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BAY CITY -- Lawyers for three Texas men once accused of plotting to blow up the Mackinac Bridge claim the government is bailing out an overzealous prosecutor by bringing unprecedented charges. Until Wednesday, even the FBI said the business of buying and altering cell phones -- as the men claim was their only motive -- was a legal enterprise, and that the only issue was whether proceeds end up in terrorist coffers. But now, the FBI and U.S. attorneys in Bay City say the entrepreneurial behavior of three Americans of Palestinian descent amounts to fraud, not terrorism. <excerpted>

Arizona's Counter-Terrorism Information Center has advised Arizona's law enforcement officials that there is a possible increase in suspicious purchases of prepaid cell phones. Tucson Police have been searching for two men, of Middle Eastern descent for allegedly trying to buy around 50 disposable cell phones at a local Sam's Club. Those men are wanted for questioning, but not criminal charges. The Counter-Terrorism center is also monitoring the case. Tuesday, two new claims. An inside source says at a Tucson Family Dollar store, two men have also been trying to buy cell phones from that chain. And there's news from Huachuca...

Hartford City, IN — The Indiana Homeland Security department was notified about the cell phone purchases. Two men have been questioned in Hartford City, Indiana. 22-year-old Bilal Muhamed Mustafa and 29-year old Sultan Allah Muhammond came to the Alco discount store looking to buy a particular model Nokia Trac phone in bulk. Terrorism experts say Tracphones can't be traced and are known to be used by terrorists as detenators for bombs. "Oh I was suspicious," said Alco Store Manager, Kenny Mazelin. " They always said after 9/11 be vigilant with cell phones sales and that we should contact somebody." That's...

Just how cautious are airline pilots after last week's thwarted terror plot? Consider this: A British Airways captain was piloting a New York bound jet when a cell phone with no apparent owner began ringing on board. The pilot, taking no chances, turned the plane around. Eyewitness News reporter Joe Torres talked exclusively with a local woman on board.

Tucson Police are trying to track down two men of Middle Eastern descent who, reportedly, bought a number of cell phones within a 36-hour period over the weekend at a Tucson Sam's Club. The incident comes on the heels of other similar incidents across the country. The incidents have prompted terror investigations because, authorities say, those cell phones can be untraceable and used as detonators. Tucson Police issued a news Release Tuesday afternoon regarding the incident that occurred three days ago. Tucson Police were called to Tucson's Sam's Club on Friday just before noon on a 'suspicious activity" call. Apparently,...

It occurred to me, as well as to many others, that there's a lot going on that appears to be related. Other events simply bring up the questions of whether there is more going on than what we can easily piece together at this point. So I made a map and will update as events unfold. Perhaps we can look back and have a better idea at the connections between a plot in Britain and cell phone purchases in the US. No conspiracy theory here, just keeping track.

By now, you've probably read the news that the three Palestinians caught in Caro, Michigan with 1,000 TracFone cellphones are involved in a plot to blow up Michigan's Mackinac Bridge (it connects both Michigan peninsulas). Mackinac Bridge site here. But here's what you didn't read: Sources tell DebbieSchlussel.com that the men are from Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the group that works in concert with HAMAS in performing homicide bombings in Israel. The group once even considered merging with HAMAS, at the time that it was headed by University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian, a founder of the group. Maybe now...

U.S. arrests 3 men suspected of targeting Michigan bridge for terrorist attack (AP) Link coming...

A man from the Republic of Georgia is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison on a federal detainer after he and another foreigner were found in Murrysville with 15 prepaid cell phones and $4,200 in cash, police said. Malkhaz Zakutashvili, 53, was held through the federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Murrysville police Sgt. Charles Tappe said. The federal agency told police not to hold the second man, Zurabi Maisuradze, 25, who is also of the Republic of Georgia, Tappe said.

The FBI has initiated an intense investigation into the increase in purchases of large numbers of disposable cell phones by individuals who emanate from the Middle East and Pakistan. The cheap cell phones, which do not require purchasers to sign a contract or have a credit card, have many legitimate uses, and are popular with those who have bad credit or for use as emergency phones tucked away in motor vehicle glove compartments. But, according to law enforcement commanders, since they can be difficult or impossible to track, the phones are widely used by organized crime gangs, drug traffickers and...

Holding up newspaper clippings depicting their clients during their high school football days, defense attorneys of two Michigan men charged with aiding in terrorism called them “All-American kids” who were arrested because of a rush to judgment based on their names and race. Prosecutors say they are confident the men are linked to a terrorist network and filed additional felony charges Thursday relating to the buying and selling of specific microchips found in only a few types of cell phones. The two men were arrested in Marietta Tuesday. Authorities say the phones are being modified by terrorists to make untraceable...

(TV5) -- While FBI agents pour into Caro another incident breaks out in Gratiot County. At approximately 11:35am August 11th police were called to the Dollar General Store in Ithaca after a" clerk in Ithaca became suspicious after two men came into the store, and became upset when they were turned down while trying to buy several disposal cell phones. TV5's Mike Terry spoke with the clerk who called police. She said they were two "Middle Eastern" men and said they've been coming into the store weekly and buying disposable cell phones. She said the same thing was happening at...

Has any one made a map, or done any tracking, of cities/towns the cell phones are being purchased? or of where the suspects are being picked up? Thanks.