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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
 Posted - 06/24/2006 : 10:46:45
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If you've been following the news in the US over the last few days, you doubtlessly heard of a group of "terrorists" nabbed while planning to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago. Big stuff, huh? Except when you go poking around, you see that these guys would probably have trouble blowing up a balloon, let alone a building.
For instance, TPM has the indictment. It notes that these guys requested from their undercover "al-Qaeda representative" things like boots and uniforms to "wage a 'full ground war' against the United States." This was supposed to be bigger than 9/11.
Boots? Uniforms? Full ground war? This isn't just crazy, it's delusional!
Worse, as CNN notes, these guys weren't even practicing Islam. Rather, it was some hodge-podge religion which had them wearing a Star of David (?!?) and practicing martial arts.
Despite this, our Vice President suggested that these guys were the real deal:quote:
Vice President Dick Cheney later hailed the arrests Friday afternoon at a fundraiser for an Illinois congressional candidate, calling the group a "very real threat.
"There are still people out there who are trying to do everything they can to kill Americans,' Cheney said. "We have to defend ourselves against that threat."
Sounds to me like more hyped news to spin this administration's sagging image than anything else!
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2006 : 11:55:00 [Permalink]
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When I heard on Swedish news that the police found neither guns nor explosives I laughed my ass off. These guys are terrorists? Hell, even I or our Foul-Mouthed Skeptic Addict(tm) are more dangerous, because we have more brains in our left feet than these guys have put together.
quote:
Vice President Dick Cheney later hailed the arrests Friday afternoon at a fundraiser for an Illinois congressional candidate, calling the group a "very real threat.
The first thing I said to my girlfriend after my attack of hysterical laughter was "this story going to be used as a publicity-stunt to prove that the republicans know 'how to fight terrorism'".
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2006 : 13:00:10 [Permalink]
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| That's what I figure, too, Mab. We'll see if the administrative gives these wanna-be's any play or not. And if they do, let's see if our hapless press corps will call them on it! |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2006 : 13:37:37 [Permalink]
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Yup, these guys sound like a bunch of loser cultists. One article mentioned that neighbors near their hideout regularly saw them standing about like guards, wearing turbans, with their faces wrapped so that only their eyes showed. They would not reply to greetings, only nod. Real inconspicuous. These guys may be an offshoot cult of something like the crazy Yaweh Ben Yaweh sect.
Bush and his general staff will doubtless continue to try to make this fairly minor domestic police work sound like a major strike against al Qaeda.
Still, even complete idiots can be dangerous, even if only to themselves. I'm glad that these bozos are not running loose.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 06/24/2006 14:15:39 |
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2006 : 16:24:39 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by HalfMooner
Still, even complete idiots can be dangerous, even if only to themselves. I'm glad that these bozos are not running loose.
Agreed, 'Mooner. But the headlines about how they were planning to blow up the Sears Tower are, in light of all of this, rather sensationalist. It would have been just as valid to state that they wanted to start a ground war against the US. |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2006 : 17:16:41 [Permalink]
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The 'leader' was trying to get 50 grand from the informant for their plans. That could be a con or terrorist wannabes.
Goes to show you though, don't act suspicious. Apparently the neighbors thought the group was acting strangely. The description still sounded like adults acting like kids playing spy games. Their behavior got them noticed rather than keeping them anonymous in the shadows.
Between this and Rick Santorum going on about, "We found the WMDs!", I'm hoping the public will start recognizing the attempt is the same old lies being used to ramp up the fear factor before Nov elections. |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2006 : 19:55:34 [Permalink]
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Dr Mab said:
quote:
The first thing I said to my girlfriend after my attack of hysterical laughter was "this story going to be used as a publicity-stunt to prove that the republicans know 'how to fight terrorism'".
Ditto.
They are badly in need of something to increase their poll numbers.
Personally I don't think they have much to worry about. The Dems here have their heads so far up their asses that they don't pose any real threat to republican legislative majorities this year.
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 06/25/2006 : 13:30:25 [Permalink]
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Bush's latest claim is he is reminding us of 9/11 because we have a natural tendency to forget.  Does my sig look like I've forgotten?
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| Edited by - beskeptigal on 06/25/2006 13:31:00 |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 06/25/2006 : 18:31:28 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by beskeptigal
Bush's latest claim is he is reminding us of 9/11 because we have a natural tendency to forget. Does my sig look like I've forgotten?
Indeed, we remember more than Bush supposes. Unfortunately for him, each time he reminds us of 9/11, he reinforces our memories of his cynical use of terrorism and WMD lies to justify the Iraq invasion -- as well as Osama bin Laden's continuing freedom, which is largely due to his diversion of resources to his cluster-fuck in Iraq. He errs in projecting his own stupidity upon his people.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2006 : 10:52:30 [Permalink]
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There was a further news interview with a member of the group who was not arrested. John Stewart played it. These guys are total clowns. Unbelievable! The connection to the Sears Tower? One of the guys had been there once.
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