FBI Arrests JDL Chairman, Follower

AP | 12/12/01 | AP

[anniegetyourgun]

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The chairman of the Jewish Defense League were arrested in connection with a failed bombing plot, federal authorities said.

Irv Rubin, 56, and a member of the militant group, Earl Krugel, 59, were booked early Wednesday at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, detention center spokeswoman Donna Davis said.

The arrests late Tuesday were in connection with a bombing plot, said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office. He would not describe the alleged scheme except to say, "The bombing was not carried out."

Criminal charges should be filed later Wednesday, Mrozek said.

Law enforcement agencies raided a home identified by television stations as Krugel's late Tuesday night. Footage showed officers carrying out weapons and cardboard boxes.

Calls to the FBI, U.S. Customs and the JDL were not immediately returned.

The Jewish Defense League was originally formed by Meir Kahane to mount armed response to anti-Semitic acts in New York City. It gained notoriety when its members were linked to bombings, most of them aimed at Soviet targets in retaliation for the way that country treated its Jewish population.

Kahane left the JDL and moved to Israel. A power struggle ensued, with Rubin among the contenders for its leadership.

Kahane was assassinated in New York in 1990. El Sayyid Nosair, 36, an Egyptian-born Muslim, was convicted in connection with the shooting.

[101viking]

Thanks for finding this and posting it. I saw a brief clip on the local morning news here in L.A. but was unable to find any information on the local news websites.

[101viking]

Bump!

I don't know why, but the timing of this is troubling me.

[College Repub]

I saw this guy a few years ago on Springer. Jerry had him engaging in fist fights on air with KKK guys. He can really hold his own pretty well...

[College Repub]

I always thought he was a nutcase though...guess this proves it...

[thesharkboy]

If true, these thugs are terrorists and should be treated as such.

[SocialMeltdown]

FBI Arrests JDL Chairman, Follower

Will they be investigated for any unsolved "hate crimes", that's what I want to know.

[Fred Mertz]

I have a feeling that there is something much larger going on here.

[Poohbah]

This is NOT the time to be a terrorist of ANY sort. Bad move, d00dZ!

[101viking]

Irv Rubin makes the rounds of the regular radio talk show circuit here in L.A. He has really toned down his act in the past few years, and from what I understand is a bit of celebrity among the Jewish population here. What troubles me is that this search and arrests are based on an old case from 1985 , and I have to wonder if the timing is related to the current Israeli/Palestinian problems. Could it be that someone is pushing this as part of an agenda? After all the Palestinians have been screaming that the Israelis use terrorist tactics, and according to the little information I have found on this matter, it appears that events related to the arrests might be considered terrorist in nature.

[scratchgolfer]

Among Jews and Christians there seems to be a few far out there types, JDL and McVeigh militia sorts, among Islamists it sometimes seems to be par for the course.

[101viking]

"Why do you say this is about 1985? This activity is reported yesterday."

Because on the local news this morning here in Los Angeles, it was reported that these searches and arrests were related to a 1985 bombing of an Arab Rights group offices. The details were sketchy, however the reporterette based the connection on information from the FBI, and they even showed footage of the bomb damage to the Arab groups offices.

[101viking]

Found this on the Antiwar.com webstite it's an excerpt:

Author: Justin Raimondo

Date: June 14 2000

Title: Behind The Headlines

Rubin has "a long history of political and social activism" alright ? it is the history of an organization of outright wackos and racists who are, furthermore, armed and dangerous. These are the same psychopaths who bombed the San Francisco branch of the Iranian Bank Melli on January 26, 1981 and a JDL bomb tore through the Iraqi UN Mission on April 28, 1982.. The JDL planted a bomb in the office of impresario Sol Hurok, who was targeted because he helped arrange performances of Soviet ballet troupes in the United States ? and killed one of Hurok's employees. On October 11, 1985, the Los Angeles offices of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) was bombed, killing the ADC director Alex Odeh, and on August 15 of the same year 1985, a sixty-one-year-old Tsherim Soobzokov, was bombed at his Paterson, N.J., home and later died of his wounds. As Anderson and Sloan put it: "In such attacks an anonymous caller would claim the action in the name of the JDL, and afterward an official JDL spokesman would disavow the group's responsibility. In 1987 several JDL members were convicted on a variety of criminal charges." When Odeh was killed, Kahane disassociated himself from the group and went to Israel, where he founded the virulently racist Kach movement. Kach advocates the forced expulsion of all Arabs (and non-Jews) from Greater Israel, the creation of a theocratic police state, and a relentless war against the Arab states.

[101viking]

Found this on the Antiwar.com webstite it's an excerpt:

Author: Justin Raimondo

Date: June 14 2000

Title: Behind The Headlines

Rubin has "a long history of political and social activism" alright ? it is the history of an organization of outright wackos and racists who are, furthermore, armed and dangerous. These are the same psychopaths who bombed the San Francisco branch of the Iranian Bank Melli on January 26, 1981 and a JDL bomb tore through the Iraqi UN Mission on April 28, 1982.. The JDL planted a bomb in the office of impresario Sol Hurok, who was targeted because he helped arrange performances of Soviet ballet troupes in the United States ? and killed one of Hurok's employees. On October 11, 1985, the Los Angeles offices of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) was bombed, killing the ADC director Alex Odeh, and on August 15 of the same year 1985, a sixty-one-year-old Tsherim Soobzokov, was bombed at his Paterson, N.J., home and later died of his wounds. As Anderson and Sloan put it: "In such attacks an anonymous caller would claim the action in the name of the JDL, and afterward an official JDL spokesman would disavow the group's responsibility. In 1987 several JDL members were convicted on a variety of criminal charges." When Odeh was killed, Kahane disassociated himself from the group and went to Israel, where he founded the virulently racist Kach movement. Kach advocates the forced expulsion of all Arabs (and non-Jews) from Greater Israel, the creation of a theocratic police state, and a relentless war against the Arab states.

[101viking]

"Doesn't his group brag about its ties to the israeli government?"

In interviews I have heard with Irv Rubin, he certainly implies that he has strong ties with Israel, however he always remained short of saying he was specifically tied to the Israeli Government or any named individuals. In my opinion, this is done to gain some credibility for himself and his orginization.

[101viking]

Yeah, he may just be a nut.

I agree, he is a nut, but he may have just become a usefull nut in the chess game of international politics.

[eno_]

He is now our token Jewish terrorist. Compared with a few hundred Al Quaida-trained yahoos, he is providing a useful service.

[anniegetyourgun]

Yep. And, BTW, I doubt that he was arrested because he is a member of the "L" party - but I'm sure some here will make something of that. As if "L" party members are off limits and never get involved in criminal activities. As if any such accusation must be a gub'mt conspiracy.

[College Repub]

Are you an anti-libertarianite?

[anniegetyourgun]

I am not a Libertarian and I don't think they are above the law either.

[Ragin1]

"McVeigh militia sorts"

Your ignorance is showing.

[Israel]

The "Patriot Terrorist" Roundup

It seems to be accelerating. Gun confiscation from domestic "terrorists".

The Ashcroft/Reno Definition of Terrorists

Police Seize Weapons Cache in Baldwin (Maine)

Arsenal seized at Westville house (Connecticut)

[eno_]

Israeli != Jew. Check out the ones that were videotaping from across the river. There is a lot of disinformation being spread on this false assumption.

[MarkWar]

>The "Patriot Terrorist" Roundup It seems to be accelerating. Gun confiscation from domestic "terrorists".

If you're keeping a list, just for completeness, you might want to add the death of William Cooper.

Mark W.

[veronica]

Didn't the Washington Post report the FBI is holding 60 israeli Jews as terrorists?

My my you are a busy beaver on your first day.

Actually 60 Israel were detained for MINOR immigration charges - most have already returned to Israel.

Next?

[MACD]

Actually 60 Israel were detained for MINOR immigration charges - most have already returned to Israel.

Yeah, don't you just wish . …. I think I'll just wait and see the list FOX NEWS has!

[lavaroise]

THe JDL does not believe in assault on people's values but does believe in revenge when they see others assaulting with the iron Jews for their values. They are the equivalent to the Christian abortion clinic "terrorists".

[CommiesOut]

Oops! Überman dude will be upset again.

Jewish Defense League chief arrested in L.A.

    LOS ANGELES, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Two members of the militant 
Jewish Defense League, including its chairman, have been arrested 
at their homes in suburban Los Angeles in connection with an 
alleged bomb plot, federal officials said on Wednesday. 
 FBI spokeswoman Laura Bosley identified the two men, who were 
taken into custody late Tuesday, as JDL Chairman Irv Rubin and 
JDL member Earl Krugel. 
    U.S. Attorney's office spokesman Tom Mrozek said the two men 
were arrested "in relation to a bombing plot" but gave no further 
details. 
    Rubin and Krugel are expected to appear in court later on 
Wednesday when bail and future court dates will be set, Mrozek 
said. Further details of the arrests were expected to be released 
later in the day. 
    A relative of one of the men told reporters he thought the 
arrests were connected to the 1985 assassination in Santa Ana, 
California, of Alexander Odeh, regional director of the American 
Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. But Bosley said the men were 
not arrested in connection with Odeh's death. 
    Earl Krugel's brother, Barry Krugel, said agents raided his 
brother's home, and in the process broke the door down. He said 
that any weapons removed from his brother's home were legally 
owned. 
    The raid was conducted by a multi-agency antiterrorism task 
force, according to video camera operators on the scene. 
    The arrests follow federal grand jury proceedings in Los 
Angeles earlier this year when Rubin, the 59-year-old Krugel 
brothers and others were questioned about Odeh's death, a JDL 
source told reporters. 
    Odeh was killed when he opened the door to his office and a 
bomb exploded. The night before he had appeared on television 
defending the Palestine Liberation Organization. A $1 million 
reward was offered in 1996 for information leading to the 
discovery of Odeh's killers. 
    Rubin has said the JDL played no role in Odeh's death, but 
added he shed "no tears" over the slaying. 
    The JDL was founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was 
assassinated in New York in 1990. Prior to his death he founded  
the extremist KACH party in Israel which advocated the expulsion 
of all Arabs from Israel and Israeli-occupied territories. The 
party was later outlawed. 
 ((Sarah Tippit, Los Angeles newsroom, +1 213-955-6776, fax +1 
213-622-0056, sarah.tippit@reuters.com)) 
   

12 DEC 2001 17:59:55
   -¦-  http://www.reuters.co.il/news2000/N2SCK4I5.HTM

[veronica]

Yeah, don't you just wish . …. I think I'll just wait and see the list FOX NEWS has!

I don't post what I wish - I post what I KNOW.

[Plummz]

Eh, maybe. I read this headline as ADL at first . . now THAT would have been news. This JDL guy has always been a bit nutty. I'm pinging Raimondo because I think he's written on them and may be able to shed some light.

[madrussian]

Tom Mrozek? Must be a Polish anti-semite.

[CommiesOut]

LOL! You hit the nail on the head.
Btw, Slawomir Mrozek's works are almost as good as Kafka or Hasek.

[cascademountaineer]

Exactly. A terrorist is a terrorist. And these terrorists can consider themselves B-u-s-t-e-d.

[madrussian]

ADL, JDL... Using a saying I heard in Russia, "same nuts, different view". For CommiesOut, "te zhe yaitsa, vid sboku".