Possible Nuclear Terror Alert

Arizona Republic Valley and State | 24 October 2001

[Azarona Joel]

It was reported today that the Squaw Peak Hiking Trails org. has issued a warning to it's members to stay away from the popular trails on Squaw Peak in North Central Phoenix after several sightings of mideastern men with " HEAVY ORANGE BACKPACKS" were sited at all hours, including at 4:30 a.m. hiking on and around the mountain! Local F.B.I. says there is no cause for alarm, as has local law enforcment!

[Azarona Joel]

Let's see. We have Games 1 & 2 of the World Series Saturday and Sunday! Local Rumor has it that Someone VERY.VERY IPORTANT WILL THROW OUT THE FIRST BALL OF GAME 1! We also have the Duralube 500 Race this weekend! Oh and the Cardinals play on Sunday, ho hum. Said Squaw peak is maybe 5.5 miles from Downtown where the Bank One Ballpark is located. And the notice said very heavy backpacks!!!! Air traffic also comes in for a Western aproach to Sky Harbor from the east very nearly over Squaw Peak. Actually it is between the mountain and my house! And correct me if I am in error, but I beleive a BACKPACK NUKE OF 50 to 75 LBS is anywhere from 1 to 5 KILOTONS Yield! Said article also mentioned that there were several heavy backpacks! Arizona freepers it is time to reconoittere the terrain around this mountain and see if there is something Buried in the washes! We have till Saturday if this is A WORST CASE SCENERIO! My thinking is that an EMP BURST IS THE BEST CASE FROM THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN AT GAME TIME SATURDAY! Worst Case is to horrible to contemplate if this is anything to worry about!

[bond7]

Just in case - thank you for posting this. I'm sure it will get noticed by the authorities.

Right now I like to think of this nation as a 300 million person army.

[Phil V.]

Joel, I think you're onto something. Please, head for the hills, find them nukes and report back. Take your tinfoil radiation shield just in case th' bastards go off on you. Best of luck.

[Free the USA]

There has to be better targets than that.

[sbelew]

I dunno... the World Series would be a pretty tempting target :(

[ChocChipCookie]

Oh brother. I just got through thinking that out here in Arizona we were safe being away from the big business and government centers along the east coast. But you're right. The World Series is a big, big event; a perfect terrorist target.

[Petronski]

Local Rumor has it that Someone VERY VERY IMPORTANT WILL THROW OUT THE FIRST BALL OF GAME 1!

Better target than a NASCAR/NFL/WORLD-SERIES weekend in one city?

[pgkdan]

Are you kidding? The World Series...you just can't get much more American than that.

[RickyJ]

I hate to say this, but I'm sure glad that the Braves didn't make it to the World Series this year.

[Azarona Joel]

I wanted to head to the hills at first and be a long way from town Saturday at game time! BUT THIS IS MY TOWN! Good or bad I am gonna have a look see! I don't think the locals or the feds are looking very hard around there and there are thousans of places to shield a poorly shielded nuke from being detected! If there was an increase in the police around the mountain I would have heard by now! If I do not find anything I will still likely head out about 20 miles and park behind a good size mountain just in case! Wish me luck!

[hope]

"Arizona freepers it is time to reconoittere the terrain around this mountain and see if there is something Buried in the washes"!

okie dokie, you first!

Is this an A.S.S. post? (Anthrax Stress Syndrome)...

[Azarona Joel]

Also we are SILICON VALLEY EAST!

[TheLion]

You need a vacation!

[Petronski]

Sure hope them ayrab boys don't have any cobalt.

Excellent sleuthing! Keep us posted and KEEP RECRUITING in the area. Tally-ho and good hunting.

[longleaf]

Baseball is really so over as the national pastime, but it is true that the President is a big fan and used to one-half of one percent of the Texas Rangers or something like that. So I can see the plausibility from that standpoint.

[John H K]

Umm...

What the heck exactly is your source for this again?

[Terriergal]

Keep us posted, see if you can get a source for this.

[cactmh]

Obviously unrelated to 9/11 and even if it were, it is an isolated incident.

[longleaf]

"President is a big fan and used to own one-half of one percent of the Texas Rangers" is what I would have typed had I still been awake. And he may have owned more than that small percentage because when the team was sold, he made a profit of something like $16 million. He only had to put up $600,000.

[Azarona Joel]

No I'm Just thinking outside of the BOX! IF you wanted to disrupt American Confidence, what would be the worst case! I hope it is just my Imagination because that fricken mountain is only about 2miles from my house!

[Free the USA]

I don't think a suitcase nuke exploded at that range and being downwind from the city would be effective in killing people at the game. Besides it would be easier to just place the bomb in the trunk of a car and drive into the city.

[Azarona Joel]

I have a few days saved up!

[freeasinbeer]

So seriously, where did you here this? Was it on the radio, or a newsite or what?

[mercy]

The temptation is to think this is all very silly .... but not in these times. Not anymore. Given who might be throwing out that first ball however I reakon you ARE going to find some rather robust hikers out in those hills and they are going to have earpieces and wrist mikes. They wear those really expensive sunglasses too.

[Azarona Joel]

Squaw Peak is almost dead center in the city nowadays! It used to be outside , but this is not your fathers desert burg anymore!

[Azarona Joel]

The Arizona Republic newpaper. Valley and State section for Wednesday 24 october 2001.

[Phil V.]

Good or bad I am gonna have a look see! I don't think the locals or the feds are looking very hard around there and there are thousans of places . . .

Joel, I'm so proud of you. There are so few real Americans willing to put it all on the line (except for - Rangers, Green Berets, Marines, Seals . . .)

When you return from your mission (If you return from your mission) you will be up for a Presidential Citation. God bless!

[cactusSharp]

at times like this,I find motivation in the book I'LL JUMP OVER THE CLIFF by Hugo Pfirst.

[tbird1]

C'mon Joe, CITE YOUR SOURCE of information.

[madfly]

Geeeeze Joel, I just did some quick clicking to get this article. I live in the same area. A little bit south of the flight path. Yikes.

Arizona Republic
Valley and State
Oct. 24, 2001-
Suspicious men seen on Squaw Peak trail

By Judi Villa The Arizona Republic
Oct. 24, 2001

The Squaw Peak Hiking Association is urging members to avoid the mountain's Summit Trail because two groups of Middle Eastern-looking men were seen there with "heavy, identical orange backpacks."

"While the contents of these heavy backpacks are not known, what is worrisome is that they could contain hazardous agents, explosives or firearms, should the owners have bad intentions to those on the mountain," the group said in a news release.

However, FBI spokesman Ed Hall said there is no evidence to suggest that the mountain would be a terrorist target.

"I have no information of anything that would keep somebody from hiking Squaw Peak," Hall said Tuesday.

Muslim community members liken the group's warning to racial profiling and say it's fueled by paranoia, not logic.

"There is no reason for anybody when they see a Middle Easterner here or there to panic," said Ihsan Saadeddin, spokesman for the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix. "There are 8 million Middle Easterners in this country, and they cannot be treated like this."

The hikers group says it has received "six independent reports of suspicious activity"; three were reported to authorities. An e-mail sent to members says two of the men drew suspicion by singing in Arabic at 4 a.m. and raising their fists in the air.

The group is asking for a police presence on the mountain.

"It's good for people to be cautious and to be alert and to report suspicious things," said Marwan Ahmad, publisher of Arizona Muslim Voice, "but if this group of men was Caucasian, doing the same and carrying the same backpacks, would there be a press release?"

,P.Copyright 2000, The Arizona Republic. All rights reserved. ------------

[hellinahandcart]

We have till Saturday if this is A WORST CASE SCENERIO!

So...seems the terrorists and I agree that they can't take a chance on there being a Game 7 (or 6) in Arizona. They will not underestimate the the Yankees!

My thinking is that an EMP BURST IS THE BEST CASE FROM THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN AT GAME TIME SATURDAY! Worst Case is to horrible to contemplate if this is anything to worry about!

BEST CASE to you is an EM pulse? Not a total false alarm? Sheesh, get some tranquilizers. It's urgent.

[soundbits]

Geiger counter bump.

[sockmonkey]

Not to be too horrible, but wasn't there something awhile back about some kinda cell/training camp in AZ? Certainly our Southern borders are not secure, and even though I would urge calm, these terrorist a**holes certainly have been creative so far in their endeavors to undermine our Country.

[madfly]

PING

[kayak]

bttt

[henbane]

Thanks for the heads-up on the sightings in the mountains. You're obviously very worried about this thing.

Two points before you start any search of the area:

1) Can you give us a weblink or some kind of direct source to "Squaw Peak Hiking Trails org.?"

2) How about calling that organization directly and talking to someone in charge over there--then give us some details on what you found out?

Thanks again, Az. 10-4

[Fred25]

Here’s the story.........

Oct 24

Suspicious men seen on Squaw Peak trail

By Judi Villa

The Arizona Republic

Oct. 24, 2001

The Squaw Peak Hiking Association is urging members to avoid the mountain's Summit Trail because two groups of Middle Eastern-looking men were seen there with "heavy, identical orange backpacks."

"While the contents of these heavy backpacks are not known, what is worrisome is that they could contain hazardous agents, explosives or firearms, should the owners have bad intentions to those on the mountain," the group said in a news release.

However, FBI spokesman Ed Hall said there is no evidence to suggest that the mountain would be a terrorist target.

"I have no information of anything that would keep somebody from hiking Squaw Peak," Hall said Tuesday.

Muslim community members liken the group's warning to racial profiling and say it's fueled by paranoia, not logic.

"There is no reason for anybody when they see a Middle Easterner here or there to panic," said Ihsan Saadeddin, spokesman for the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix. "There are 8 million Middle Easterners in this country, and they cannot be treated like this."

The hikers group says it has received "six independent reports of suspicious activity"; three were reported to authorities. An e-mail sent to members says two of the men drew suspicion by singing in Arabic at 4 a.m. and raising their fists in the air.

The group is asking for a police presence on the mountain.

"It's good for people to be cautious and to be alert and to report suspicious things," said Marwan Ahmad, publisher of Arizona Muslim Voice, "but if this group of men was Caucasian, doing the same and carrying the same backpacks, would there be a press release?"

-------------------------------

Here’s a different related story......

Phoenix newspaper

[inkling]

The link to the Arizona Republic story is...

http://www.arizonarepublic.com:80/arizona/articles/1024squawpeak24.html

BTW, I lucked out and got tickets to Saturday's game of the World Series. The terrorists are NEVER going to take baseball away from me! See you at the BOB!

[Azarona Joel]

Let me see if I have this straight. You read something fishy in your local paper and you are just gonna sit on your duff thinking that its ok the feds or the police or someone will make sure that you have nothing to be concerned about? I guess you should just go to the mall. Buy a new car. Can't happen here in these United States now can it! Grow up!!!

[madfly]

Yes, one or two of the hijackers went to flight school here.
Also, I read where some prisoner, who was known for giving good info to the feds, said that 80 suitcase bombs were being brought across Arizona border, by Afghanies & co.

[pgkdan]

Agreed...I don't think that this is a serious threat, yet. I was just remarking on the value of the target. You gotta admit, if you want to terrorize people and strike at the heart of America...a World Series Game would be BIG news. I'm praying that nothing like that happens, BTW.

[Allegra]

, but it is true that the President is a big fan

He's an Astros fan. He has suffered enough.

[hellinahandcart]

however I reakon you ARE going to find some rather robust hikers out in those hills and they are going to have earpieces and wrist mikes. They wear those really expensive sunglasses too.

I saw several of those robust hiker types at my church week before last, for a certain guest speaker. I figured it out right away. I knew there couldn't be that many fine men under 40 who all needed hearing aids.

[MadEagle]

Those guys are nothing short of brilliant. Note to self: when attempting to go incognito, wear orange camouflage.

[tbird1]

Hey Joel: I checked out the Republic and you are accurate. One added part of the story---The FBI has been notified.

[Phil V.]

Thanks . . . I needed that . . .;)

But seriously, don't you think that Joel should take along a phirst aid kit just in case he runs into a little bad luck? I've heard that radiation burns are a real bitch to get to heal. He should also have a swiss army knife to disarm the bomb.

I phear that Joel is heading for a bit of a bad patch. He'll need our prayers.

[pgkdan]

"It's good for people to be cautious and to be alert and to report suspicious things," said Marwan Ahmad, publisher of Arizona Muslim Voice, "but if this group of men was Caucasian, doing the same and carrying the same backpacks, would there be a press release?"

Probaly not raghead, but since it wasn't a group of caucasians who flew those planes into the WTC we're going to keep an eye on the comings and goings of all your ilk.

[hope]

"No I'm Just thinking outside of the BOX"

I heard a little bit about this on the radio today and thought I heard them mention what the men's nationality was...Did you hear about that part? They pretty much dismissed the story though.

Could you imagine what would happen to the middle east if they nuked us here? Our hope in these times needs to be real and fixed on the One who can save. Look upwards...

[Bill Rice]

"There are 8 million Middle Easterners in this country, and they cannot be treated like this."

They can always GO HOME to the $hithole they came here from.

Don't let the door hit ya,
Where the good Lord split ya!