Breaking: Feds bust six in NJ plot to murder troops at Fort Dix; Update: At least three are illegal aliens; Update: Suspects ID’d, complaint added
posted at 8:18 am on May 8, 2007 by Allahpundit
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No word yet on whether they’re freelance or part of a cell, but there’s a presser scheduled for this afternoon at 2:30.
Six people were arrested on Monday in connection with an alleged plot to murder as many soldiers as possible at Fort Dix, according to various media sites.
The men, ethnic Albanians, allegedly attempted to purchase automatic weapons from an arms dealer working with the FBI and were arrested in New Jersey after officials learned of the plans, a law enforcement source said…
Officials raided the homes of the men, described as Islamic radicals, and said there is video showing some of the alleged planning.
Standby for updates.
Update: The article originally described them as “ethnic Albanians” but now it’s been updated to say they’re from what used to be Yugoslavia. By way of background, AQ has been working for awhile on recruiting “white Muslims” from Bosnia to stage attacks in the west because they blend in better in western societies.
Update: Looks like they were most interested in military targets, which makes me suspect they weren’t part of AQ:
Investigators told Newschannel 4’s Jonathan Dienst that these arrests are the result of a tip to the FBI and use of an informant to track the suspects. The terror suspects traveled over the last several months from New Jersey to the Poconos where they practiced firing automatic weapons, investigators said.
Investigators said the group discussed targeting numerous locations like Dover Air base, Fort Monmouth and several Coast Guard stations before deciding on Fort Dix as their intended target. Fort Dix is run in part by the Army and is a reserve-training center, but active units take part in training, including some which focuses on counter-terrorism.
Update: Details galore from the Newark Star-Ledger:
The would-be attackers, ethnic Albanians who had been under surveillance by the FBI for months, practiced by shooting paintball guns and real weapons in a rural area of the Poconos, one source said. They also allegedly watched jihadist videos in which Osama bin Laden urged them toward martyrdom.
“They were prepared to die,” said the law enforcement source. “We became increasingly convinced this was for real and these guys were ready to roll.”…
The men – several of whom were in the same family – had videotaped their practice sessions in the Poconos, the source said. That videotape, in which they railed against America, led to their arrests.
The men made the mistake of bringing it to a retail store seeking to get a copy burned to a DVD, according to one of the sources. A store employee who later watched the tape called the FBI who began immediately investigating.
Needless to say, that last detail also makes me think they’re not AQ.
Update: ABC News has a teaser up about one of the suspects being a pizza delivery man who had access to the base.
Update: Three of the men were brothers. I wonder how they hooked up with the other three.
Three high-level law enforcement sources told ABC News that the investigation into the plot had been ongoing for 15 months. Four of the six suspects were born in Yugoslavia, one was born in Jordan and the other in Turkey. All were U.S. residents…
[Fort Dix] was chosen because one cell member’s family owned a pizza parlor near the base and that member was able to enter the base to deliver pizza. The group believed this access would enable its attack to succeed.
Update: No ties to any international terror groups, according to CBS News. It was homegrown.
Update: Fox News updates its report with a quote from source saying they’re all recent converts. Really? The guys from Jordan and Turkey, too?
Update: Spruiell issues a broad strata alert after catching a few cops — and CNN, of course — politely ignoring the organizing principle here.
Update: Just across on Fox News — at least three of the suspects are here illegally, which contradicts ABC News’s report that all were U.S. residents. Reuters doesn’t give a number but quotes a spokesman from the U.S. Attorney’s office as corroborating Fox’s report. Some are illegal, some are U.S. citizens.
Update: MM sends the link to the criminal complaint (in PDF form). The suspects:
Dritan Duka (illegal alien)
Eliver Duka (illegal alien)
Shain Duka (illegal alien)
Serdar Tatar
Mohamad Shnewer
Agron Abdullahu
Update: On page 7 of the complaint, it says 10 men were identified in the DVD shot at the training camp. Shnewer appears to have been the ringleader; Abdullahu may or may not have been a sniper in Kosovo. Fort Dix hosted several thousand Albanian refugees from Kosovo in 1999.
Update: On page 21, there’s a reference to attacking American warships docked in the port of Philadelphia followed by some talk of training for overseas jihad, then followed on the next page by the bright idea to wage jihad right here at home — including possibly joining the military so that they could frag people instead. They were keen on getting AK-47s too, and there’s a mention of rocket-propelled grenades towards the end.
Update: According to CBS News, Shnewer is from Jordan and is the lone U.S. citizen of the six; Tatar, from Turkey, and Abdallahu, from the former Yugoslavia, are legal permanent residents. The Duka brothers are also from Yugoslavia and, as previously mentioned, are here illegally.
Update: Here we go with this Orwellian crap already:
The description of the suspects as “Islamic militants” renewed fears in New Jersey’s Muslim community. Hundreds of Muslim men from New Jersey were rounded up and detained by authorities in the months following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but none was connected to that plot.
“If these people did something, then they deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said Sohail Mohammed, a lawyer who represented scores of detainees after the 2001 attacks. “But when the government says ‘Islamic militants,’ it sends a message to the public that Islam and militancy are synonymous.
“Don’t equate actions with religion,” he said.
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Why wasn’t the FBI out researching the effects of Global Warming instead of wasting their time on whatever the War On Terror is called these days?
I want answers!!
Hening on May 9, 2007 at 7:22 AM
Geez, one of the most important HA posts ever about a great victory in the War on Terror turns into a commenter cat fight.
Hening, only when someone convinces Pelosi that the War on Warming, not the War on Terror, is a “problem to be solved” will the FBI get involved.
Brat on May 9, 2007 at 8:49 AM
Yeah, I realize that. I had earlier mistaken your comment as being from “Right2Bright” who I accurately refer to as “not2bright.” Sorry.
I understand your point. Unfortunately, terrorists have your definition of “food supply” listed as a target also. With illegal aliens gaining more and more access to these suppliers, I’m not sure that they’re too safe either, as I pointed out earlier with this link.
Gregor on May 9, 2007 at 11:19 AM
This is almost funny! The government hasn’t been the only ones saying Islamic militants, I believe I’ve been hearing it all over the MSM as well. And really, how else would you describe them???
Don’t equate actions with religion???!!! Um, excuse me, but haven’t all sorts of actions been the result directly of one religion or another??? Why should THIS one be any different? Pullleeeeezzz, what a bunch of BS!
4shoes on May 9, 2007 at 12:33 PM
Oh, this has been a big concern for years… I just don’t think gas stations and liquor stores are connected to that in any way.
RightWinged on May 9, 2007 at 2:15 PM
Why? You’re telling me that THESE guys, who are preparing for war against Americans and happen to own a liquor store, would not take advantage of such an opportunity? If they want to kill Americans and believe it is their duty as Muslims, what would be the reason they would NOT use the food product as a weapon? I just find it IMPOSSIBLE to believe the same people who would stockpile weapons, bomb airports, and cut off heads would believe it off limits to spike a pack of donuts with something that will give a kid leukemia in ten years without anyone ever know what caused it.
Gregor on May 9, 2007 at 2:33 PM
My offer of a bet is still on, you say a great majority are muslim owned in California, and you say you have all of the stats to back it up. My offer of a bet is still on, any amount to the winners favorite charity. You quote stats for Oakland, you think that Oakland represents Calif. put up your money.
I will send a check to AP, we will let him hold the money.
The muslims do not want to control the food business, even one of your articles you quote states that this is an “easy”, (they sell to their own and can make a living…a cash living) way to start a business, and they want to move on. The Koreans in L.A. did the same thing, it is hard long hours work, and they are willing to do it. The Caldeans in San Diego, same thing, the Armenians in Montebello, same thing, Vietnamese in Garden Grove, same thing. Textiles used to be (a hundred years ago) the entry level into business, now it is food. The Chinese in Cali-Mex and Mexi-Cali, same thing.
Oakland is Oakland, a large population of Muslims, try Monteray Park, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Santa Barbara, Sacramento. It reminds me of the panic a couple of decades ago of the Japanese buying all of the real estate in L.A. “They are going to own L.A.” was the cry, and a few years later they were selling at a discount.
Neighborhood stores are one thing, chains are another, what chain of liquor or food stores are Muslim owned?
You won’t take my bet (I guess you know you are wrong)…so on to other things.
right2bright on May 9, 2007 at 4:37 PM
LOL! You make me laugh not2bright. I’ve posted link after link after link and yet you haven’t blessed us with a single offer of anything to back up your claim that I am wrong. How many times have I asked you for even ONE bit of evidence, and you simply ignore it and offer us your word.
It’s apparent that I could list 400 pages of evidence and you would continue to say “prove it.” I know how your kind works.
Still waiting.
Gregor on May 9, 2007 at 6:53 PM
A lot of you folks here still support Bush when he will still SHOVE his amnesty down the throats of Americans. The congress and anyone else who stands to gain monetarily will push this through…They do NOT care a whit about terrorists on our soil…never mind all the other chaos they create…This country is no longer yours and BUSH is solely responsible because he abdicated his responsibility to this country a very long time ago. He has left individual states and cities to twist in the wind…… He is the single worst President in the history of this country!
Mellen on May 9, 2007 at 7:15 PM
Speaking of food supply…why would the muslims need to poison our food…The Chinese are doing a good enough job at that as it is!!!Tainted food and tainted medicine and tainted products abound…But hey they are cheap so why complain!!!???
Mellen on May 9, 2007 at 7:18 PM
I know you and right2bright have your own thing going here… but I have to say, YOU made the initial claim Gregor, and it’s up to you to support your statistic that, as you recall, you “guessed” and called it a “fact” in the same line. And Oakland statistics mean nothing. You don’t have to be a genius to understand that Oakland isn’t representative of most of California.
What do you propose we do Mellen? Let the Democrats take the reigns?
RightWinged on May 9, 2007 at 8:09 PM
Thanks RightWinged (although he thinks we are the same. Listen Gregor, first I did not insult you (and get original, every liberal troll has used that not2bright stuff already). Second, as stated, you are the one making the claim and you back it up with a couple of news story’s from Oakland. Googling is not the answer to all questions, common sense is needed.
My offer still stands, a bet. I am not going to give you any information until you make the bet. But I will give you a hint the CGA (figure it out, you are the food expert) has enough stats on their memebers to prove your statements are inaccurate.
And it must make you feel secure to name call behind a keyboard…
right2bright on May 9, 2007 at 10:01 PM
So, to use your theory … YOU just made the claim that “Oakland isn’t representative of most of California.” So, I guess it’s up to you to prove that claim?
I would hope you’re smart enough to realize how ridiculous that is. How exactly would you prove that claim?
There’s no way for me to prove an official and exact percentage any more than you can. That’s why I stated very clearly in my comment that the percentage was a guess. I also hope you’re smart enough to be able to read my comment and figure out that my “fact” claim was referring to the reality that Muslims are buying up all the liquor stores, gas stations, and fast food restaurants.
Gregor on May 10, 2007 at 1:36 AM
Gregor, you are now stating that Oakland demographics represent all of California?
Let me see…what is the hispanic population of Oakland compared to all of California? What is the black population of Oakland as compared to all of California?
Some things are so obvious, you don’t need stats to prove them.
Note the word all. Better drive through Garden Grove and meet all of those Muslims with the last name of Nyugen.
Had a little problem in the ol’ statistics class huh Gregor?
right2bright on May 10, 2007 at 1:50 AM
Amazing. A post of that size and not a single fact in your entire comment? Impressive.
Am I missing something? I’m the one who put the bet out there and you’re pretending to be waiting for ME to accept it? Baffling. And you’re claiming that it was YOU’RE offer? Just how arrogant are you? Just go back to sleep already. You know damn well you’re wrong. You also know damn well that I could post stats and links all night long, consisting of every city in California and you would claim it doesn’t prove anything, while offering absolutely zero information of your own. What a clown.
It’s interesting that I can post seven or eight sources, all listing liquor store ownership in the Bay Area as being between 80% – 90% of the over 350 total stores, and you say that doesn’t mean anything. I wonder why it is you can’t post a single source of information.
Is the Bay Area PROOF that the entire state has similar numbers? Of course not. But do you have a single piece of information that offers ANY suggestion that it’s NOT representative?
Go ahead. I’ll let you post all week long. You can have the thread all to yourself until you can find SOMETHING to support your claim that less than 50% of California liquor stores are owned by Muslims. It can’t be THAT hard, can it? Just one? Anything? Good luck. I’m pulling for you.
Until then, I’m done. I refuse to respond to anything other than an actual statistic and source.
Gregor on May 10, 2007 at 2:35 AM
I will prove that claim right now. Let’s start with population – Just over 1% of Californians reside in Oakland (roughly 400k of 33 million). California’s median household income is $49k, Oakland’s is $40.
142k blacks reside in Oakland, and only 125k whites, 60k asians, and 46k “other” (obiviously we’re talking about virtually all hispanics here, because there are others in the breakdown but they are much smaller numbers and hispanic isn’t mentioned).
So we’re clear, 36% black, 31% white, 15% asian, 12% other (likely hispanic), and the other 6% Pacific Islands, etc. As with all other large metropolitan areas, Oakland (the sixth largest by population apparently) is very diverse, and full of a lot of slums and poor people of various races. This is standard across the country, if it’s a minority neighborhood, it’s likely poor. Due to this, running businesses is often cheaper. It’s also smart business to own things like liquor stores in ghettos by the way, but I’m not going to get all Boyz in the Hood on you.
Now, those numbers I cited were from 2000, but you can assume they’re roughly the same today… I pulled them from a site that I can provide a link for if necessary, but I’m going to be light on links to keep from tripping the spam filter.
Anyway, Wikipedia has actually done the breakdown for me on the 2005 figures for California as a whole:
let’s compare that to the Oakland numbers I cited above shall we?
Yeah, 6% and 36% black are the same, and 60% and 31% white are the same… right? I think I’ve made my point, so I won’t waste much more time on this… The point is immigrants and other races congregate in metropolitan areas, and it stands to reason that stores in Oakland would be minority owned. It just so happens blacks and hispanics aren’t great at starting businesses (statistics wise), but Asians and Middle Easterners are… And by the way, not a lot of white guys want to run a liquor store in the hood.
Oh and I almost forgot to ask you… do you have any reputable source for the statement that the liquor stores are primarily owned by Muslims? You linked to 3 sources, all of whom don’t agree, and are questionable at best.
And oh by the way you dishonest turd, you left this quote out of the one reputable source you cited on Oakland’s Muslim owned liquor store figures:
Honest mistake I’m sure? You linked to a blog, a Yemeni newspaper, etc…. but you didn’t give any actual statistics. Just people speaking and claiming certain figures.. AND NONE OF THEM AGREED! 70%, 80%, 90%? Which is it? Doesn’t matter, so long as it helps the insanely dishonest Gregor push his agenda while dodging the bet he asked for with right2bright!
Anyway, I have now proven to you that Oakland isn’t representative of CA simply based on racial make-up and median income. The gist is minorities gravitate to inner cities, but there’s a lot more to California than inner cities.
What I am “smart enough” to do is copy and past your original comment again to make a fool of you. Let’s take a trip down memory lane.
As I said at the time, I’m going to win Powerball! I just found out that a guess is the same as a fact.
Recap: I didn’t really care if 50% did own them, my point was you mixing facts with guesses in the same sentence. Something you still can’t admit was stupid. Next, I’ve proven your sources were questionable, and the figures not actually based on any reporting or census taking, but on interest groups making comments and none of the figures agreed.. We’ve got a range of opinions about Muslim liquor store ownership in Oakland ranging from 50-90% (and this doesn’t even take in to account folks who may not even practice their religion after coming from Yemeni, as selling liquor would be against their religion). So, I’ve proven you to be dishonest with those links and your assertion that they contain “facts”. You’ve challenged right2bright to a bet, which he’s begged you to follow through on, but you refuse to because you know you’re dead wrong. I’ve shown you that Oakland isn’t even close to being representative of California, despite you claiming it was an impossibility, and I barely even tried. Gregor, just take your licking and move on.
RightWinged on May 10, 2007 at 2:44 AM
Lol, seriously Gregor, do you hear yourself? Give it up guy. You would probably have more fun at a NAFTA conspiracy theory site, seriously.
RightWinged on May 10, 2007 at 2:47 AM
That was really impressive. It must have taken you forever. Unfortunately, absolutely nothing we’re debating has ANYTHING to do with racial make-up of the population. We are debating liquor store ownership. Being that the city I live in is close to 80% white, yet the Muslim ownership of our liquor stores is approaching 100% … I believe it’s a pretty good indication that the statistics you’re attempting to relate have absolutely no connection to the discussion. Nowhere in your post is there any mention at all of Muslim business ownership.
It might also be pointed out that “Muslim” is not a race. Duh.
But nice try. I guess next time I’m debating which pizza parlor has better business, I can include numbers from steak houses too.
Wow! That’s a neat trick. Simply leave out the proceeding sentence from my comment and completely change the context.
That would be THIS one:
What a jackass.
Gregor on May 10, 2007 at 3:12 AM
Basically you’re afraid to argue the real points and now you’re putting out more of your made up statistics?
Gregor, seriously, just leave. I’m not going to repeat myself. I never said nor implied that “Muslim” was a race (this is called a diversion, liberals do it all the time. You want me to follow the tangent so we can get away from embarrassing you on earlier comments). So please stop playing dumb just so you don’t have to answer points. You, like a liberal, focus on just a few parts of my comment, while ignoring the full comment where you were owned from every angle. You know the point about the racial make-up of Oakland, because it’s cheaper to do business there, and minorities flock there. Hmmm.. interesting how you totally ignored that point so you could pull out your diversions. Just like you ignored me owning you on those “Oakland” stats not coming from any study or survey, but from statements of special interest groups and from a Yemeni paper.
Seriously, why don’t you just give this up? You keep making an ass out of yourself over and over.
RightWinged on May 10, 2007 at 4:19 AM
Wow…nice finish RightWinged, remind me not to debate you.
I was hoping not to have to go to real stats (like you so did so effectively) about Oakland and it representing California, pretty much obvious demographically, economically, socially, in just about every stat it does not reflect California…and you don’t have to use any gov. stats to know that.
One thing, don’t diss those “Yemeni papers” and reporters are known for their excellent and accurate reporting skills. You can tell by the writing style and the objective reporting that they are the NYT of Yemeni, why they are regular Pulitzer prize winners…and if angry they may inject something into your Hostess cupcake.
right2bright on May 10, 2007 at 10:08 AM
LOL! Classic. Refuse to answer with a single relevant fact or source and then accuse the other of deflecting and using a liberal tactic. Sort of like Al Sharpton calling someone a racist to shut them down. Beautiful.
Still waiting for either of you to produce just one source indicating Muslim ownership of liquor stores at less than 50%. And no. Quoting a million statistics referencing the rate of poverty in Detroit does not relate.
I knew you couldn’t do it. So did you.
Did we just have a brokeback moment between rightwinged and not2bright?
Gregor on May 10, 2007 at 11:58 AM
Who said anything about Detroit? (Interesting that you raise it though, because it is another poor city filling up with Muslims, among other minorities, which does add to my point about minorities flocking to the poor inner cities, and it just so happens that asians and middle easterners open a lot of businesses, wherever they are, but it’s obviously cheaper in the ghettos).
Anyway…
YOU made the 50%+ “guess/fact” claim, it’s on YOU to prove it. And pointing to Oakland (with quotes, not actual hard numbers, none of which agree with eachother) which is not even close to representative of California as a whole is utterly ridiculous. I’ve explained in detail why the Demographics matter, but you’re extremely dishonest, so you refuse to acknowledge why it matters. So don’t YOU come here and tell ME not to cite Detroit numbers (WHICH I NEVER DID YOU FRICKIN’ GENIUS), while putting forth numbers from Oakland that aren’t hard statistics, rather they’re quotes from special interest groups and they all conflict with each other!!!
Now Gregor, I’ll tell you this again, YOU made the 50% claim and haven’t backed it up at all, and those bogus Oakland numbers don’t matter, even if they had been accurate! I couldn’t care less if the number turns out to be 70%, it’s your dishonesty that’s pissing me off.
RightWinged on May 10, 2007 at 2:53 PM
You’re such a joke you actually tried to relate Detroit to California Muslim ownership of liquor stores, even after I mocked you for it in advance.
Still waiting for you to offer your evidence that what I said is incorrect. Still nothing from you at all.
Gregor on May 10, 2007 at 3:13 PM
You f-ing liar!!! YOU BROUGHT UP DETROIT!!! I didn’t even come close to attempting to relating it with California liquor store ownership by Muslims. I simply pointed out that poor cities have high minority populations and ownership of businesses AFTER YOU FOR WHATEVER REASON MENTIONED DETROIT.
I don’t need to offer you evidence, because I’m not making a claim on the percentage one way or another you POS. YOU need to prove your 50% claim that YOU made.
RightWinged on May 10, 2007 at 3:56 PM
My God! Are you that stupid? You just repeated exactly what I said. Let’s break it down into simple parts for you to understand.
You write:
I wrote:
I wrote:
You write:
And you wrote:
I’ll stand my ground. Sounds pretty much like you’re trying to relate the two.
Still waiting dufus.
Gregor on May 10, 2007 at 4:31 PM
Actually it sounds nothing like it you f-ing retard. Again, you’re playing the liberal game of getting so far off topic and diverting in to so many ridiculous areas by playing dumb that you don’t have to be embarrassed by your own idiocy and lies. After YOU BROUGHT UP DETROIT, I simply mentioned that you can compare it to Oakland and other dirty poor cities, but just like with Oakland this HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CALIFORNIA.
Again, when are you going to stop demanding others prove a negative and show statistics backing up your 50% figure? YOU issued a bet and right2bright took the bet… which you are now afraid to really get in to. YOU made the claim, and you’d have to be a complete idiot to not understand that it’s on YOU to prove it.
Again, key points (outside of you being an idiot and a liar): Oakland doesn’t = California. No more than I speak for 100 people around me (as Oakland makes up only 1% and change of California’s population), the demographics are completely different. Higher minority population = higher minority business ownership. Even though Oakland is primarily black, Asians and Middle Easterners are better at opening businesses. ARE YOU GETTING THIS YET!? Oakland does NOT = California!!! And again, that’s irrelevant anyway because you didn’t give statistics on Oakland, you gave links to blogs and Yemeni papers that cite quotes from special interest people, not from any legitimate stats, AND THEY ALL CONFLICT WITH EACHOTHER!!!
Gregor, either prove your 50% claim, or STFU.
RightWinged on May 10, 2007 at 4:56 PM
And waiting …
Gregor on May 10, 2007 at 5:34 PM
Yup, we sure are… waiting for YOU to prove YOUR 50% claim that got this ball rolling.
RightWinged on May 10, 2007 at 5:50 PM
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