Alleged terrorist threat prompts another police search in S. Florida

South Florida Sun-Sentinel ^ | 9/17/02 | Ryan Pastrovich

[browardchad]

Royal Palm Beach · Police issued a bulletin Monday morning after receiving a report that six men were overheard discussing plans to travel to the Fort Lauderdale- Hollywood International Airport and "blowing things up."

No government agency reached Monday could confirm the veracity of the report. No arrests or incidents at the airport in Broward County had been reported late Monday.

(snip)

The resident said the men were talking at a shopping center at Southern Boulevard and Royal Palm Beach Boulevard about 10 a.m. and transferring black bags from one vehicle to another.

"They were speaking in Arabic about blowing things up, possibly at the airport," the bulletin states.

(snip)
Complete story here

[browardchad]

OK, let’s see what what else is happening on the terrorism front since the 9/10 primary in the wonderland where hanging chads have been replaced by “smudged” electronic votes:

Three men detained (9/13) on terrorist suspicions still under investigation

Suspected Terrorist (Florida resident on FBI watchlist) Arrested in (Miami) Florida (9/14)

Bomb joke backfires, grounds plane (NYC to Fort Lauderdale) (9/14)

Plane Diverted on Runway (Atlanta to Miami) (9/13)

Is South Florida:

(a) a threat to national security? (or) (b) the new Islamic terrorist Comedy Central?

[Alas Babylon!]

You forgot to add all those democratic South Florida counties that can't vote correctly. Also, note that the 5 arrested in Buffalo NY were registered democrats. Tying it all together, South Florida seems to have a TERRORIST-DEMOCRAT problem!!!

[Hipixs]

Fort Lauderdale Police Issue Alert

BOLO Issued For Six Men

POSTED: 8:00 a.m. EDT September 17, 2002
UPDATED: 9:58 a.m. EDT September 17, 2002

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- There is yet another alert out for possible terrorist activity in South Florida.

On Monday police issued a "BOLO," or be on the lookout alert, after a Middle Eastern man reported to police he overheard six men talking, in Arabic, about blowing things up. He also says he heard them discussing Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and saw the men transferring bags between the cargo beds of two vehicles.

Police and the FBI interviewed the Royal Palm Beach resident who made the report. They said he is credible.

That led to a statewide alert for the group of men who were seen driving a late model green GMC crew cab truck and a purple Ford F-150 pickup. Both vehicles have tan bed covers.

[reillyoburbank]

Let's put it more succinctly shall we: Democrats are Terrorists.

[FreeTheHostages]

Good post. People there can't even fricking vote. Whole place is a joke.

[nravoter]

The Royal Palm Beach resident claimed to have overheard a discussion between six "Arabic" men.

I love the way they put "Arabic" in quotes, as though they hate having to include it in the details, or they think the guy filing the report may be profiling.

The one who filed the report is of Middle Eastern descent, and heard the men speaking Arabic. Maybe he's qualified to label these guys as Arabs.

[js1138]

I guess even middle easterners can be racist bigots with inflamed imaginations.

[Lion's Cub]

Imad Mahgoub, president of the Assalam Center in Boca Raton, said similar reports can be expected in uneasy circumstances.

"We all want to be secure," he said. "I'm a citizen here, just like everybody else. But I think we should be careful not to cross the line and overdo it."

Interesting comment. Concerned citizen or the beginning of a flurry of distracting, false reports?

If they are starting to file a bunch of bogus reports, we may be forced to go to the WWII Japanese experience before this is over. Our resources are good, but they are not unlimited.

[browardchad]

Thanks for that link. Note how the So. Florida NBC affiliate correctly reported that the tip was from a "Middle Eastern man," while the Sun-Sentinel refers to him as simply a "resident," and goes not to LE for a quote, but to a local Islamic leader:

Imad Mahgoub, president of the Assalam Center in Boca Raton, said similar reports can be expected in uneasy circumstances.

"We all want to be secure," he said. "I'm a citizen here, just like everybody else. But I think we should be careful not to cross the line and overdo it."

Overdue what, Mr. Mahgoub, terrorist threats or reporting of terrorist threats?

[ET(end tyranny)]

I though Maghoub was the middle eastern man that reported it. He isn't?

[browardchad]

I though Maghoub was the middle eastern man that reported it. He isn't?

No, he's a local Muslim leader.

[ET(end tyranny)]

Thanks for clearing that up.

[eastsider]

At yesterday's Pentagon briefing, it was announced that Central Command is in Tampa.

[talleyman]

Probably just some more fun-loving medical students </sarcasm>

[weegee]

I wonder if anyone will step up to call that Middle Eastern informant another stupid Southern racist. Or maybe they'll resort to calling him an Uncle Achmed for going against his "brothers".

[weegee]

We may not be getting any more false (or genuine) reports than usual; it could just be that they are getting wider coverage. The NYC "bomb joke" on the plane turned up once on CNN's website and I haven't seen it reported since (I almost have to think that it was covered first hand by a member of the CNN staff on the flight).

We aren't getting any increase in child abductions (nor are we hearing about all of the child abductions, we've heard about none of the non-custodial parent abductions that generally lead the list). We are getting more daily national reports about those though.

[Lion's Cub]

We may not be getting any more false (or genuine) reports than usual; it could just be that they are getting wider coverage.

That is a possibility.

OTOH, as we get closer to war in Iraq and the FBI continues to make arrests and pressure is put on their leadership overseas, it could be that sleepers are being activated before they are lost...

[aristeides]

Isn't CENTCOM moving to Qatar?

[eastsider]

Again, as per yesterday's briefing, that plan hasn't yet been implemented