Chicago's Sears Tower is a beautiful building & Chicago is a great town. I know. I lived there for a short time & fell in love the Windy City.
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The people are goregous and friendly and it's good hard-working BLUE city.
So when crazy people talk about blowing the Sears Tower up, I take it personally. Shit, I've got friends working there right now!
So the story of the Miami group of black militants that converted to Islam and want to blow up the Sears Tower really hits home with me.
A mission "just as good or greater than 9/11?"
They ran their group like "a military boot camp?"
"Kill all the devils we can??"
& worse of all:
They're black and Muslim!
Perfect! I mean, errr, well, keep reading. Did I mention 9/11?
These are pretty serious charges and in a post-9/11 world, we need to take seriously militant forces who go beyond talk & threaten our security.
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But this stood out to me about the story:
There is no imminent threat to Miami or any other area because of these operations," said Richard Kolko, spokesman for FBI headquarters in Washington. He declined further comment.
Wait. Stop. There was NO imminent threat? Then why did you bust them now??
Here's why: TO SHUT YOU UP AGAIN.
In the same week that two Democratic resolutions forced the Bush and the GOP into the defensive by focusing attention on their incompetent management of the Iraq war, can we at least not be skeptical that this isn't an attempt by the Bush Administration to to change the focus away from Iraq?
Alberto Gonzales will be having a press conference. He'll say how grave a threat it was and will say once again we should give Bush everything he wants to pursue the "War on Terror" - NSA domestic spying, Iraq, and OUR OBEDIENCE.
Don't fall for it.
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Update: Mission Accomplished
Well, there you have! Abu Gonzales is having his photo op & our incredible press is giving him and Bush free PR.
I wonder if anyone will ask tough questions about the timing of the bust and competence of these men. |
I know, I know. I being paranoid. Well, let's see.
Let's look at the facts of this case & let's use our common sense.
One, there was not immediate threat. This was confirmed by the FBI & Sears Tower itself.
"Law enforcement continues to tell us that they have never found evidence of a credible terrorism threat against Sears Tower that has gone beyond criminal discussions," the statement said.
Managers of the Sears Tower, the nation's tallest building, said in a statement they speak regularly with the FBI and local law enforcement about terror threats and that Thursday "was no exception."
So, in other words, it was talk.
The Al Qaeda secret hand-shake
Yeah, I know the group got video camera equipment from an FBI agent posing as an Al Qaeda member and that they guarded their warehouse. And yes, they swore an "oath of loyalty to Al Qaeda."
So what? So they are a bunch of angry nuts who did a secret handshake and have a tree house.
Sounds like a fraternity so far! Big friggin deal!
No Bling Bling
But wait. They "attempted" to buy items like, um, guns and ammonium nitrate which can be used in explosives.
One source said the suspects had been trying to buy weapons and other things needed to carry out attacks. Ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer compound that can also be used as an explosive, was reportedly among the items.
"Attempt?" How can you "attempt" to buy guns? You can go down to the pawn shop and get guns - even machine guns.
And do you know what ammonium nitrate is? It's fertilizer - in other words SHIT. You can get that SHIT at most landscaping and rock companies
So, if these guys are still "attempting" to get weapons, it means they don't have funds to get those weapons - cuz thanks to the NRA, you can get anything you want here.
In other words, these guys could not fund the attack that they wanted to
So they're angry, they did a secret handshake, and they had to beg for money from their parent (organization) just to buy shit.
So far, it still sounds like a fraternity.
Project Delays & Late to Work
But let's look at the men themselves. How dangerous were they?
First of all, it's only SEVEN guys! Are you really gonna tell me that seven guys who can't buy shit can blow up the one of the greatest feats of engineering on this continent?
Furthermore, it appears that they couldn't get their acts together.
Narseal Batiste, the leader, told the FBI informant posing as the Al Qaeda agent that he was experiencing delays "because of various problems within his organization."
I'm in business. I can read between the lines on that one. Translation: Batiste had a project delay because his guys were late to work, lost the laptop, or just weren't good employees.
It's all about motivation, Batiste!
Because Daddy Never Loved Me!
Neighbors who lived nearby said young men, who appeared to be in their teens and 20s, slept in the warehouse, running what looked like a militaristic group. They appeared brainwashed, some said.
Oh. Gawd. Teens?? You interrupted my Friday because some runaway teens who wanted to teach Daddy a lesson got together?
Also, wouldn't Al Qaeda be more secretive? I mean the damn NEIGHBORS knew they were a militaristic group!
"They would come out late at night and exercise," said Tashawn Rose. "It seemed like a military boot camp that they were working on there. They would come out and stand guard.
Oh my god! Run for the hills! It's Teens Gone Wild!
Give me an F'ING break! These guys just didn't have anything else to do!
So, let's recap.
They couldn't afford to buy shit. They did a secret handshake. They were seven teens living in a tree house. And they just talked shit.
Holy crap! They really are just a goddamn fraternity!
Timeline of a Political Setup
Ok, now I'm going to get serious because this is the part that's truly dangerous.
Don't get me wrong, those kids - use your common sense - could've hurt somebody and needed attention, BUT they didn't need the damn FBI.
Put them in juvenile detention & de-program them. Or hell, send them to Chicago's Southside. Trust me - the locals would've straightened these "terrorists" real quick.
No, these seven were just fleas.
The real danger is the Bush Administration and Alberto Gonzales.
They are continuing to use the Justice Department as a political tool to drive their incompetent war & failed agenda.
Look at the Timeline.
The FBI agent contacted this group in February.
They gave video cameras to the group in March. Baptiste gave photos back in March.
Baptiste said he was having problems with his "followers" in May.
Democrats introduce two resolutions describing their exit strategy for Iraq. GOP are forced to reject these resolutions and look like they want the same ole same ole.
The same week, the FBI busts these guys and Alberto Gonzales goes to his photo op.
Did they plan back in February to set these guys up?
No. But let's use our common sense. We know the FBI has to have dozens of these "cells" that they are tracking. We know that Bush & the GOP are feeling the heat politically and they are politicians.
And we also know that 2006 is coming up and the GOP is hurting.
And that's the real threat of today.
Don't let them suffocate your voice again.
Update: Several really good diaries on this:
Grand Moff Texan: "Fighting them over there so we don't have to ... WHOOPS!"
zenbowl: Something Fishy in Miami
airshipjones Cynical about terrorism
Update II: I want to address some comments below: I did NOT & have NOT accused the FBI of ANYTHING. I believe they are as much a tool as anything.
Furthermore, I did not say these guys should NOT have been monitored or even arrested. At some point, they needed to be brought in. What I have questioned is the timing of the bust (could they not have used these guys for bigger fish??) and the political explotation of what appear to be fairly harmless guys.
Shit, there are some guys down here in Texas that talk about blowing stuff up. Then they ask you for change. Which is about what these did. Talk about shit & then ask the FBI for change.
Here are those dangerous guys:
They look just like the GOP base, don't they?
Update IV: seesdifferent reports these guys weren't Muslim. But they're still black!
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