What Do You Think?

[loosebelly]

Why are they being so careful not to say what religion / political group / cult Ahmed Ferhani and Mohamed Mamdouh belong to? Is it really that difficult to figure out?

I wonder if the governments think that by not saying the people are muslims if it will somehow make other muslims something other than what they are.

If a person belongs to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) even though some of the people belonging to the group treat everyone nicely and respectfully (including people the group is notorious for disliking). Would it be be unreasonable to assume any person that is an a member of the KKK, is going to be more prone to certain shall we say less desirable tendencies regardless regarding how other people will be treated ? Including the potential for violent acts agents groups and people the KKK dislikes. Even though the vast majority of KKK members never do anything to anyone.

Would we not expect to see certain traits from people belonging to:

the various Nazi movements
the various black panther and black supremacy movements
Jehovah witnesses
Quakers
Buddhist

or any number of other passive or not so passive groups.


If a person belongs to most any group there are certain characteristics we naturally expect to see from people that identify with or support certain types of groups.

So why do we try to bury our head in the sand and try to pretend that Islam is anything other than the violent cult that it is?


copied from:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43002305

NBCNewYork.com
updated 2011-05-12

Two Queens men who allegedly plotted to disguise themselves as Jewish worshipers to bomb synagogues "one after another" were arrested on conspiracy, hate crime, weapons and terrorism charges after a seven-month investigation by the NYPD.

Ahmed Ferhani and Mohamed Mamdouh had discussed learning to make bombs and had planned visits to Manhattan synagogues, officials said Thursday. They are also accused of buying guns and grenades from an undercover officer who gained their trust and learned of their plans.

Officials said Ferhani and Mamdouh were "lone wolves" with no ties to al-Qaida who also considered an attack at the Empire State Building.

Mayor Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance announced the arrests at City Hall on Thursday.

"This latest case reminds us that we must remain vigilant every day," Kelly said.

Officials said Ferhani had discussed growing a beard and peyots, the side curls worn by men and boys in some Orthodox Jewish denominations. Prosecutors said he envisioned attending services at a Manhattan synagogue, and would place a bomb while pretending to pray.

According to the criminal complaint, Ferhani was recorded saying they would never get caught, because how would anyone "know that I'm not a Jew, coming in there, dressed like that?"

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.Prosecutors said Ferhani was also recorded discussing his goal of providing financial support for the Palestinian cause in Gaza, and had expressed his belief in "violent jihad."

He had also made statements about his hatred for Jews, officials said.

The Anti-Defamation League called the arrests "a stark reminder that Jews and Jewish institutions continue to be a favorite target for extremists."

"We are fortunate that the alleged plot in this case was thwarted before it came anywhere close to fruition," Ron Meier, ADL New York regional director, said in a statement.

Both of the suspects were described as Americans; one of Moroccan descent and the other of Algerian descent. It was not immediately clear whether they had lawyers.

“New York City is an international symbol of freedom and liberty," Bloomberg said. "And for that reason, we will always be a target – we will always be on guard to protect the people of this city."

While local officials were describing their plans as a terror scheme, sources say the case did not meet federal terrorism standards.

The men are expected to be arraigned in State Supreme Court in Manhattan later Thursday.

While terrorism cases are typically handled in federal court, these defendants were also charged under a state terrorism statute that was passed after the 9/11 attacks. Vance said the statute had never been used in a terrorism case.

"The defendants plotted and took concrete steps to bomb synagogues and kill Jewish New Yorkers as an act of terrorism," Vance said.

[loosebelly]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/new-york-terror-plot-allegedly-targeted-synagogues-empire-state-building/story-e6frg6so-1226055116080


New York terror plot allegedly targeted synagogues, Empire State Building


From: AFP
May 13, 2011


NEW York undercover police have arrested two men who bought weapons in an alleged plot to unleash a bloodbath in Manhattan synagogues, city officials say.

The suspects, Ahmed Ferhani, 26, and Mohamed Mamdouh, 20, both of North African descent, were also alleged to have said they would attack the Empire State Building.

Police "arrested two men who said they wanted to destroy a major synagogue in Manhattan and then purchased several weapons and a grenade from an undercover officer," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a news conference.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the men - one a US citizen and the other a legal resident - were arrested immediately after purchasing weapons from an undercover agent.

They bought two Browning semi-automatic pistols, a Smith and Wesson handgun, ammunition and a hand grenade during the sting operation, Commissioner Kelly said.

According to the Manhattan prosecutor's office, the undercover investigation lasted seven months, during which time Ferhani and Mamdouh were recorded making plans for horrific attacks against the city's large Jewish population.

They "planned visits to Manhattan's largest synagogues, intending to disguise themselves as Jewish worshippers, attend services at a synagogue and, while pretending to pray, leave a bomb in the synagogue," the Manhattan District Attorney's office said.

"Ferhani discussed, among other things, buying a grenade to throw into a synagogue, buying a gun with a silencer, and buying multiple guns to use as part of the plan in case they were caught. He discussed learning to build bombs so he could blow up a synagogue."

New York, targeted repeatedly by Islamist bombers over the last two decades, has been on heightened alert since US commandos killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

Mr Bloomberg said there had been 13 plots against New York since the September 11, 2001 mass murder of nearly 3,000 people at the World Trade Centre.

Officials described the pair as Islamist extremists, but said they were "lone wolves" not connected to any formal group such as Al-Qa'ida.

"They did it for Jihad," District Attorney Cyrus Vance said.

"He was fed up with the way Muslims were being treated around the world. 'They're treating us like dogs,"' Mr Kelly quoted one defendant as saying.

"We will blow up the synagogue in Manhattan and take out the entire building," Kelly quoted a suspect as saying. One "also expressed interest in bombing the Empire State Building."

In an unusual move, the two were being charged by New York state, not federal prosecutors. Mr Vance said there were four counts under terrorism and hate crimes laws.

The charges carry a potential penalty of life in prison.