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TIME Exclusive: Cropduster Manual Discovered in Suspected Terrorist Hideout
Time.com ^ | September.22,2001 | MASSIMO CALABRESI AND SALLY DONNELLY

Posted on 09/22/2001 3:08:14 PM PDT by Reagan Man

Sources tell TIME that U.S. officials suspect that bin Laden conspirators may have been planning to disperse biological or chemical agents from cropdusting planes

Saturday, Sep. 22, 2001

New York -- U.S. law enforcement officials have found a manual on the operation of cropdusting equipment while searching suspected terrorist hideouts, government sources tell TIME magazine in an issue out on Monday, Sept. 24th.

The discovery has added to concerns among government counterterrorism experts that the bin Laden conspirators may have been planning — or may still be planning —to disperse biological or chemical agents from a cropdusting plane normally used for agricultural purposes.

Among the belongings of suspected terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui, sources tell TIME, were manuals showing how to operate cropdusting equipment that could be used to spray fast-killing toxins into the air.

The discovery resulted in the grounding of all cropdusters nationwide on Sunday Sept. 16th. The dusters have been allowed back up, but are not allowed to take off or land from what traffic controllers refer to as Class B airspace, or the skies around major cities.

One senior official cautions that because corroborative evidence is lacking the FBI does not place "high credibility" in the notion that the hijackers were in fact exploring the idea of stealing or renting cropdusters. However, the FBI is advising members of a crop-dusters' group to report any suspicious buys of dangerous chemicals in the wake of last week's terrorist attacks.

Last week, the National Agricultural Aviation Association, a crop dusters trade group, posted a message from the FBI to its membership: "Members should be vigilant to any suspicious activity relative to the use, training in or acquisition of dangerous chemicals or airborne application of same including threats, unusual purchases, suspicious behavior by employees or customers, and unusual contacts with the public. Members should report any suspicious circumstances or information to local FBI offices."


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alqaeda; alqaida; anthrax; antraz; cropduster; cropdusters; cropdusting; moussaoui; wmd; zacariasmoussaoui
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To: Reagan Man
bump
141 posted on 09/22/2001 4:18:42 PM PDT by RaceBannon
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To: Lazamataz
North by Northwest cropduster bump.

I was at a conference in the Plaza Hotel in New York a couple of years ago, so I asked the bartender in the Oak Room whether the Oak Room scenes in the movie had been shot there. He didn't have the slightest idea what I was talking about. But I got a videotape of the movie recently, which includes a documentary of the shooting of the movie. Turns out the Oak Room scenes were shot in a facsimile of the bar built in Hollywood.

The cropduster scenes were shot outside Bakersfield in California.

142 posted on 09/22/2001 4:19:18 PM PDT by aristeides (demosthenes@olg.com)
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To: Impeach98
I think you also forget that non-citizens have NO RIGHTS to stay permanently in the US. They are here at our whim, they can be sent back at any time for any reason.
143 posted on 09/22/2001 4:20:30 PM PDT by FITZ
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To: bluefish
"Huh? Nuke 'em where?

I was being facetious, evident in following posts...gotcha! Now I know your paying attention.

144 posted on 09/22/2001 4:21:43 PM PDT by vmatt
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To: Smittyat90210
Just kick these people out of the country.

Simple!

145 posted on 09/22/2001 4:21:48 PM PDT by Bogie
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To: LaBelleDameSansMerci
While its true, terrorists have upset the normality of American life, lets not forget since the attacks on the WTC/Pentagon took place, our military buildup has thrown the Middle East into complete and utter turmoil. No one in the Middle East knows where America might strike first. Everyone 'over there' is running around pulling their beards out and wondering what will happen next. They're scared shitless!

Will America strike first at the Taliban, or may be Hamas? Perhaps the Muslim Brotherhood, or may be the US will attack the National Islamic Front. Then again, may be our first strike will be aimed at Hizbullah in Lebanon.

The USA is throwing around its own "turds" in the Middle East right now. And its nice to see these anti-American haters get some of their own medicine thrown right back at them!

God Bless America

146 posted on 09/22/2001 4:22:24 PM PDT by Reagan Man
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To: MississippiMan
AOPA.org has updated information on what's going on. I'm sorry that legitimate banner towers and other pilots (like traffic watch) are not able to fly. Many small businesses here at the airport (ours included) were hammered by this. But I do NOT want to see anything flying over a crowd of people.

BTW, Geoff Metcalf, in his Saturday rerun from Thursday, had some critical words for the open-air memorials... and I agree. Not prudent at this time...

147 posted on 09/22/2001 4:22:29 PM PDT by bootless
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To: Plummz
I think this thread and my #134 will interest you.
148 posted on 09/22/2001 4:22:36 PM PDT by aristeides (demosthenes@olg.com)
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To: aristeides
I also picked up on the fact you can see Cary Grant near a sign saying I-47 in the corn field. Well, I know the film was filmed years ago, but I-47 is very short and very near Chicago, and it would have been overtaken by the city even then.
149 posted on 09/22/2001 4:23:06 PM PDT by Lazamataz
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Comment #150 Removed by Moderator

To: HiTech RedNeck
"What kind of gun would it take to down such a plane?"

338 Win mag and up. As long as the ballistic coeff. is ~>3. Need wingshooting practice, know the ballistics and how to est. distance/airspeed.

151 posted on 09/22/2001 4:27:03 PM PDT by spunkets
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To: spunkets
Thanks, and bump!
152 posted on 09/22/2001 4:27:44 PM PDT by bootless
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To: Balding_Eagle
That makes us all feel safer.
153 posted on 09/22/2001 4:29:10 PM PDT by wingnuts'nbolts
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To: FITZ
"Back in WWII it wasn't the policy to try to distinguish good Nazis from bad Nazis, we didn't give any the run of the US."

LOL! We had one nazi here who was spiking livestock with disease as part of their bio-terrorism effort.

154 posted on 09/22/2001 4:29:19 PM PDT by vmatt
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To: bootless
"The dusters have been allowed back up, but are not allowed to take off or land from what traffic controllers refer to as Class B airspace, or the skies around major cities." This makes me feel a whole lot better. I live in a small town.
155 posted on 09/22/2001 4:30:30 PM PDT by beerhead
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To: sneakypete
Interesting, huh?
156 posted on 09/22/2001 4:31:31 PM PDT by Chapita
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To: Common Tator
OK. Now I am going to bring up another thing that has been bugging me for almost two years. We have a large number of Chinese immigrants. I have never figured out how they got here, since most totalitarian countries do not allow citizens to leave.

I am not discussing the students and scientists and such. I am talking about the people who come and open a restaurant, which costs at least $10,000 to get going. And they do not have credit established.

Now, on the Beltway Boys I just heard that a bunch of Chinese journalists were seen and heard laughing and cheering as the WTC came down. Thankfully, this is the Bush Administration, and Armitage had them thrown them out of the country immediately.

I do not think that the Chinese like us one bit. I also know they have been up to no good with many of the Islamic groups. This has made me think about a SECOND group of cells being here....non-Arabic.

Please tell me to remove my tinfoil hat. Please.

157 posted on 09/22/2001 4:33:14 PM PDT by Miss Marple
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Comment #158 Removed by Moderator

To: all
Mr. Ahmed Badawi is thought to be one of the ringleaders, according to Mindbender26's thread yesterday:  Orlando-Based Egyptian Travel Agent, Now Held In Jail, Seen As Key Player In Terrorist Movements.

He's not listed with the Florida SOS offices under that name.  Instead, he goes by the name of "Ed."  In addition to his "Florida Sunny Summer Tour" business that he used to move people into/out/throughout the US, it looks like he also owns "Delta Gas Corp."  What kind of hazardous permits do companies like this have? 

US Business Directory
FLORIDA SUNNY SUMMER TOUR
36 S SEMORAN BLVD  
ORLANDO, FL  32807-3229 UNITED STATES  
TEL: 407-277-8424

COUNTY: 12095  ORANGE
POPULATION: 100,000 - 249,999    DD
CARRIER-CODE: C004
PRI-SIC: 472501  TOURS-OPERATORS & PROMOTERS
LOC-SALES: 1,000 -  499,999    AA
LOC-EMPLOYEES:  2
PAR-EMPLOYEES:  UNKNOWN
BUSINESS-ORG: FIRM

EXECUTIVES: ED BADAWI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ("Ahmed" becomes Americanized to "Ed."  Cute.)

AD-SIZE: REGULAR LISTING
CREDIT: SATISFACTORY
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH


US Business Directory
DELTA GAS CORP
2139 WASHINGTON ST  
BRAINTREE, MA  02184-8660 UNITED STATES  
TEL: 781-843-9711
ABI-NO: 107650434

COUNTY: 25021  NORFOLK
POPULATION: 500,000 PLUS    FF
CARRIER-CODE: C027
PRI-SIC: 554101  SERVICE STATIONS-GASOLINE & OIL
LOC-SALES: 500,000 -  999,999    BB
LOC-EMPLOYEES:  3
PAR-EMPLOYEES:  UNKNOWN
BUSINESS-ORG: FIRM

EXECUTIVES: ED BADAWI, MANAGER

CREDIT: GOOD
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH


FLORIDA FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAMES

DBA NAME: E D S Drive Svc   ("E.D.S." stands for "Ed's?")

BUSINESS ADDRESS: 4300 S Semoran Blvd Ste 203
                  Orlando, FL 32822-2453
BUSINESS PHONE: 407-851-8989
STATE: Florida
COUNTY: Orange

OWNER: Bahmed, Badawi (Now we've switched to "Bahmed.")

OWNER ADDRESS: Telephone Number: 407
BUSINESS DESCRIPTION: Nonclassified Establishments
FILING DATE: 3/31/1998
159 posted on 09/22/2001 4:34:48 PM PDT by Nita Nupress
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To: Miss Marple
China has never been a "friend" to any nation...but China, to my knowledge.
160 posted on 09/22/2001 4:37:15 PM PDT by Selara
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