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| FBI sees no terrorism link in South Carolina case |
| 2007-08-06 |
| Move it along. Nuthin to see here... WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI said on Sunday that there was no evidence of a terrorism link in the case of two college engineering students who possessed explosive materials in South Carolina over the weekend. The two men, described in local media reports as non-U.S. citizens of Middle Eastern descent, were taken into custody late on Saturday near Charleston, South Carolina, after local police noticed what looked like explosives in their Toyota sedan during a routine traffic stop. The FBI said the material proved to be for making homemade fireworks, not dangerous munitions."There's no (terrorism link) that we've identified at this point," FBI spokesman Richard Kolko told Reuters. "They got pulled over and had just enough suspicious things to warrant investigation. We don't think there's that much to it. They had some materials to make some pretty good-sized homemade fireworks but not bomb stuff." No charges were filed in the case, but the men were being held Sunday evening at the Berkeley County detention center, WCIV-TV, the ABC network affiliate in Charleston, reported on its Web site. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #11 THE FBI: |
| Posted by: 3dc 2007-08-06 18:05 |
| #10 Officers became suspicious because the men quickly put away a laptop computer and couldn't immediately say what they were doing in the area or where they were going Ermmm, I hope somebody is going through that laptop with a fine-tooth comb. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-08-06 18:04 |
| #9 You know, Back under Bush I, the FBI was a respected and well, feared agency. Now it's almost as big a laughingstock as the CIA. Thanks Mr. and Mr. Traitors-from-Arkansas (I have doubts about the Hildabeast's actual gender). |
| Posted by: Silentbrick 2007-08-06 17:51 |
| #8 Friend in Charleston sent this.... South Carolina Police Charge 2 Students With Possession of Incendiary Device Monday, August 06, 2007 Associated Press MONCKS CORNER, S.C. — Two young Middle Eastern men arrested near a Navy base after police found a suspicious item in their car were charged Monday with possession of an incendiary device, authorities said. A joint state-federal investigation was under way to see if there was any terrorism connection but no link had been found yet, said FBI spokeswoman Denise Taiste. The Navy base is the site of a brig where enemy combatants have been held. Ahmed Abda Sherf Mohamed, 24, and Yousef Samir Megahed, 21, both students at the University of South Florida in Tampa, were being held Monday pending a bail hearing, Berkeley County Sheriff Wayne DeWitt said. "They admitted to having what they said were fireworks. Based on the officer's judgment at hand, based on what he had seen, we judged it to be other than fireworks," DeWitt said. The sheriff refused to say what was found in the car but said some items were being analyzed by the FBI. Taiste would not give any details on what was in the vehicle. The two men were stopped for speeding Saturday night near Goose Creek on U.S. Highway 176. Goose Creek is the site of the Naval Weapons Station, which houses the U.S. Naval Consolidated Brig, a military prison where enemy combatants have been held. They were heading west, away from Goose Creek, when they were pulled over about seven miles from the sprawling Navy facility, police said. Officers became suspicious because the men quickly put away a laptop computer and couldn't immediately say what they were doing in the area or where they were going, DeWitt said. One item found in the car was destroyed by bomb technicians, making a loud bang when it was detonated. Authorities closed a mile-long stretch of the highway Saturday night and didn't reopen it until about 4 a.m. Sunday. Goose Creek, with a population of about 30,000, is about 20 miles north of Charleston |
| Posted by: BrerRabbit 2007-08-06 15:38 |
| #7 Muzzies and explosives. Isn't that the definition ofterrorism these days? |
| Posted by: jds 2007-08-06 13:40 |
| #6 Mightn't it be one helluva fine idea to go ahead and deep fry these two seulement pour encourager les autres? |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-08-06 12:40 |
| #5 FBI Sees no Terrorism Link in 9/11 FBI Sees no Kidnapping Link to Missing Lindbergh Baby FBI Sees Nothing At All |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2007-08-06 12:14 |
| #4 There are indeed a lot of unanswered questions re: this incident. |
| Posted by: lotp 2007-08-06 12:07 |
| #3 Aw, geez, they're just wacky mixed up kids sez... Ahmed Bedier, executive director of the Tampa chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights organization for Muslims, said the men arrested are Youseff Megahed, 21, and Ahmed Mohamed, 24 - two University of South Florida students. Family members told Bedier they think the materials were leftover fireworks Megahed kept in his trunk since July 4. “Both of them are really naïve kids,” Bedier said. He said Megahed is a permanent legal resident of the United States and Mohamed was the passenger. Mohamed's legal status was not known. Bedier said police will not tell them why they’re being held without charges. “There’s a lot of unanswered questions,” Bedier said. “If they didn’t do anything wrong they need to be released.” |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-08-06 12:01 |
| #2 "pretty good sized fireworks" That's a bomb, isn't it? |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2007-08-06 11:34 |
| #1 The two involved were one Yusef and one Ahmad. Not Bill and Joe from down the street. Maybe the denial is cover to provide time to sift the sand a bit. |
| Posted by: Woozle Elmeter2970 2007-08-06 11:33 |