if) the story is true, it hints at a possible source for money, and perhaps a profitable line of investigation for the Homeland Security boys.