Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
Originally posted by: ECUHITMAN
Apparently you don't believe they were selling them for profit, because you keep saying the same thing about 'normal' people not needing 1000 cell phones. Look if you want to charge them with tax evasion, fine. If you want to follow up and find out where they live and covertly follow them around, that works too.
Actually I do believe they are selling them for profit. What I would like to know is where those profits are going. There are networks of individuals in this country who funnel money to so-called "charities" that are really humanitrian fronts for terrorism.
It's none of your business where that money is going. How do we know where your money is going? Maybe you should be arrested. In fact, I'm pretty sure I heard someone once say that some guy who posts under the name Whoozyerdaddy funnels money to terrorists. And that's evidence enough for me.
But you can't just arrest people and put them on trial on basically very vague charges of 'collecting or providing materials for terrorist acts and surveillance of a vulnerable target for terrorist purposes'. Since when did buying a lot of cell phones at wal-mart fall under collecting materials for terrorists acts and surveillance of a vulnerable target..? These charges were handed out because of the fear of them being Arab and Muslim and wanting to commit a terrorist attack.
Agreed. I believe the charges were filed (knowing they would be quickly dismissed) as a delay tactic to give the police more time to lookinto these guys. I'm not 100% comfortable with that. But I'm equally unconvinced that in this case it was the wrong thing to do.
When the police show up at your door and drag you away for what you think is insufficient reasoning, we'll all applaud because even though it may not be the right thing, we won't be unconvinced it's the wrong thing to do. I'm sure you deserve it.
Look, I know it was a while ago but I had an internship at NCIS and while I was there we received a copy of the unclassified translated Al Qaeda training manual that I made a power point presentation to train new agents. Anyway, the instructions were pretty simple. Don't use the phone, and don't do anything to arouse suspicion. They even said to make sure you look like Americans (i.e. wear blue jeans, cut your hair, use deodorant, etc.) so you can blend in. They even addressed the issue that being Arab will immediately arouse suspicion so they had to be even more careful when going out in public.
These guys were using cash only. If you use cash as opposed to a credit card or check there is no trail. It is the method least likely to be noticed by anyone checking credit records. They also apparently bought these phones at odd hours in the hopes of getting an inexperienced cashier who would be less likely to act on their suspicious behaviors.
That said, I don't believe these individuals are terrorists. I do suspect they are part of a financial conduit for terrorism.
I almost always spend cash. I rarely use a check or credit card. Am I a terrorist?
I for one don't want stores, credit companies, and the government able to track every thing I purchase. I believe this is a free country where I have a right to privacy as long as I'm doing nothing illegal. Should I be arrested for using legal tender to pay for things?
What leads you to susptect they're involved in funding terrorism? Got any proof? Or are you just another slack-jawed yokel who thinks anybody with the wrong sking color might just be a terrorist?
The whole idea that trained terrorists that were in the USA to carry out an attack would be buying and re-selling cell phones for a few thousand dollars goes against everything in the training manual and common sense. Is it possible they were here for another purpose? Maybe.
Is it possible they are sympathetic and wanted to send money over help the cause? Maybe. Will we ever know if our first response is to arrest, hand out trumped up charges, without investigating? If you think we should arrest every person in this country that is doing something that falls under the suspicious category, you better declare martial law and start setting up those concentration camps again because that is exactly where we would be going.
You had one comment in that paragraph that falls in line with where my brain is at right now. I don't think these guys are terrorists. I suspect they are funneling cash to terrorists.
The second half of your paragraph is just ridiculous. Nobody wants that, certainly not me. But I am all for an investigation to find out what these guys are up to. It is only prudent to follow up in this situation.
EDIT: if you would like to read the manual do a google search for "Al Qaeda Training Manual" or click
Here
Facebook
Twitter