FEDS RELEASED 3 PLOTTERS IN JUNE

New York Post ^ | 9/16/01 | AL GUART

[kattracks]

Three suspects in the bloodiest terrorist attack in U.S. history were in federal custody in New York three months ago - and set free, The Post has learned.

The three were taken into custody last June after Federal Protective Service cops spotted them brazenly snapping reconnaissance photos of 26 Federal Plaza, federal law-enforcement and military-intelligence sources said.

[GhostSoldier]

It said the man was questioned and released - something authorities regretted days later when the film was developed.

The photos were of security checkpoints, police posts and surveillance cameras at 26 Federal Plaza, two federal courthouses and the federal building at 290 Broadway.

Our nations finest?

I wish that it was unbelieveble....but its not. This scares the hell out of me.

[goldstategop]

I can't believe what I'm hearing. Politically correct concerns about civil liberties prevented the FBI from keeping 3 of the hijackers it had in custody back in the summer until the evidence was completely developed? Thanks to a misplaced concern for the constitutional rights of budding terrorists the World Trade Center Towers are a pile of smoking rubble, the Pentagon was devastated, 5,000 people in the WTC lost their lives, Barbara Olson was murdered, and the passengers on Flight 93 had to do what the FBI should be done back last summer. Or what else are we missing in this picture? FUCKING UNBELIEVABLE. Talk about a FUBAR or SNAFU situation this is it. Imagine what the world would be like today had the FBI waited an interrogated the terrorists extensively this week's tragedy might have been completely averted. All cause FBI pantsywaists decided terrorists rights were more important than the lives of the people they subsequently murdered. How wonderful!

[vbmoneyspender]

Former New York FBI chief Lewis Schiliro agreed that more extensive background checks could have been conducted and the film developed more quickly, but he defended the agents' actions. "What they did was probably reasonable at the time," he said. "I don't see where they could have done too much more."

With comments like these, maybe its a good thing he is a former FBI chief.

[GhostSoldier]

With comments like these, maybe its a good thing he is a former FBI chief.

Not a damn one of 'em is worth a crap.

[tbeatty]

I am amazed they picked up people simply taking pictures. How many people are in New York everyday taking pictures? I bet at least 1,000 people took pictures yesterday and I suspect that not all of them were for benign purposes.

I wish they had detained them further in light of what happened, but I don't see how they could have. I would like to read the original Post article because I bet it's probably critical of the FBI even picking them up.

[karlamayne]

Yes, and remember that Clinton's straw dog, Bin Ladin, was also on the Federal payroll for a time.

So many coincidences. It's almost like Dallas, 1963.

[Kerensky]

The following CD cover was crafted in July:

Anarchists, Communists and Jihadists alike revel in the destruction.

[Critter]

Seen on FBI agent's desk:

Note to self,

One hour photo shop around corner, 2nd shop on left.

[tessalu]

I think that USA Intelligence has not really believed that the Islamic militants want to take over the US government simply because it sounds so absurd. But this is the aim of the leaders in the Islamic leadership on University campuses right here in the USA. We have the enemy here within. Islamic world population is now at about 1/5 and Christian is about 1/3.

[GeronL]

WW2 carrier, floating museum, USS INTREPID, has been federalized. It is being outfitted 'for a new mission' according to the man who ran it on a NYC-based talk show.

What could this old ship do? It would take a while to make it a hospital ship or a helicopter/marine carrier... wouldn't it?

[GeronL]

see #11

[Neanderthal]

"Schiliro said detaining the three men until more complete background checks were made might have raised the controversial issue of "profiling" suspects and violated their civil liberties."

Thank you, Democratic Party.

[Travis McGee]

This example should be RUBBED in the faces of PC liberals at every chance! Blame the libs, "we mustn't harrass our fine middle eastern friends". And look what it got us.

[Old Landmarks]

If 80% of all terrorism is carried out by Muslims from the Middle East, wouldn't it be wise to watch them more closely than say those who came from a country like Denmark or Poland and who are not Muslim?

It just makes sense to spend your resources where their is more of a mathmatical likelihood that the threat is much, much greater.

Does this mean all Muslims are guilty? No! It just means we want our way of life to survive an army of homicidal maniacs who would certainly use nukes, poison or germs on us if they could. (Oh and that will happen one day)

Playing the game the we are playing now will not stop the next even larger attack. There is no way you can treat these people like we would treat a man who is suspected of wanting to murder his ex-wife. We can't do anything until we get proof that he broke the law. Many times he only breaks the law the day he finally decides it is time to kill her and himself.

The problem here is that when these terrorists people finally do break the law they will murder as many as possible with as big a bomb etc. possible along with themselves.

Until the day they carry out the mass murders they can encrypt their messages and plot their mass murder stategy and make cries of bigotry if they under suspicion.

If I were a good Muslim who hated these murders (as I am sure many do), I would put up with whatever it took to stop these animals. I would understand why someone might suspect me more than someone from Haiti.

Let us get this very clear, they want to DESTROY US and our way of life.....COMPLETELY!

[fone]

I've seen horrific photos these last few days (giving me nightmares, that's why I'm up this time of night) THAT my friend is frightening.

Wonder how that "party music" band feels today? I shudder to think of the lyrics.

[fone]

Speaking of the unspeakable Democratic Party....

anyone hear from Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackasson this week?

[fone]

The fact they DID pick them up would indicate they were suspicious indeed. Couldn't hold them because of their civil rights? Give me a break. They detain drunks overnight to protect the community.
Whatever prompted the FBI (now know as the Federal Bumbling Idiots?) to detain them in the first place is cause enough to check them out. I'd like to see that Post article too, along with their names...

[HAL9000]

An article about the feds' brief detention of the picture-taking men appeared in The Post on July 1.

FEDS LET TERROR SPY WRIGGLE FREE

[kattracks]

Thanks, HAL.

[Demidog]

Don't be posting these articles that are critical of our govenrnment. Don't you know that there is no blame to be placed at them during this critical time of war? Our first concern is to nuke the crap out of every country in the middle east except for Israel. Just shut up about this. Keep it hush hush. "Loose lips sink ships" (of state) don't you know.

[Demidog]

Islamic world population is now at about 1/5 and Christian is about 1/3.

We're in the minority. Let's make sure we expand the government's power to crack down on religions they don't approve of. That won't backfire or anything.

[Demidog]

This example should be RUBBED in the faces of PC liberals at every chance!

Were the FBI agents liberals?

[Alberta's Child]

It could very easily be left in place to serve as a home base for large numbers of military and/or police helicopters. All they would have to do is clear the deck of all those planes that are now part of the "museum."

[marsh2]

The civil liberties of all American citizens should be jealously guarded. These individuals, however, were not citizens. I am not an attorney, but I would think that unless treaty obligations specified that they were to be afforded privileges commensurate with American citizen's rights, then the federales should have every right to hold them to a higher standard of scrutiny.

[GeronL]

HHHmmmm... makes sense. Could also serve as a helo base and a hospital ship too I suppose.

[dennisw]

The Feds were afraid of being accused of racial profiling so they let them go. My take on this.

[Milosevic2]

If the US really insists in invading Afghanistan then the WTC / Pentagon bombings are the ultimate step in the most horrible conspiracy ever in History

[Nita Nupress]

You posted the original Post article back in July, but I don't have it bookmarked. I saw you link it yesterday somewhere. Do you mind posting it here again?

[Nita Nupress]

LOL! Never mind!

[ravinson]

Were the FBI agents liberals?

Probably not (as I'm sure you're intimating), but that won't stop lackadaisical government agents from using a phony excuse like "we can't profile anyone, even suspicious acting aliens from the Middle East".

As you know, The FBI and the other feds can profile anyone anytime they want and get away with it. They have a whole unit devoted to criminal profiling and the courts have consistently backed up the power of the feds to use it liberally. I've been subjected to extra scrutiny almost every time I go through the airport metal detectors since I grew a beard.

It's only the New York cops who can't use the black skin of American citizens as a profiling criteria because some of them have developed a bad habit of shooting first and asking questions later. As you know, the feds can use any excuse they want to detain people and run them through all of those computers that we spend hundreds of billions of dollars on each year. Of course, unless they think they're dealing drugs or evading taxes they don't usually take the time to do so.

It looks like once again the pet program socialists will blame each other's pet programs for big government bungling and bloated bureaucratic business as usual will continue to be a steadily growing industry.

[not-an-ostrich]

Civil rights? So they were American citizens? Or do you attained U.S. civil rights just by being a visitor?

[thinden]

Three grainy intelligence photos of the men were attached to the memo, with the name of one suspect, Mohamed Hassan Abbadi, scrawled under what appeared to be a passport picture.

Mohamed Hassan Abbadi. does this name turn up anywhere?

[CompassionateLibertarian]

I wish they had detained them further in light of what happened, but I don't see how they could have.

You'd think that our agents would have kept the folks under surveillance until the film was developed, so that they could be picked up again and questioned. I agree that we were fortunate that somebody sensed that they were taking pictures for something other than tourist purposes, but the lack of follow-through is disgraceful.

[AntiTyrant]

All cause FBI pantsywaists decided terrorists rights were more important than the lives of the people they subsequently murdered.
if you believe that, you might want to reconsider. i suspect that's their fall guy story. they could've handled it properly while still respecting civil liberties. they just want to blame 'policy' for their incompetence. once the country has grieved enough, i hope more people start asking the necessary question of our 'intelligence' community, law enforcement, and the military. i believe they all screwed the pooch on this one.

[AntiTyrant]

This example should be RUBBED in the faces of PC liberals at every chance!
to a point, but it's a little too perfect a scapegoat in this case. if it was worth confiscating their film (already risking a suit), it was worth holding them for the 2 hours it would take to develop. please don't allow them to fluff off their mistake as if it's somebody else's fault.

[Brian Allen]

Not a damn one of 'em is worth a crap.

For years the abjectly-politicized and consequently effectively-thoroughly-Evil feral-gummint police forces have been too damned busy covering up for their in-house murderers and other criminals -- and harrassing, disarming and killing innocent Americans in their homes and churches -- to be ever effectively "on-the-job."

[freefly]

As you point out, the fed doesn't seem to have a problem stepping on the civil rights of American citizens on a regular basis.
If they had been part of a militia, or had bought a couple rifles in the last year, or were fundamental Christians, they would have automatically been given the big hairy eyeball.
Why these guys were given a pass is beyond me.
(Maybe the fact that it wasn't an obvious drug bust made it too much work to bother with...)

[Lessismore]

...in and around an N.Y.C. federal facility that served no legitimate purpose,"

Apparently.

[roughrider]

"Schiliro said detaining the three men until more complete background checks were made might have raised the controversial issue of "profiling" suspects and violated their civil liberties."

This is ridiculous, and Schiliro knows it. The camel jockeys were not photographing monuments or tourist attractions. They were photographing security assets at a building that has no attraction to tourists, but is a government/law enforcement complex. The FBI had a responsibility to hold them under investigative detention until their identities could be verified. That shouldn't have taken very long. Property--the film--WAS confiscated. Once it was developed, they should have sought the terrorists out after letting them go. If they could not be found, an alert bulletin should have been issued.

Everytime something like this happens, American citizens wind up with fewer "civil liberties," but camel jockeys have "rights," even when they are not citizens. It makes no sense.

[jsraggmann]

Excellent analysis! The Weavers, Davidians and countless others have fallen to our JBTs.

[rollin]

One wonders if the FBI has ever hear of One Hour Photo Developing. Almost every drug store, grocery store and photography store in the nation has one.

But they probably wanted to ship the film to some bureau affiliated developing source where the turn-around time is a couple of weeks.

[rollin]

One wonders if the FBI has ever hear of One Hour Photo Developing. Almost every drug store, grocery store and photography store in the nation has one.

But they probably wanted to ship the film to some bureau affiliated developing source where the turn-around time is a couple of weeks.

[ScreamingFist]

"If they had been part of a militia, or had bought a couple rifles in the last year, or were fundamental Christians, they would have automatically been given the big hairy eyeball." Sad yet true.

[mykdsmom]

I hope this "band" is behind bars somewhere (even another reason for me to HATE rap music)....or at least have been hauled in for questioning.

Of course I'm sure they have been released by now, wouldn't want to be accused of profiling.

I wish I could say I feel confident with the FBI and CIA in charge of rounding up these terrorists but I don't. I have lost faith in an organization that by all appearances appears not only incompetent but more likely corrupt to the core.

MKM

[Travis McGee]

Moron.

You ACLU types are the very ones who have beat the drums for the hamstringing of the FBI over many years, now we all sow what YOU have reaped.

Yes, we will rub it in your face.

[Brian Allen]

The very [Unconstitutional, unlawful and illegal] fact of the existance of any and all of the 58 or so feral-gummint police forces is a brazen violation of every American's "civil rights."

And we let them murder us with impunity.

Go figger.

[boris]

"Civil rights? So they were American citizens? Or do you attained U.S. civil rights just by being a visitor?"

Unfortunately, the latter. The Founders, regrettably, used the word "person" pretty much interchangeably with "citizen".

That is why I have been advocating for a long time an amendment that would:

- Repeal the Fourteenth Amendment;
- Stress that the rights enumerated in the BoR pertain to citizens;
- Define "citizen" as a person who has one or both parents who are citizens--or who is naturallized. Being born on U.S. soil would not suffice to give anyone citizenship.

In the past, these ideas had zero chance of being adopted. Now I'd give it merely 100-to-1 odds against.

--Boris