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| Pa. man charged with trying to help al-Qaida attack refineries |
| 2006-10-04 |
| A federal grand jury indicted a man on charges of offering to help al-Qaida blow up fuel facilities in at least three states. Michael Curtis Reynolds was charged in U.S. District Court in Scranton Tuesday with two counts of providing material support for a terrorist organization and two counts of seeking to take part in the destruction of property used in interstate or foreign commerce. He was already awaiting trial in the case on two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm or an explosive device. The FBI arrested Reynolds in December after authorities said he tried to meet a purported al-Qaida contact in a sting operation about 25 miles from a motel in Pocatello, Idaho, where he had been staying. Authorities said he expected to receive $40,000 to finance an alleged plot to blow up pipelines and refineries. The man Reynolds met with was a Montana judge who was working for the FBI. Reynolds wanted to help al-Qaida units attack fuel facilities "to reduce energy reserves, create environmental hazards, increase anxiety, and require substantial expenditure of funds and government personnel, including the military, to protect those locations," the indictment alleges. Reynolds has been held without bail in the Lackawanna County jail since his arrest on charges of illegally possessing hand grenades. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #13 Another interesting factoid that has nothing to do with this story other than being in eastern PA: The US city with the fastest growth in Hispanic population over the last few years (as a %) is Allentown PA. Go figure!! My brother is married to a lovely Latina, 2nd for both of them and they make a great couple with extended family of older kids. Anyway, there's a long tradition of PA being a gateway for immigrants. My mother's family settled there before the Revolution, from Switzerland and Wales. My father's family settled there at the turn of the 20th century from the Ukraine. After the original European settlers in the 17th century, the state attracted many Scots-Irish in the 18th and early 19th, Italians a little later in the 19th, Poles and other eastern Europeans at the turn of the 20th and now a lot of Hispanics. Other groups too, in smaller numbers. Little town I grew up in had 5000 people when I was there, and 15 churches in 9 different denominations, plus a small synagogue not too far away. Diversity ... we had a Roman Catholic church, an Eastern Orthodox church AND a Byzantine Rite catholic church -- all within 2 blocks of each other on the same street. ;-) And a few miles away the Amish and slight less strict Mennonite Brethren lived. Had a small Assemblies of God congregation, which was REALLY different from the traditions of most people there. Wm. Penn would be proud. |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-10-04 20:27 |
| #12 What is this obsession Al Qaeda minions have with places that have Lackawanna in the name? Hard to figure. But the area is fairly rural, economically depressed. In other words, lots of older, inexpensive large homes to buy or rent. Not that much in the way of jobs there during the blue collar crash of the 80s and 90s, but Scranton is bouncing back and there are a lot more service sector / retail jobs and business there than a decade ago. Lackawana's not too far from Scranton. FWIW |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-10-04 20:21 |
| #11 I seriously doubt our legal system is up to the task of getting this guy a maxium sentence. |
| Posted by: Raider Ray 2006-10-04 20:12 |
| #10 My Israeli father says the Jewish appearance stereotype is actually Italian or Arab. Presumably this works in reverse, as well. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-10-04 18:33 |
| #9 I'd be interested in knowing how they found a judge in Montana who could pass as an Al-Q operative. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2006-10-04 15:53 |
| #8 This is treason writ large. Too bad execution is probably off of the table. Life in a prison's general population without any possibility of parole is the least that this maggot deserves. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-10-04 15:38 |
| #7 TW, You noticed that too? My first thought is that there's some Arabic word or term that sounds like Lackawanna that in turn has some significance to these weasels... Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2006-10-04 13:24 |
| #6 Does Utah still have that firing squad option? I tend to think they do. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-10-04 12:30 |
| #5 It's nothing a firing squad can't fix. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-10-04 11:54 |
| #4 from the article: Reynolds was convicted of arson in 1978 in connection with an attempt to blow up his parents' house in New York state. boy has an anger management issue. |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-10-04 11:41 |
| #3 Reynolds has been held without bail in the Lackawanna County jail since his arrest What is this obsession Al Qaeda minions have with places that have Lackawanna in the name? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-10-04 11:06 |
| #2 a purported al-Qaida contact in a sting operation about 25 miles from a motel in Pocatello, Idaho. Is that FBI speak for we aren't going to tell you where it happened? |
| Posted by: Clkethel OHlkdj 2006-10-04 11:05 |
| #1 Hah, Hah. His mistake was stepping foot over the state lines into Idaho or Montana. He should just be glad the local boys didn't get to keep him. |
| Posted by: Clkethel OHlkdj 2006-10-04 11:03 |