Breaking: FBI stages terror raid in Miami (Update: ABC says plan was to bomb Sears Tower) (Update: “Jihad”)
posted at 7:34 pm on June 22, 2006 by Allahpundit
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Just across on CNN. Early reports say the area’s flooded with agents. Six to eight suspects are thought to have been arrested, and they’re not believed to be Muslim. If that proves true, expect the lefties to jump all over this one. If not, not.
As always, standby for updates.
Update: CNN says no weapons or bomb-making materials have been found, but according to the link above, the FBI’s been planning the operation for four months. Word is it’s domestic terrorism, not a foreign plot.
CNN is killing Fox on this, by the way. Nothing at all on FNC.
Update: The U.S. Attorney’s Office says there’ll be a press conference tomorrow, but Robert Mueller will be on Larry King tonight at 9.
Update: Wow.
ABC News has learned that federal agents, including the FBI, are launching a series of raids tonight targeting a suspected terror cell based in Miami. According to sources familiar with the investigation, the group allegedly planned to bomb the FBI building in Miami and the Sears Tower in Chicago.
The group has been under surveillance for some time and was infilitrated by a government informant who allegedly led them to believe he was an Islamic radical. The suspects are described as African Americans and at least one man of Caribbean descent.
Update: Fox says seven men were arrested. Five are citizens, one is an illegal alien from Haiti, the last is a permanent resident from an unspecified country. Apparently Alberto Gonzales himself will be giving the presser tomorrow morning.
Update: Government officials tell Fox the men were plotting “to wage jihad in conjunction with Al Qaeda.” So much for the early reports.
Update: Al Qaeda’s had its eye on homegrown recruits for awhile now, as demonstrated by the arrests of the Canadian 17. Remember this piece from the Times of London?
One aim is to create an army of “white-skinned” militants, men born in Europe and America who can convert to Islam and become harder for the authorities to detect as they cross the world on their missions, including suicide attacks…
Experts were struck by how the network was radicalising non-Arabs to alter the profile of its operatives. This included using women recruits, such as the 38-year-old Belgian waitress, born to a white, middle-class Christian family, who died in a suicide attack against US troops in Baghdad last November.
Update: Eight days ago…
Update: Suddenly CNN is getting killed. Paula Zahn is still yammering on about the possibility of unnamed “domestic targets” when ABC broke the news about the Sears Tower a good 45 minutes ago.
Update: CNN’s on the case now. Zahn’s correspondent says it wasn’t just the Sears Tower and the Miami FBI building — there were other buildings in southern Florida targeted too.
Update: Here’s video of the Fox “jihad” report.
Update: The AP says the men “had no apparent ties to Al Qaeda or other foreign organizations.” Harris Faulkner just said on Fox that the suspects thought they were hooking up with AQ when in fact they were really conspiring with undercover federal agents. Similar to how the Mounties pinched the Canadian jihadis, as you’ll recall.
Update: Only three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and the Kossacks questioning the timing.
Update: DU ups the ante — and the Kossacks promptly respond.
Update: Captain Ed notes that the AP has updated its initial report with new details on the jihad angle.
Residents living near the warehouse said the men taken into custody described themselves as Mulims and had tried to recruit young people to join their group, which seemed militaristic.
The residents said FBI agents spent several hours in the neighborhood showing photos of the suspects and seeking information. They said the men had lived in the area about a year.
The men slept in the warehouse, said Tashawn Rose, 29. “They would come out late at night and exercise. It seemed like a military boot camp that they were working on there. They would come out and stand guard.”
She talked to one of the men about a month ago: “They seemed brainwashed. They said they had given their lives to Allah.”
Update: New details from CNN: the suspects allegedly had taken photos of their targets and one of them had made an oath to Al Qaeda.
Update: More from Reuters:
“In the past couple of days, the U.S. government has taken into custody seven people who were conspiring to conduct jihad (holy war) in the United States,” the law enforcement source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“They thought they were dealing with al Qaeda,” the source said, adding the suspects had been trying to buy weapons and other things needed to carry out attacks.
Update: Via the Commissar, more details about the plotters from NBC News:
The men — part of a radical Black Muslim group — were planning terror acts in Miami and Chicago, officials say…
Benjamin Williams, 17, said the group had young children with them sometimes.
“We were under the assumption that they were opening up a garage business,” he said, adding that they wore normal clothes “but sometimes they would cover their faces. Sometimes they would wear things on their heads, like turbins [sic].”
Update: Patterico questions the timing:
Why would this happen now, just when: evidence is coming to light that WMD (or perhaps former WMD) have been found in Iraq; Karl Rove is not being indicted; a report has found no evidence of a deliberate cover-up at Haditha; and Zarqawi has been killed?
Update: Seven were arrested, but how many were involved?
The 12 to 15 men in their 20’s and 30s appeared to be from Haiti and from the Bahamas.
”I bet they’ve gone across the water” [a neighbor] said, believing some had escaped the federal agents.
Update: A blog called National Terror Alert flashes back to March of this year, when police reported suspicious activity going on around the Sears Tower.
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Sheeeesh
Mortis on June 22, 2006 at 7:44 PM
Is the ACLU there yet?
RedWinged Blackbird on June 22, 2006 at 7:51 PM
Crazy.
All the more reason to keep yourselves armed.
http://www.stopungunban.org/
NTWR on June 22, 2006 at 8:00 PM
Be very careful here. Any plot uncovered thanks to infiltration by an informant could be entrapment. There is a very fine line here - as the FBI found out in the 1960’s and 70’s when they infiltrated the Klan.
Did the informant suggest these operations? Did he lead the defendents toward the decision to bomb these places?
I wish they could have wrapped these guys up as a result of some surveillance program rather than an informant’s tip.
rick moran on June 22, 2006 at 8:24 PM
Fair point, Rick, but they’ve screwed the pooch on so many investigation that I have to believe they’ve crossed their T’s and dotted their I’s on this one.
I … have to believe it.
Allahpundit on June 22, 2006 at 8:32 PM
And I just got done posting in the article about World Wide Muslim / Christian opinions. Some guy named “B Moe” was talking about good relations with Muslims and non-muslims in Atlanta.
Well, this don’t sound like such a good relation was going on with this crew…
B Moe, any insights now? Like I said, if you have good news, I personally would love to hear it, as the news ain’t so good over here.
Well, so it goes. It seems difficult times are upon us. And ain’t going anywhere for awhile. I’ll be honest, it kinda makes me a little fed up with the sort of reporting I read about over at Michhelle Malkin’s site just a minute ago about the snow job that was done on John Walker Lindh by the magazine Esquire.
EFG on June 22, 2006 at 8:47 PM
Now use them to help track down any more of their kind in America.
Any “white skinned” person who goes jihaddi should be tried and convicted of treason and get the punishment set forth in the Constitution.
Duty, Honor, Country
(in THAT order)
Rowane
Rowane on June 22, 2006 at 8:49 PM
The FBI loves home-grown terrorists because it allows them to show they aren’t just profiling middle eastern types. Even today, they’d like us to believe we’re just as likely to be attacked by a militia type as a Saudi. You know, PC and all that.
right as rain man on June 22, 2006 at 8:57 PM
I don’t care if it’s Elmer Fudd, you still need BOMBS to blow something up with. If I catch a purse-snatcher, but he doesn’t have some lady’s purse in his hands when I do, guess what?
……HE WALKS!
:/
VonHelton on June 22, 2006 at 8:58 PM
9:00pm EST..FOX News Alert…hm…that is fast…LOL
easy87us on June 22, 2006 at 9:01 PM
There are about 100,000 Muslims in Miami who didn’t get arrested for terrorism tonight. Six did. Make of it what you will.
B Moe on June 22, 2006 at 9:25 PM
Malahallahallahalla!!! Dirka. Dirka. Jihad.
Get those bastards.
California Conservative on June 22, 2006 at 9:28 PM
These six dudes are all Muslims. No more, no less.
easy87us on June 22, 2006 at 9:35 PM
Well I hope at least they were arrested in a politically correct fashion. I also hope that their right to privacy wasn’t violated when they were busted plotting to bomb us. I hope they get a fair trial and are granted all their civil rights and I hope they all have a copy of the Koran and are treated well.
BillyKess on June 22, 2006 at 9:37 PM
I hope thay all get 72 virgins.
easy87us on June 22, 2006 at 9:40 PM
Voter intimidation. That’s priceless.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on June 22, 2006 at 9:54 PM
Let’s count the percentage of people caught either involved in or plotting terrorist actions that are Muslims, shall we? Hmm, awfully high; unless the Muslim community at home and abroad start to take action against these jihadists, profiling definitely is in order.
Mike O on June 22, 2006 at 9:55 PM
…a group of guys in threatening to blow up the Sears Tower in Miami. Don’t know how much damage they coulda done considering the Sears Tower is in Chicago…
-Sanctuary Bryan
Prophet on June 22, 2006 at 10:00 PM
Rick,
With the publicity involved, I’m guessing they wouldn’t have made the arrest unless they were sure they had a case. I’m with Allah on this one.
Let’s hope.
Sarah D. on June 22, 2006 at 10:23 PM
Thanks for your reply B Moe. What do I make of it? I don’t know… I know that 6 of them wanted to do wrong. As for the others? For every one who wants to do wrong, there are others who don’t. Muslims are no more a monolithic ethnic or racial group than Jews, Christians, Caucasians, Asians, etc, etc…
So why is it that we keep hearing this sort of information? Why does this keep coming out of the Muslim community at a far greater rate than any other community?
Daniel Pipes is someone who has studied Middle East affairs for quite a while. He has said that we absolutely should be doing profileing of Muslims in the Military, Law Enforcement, State Department, airports etc.
But he also says that this is not a war with Islam. He is very emphatic that this is a war or struggle with radical or militant islamists/islam. He says that moderate muslims and moderate islam is what is going to eventually reform Islam. He also says that one of our failings is that we are not supporting genuine, honest moderate muslims as they try to confront some of the radicals of their faith.
That is all I have to say, and all I am really doing is saying what Dr. Pipes has written and said. But he is a lot smarter than me…
Thanks for your comments B Moe. Could you tell me what you think of what I have written?
Very respectfully,
EFG on June 22, 2006 at 10:38 PM
I agree. The argument I was making was directed at the folks who seem to be advocating mass deportation and then forced isolation of all Muslims because they are all incorrigible. I think that this is impractical, immoral, and unconstitutional. I have no problem with profiling, it seems rather obvious actually. But I do think we should also be respectful and realize that the reason you don’t here more moderate’s speak out is because they are in more peril from these thugs than we are. Just like Iraq and Afghanistan, this is going to take time and patience and isn’t going to be easy. The right thing seldom is.
B Moe on June 22, 2006 at 10:50 PM
Well said, B.
Allahpundit on June 22, 2006 at 10:52 PM
And I also think that when I write here instead of hear, it is probably an indication I need some sleep. Goodnight all.
B Moe on June 22, 2006 at 10:52 PM
How ironic. I just complimented you on the last blog entry you authored, and this one might be even better.
But can we please be fair to liberals? Even THEY have to be pretty embarrased by Kos and DU. Let’s not assume they are all that frickin’ whacky.
Note: the above opinion may be in error. They may all, in fact, be that whacky. I’m just feeling charitable.
Professor Blather on June 22, 2006 at 10:52 PM
Muslims are no more a monolithic ethnic or racial group than Jews, Christians, Caucasians, Asians, etc, etc…EFG
Hm, show me one ethnic or religious group or country that has violence uprising against the entire Chinese community in their country at least twice in past 100 years. I show you two Muslim countries, Malaysia and Indonesia. 3 times for Indonesia in past 60 years. Last time( 1990’s) they killed over 3000 Chinese. The purge of Chinese in Malaysia got so bad that it directly caused Singapore to became a sanctuary for the Chinese and later became independent.
There are still continuous atrocities against Christians in Indonesia, as I am writing now.
Muslim is not just any other religion. It kills like no other religions.
And it is a fact!
easy87us on June 22, 2006 at 11:02 PM
Yes, they are. Daniel Pipes is correct in that we should support the moderate voices. If not, then what are our options?
Sarah D. on June 22, 2006 at 11:02 PM
To continue…
There is only one religion that still behead people for adultery…Muslim
There is only one religion in the world that impose death penalty onto those who leave the religion…Muslim
Need I say more?
easy87us on June 22, 2006 at 11:08 PM
easy87us,
So, what is your plan?
Sarah D. on June 22, 2006 at 11:10 PM
This is from Koran:
[5.51] O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.
What is my plan?
We must watch them carefully.
We must always on alert.
What else can we do?
easy87us on June 22, 2006 at 11:26 PM
7 less democrats on election day. 7 less donors to the DNC. They will now get 7 democrat lawyers to defend them.
roninacreage on June 22, 2006 at 11:30 PM
easy87us,
I’ve read the koran, thanks.
We are watching, and we are on alert. What we shouldn’t be doing is lumping all muslims into the ranks of the jihadis.
Remember, the jihadis kill more of their “own” than they do anyone else.
Sarah D. on June 22, 2006 at 11:30 PM
To handle this problem,
we must be diligence.
We must have the best eavesdropping network.
We must infiltrate them.
We must fight…never surrender.
We must guard our family, our children, our community,
we must always on alert….
because we know they will rise and kill us…
the moment we fall asleep.
Either we assimilate them,
or they eliminate us.
I hope it won’t get to the point that we have to eliminate them.
I hope…..
easy87us on June 22, 2006 at 11:32 PM
Gee I wonder how the Terrorist PR groups like CAIR will spin this….as to the tinfoil hat wearers on DU, KOS, etc., they are in desperate need for a life, with a healthy dash of reality..
Whether American Citizen or Foreign Resident, a terrorist is a terrorist and as such should not be entitled to a trial unless it is by military tribunal…and when convicted, punishment should be firing squad…its not PC but its damm effective. Suck it ACLU!
Terlizzi999 on June 22, 2006 at 11:36 PM
Remember, the jihadis kill more of their “own” than they do anyone else.
Sarah D. on June 22, 2006 at 11:30 PM
All Muslims are potential Jihadist, but not all Muslim are Jihadist.
easy87us on June 23, 2006 at 12:01 AM
Allah,
Did you see that bizarre interview on CNN with the man who claims to be a member of their group? They call themselves, according to him, “Seas of David”. The man gave his name as “Brother Corey”, said that his group was a “peaceful group devoted to Allah” (not, I assume, to you), and repeatedly referred to the other members as “soldiers”.
Will try to find video if I can. Just happened on CNN.
j.d. on June 23, 2006 at 12:06 AM
Whoops — forgot to mention the best part: “Brother Corey” told Anderson Cooper that there were “soldiers” based out of Chicago.
Refresh my memory — isn’t that where the Sears Tower is?
j.d. on June 23, 2006 at 12:10 AM
To make the claim that terrorists found in FLA couldn’t attack a building in CHI is preposterous.
Any of the 9/11 hijackers originate from NYC?
I don’t know for sure, but even if some of them did come from NYC it is a safe bet that others came from other places, gadzooks, didn’t they all have to come from the Middle East to begin with? That is a bit farther than FLA to Chi-town.
I understand from the news reports that these alleged jihadists are Black Muslims.
Being black, I have to inquire as to how many of them converted to Islam in prison. Seems like a lot, if not the majority, find Allah in jail.
The left has already pulled the Religion of Peace Card(tm) on this one, let’s see how many minutes it takes ‘em to pull out the Race Card(tm).
.
The Machine on June 23, 2006 at 2:00 AM
I think that tThe KOS kids are mostly upset because the plot was foiled.
georgej on June 23, 2006 at 6:15 AM
A lot of Black men convert to Islam in prison. They say it’s not as racist as Christianity, but they conveniently forget the complicity of Arab Muslims in the slave trade and the fact that slavery was legal in Saudi Arabia till about 1960. Even now the jihadists are killing Black Christians and Animists in Africa. But it’s the white Christians and the Jews who are the true evil ones.
Ellen on June 23, 2006 at 6:16 AM
As Bill Cosby says, these dudes grew up with nothing to do but learn complicated rap lyrics and braid each others hair.
Crude One on June 23, 2006 at 9:10 AM
I actually disagree strongly that moderate Muslims are OK. It’s the religion itself that is the fundamental problem, coupled with a centuries long inability to culturally evolve. When Muslims become devout is when they get dangerous. You might say that a “safe” Muslim is a moderate one. I’d say that a “moderate” Muslim is actually secular - and THAT’S the reason he’s in danger from his brothers. Like all the rest of us non-Muslims. (A secular Muslim really isn’t Muslim anymore, is he?)
In London, the subway bombers were all upper-middle class, educated young men, and every single one was recruited as he grew more devoted to his faith. Their families became more concerned and worried as they watched their sons/brothers increase in devotion - because ultimately, they all know what the Koran demands, and where they’ll end up.
[What other religion causes concern among it's own peopple as its adherents grow more devout?]
I have a few acquaintances that are what YOU would call “moderate” Muslims. They think they are too. That is a delusion. They are NOT, otherwise, they would not be allowed to be friends with me, speak to me, nor shake my hand. (I’m a female.) They are secular, and their supposed “Muslim”-ness is nothing more than a charming old-fashioned, ethnic tradition. (I’d compare it to the most superficial, prosperity-minded church in America.) They are hypocrites to the core tenets of their own faith. Their faith demands so much more, but they have to ignore that in order live peacefully. That is why true Muslims hate them.
Islam is the only world religion that demands in its core teachings the total control (instead of personal respopnsibility) of the indiviual and societal domination.
From Terror at Beslan, by John Giduck, one of America’s foremost counter-terrorists. This book is an absolute must-read for anyone who wants to fully understand exactly what we’re dealing with.
As for profiling, that’s fine, it must be done, Middle Easterners are an obvious place to start. But increasingly terrorists are recruiting non-Arabs, people that look like you and I. The only thread of commonality is THE RELIGION they use to recruit, indoctrinate, and control these recruits. You can’t just profile Arabs - we MUST profile MUSLIMS. To look at Islam as mostly benign is so dangerous as to be stupid.
Americans need to re-evaluate their kindly, think-positive, approach to Islam. It’s dangerously naive. The only safe Muslim is a
moderatesecularnon-Muslim.Redhead Infidel on June 23, 2006 at 9:14 AM
Sooo (bad joke coming up)
You find Allah in jail with the criminals…
You find Jesus in a foxhole…
More men convert to Islam in prison then any other religon. It has been summised that the young angry men you normaly find in jail find the tenents of Islam comforting, which is interesting. Islam is fairly structured, has harsh penalties for violating its tenents, and uses the “US against them, the infidels” approach.
Seems like Islam becomes a surrogate father to many young men and provides them with structure and a sense of belonging. I wonder what the converts home life was like?
IE: if men with a strong father figure who lived a just life are more apt to not convert to islam. Or maybe not even go to jail in the first place.
Now if their father figure was absent, or was a swinging door of men with addiction problems, or were abusive… Well, perhaps their is something to this whole “morality” thing conservatives are always talkign about. Maybe not living a hedonistic life with self gratification as the number one priority would help raise responsible children who won’t try to blow up a building.
Kinda off topic but I am feeling holistic and preachy this AM :)
Wyrd on June 23, 2006 at 9:23 AM
“Islam is a Religion of Peace”
BS-Islam is the most violent Religion known to man and I do not believe that there are moderate Muslims.
I have read the Koran and it is like a terrorist manual.
For all of you that want to believe otherwise, good luck.
True Believers that are moderate is an oxymoron.Just Look at AlahPundits poll on Hot Air that show that Muslims do not believe Arabs carried out 911
We are in a Religious War just like during the Crusades and the sooner we realize that fact the sooner we can defeat them.
My 2 cents
ScottyDog on June 23, 2006 at 9:53 AM
THIS WEBSITE IS A MUST READ
This site is NOT worksafe (violent images and worse)
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/
tormod on June 23, 2006 at 10:01 AM
Well I hope at least they were arrested in a politically correct fashion. I also hope that their right to privacy wasn’t violated when they were busted plotting to bomb us. I hope they get a fair trial and are granted all their civil rights and I hope they all have a copy of the Koran and are treated well.
************************
Don’t forget the rice and lemon chicken…
ar_basin on June 23, 2006 at 10:17 AM
Where to begin…
Allah,
I read all your links and all the comments here, and there are so many issues - the homegrown terrorist angle, the FBI infiltration angle, the DU race-card angle, “timing to increase bush’s poll numbers” angle, the muslim convert angle. Well, the DU race-card angle deserves no mention since it’s totally absurd. What interests me the most is the homegrown terrorist angle and the fact that these are muslim converts. It is one thing for foreign muslims to want to blow us up and another thing entirely for our OWN citizens to do the same. As a convert from protestantism to orthodox christian, i can say with certainty that the converts tend to follow the religion with more zeal than the “cradles.” This tells me that Islam is NOT a religion of “peace” because if converts tend to follow the tenants exactly, then they want to blow up buildings and kill infidels. I don’t know if i’m making sense.
So what to do?? Do we try to keep muslim clerics out of the prisons? Do we profile? I don’t have a clue.
But I do think that we need to be VERY careful before we start condemning American citizens based on their religion. I think we are walking a very fine civil liberties line…
i’m rambling.
pullingmyhairout on June 23, 2006 at 10:20 AM
I have to disagree EFG. Muslims and Islam are by far the most monolithic racial group and religion. Any poll you can find on the opinions of Muslims will verify this.
Great post B Moe. You are on the money. But peril is not an excuse for silence. We did not get to where we are because the British came and vanquished indegenious population, then handed us the land. In any equation the moderates are going to have to take up arms and free themselves from the extremists. This seems to be a point missing in the American strategy. End of the day muslims are going to have to fight, die, and kill other muslins.Set aside tribal differences and have a love for the nation the is salient over all other allegiances. This is the recipe for freedom. Our recipe. We can not do it for them they must do it for themselves.
Theworldisnotenough on June 23, 2006 at 11:25 AM
That’s nonsense. I certainly wouldn’t describe Sunnis, Kurds, and Shiites as being “monolithic.”
dorkafork on June 23, 2006 at 11:57 AM
Redhead Infidel
Great Piece and I could not agree more.
Kudos
ScottyDog on June 23, 2006 at 12:08 PM
I don’t understand why people consider al Qaeda’s deranged lunatic interpretation of their religion as somehow more authentic than the interpretation of the vast majority of non-crazy Muslims. The Koran itself says specifically says suicide is forbidden, yet many here are willing to support the lunatic’s idea that “Well… there are some exceptions somehow.”
dorkafork on June 23, 2006 at 12:17 PM
dorkafork
Did you just gloss over the passages in the Koran that say that nonbelievers should be exterminated and beheaded?
ScottyDog on June 23, 2006 at 12:46 PM
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