Terror war hits home [Detroit]

Detroit Free Press ^ | November 12, 2002 | Tamara Audi

[The Energizer]

Convinced that Al Qaeda terrorists are hiding in southeast Michigan, federal investigators have focused much of the government's secret war on terrorism in metro Detroit neighborhoods.

The result is a massive, extraordinary network -- with undercover agents infiltrating Arab and Muslim communities, street informants feeding information to investigators, and cooperative, but wary, community leaders acting as cultural guides into the local Arab world.

[The Energizer]

The headline in the print version is: Secret War on Terror focuses on Detroiters.

[The Energizer]

Michigan heads up!

[Alouette]

Dearborn terrorist on the loose

[riley1992]

Have you heard of the random traffic stops being done in the Detroit area today? Under an apparently existing law, the FBI is allowed to make random stops and do searches of vehicles without needing probable cause within 35 miles of a foreign border and are going to be doing so in full force today.

[The Energizer]

I just heard Paul W. Smith on WJR talking about this . . .

[Ipse Dixit]

Few people realize that one of the largest contcentrations of Arabic peoples outside of the Mid-East is in the Detroit metro area.

What went on in San Diego pre 9-11 indicates that mosques can effectively be terrorist rallying points. The Feds are right to center an all-out counterintelligence op on Southeast Michigan.

[fivecatsandadog]

"I tell my clients not to trust anybody -- not even their own brother," said Doraid Elder, a Dearborn lawyer who has represented Middle Eastern men wanted for questioning after last year's terror attacks. "You don't know who's working for who." What an idiot. He makes it sound like all of his clients are suspected terrorists.

The paranoia is so pervasive that even casual lunch meetings can take on treacherous double meanings. At a recent lunch in a Dearborn restaurant, two women warmly greeted two men who waved to them. Still smiling as she returned to her table, one of the women whispered: "I think they're informants."

I'll probably get flamed by all the civil liberties/government paranoia types - and, ok, maybe a few innocents might get framed or mistakenly accused - but if they (the M.E.s) know nothing, have nothing to hide, why would they be so worried about informants? Enough of their "I'm a victim" crapola. Aside from the 2 snipers and Taliban John, I recall that the 911 terrorists were ME, and most of those arrested this past year for ties to terrorists are ME. I say it's about time we get tough. Flame guard ON.

[dasher]

I doubt I'll get pulled as I'm a blond haired, blue eyed white guy. What makes me mad is that they have to do this in the first place. How tough is it to guard a couple bridges? It's not like people swim here from Canada to enter illegally.

[MetalHeadConservative35]

Few people realize that one of the largest contcentrations of Arabic peoples outside of the Mid-East is in the Detroit metro area.

yea this ive known for a long time...in east dearborn nowadays all the stores have there name written in arabic now..(in english too i think im not sure)seeing as i havent been down that way in a long time (i live in westland) i wouldnt be too surprised about the sympathy for the hamas and other groups being there...even the mall down there is nothing but arabs now too..i was down there and i saw one guy sporting a iraqi flag tatoo on his arm...since 9-11 my parents dont like me going down there anymore because of terrorist threats and whatnot

[STD]

IRS scrutiny of international Muslim charities

Anyone that knowingly gave money to these financial supporters of terrorists needs to go to jail. Global Relief etc,,,

[MetalHeadConservative35]

It's not like people swim here from Canada to enter illegally

lol yes the detroit river is less than inviting man lol

[billhilly]

Many times I have crossed to Detroit from Windsor, Canada and back. I have never been delayed for even a few minutes. For months I have tried to make this point on posts here on FR. With Detroit's large Arab population and the porus border between them and Canada, it is a very dangerous situation.

[sit-rep]

FYI...

[genefromjersey]

Oh, OH, OH !!! (Sob !)

The...the inhumanity of it all !!

[Minnesoootan]

A 29-year-old Arab-American resident of Dearborn, who asked not to be identified because he feared being tagged as an informant, recalled attempts by the Justice Department to hire him. "They came to me and said, 'Would you work for us?' To him, the underlying message was clear: "They want you to infiltrate your own community," he said. "I won't do that."

Thanks for the info,dude,we'll be watching YOU now!

As far as you wearing flame retardant underwear after using the "if they don't have anything to hide..." statement,I wouldn't worry about it....but only if the haven't spoken out against radical muslims....if they haven't,they don't have any rights IMO!

[MissAmericanPie]

First, you have to believe there are "innocents" involved. I don't. The only innocent ones, are the ones that donate to Hamas and Al Queda but don't own explosives.

I live in Al Queda central, when a new Muslim grocery store opened here there were at least a couple of thousand Muslims show up for the grand opening. I didn't know there were that many around here. The FBI was all over it, filming the crowd from across the street from atop their black vans. Like a swarm of red ants that cluster then vanish the Muslims were gone in a flash.

Seems to me to be far cheaper to yank the welcome mat out from under their feet and explain to them that they are just too diverse to be welcome here. "Islam the ultimate in diversity, try to survive", sounds like the makings of a new survival tv show eh?

[fivecatsandadog]

http://www.freep.com/news/metro/border17_20000217.htm

Illegals cross the river anytime, even on thin ice.

[fivecatsandadog]

"Islam the ultimate in diversity, try to survive", sounds like the makings of a new survival tv show eh?

check this out:

http://www.hillsdale.edu/newimprimis/default.htm

A flyer for this event happened to show up in some misdirected mail. These people really think they're going to change the world. (BTW, how do I do an auto link thingy?)

[MissAmericanPie]

Thanks for the site address, I wish I could help you with the auto link thingy but I also have no clue of how to do it. I use to have a site saved explaining it all before my old hard drive crashed but it's gone now.

[eno_]

More to the point: Islamo-fascism is as bad as white skinhead neo-Naziism, and the use of informants, as is done with neo-Nazis, is completely appropriate. These people must be watched closely. This story is basically good news: The FBI is using the same tools they use to keep the skinheads under control on Islamists. Good on them.

[Stefan Stackhouse]

Some informants get help becoming legal citizens, winning what is derisively known among immigration lawyers as a snitch visa.

And I call these informants American patriots who have served their new country well and have earned their visa. Those who deride them as "snitches" need to be rounded up and deported. Anything less than 100% cooperation with the FBI in these investigations is 100% unacceptable, and should be grounds for immediate detention and deportation. It is way overdue time that we cleaned out this snake den.

[skeeter]

"Diversity" will be the primary reason for the eventual extinction of our liberties as we've known them. Its unavoidable.

[Chi-Town Lady]

"To him, the underlying message was clear: "They want you to infiltrate your own community,"

I don't know about you but if I knew that someone in my community was doing something against the law I'd be reporting them ASAP.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Awww, poor lil traitors are getting nervous.

Horrible violations of human rights, just horrible.

[Dan from Michigan]

We'd be going to court if they did that to me.

[Gritty]

It's not like people swim here from Canada to enter illegally.

Maybe not. But it would be easy enough to take covertly a boat ride across the St. Clair River or Lake St. Clair, and there's plenty of open Canadian territory on the other side to hide the entry.

[Chemist_Geek]

But Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based civil rights group, said the government appears to be narrowing in almost exclusively on Arabs and Muslims.

Well Duh. Here's a clue, Mr. Hooper: The terrorist pirates on 11 Sep 2001 weren't redheaded Catholic Irishmen...

[Chemist_Geek]

Under an apparently existing law, the FBI is allowed to make random stops and do searches of vehicles without needing probable cause within 35 miles of a foreign border and are going to be doing so in full force today.

Too bad I'm stuck at home sick... It'd be funny to watch their reaction to opening the trunk. Oh well, it's saving me some money on lawyers...

[GeekDejure]

I live in Al Queda central, when a new Muslim grocery store opened here there were at least a couple of thousand Muslims show up for the grand opening.

Yup . . . and not even one out of the couple of thousand Muzzle-em shoppers told that Muzzle-em grocer . . . "Jeepers creepers, I'm sure gonna miss American pie !!! ;-))

[riley1992]

Unfortunately, you'd lose. But you know I'd be there ring side cheering you on. Hahahaha

[Dan from Michigan]

Unfortunately, you'd lose.

They said Mike Cox would lose too....

[Shermy]

Bump.

[Shermy]

Bump.

[desertcry]

Ibrahim Hooper: ".....almost exclusively on arabs, and muslims". Yeah Mr. hooper, the 9.11.01 terrorists , the shoe bomber, the sniper muderer came from multi-racial, and multi-religious background. Ibrahim wants fair treatment, he demands that the FBI should also focus their investigations on the Monks in a Catholic monastery in Kentucky to look for terrorists. If arabs , and muslims were loyal Americans, they should gladly help the FBI investigation, and expose those terrorist among them. If all they can do is complain, then they should leave the USA quickly, before things gets very bad for them!

[swarthyguy]

News says now second man in Yemeni ambush was also from Buffalo. Good job, Feds, and these bozos thought that PC would protect their sorry arses. Ha!

Excellent. And Checkpoints near Detroit too.

Bush may say religion of peace but the federales are pissed. And they're taking action.

[riley1992]

True, but Mike didn't have the Federal Government on his side. You know me well enough to know that I find this law intrusive, unlawful and un-Constitutional. Believing in that and fighting it and winning are two different animals, though.

[Dan from Michigan]

I'll call Sam..........

[rintense]

I think it's a clever ruse to disguise a greater threat. You're right. If the Canadian border were such a threat, this would have been done long ago. I think the FBI has info about something going on in Detroit/Dearborn and is using this existing law to profile.

[monkeywrench]

here ya go"

[knak]

Today and from now on? Or does today have special significance?

[riley1992]

ROTFL. Yes, Bernstein would be my first choice, too.

[swarthyguy]

Yes.. Definitely related IMO to recent terror threats and warnings.

[riley1992]

From what I gathered on the news reports it was just today but I haven't read the news sites to find out for sure. I suppose I had either better go do that or clean out my car.

[Chemist_Geek]

"Being in Dearborn now is like being in a dark lake," said Elder, the lawyer. 'You don't see the gators, but they're down there."

Unwittingly, Mr. Elder has stated a very fundamental truth in this quote. Unfortunately, his interpretation and our interpretation are 180° apart...

[riley1992]

I lived my entire life in Dearborn until I married just over ten years ago. The changes are certainly apparent but would they keep me from moving back there? No, they wouldn't. But, I also grew up on the West side and it is the East side this is speaking to.

[Chemist_Geek]

The changes are certainly apparent but would they keep me from moving back there? No, they wouldn't. But, I also grew up on the West side and it is the East side this is speaking to.

Yes, there is a great difference between West and East. Back while I was in undergrad (also about 10 years ago) there at UM-D, the beginnings of the shift were evident in East... West, I think, hasn't changed much at all.

[riley1992]

Back while I was in undergrad (also about 10 years ago) there at UM-D

Hahahaha. We may very well have met. As I was back then, I would prefer to think we didn't.

I just read a piece on Edsel Ford (where I graduated) and there are quite a few arabs there now but my dad's neighborhood doesn't reflect that at all yet.

[MissAmericanPie]

I certainly hope they miss, hehe. Just gimme one step, gimme one step mister, give me one step towards the door.

[Shermy]

"I tell my clients not to trust anybody -- not even their own brother," said Doraid Elder, a Dearborn lawyer who has represented Middle Eastern men wanted for questioning after last year's terror attacks. "You don't know who's working for who."

Well it's clear on which side this lawyer is working. Only in PC America can this pass as noble.

By the reaction, and fear, I suspect there is a lot of bad guys and sympathizers there.

[swarthyguy]

There you go, using logic. Don't you know these are all peaceful, religious community muslim activists? /sarc

Ramzan must be even moodier than usual in Detroit this year.