Posted on 06/28/2006 7:02:33 AM PDT by Daniel T. Zanoza
On Friday, seven Florida men were indicted in a terror plot which included a plan to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago. Those charged were also accused of planning attacks on numerous FBI offices across the United States.
The group, allegedly, planned its operations from a warehouse located in Miami. Six of the men were taken into custody early Friday by the FBI and other local, state and federal law enforcement organizations. One man was already in jail on an unrelated charge. They were accused of pledging allegiance to Al Qaeda, a known terrorist organization, along with numerous allegations regarding terrorist plots. If found guilty on all counts, each defendant could receive as much as 70 years in a federal prison.
Five of the individuals charged are citizens of the United States. A sixth man is not a citizen, but he is in the U.S. legally; while an individual from Haiti is an illegal immigrant.
The group came to the attention of authorities while attempting to make a contact with Al Qaeda. Seeking financial support, one of those indicted was introduced to an undercover federal agent, who was posing as an Al Qaeda operative. The group, allegedly, made requests for funding needed to purchase everything from boots, uniforms and bulletproof vests, in order to carry out their terrorist plot. Also, on the shopping list were automatic firearms and chemicals necessary to make explosives, plus $50,000 in cash.
The Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Justice Department should be commended for its swift action which led to the apprehension of these Al Qaeda want-to-be's. However, there is something in this story that doesn't quite add up. To begin, the men charged, reportedly, conducted military-like exercises in full view of members of the local community. In fact, some area residents said the men would sometimes be posted in front of their warehouse headquarters, wearing ninja-type masks which hid their identities. Yet some say this behavior brought attention to the group which would be contrary to any previous tactics used by Al Qaeda or similar type terrorist initiatives.
Families of those charged claim their relatives had no real allegiance to the radical philosophy of Islamic jihad and they vehemently deny this was a serious plot to make 9-11 look like child's play, as one of the conspirators reportedly told the government's undercover agent. And, according to reports, the loosely-knit, unorganized group indeed had no contact with Al Qaeda officials, but it is possible such information may be classified, not subject to release for public review while this case is under investigation. A number of the men had extensive criminal records for crimes including assault, battery and theft, with an assortment of petty violations thrown in for good measure.
I have a theory. Could it be possible the seven men charged were indeed attempting to rip off Al Qaeda? In recent days, information has come to light concerning the Government Accounting Office audit which uncovered gross fraud related to funds distributed by FEMA meant for Hurricane Katrina victims. Such devious thinking by some Americans suggests the possibility some ethically-challenged individuals might have had the bright idea to play a dangerous game of deception and political intrigue for personal gain. If my theory is true, in no way am I saying these men should receive lighter penalties for their actions. To the contrary, if my theory is accurate, such lunacy should be met with even stricter penalties from our criminal justice system. If these men were out to fleece Al Qaeda, along the way they may have diverted precious government resources necessary to track down legitimate threats to our nation. Of course, the Justice Department could do nothing but consider the actions of these individuals as a threat to national security. Doing otherwise would be dangerous, to say the least.
Some members of the left have actually been critical of the attention drawn to the foiled plot, foolishly saying these men were not a credible terrorist threat to the country. That kind of thinking is misguided and doesn't really deserve consideration. I would not be surprised if the plot to make some fast cash was drawn up by some idiotic former jailbirds who thought they could profit from playing such a foolhardy game.
However, it must be said, Omar Abdel Rahman, alias "The Blind Sheik," who is currently in a United States federal prison, was the first to come up with the idea of attacking the World Trade Center. Reports indicate many Al Qaeda officials wrote off "The Blind Sheik's" plan as folly. One of the few members of Al Qaeda not to do so was Osama Bin Laden. Hence the tragedy which struck America on September 11, 2001 has dramatically changed our nation forever.
Is my theory regarding an attempt at an Al Qaeda rip-off true? Possibly. Possibly not. But at least these arrests should give warning to others who might see such a plot as a fast way of obtaining easy cash. If my theory is correct, these con artists should stick to robbing bubble gum machines or trying to cash bad checks--that is, if they are determined to break the law. And, if they were attempting to rip-off Al Qaeda, they are even dumber than I thought they were because, if successful, the bodies of these men might have been found in Ft. Lauderdale, while their heads could have been located in Peoria. Perhaps they were fortunate to be arrested by the FBI. This is all just conjecture on my part, but it's something to think about.
In any case, kudos, Alberto Gonzalez.
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