As noted by Mark Levin on his radio show today, something big is obviously going on.
When is the last time Drudge had (suspected) terrorist arrests/activity as the top four items on his site? According to Levin, Drudge told him he has never seen anything like this in 14 years of monitoring the news
From the Dallas News:
Man arrested in alleged attempt to bomb Dallas skyscraper
Federal authorities arrested a 19-year-old Jordanian citizen whom they said placed an inactive car bomb today at Fountain Place, a 60-story skyscraper in downtown Dallas.
Hosam Maher Husein Smadi has repeatedly voiced his intent to serve Osama bin Laden and al-Qa’ida and commit “violent Jihad,” authorities said in a prepared statement.
“Today’s arrest of Hosam Maher Husein Smadi underscores the FBI’s unwavering commitment to bring to justice persons who attempt to bring harm to citizens of this country and significant danger to this community,” special FBI agent in charge Robert E. Casey, Jr. said in the statement. “Smadi made a decision to act to commit a significant conspicuous act of violence under his banner of ‘self Jihad.’”
Authorities said that Smadi was under continuous FBI surveillance. Federal agents posed as members of an al-Qa’ida sleeper cell. Smadi, who was in the U.S. illegally, allegedly told them that he came to the country specifically to commit “Jihad for the sake of God.”
According to authorities, Smadi identified potential Dallas targets in June and allegedly scoped out Fountain Place in July. Authorities said that Smadi lived and worked in Italy, about 45 miles south of Dallas.
Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert said city officials were notified of the impending arrest beforehand.
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“We were clearly communicated to that there was not going to be a danger to anybody,” Leppert said. “There’s a good working relationship between the police and the FBI. This is an example of that.”
Leppert mentioned that there was another terrorism arrest in Springfield today.
Regarding the arrests in Dallas, Denver, New York City and Springfield, he said, “It’s a comment on the world we live in. All of us need to be vigilant.”
From Reuters:
UPDATE 1-Illinois man charged in plot to bomb federal offices
WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) – An Illinois man was ordered held on Thursday on charges he tried to blow up a federal building in the state capital, a case unrelated to the New York terrorism plot.
Michael Finton, also known as Talib Islam, was arrested in Springfield, Illinois, and charged with attempted murder of federal officers or employees and trying to use a weapon of mass destruction, charges that carry a life sentence.
“Fortunately, a coordinated undercover law enforcement effort was able to thwart his efforts and ensure no one was harmed,” David Kris, assistant Attorney General for National Security, said in a statement.
Finton was arrested on Wednesday in Springfield as he used a cell phone to try to detonate the bomb he believed was inside a van he had just parked outside the federal building.
Appearing in a courtroom on Thursday in the same building he is accused of targeting, Finton waived his right to a detention hearing.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Byron Cudmore appointed a public defender to represent Finton and ordered him held pending an indictment by a grand jury.
Finton said he worked part-time as a restaurant cook, according to the State Journal-Register newspaper.
The criminal complaint said Finton, 29, converted to Islam while in prison on other charges. It said he idolized an American who allied with the Taliban, John Walker Lindh, drawing the attention of law enforcement authorities.
Also from Reuters:
U.S. terror suspects accused of targeting Marine base
RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) – Two men charged in North Carolina last month with plotting terrorist attacks overseas also planned to attack the U.S. Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, authorities said on Thursday.
The two were among seven suspects arrested in August for conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and for conspiracy to murder, kidnap, maim and injure people overseas.
A new indictment unveiled on Thursday charged Daniel Patrick Boyd, the group’s alleged ringleader, and Hysen Sherifi “with conspiring to murder U.S. military personnel” in connection with the planned assault on the Marine Corps base, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Raleigh said in a statement.
It offered no details, except to say that Boyd had undertaken reconnaissance of Quantico and obtained maps of the base in order to plan the attack.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Boyd also possessed armor piercing ammunition, and had stated that it was “to attack the Americans.”
“These additional charges hammer home the grim reality that today’s home-grown terrorists are not limiting their violent plans to locations overseas, but instead are willing to set their sights on American citizens and American targets, right here at home,” U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding said.
From CBS3 in Philly:
Inoperative Cameras Hinder SEPTA ‘Photo’ Probe
Twice in the past two days, SEPTA officials have alerted police to men taking pictures on the Broad Street subway line in South Philadelphia.
On Wednesday, a SEPTA cashier told officers about a man taking pictures at the Lombard-South station, but the man, after being questioned by the cashier about his activities, left before officers arrived.
“We are attempting to identify that male to determine what the nature or the reason for taking the photographs was,” Chief Inspector Joseph Sullivan said.
On Tuesday, officers received a report of a male taking pictures in the track area at the Snyder Avenue station.
So far, neither male has been identified, although Philadelphia Police officials say the two separate incidents have no link to any terrorist activities.
No need to worry, though. After Obama prostrated himself in front of a roomful of U.N tyrants yesterday, everything should be rainbows, bunnies and unicorns.
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