May 08, 2007
Six Arrested in New Jersey Islamic Terror Plot
Via WNBC.com:
Six men from New Jersey have been arrested in an alleged terror plot against soldiers at Fort Dix, according investigators.Investigators said the men planned to use automatic weapons to enter Fort Dix and kill as many soldiers as they could at the N.J. base. Fort Dix was just one of several military and security locations allegedly scouted by this group, authorities said.
[snip]
The six suspects arrested Monday night will face terror conspiracy charges. Three of the men are brothers, all believed to be islamic radicals. Authorities have told Newschannel 4 that some of the men were born in Albania and the former Yugoslavia. Investigators said most of the suspects have spent several years here in the U.S.
According to WPVI, the six men attempted to purchase fully automatic AK-47s from an arms dealer working with the FBI. WABC describes the six men as all being ethnic Albanians. Their immigration status was not clear from news accounts. WCAU notes that the men traveled from South Jersey to the Pocano mountains "to practice firing automatic weapons." If accurate, this means that investigators allowed the men to obtain the fully automatic AK-47s before affecting an arrest. CBS News states that this was a "homegrown" terror plot, and that there were no known ties to any international terror organization, including al Qaeda.
The New Jersey Star-Ledger presents perhaps the most comprehensive account to date, which confirms that the attack busted in the planning stages was an intended act of jihad, that the men were arrested while attempting to purchase the AK-47s from the FBI informant dealer, and that the men did not practice with automatic weapons in the Poconos, but instead, used paintball guns and other "real weapons."
The Star-Ledger also shows that while the men may not have been part of an international terror cell, they were certainly inspired by al Qaeda:
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 FBI had the group under surveillance for more than a year, the source said. The men had scouted out Dover Air Force Base and Fort Monmouth before settling on Fort Dix, a base that is used to mobilize troops to Iraq, said the source.
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.
The one question I have about the above Star-Ledger account is perhaps a quibble, but something I'd like to have cleared up; did they watch a generally addressed martyrdom video extolling Muslims towards jihad, or as this account states, did they watch a video urging them towards martyrdom? I suspect the former, as if the latter is the case, it would seem to prove a direct al Qaeda link.
Note that the Islamists here were anything but intelligent, bringing their homegrown jihadi video to a retail store to burn it to DVD, where a concerned and alert employee contacted the FBI, which launched the investigation.
I hope President Bush will quietly award a Presidential Medal of Freedom to both the video store employee and the gun dealer for their roles in helping break up this attack in the planning stages.
Update: Heh. Did the tip come from Tony Soprano?
Update: Allah is tracking this story at well over at Hot Air.
Update: CNN reports that one of the suspects was Jordanian and another was Turkish, with the rest being Yugoslavian.
The Washington Post adds that the suspects have lived in the United States for "several years."
CBS3 provides more detail on the suspects:
Sources said the suspects included:- Three brothers from Yugoslavia who came to the country illegally and were living in Cherry Hill.
- A Yugoslavian native who was living legally in Williamstown.
- A Turkey native who was arrested in the 2100 block of Tremont Street in Philadelphia
- A Jordan National living in Pennsauken who was working as a cab driver. He was taken into custody while in his cab at the Philadelphia International Airport.
Officials said the men attempted to purchase AK-47s from an arms dealer secretly cooperating with law enforcement agents.
Sources said the suspects trained for the plot in an area near Routes 30 and 380 in the Poconos. The suspects apparently had maps and had done surveillance on Fort Dix in preparation for the plot.
If the CBS3 account is correct, at least three of the six plotters were here illegally, and all were here for a least a year, if not several years.
Update: I formally move that we call this the "Duka, Duka, Mohammed Jihad."
Update: A total of ten men were seen on the video that launched the investigation, as reported in this document obtained by The Smoking Gun.
Update: A sampling of liberal blog reaction: The Agonist: "...when are these insignificant cases going to stop being blown out of proportion?" Talking Points Memo: "It's always hard for me to see how these aren't as serious as they appear. But there is a record." Middle Earth Journal: "This will probably turn out to be another José Padilla moment but it will be good for a lot of ape like chest pounding by the wingnut islamophobes." Mahablog: "The basic story is that six Islamic radicals were planning to attack Fort Dix and kill soldiers as part of a jihad against America. This is what the Department of Justice is saying, anyhow, so take that with a grain of salt."
They sound a lot like the "youths" that have been Molotov Cocktailing buildings and burning cars in France the last 3 years.
Posted by: Rodney A Stanton at May 8, 2007 08:20 AM"CBS News states that this was a "homegrown" terror plot, and that there were no known ties to any international terror organization, including al Qaeda."
Maybe. Maybe not.
Copy cat killers. Spontaneous. Unpredictable. Stupid. That analysis is most disturbing.
Posted by: locomotivebreath1901 at May 8, 2007 08:30 AMThink about the fact that our intervention in Eastern Europe probably allowed them to live as they were close to extermination by the governments at the time. So much for thanks.
Also, they will likely sue the video store.
Posted by: David Caskey at May 8, 2007 09:08 AMThese were not home grown terrorists. These were jihadists bent on the destruction of the American soldier. In other words they were democrats. I can hardly believe that the way our congress is acting that they didn't believe that they would be rewarded for their diligence. Wake up America and smell the blood of our patriots. We fight or we die. capc
Posted by: capc at May 8, 2007 09:09 AMJust a note on CBS3's coverage - There is no Route 30 in the Poconos.
Posted by: fezziwig at May 8, 2007 09:16 AMI wonder how the media will try to do damage control to the stereotype that all gun dealers are unscrupulous redneck nut jobs that will sell to any jihadi, disgruntled postman, or bullied sociopathic teen.
Posted by: BohicaTwentyTwo at May 8, 2007 09:33 AMI know, let's outlaw paintball guns! That'll stop 'em for sure! Imagine, CAIR and the NRA taking the same side in a lawsuit. I linked from my 2007.05.08 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup.
Posted by: Bill Faith at May 8, 2007 09:57 AM
You cannot buy automatic weapons in the U.S. unless you are Federally liscensed.
Posted by: dan in michigan at May 8, 2007 09:58 AMSpeaking of stereotypes, why is it that every gun dealer always has a back room or hidden compartment where he keeps all sorts of banned or military weapons like hand grenades, missile launchers, machine guns and series 4 decarbonizers.
Posted by: BohicaTwentyTwo at May 8, 2007 10:34 AM"These were not home grown terrorists. These were jihadists bent on the destruction of the American soldier. In other words they were democrats. "
you are sick and paranoid, and a fascist to boot.
you do not deserve your freedom.
Posted by: jvf at May 8, 2007 11:36 AMAnd how was this plot broken? By applying good, old-fashioned law enforcement techniques -- not torture or intrusive electronic surveillance.
Posted by: Phranqlin at May 8, 2007 11:41 AMI love how the press is pointing out that some of these creeps were born in the "former Yugoslavia" rather than say what they are: ethnic albanians from Kosovo. I noticed that the description of them as such has been changed...perhaps in an attempt for the reading public to equate them with the Serbs rather than the scumbag, terrorist albanians (that we mistakenly and stupidly assisted back in '98). It's disgraceful!
Posted by: nin at May 8, 2007 12:04 PMA couple of disturbing comments above are worth noting, particularly the comment by "capc" equating Democrats with jihadists, and the comment left by "jvf" that labeled "capc" a fascist, only to turn around and make the fascist comment that "capc" doesn't deserve his freedoms.
I'm not sure which comment is more disturbing.
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at May 8, 2007 12:35 PMCY: The Left, as always, is in league with genocidal maniacs who want to destroy America. Rosie O'Donnel, Steny Hoyer, Nanci Pelosi, Olympia Snowe, Katrina Van Den Heuvel, Walter Durranty, Alger Hiss, Norman Thomas, Gore Vidal George McGovern; they all sided with those dedicated to committing genocide, whether they be Communists, Jihadists, Yippies, or Nazis. Calling them on this is the duty of us all, rather than keeping up false niceties that there isn't a huge 5th column in this country and in the corridors of power.
The Democrats are aligned with jihadis to advance their ends at home, deny that we face any threat, and claim that the entire struggle against Islamism is a racist/paranoid fantasy. They truly are adhering to our enemies and there is nothing disturbing or wrong with saying it.
Posted by: Hey at May 8, 2007 01:04 PMCY, props on trying to keep the name-calling on this board down to a minimum.
Democrats, with Republicans, both fought against communism during the cold war. Ask JFK, LBJ, etc. Democrats may not have been zealous blowhards like McCarthy and his followers, but that's probably a good thing.
And what genocide did the Democrats specifically side with? You can accuse Clinton for not doing enough during Rwanda, that's for sure, but I really can't think of a time when the Democrats were all like “Yo, you know what’s cool? The systematic destruction of an oppressed ethnic group. Yeah, THAT'S cool.”
"The Left, as always, is in league with genocidal maniacs who want to destroy America."
I think you forgot your medication again, Hey.
Maybe it's under your tinfoil hat.
Posted by: Angryflower at May 8, 2007 03:39 PMThis is one more example why I can not stand moon god worshipping POS, and the State Department allowing any old moon god worshipper into this country.
Look at France, and England if you want to see our future. It is a fight to the death, and I suggest we all get ready. That includes lefturds, but I bet they will just get in the way.
ROPMA
Posted by: Leatherneck at May 8, 2007 04:19 PMThe dems visiting syria,claiming the war is lost.Shortage of vehicles nat guard can't help disaster areas clean-up,VT massacre,GOPs now threatening GW if there is no visible improvment in Iraq.6 arrested for trying to kill US military personel is there no end!Our gov. can't even send money to our brothers in harms way for vehicles,and the proper gear to protect themselves,without setting time lines and pork bellies!We can't even decide how to guard our own borders without riots,or sending nat guard to help with no bullets or orders not to shoot!Nobody in either party can decide what side of the fence they want to stand on.They voted for the war now maybe I was lied to so now I won't let them have any money to finish the job we satrted!I cannot imagine the message this political mess is sendingto our troops.I know the insurgency,iranians,syrians,al-qaeda,jihadists are all eating this up!The only thing we can be sure of is our soldiers are turning this thing around,their whooping ass,taking the fight to the scumbags in afghanistan and iraq with or without the best gear,vehicles etc..and without the 110 percent support from the american people and the politicians!So at the end of all your rants give our brothers in harms way a big oooooorrrrraaaaahhhh!!! Semper Fi
Posted by: referman at May 8, 2007 04:53 PMI wouldn't not include George McGovern in citing extreme leftwingers out to harm America, although he was wrong on Vietnam. He was a B24 pilot in WWII and bombed the Ploesti oil fields, the most heavily defended area under Nazi control. For this alone he dwesrves praise, not ridicule.
Posted by: Frank Dukes at May 8, 2007 05:41 PMOne thing we can all agree on is when the troops do come home, they are gonna be EXTREMELY pissed off. And they should be.
Posted by: Justin at May 8, 2007 10:55 PMBEHEAD THEM!!
(and any LIB that repeats the 'religion of peace" crap again..)
Posted by: WALKER at May 9, 2007 11:45 AMGot THAT off my chest...
In a more serious thought, isn't it time we have an open discussion as to whether allowing large numbers of muslims into our country is a good thing?
Yes I know most are good people, yada, yada. But if 5% are not, and you let a million in, that is 50,000 bad people. Also disturbingly obvious to see in Europe of second and third generation Europe-born muslims being radicalized.
Can we at least hold the discussion without the left shreiking we are hate filled fascists?
Can we agree to restrict the most hate filled of Imams coming here or teaching in our prisons?
Can we agree to deport swiftly muslims here illegally? (such as the 3 here).
Truth is, many of us don't view Islam as a religion, it is a socio-political movement, and a fascist, sexist, homophobic and murderous one at that.
Posted by: WALKER at May 9, 2007 11:57 AMMy LAST comment, promise (unless anyone wants a reply)
Consider two scenarios that could easily have happened:
- The clerk never provided the tip, and this tragedy occurred (I've been to Fort Dix, virtually all the soldiers there are unarmed.)
- Prior to that, one or more of the 3 illegal aliens was pulled over for a traffic violation, or some other minor civil event brought him into contact with authorities. Consider the practice of New Jersey and other liberal states & localities (the noble sounding "sanctuary cities") NOT to establish a person's citizenship for routine traffic or criminal violations. They would have been let go. Just as political correctness let one or more of the 9/11 hijackers go after a traffic stop.
We WILL suffer attacks like this planned one at FT Dix, and worse, until we as a country wise up (and grow up).
Posted by: WALKER at May 9, 2007 12:07 PMOk why noone in the world don't have curage to say that thise guys r Albanians from KOSOVO?!?!?
Posted by: watcher at May 9, 2007 05:00 PMOk why noone in the world don't have curage to say that thise guys r Albanians from KOSOVO?!?!?
Posted by: iam at May 9, 2007 05:01 PMAll that I heard today for the 6 people who wants to do that in that base was shocked,otherwice the mans terrorists are not Kosovars they are kosovo enemies Kosovo will be always part of USA, USA is Kosovar's home even sombody wants to destroy that image.The guys( idiots) who wants to do that they tried to kill the future of the world and make sure nobody can stop Kosovo to be independent and Usa with all others who wants the best of the world ,we need to kill all terrorists,even people who dont like the right way for Kosova .GOD BLESS USA Kosova will be always with USA they gave us a freedom and food.
Posted by: God bless USA at May 9, 2007 06:39 PMTo all you serbs here and antialbanians i will tell you one thing: we will never lay a hand on any american in the name of religion or whatever.Those dimwits that we are talking about are not albanians,they were born in macedonia and migrated to the states when they were very young so they dont have any albanian feelings.From more info that we get on the news these guys got 2 grams of brains.We all know what serbs think of the US after all serbia was the one backing up saddam during his reign with weapons and god knows what.USA was,is and will always be the Albanians second motherland no matter where they are.
Posted by: FreeKosova at May 12, 2007 11:10 PM
