Text 28707, 83 rader
Skriven 2007-05-08 18:07:00 av Mimi Gallandt (1:123/789.0)
Ärende: To those who think we're safe
=====================================
6 men charged in plot to attack Fort Dix By WAYNE PARRY

Six foreign-born Muslims were arrested and accused Tuesday of plotting to
attack Fort Dix and slaughter scores of U.S. soldiers — a scheme the FBI says
was foiled when the men asked a store clerk to copy a video of them firing
assault weapons and screaming about jihad.

The defendants, all men in their 20s from the former Yugoslavia and the Middle
East, include a pizza deliveryman suspected of using his job to scout out the
military base.

Their goal was "to kill as many American soldiers as possible" with mortars,
rocket-propelled grenades and guns, prosecutors said.

"Today we dodged a bullet. In fact, when you look at the type of weapons that
this group was trying to purchase, we may have dodged a lot of bullets," said
FBI agent J.P. Weis.

"We had a group that was forming a platoon to take on an army. They identified
their target, they did their reconnaissance. They had maps. And they were in
the process of buying weapons. Luckily, we were able to stop that."

Authorities said there was no direct evidence connecting the men to any
international terror organizations such as al-Qaida. But several of them said
they were ready to kill and die "in the name of Allah," according to court
papers.

Investigators said they infiltrated the group with two informants well over a
year ago and bided their time while they secretly recorded the defendants, five
of whom lived in Cherry Hill, a Philadelphia suburb about 20 miles from Fort
Dix.

"This is what law enforcement is supposed to do in the post-9/11 era — stay one
step ahead of those who are attempting to cause harm to innocent American
citizens," U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie said.

Weis saluted the unidentified New Jersey store clerk who noticed the suspicious
video as the "unsung hero" of the case. "That's why we're here today — because
of the courage and heroism of that individual," the FBI agent said.

In addition to plotting the attack on Fort Dix, the defendants spoke of
assaulting a Navy installation in Philadelphia during the annual Army-Navy
football game and conducted surveillance at other military installations in the
region, prosecutors said.

One defendant, Eljvir Duka, was recorded as saying: "In the end, when it comes
to defending your religion, when someone ... attacks your religion, your way of
life, then you go jihad."

The six were arrested Monday night trying to buy AK-47 assault weapons, M-16s
and other weapons from an FBI informant, authorities said.

They appeared in federal court Tuesday in Camden and were ordered held without
bail for a hearing Friday. Five were charged with conspiracy to kill U.S.
military personnel; the sixth was charged with aiding and abetting illegal
immigrants in obtaining weapons.

Four of the men were born in the former Yugoslavia, one was born in Jordan and
one came from Turkey, authorities said. All had lived in the United States for
years. Three were in the United States illegally; two had green cards allowing
them to stay in this country permanently; and the sixth is a U.S. citizen.

More at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070508/ap_on_re_us/fort_dix_plot&printer=1;_ylt=ArMjwzgxpftw6tOh8h.PwwhH2ocA


-- 
L'Chaim

Mimi

WORDS TO LIVE BY-
“Polios have a certain advantage over the able-bodied when it comes to aging….
We do not confuse the quality of our life with the quality of our tennis game.
We know that happiness is not dependent upon activity nor is meaningful defined
by trophies. A meaningful life may be hampered—but need not be defined—by pain
or disability.ö
—Hugh G. Gallagher, 1998

mimigalATcoxDOTnet

--- Thunderbird 2.0.0.0 (Windows/20070326)
 * Origin: The Eastern Star - Fidonet Via Your Newsreader (1:123/789.0)