American's Prints Found on 3/11 Detonator Bag

Fox News ^ | May 7, 2004

[Alouette]

MADRID, Spain — The fingerprints of the American attorney arrested as a material witness in the Madrid train bombings were found on a plastic shopping bag that held detonators like the ones used in the deadly March 11 terrorist attacks.

[Paul Ross]

"He is not a militant person..."

H'mmm. Just your average, devout, american convert to the Religion of Peace.

[NonValueAdded]

Not really, just a large mainframe or two. Look into the NCIC and Automated Fingerprint Identification System. The technology has come a long, long way. The aim is to have a thumbprint reader in every patrol car. Once the sample scan is digitized, then it is a fairly straight-forward lookup, accomplished in seconds.

[herkbird]

Although I was never in the military, nor have I ever had a criminal record. I was fingerprinted for a Top Secret position as a DOD Contractor. Also the state of Georgia takes a thumbprint when you get a drivers license.

Many people are very unaware of how their fingerprints can so easily be placed on file now of days. I'm amazed by this ignorance myself. I believe everyone should be fingerprinted, what's the worry if you have nothing to hide?

[LayoutGuru2]

Interesting info here, looks like a Bush-hating family...

Portland lawyer arrested as material witness in Spain train bombings

Mayfield's paternal grandmother, Lydia Mayfield, was well-known in Hutchinson for her plainspokeness, Ruth Alexander said, and was once investigated by the FBI for a letter to the editor published in the local newspaper in which she threatened the president.

[F-117A]

I heard on the noon news that he met and married his wife while stationed in the army in Washington state. I don't know where she is from.

It was posted on another thread that she is from Egypt.

[HairOfTheDog]

This is such a bizarre story!

[DugwayDuke]

"Maybe the 'sleeper cell' members number many fewer than previously thought. While this particular n'er-do-well may have indeed been operating in the U.S., finding him in Spain would suggest to me that either (a) he was needed to help out since they had nobody else; or (b) he was a supervisor and was providing approval, expertise, and oversight on the operation."

Or, (c), he was receiving some on the job training.

[Psycho_Bunny]

He was in the Army....they take your fingerprints there.

Also, I don't know about Oregon but some States take your fingerprints when you pass the Bar.

[cupcakes]

I needed to be printed after I got my broker's license and was bonded. I'm sure mine are on file too. You don't have to have a criminal record.

[maestro]

Your# 20........

Hmmmmmmmmm........

BTTT

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Islam, a blessing to the world...

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Looks like he went for the "Convert to Islam, Start Blowing People Up" plan.

[Trident/Delta]

As an "officer of the court" fingerprinting is routine for bar asociation acceptance.

Semper Fi

[Trident/Delta]

Ok, if you want to be scared, so a google on the term AFIS. It stands for automated fingerprint identification system.

Go do some homework then come back and report....

Semper Fi

[Windcatcher]

Obligatory Heavy Metal reference:

"Hanging's too good for him! Burning's too good for him! He should be BURIED ALIVE!"

[AnAmericanMother]

Also, he's a lawyer.

They take your prints and run them through the NCIC when you apply for admission to the bar. The state bar keeps them apparently forever.

[r9etb]

The most interesting part to me is that the guy has apparently been under 24-hour FBI surveillance for weeks. They know where he's been, and more importantly, who he's been talking to.

[r9etb]

I asked this in another thread, but how could they track this guy's prints like that? From what I read, he didn't have a criminal record.

You've already got the how. Now for the really interesting question:

WHY did they think to try matching the finger prints found on a bag in Spain, to an American in the U.S.?

I seriously doubt we share those data with the Spanish government. Somebody had a reason to suspect him.

As I noted above, we know who this guy's been talking to. What this tells me is, the FBI knows about a lot more people than this one guy.

[cavtrooper21]

He's a service member... Finger printed when he entered service.
He's been flagged as a "possible" problem since he resigned his commision and converted to the "Religion of Peace".
His name turned up on a visa/passport list as having been in or near Spain prior to the attacks.
He's more than likely a vocal supporter of Islam and Islamist causes. Ran his yap in front of an agent or CI.
Turn him over to the Spanish and let them plop him in one of their nastier prisons...

[r9etb]

Turn it around: why would they check the prints against an American database?

Something tells me they've got a very good handle on who's doing what in the American salamikaze movement. It almost makes me wonder if they traded a bombing in Spain, against the collapse of their investigation here....