Developing Story... SC... Van pulled over with explosives

[gtalum]

At the end people are just ignorant and believe that if a member of your religion or race did something bad then you are also accountable for it.

Well, only if your race isn't white and your religion isn't Christian.

It's just lack of education.

Agreed.

[artist]

so you think just because they were muslim they should have gotten away with speeding?

Who said that? I certainly didn't. My question was in reference to the clearly trumped up "explosive device" charges. Do you think those charges would have popped up if these guys weren't clearly Muslims?

Can you prove the charges ARE unfounded? If it had been just fireworks then why would they need a robotic to remove them? Also if they needed fireworks and were going to the USF then it would have been a lot closer to get them in WPB since there is a major manufacturer here that sales them to the public, don't ya think? Where were they going in SC if they go to the USF with fireworks in their trunk? (using your analogy that you say that is probably what they were) Now back to - can you prove the charges were unfounded?

[gtalum]

Can you prove the charges ARE unfounded?

Fortunately, that's not how the legal system works in this country.

Regardless, the FBI's statement that no explosive device was present would seem to validate my theory.

If it had been just fireworks then why would they need a robotic to remove them?

Fireworks is just one of a million possibilities. They probably didn't need to use the robot. They're probably just incompetent police, just like the ones in the story from 2002 that I linked.

[artist]

would you post the link to that? Everything I have read has said there was.

[gtalum]

would you post the link to that? Everything I have read has said there was.

alicia-w already posted it, but here it is again:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/05/highwa ... index.html

Two men faced state explosives charges Sunday after police outside Charleston, South Carolina, found what a law enforcement source said was a bomb and bomb-making material in their car during a weekend traffic stop.

"They're going to be formally charged tomorrow with state charges by the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office, and those charges will involve explosives," Berkeley County Chief Deputy Butch Henerey told CNN.

But federal officials disputed that account, telling CNN that there was no bomb.

And FBI spokesman Richard Kolko told CNN, "We have not found a clear link to terrorism."

[artist]

Does it say there were no explosives. It just says there was no bomb. There is a big difference. If it is shown that this was a trumped up charge I will be the first to say it was wrong but I have not seen anything to tell me it wasn't yet. They did blow something up - and I have heard it is was incendiary device. If it was - then they should be charged.

Let's say it was fireworks - would you not wonder if they go to the USF, why they are in SC with these? Would there be reasonable doubt as to why they had them unless they could give a darn good reason for carrying them across state lines or if they went there to get them, then why when there was a fireworks factory that is well known down here? It just does not add up to me if it turns out it was fireworks. I would hope if you and I were stopped we would be questioned, and I am white. I would hope that if my kids that are in college were stopped they were questioned as to why they were carrying them around when they were so far away from home unless they can prove they were vacationing there and picked them up for that and then I still might even wonder. It is after the 4th you know. And we don't know if it even was firewroks so this is all conjecture to begin with!

[Beam]

Amen, HURAKAN. The word "terrorism" has really jumped the shark, so to speak. The way it gets thrown around anymore makes it like "communism" for the new millennium. Back during the Soviet era, you were a commie. Nowadays, you're a terrorist.

As for the men, I'm witholding any judgment until they tell us what exactly was going on and what they found.

[gtalum]

Does it say there were no explosives. It just says there was no bomb. There is a big difference. If it is shown that this was a trumped up charge I will be the first to say it was wrong but I have not seen anything to tell me it wasn't yet. They did blow something up - and I have heard it is was incendiary device. If it was - then they should be charged.

That something was probably fireworks. The guys even admitted to having fireworks.

The cops blew something up that's not a bomb. The guys told the cops they had fireworks. Ergo, probably fireworks.

Let's say it was fireworks - would you not wonder if they go to the USF, why they are in SC with these? Would there be reasonable doubt as to why they had them unless they could give a darn good reason for carrying them across state lines or if they went there to get them, then why when there was a fireworks factory that is well known down here?

First of all, it's irrelevent. Last i checked, we have freedom of movement in this country. if I want to go to SC and buy some fireworks, it's none of anyone's business if I do that until and unless I cross into a state where they are illegal.

Secondly, the fireworks that are legal in Florida are not nearly as good as the ones that are legal in SC. The stuff that's legal here in FL is sissy stuff.

Third, who says they were going back to Florida? Again we have freedom of movement here. It's none of the police's business where they were going, again unless and until they crossed into a state where what they are carrying is illegal.

Lastly, even if they were going to illegally transport some fireworks back to Florida, then the charge should be possession of illegal fireworks, not a trumped up "explosive device" charge. Illegal fireworks charges are generally just small fines.

I would hope if you and I were stopped we would be questioned, and I am white.

If they questioned me, I'd tell them to pound sand. And then I would hope with all my might that they would arrest me so I can sue the town, county, and state for wrongful prosecution and the police officers personally for wrongful arrest. Of course, that's why they generally don't arrest wealthy white guys unless they absolutely have to.

[artist]

gtalum- you can sign a slip saying that you are a promoter or something along those lines here. It's not hard to get the good ones from them.

And you just told me that you are one of those that does not believe in terrorism. That is fine. I will agree to disagree here before I get myself into trouble.

[gtalum]

gtalum- you can sign a slip saying that you are a promoter or something along those lines here. It's not hard to get the good ones from them.

Regardless, these guys have no obligation to tell the cops why they are in SC. It's none of their business. The US Constitution guarantees us freedom of movement without hindrance from local LEO's. I hope these guys have a good attorney.

And you just told me that you are one of those that does not believe in terrorism. That is fine. I will agree to disagree here before I get myself into trouble.

Of course I believe in terrorism, as I saw what happened on 9/11 as clearly as anyone else did, not to mention other attacks. I just don't believe in trashing the Constitution because of it, nor do I believe in demonizing entire races of people because some have committed crimes.

[alicia-w]

i think it's important to remember that not all terrorists are Muslim. Please take a moment to remember the bombing in Oklahoma City where the terrorists were home-grown white boys....but those are a bit harder to profile....

[HURAKAN]

Amen, HURAKAN. The word "terrorism" has really jumped the shark, so to speak. The way it gets thrown around anymore makes it like "communism" for the new millennium. Back during the Soviet era, you were a commie. Nowadays, you're a terrorist.

As for the men, I'm witholding any judgment until they tell us what exactly was going on and what they found.

The use of the word "terrorism" depends on what side you are. It can be confused with "revolutionary."

I used this example a while back and was criticized a little bit.

For the Americans the "War of Independence" was an act of revolution and heroic. For England it was an act of terrorism under today's standards. The Boston Tea Party and other actions carried by the colonial people further caused panic to the English people in America and threatened England's power in the New World.

Today there are groups of people in the US that want to overthrow the government and how do we refer to these people, "they are terrorists."

But all depends on what side of the lake you are and who is throwing the stone.

[artist]

I never said that all muslims were terrorists, either. I realize this and will be the first to state such. As I said, if the same circumstances had applied to me or my family I would want to be questioned. Remember they were stopped for speeding - they were not just randomly stopped. Who are we to know what the device found was and who are we to know how they behaved? I will wait for the facts to come out before I can say they were targetted or whether it was legit. I am for realizing and not sticking my head in the sand that there are those in America that would just as soon kill us as to look at us. White, black, yellow, green, it doesn't matter. And no, I do not live in fear. I am vigilant though.

[alicia-w]

i doubt that the average american could expect to have their vehicle searched as a result of a routine traffic stop for speeding. that's considered to be unreasonable search and seizure.

[artist]

They admitted to having what they said were fireworks. Based on the officer's judgment at hand, based on what he had seen, we judged it to be other than fireworks," DeWitt said.

New info. Seems the officer said they were not fireworks, whatever it was.
And-

Officers became suspicious because the men quickly put away a laptop computer and couldn't immediately say what they were doing in the area or where they were going, DeWitt said.

[gtalum]

Based on the officer's judgment at hand

WTF does that mean? Is the officer a fireworks expert? That there tells me it was indeed a firework, and the officer is just stupid. Either that or they were looking to haul in some "uppity" minorities.

And who cares if they shut the laptop quickly? Short of being served a warrant, they have no obligation to show the officer what's on the computer. Maybe they were looking at stuff and didn't want to tell anyone.

And they have absolutely no obligation to tell the cops where they were heading or why.

These trigger-happy cops have exposed their ignorance of constitutional law. I hope these guys get a good attorney and I can't wait to see what happens to the cops if they do.

[artist]

ccording to this video from abcnews4 yesterday the explosives found were illegal.

http://www.abcnews4.com/video.hrb?stat= ... v/SUSPECTS NAMED.wmv

[Regit]

Based on the officer's judgment at hand

WTF does that mean? Is the officer a fireworks expert? That there tells me it was indeed a firework, and the officer is just stupid. Either that or they were looking to haul in some "uppity" minorities.

And who cares if they shut the laptop quickly? Short of being served a warrant, they have no obligation to show the officer what's on the computer. Maybe they were looking at stuff and didn't want to tell anyone.

And they have absolutely no obligation to tell the cops where they were heading or why.

These trigger-happy cops have exposed their ignorance of constitutional law. I hope these guys get a good attorney and I can't wait to see what happens to the cops if they do.

As someone who used to work in a capacity that made me cooperate closely with South Carolina law enforcement, I can tell you that I never met one who understands constitutional law.

My organization had filed a complaint in a small, rural SC county. The officer said he didn't think much was wrong with the situation. I told him that it wasn't really his job to decide that and that it should be left to a judge.

His annoyed response was "I don't know where you get that from." When I replied "The constitution," he seemed genuinely confused.

That situation was not unique.

Once we got a prosecution, I told the sheriff that I supported a stiff penalty, since the primary responsibility of law was to prevent crime and that punishment was the means to the end. He told me he didn't understand.

That being said, I'd like to know more details of this case before forming any opinion on the action of the officers.

[gtalum]

Yet they say the contents of the car were unclear. Sounds like someone jumped the gun.

[artist]

here is the lates - seems they had materials that they said they wre going to make fireworks with. Now - how many of you make your own fireworks? I don't know of anyone!

By Larry Collins
E-mail
There are new details about two Florida college students who are being detained in Berkeley County for having suspicious materials in their car.

Berkeley County Sheriff Wayne Dewitt address members of the media at 11:30 Monday morning.

He filled in some the holes and answered questions concerning the detainment of two men after a traffic stop Saturday night.

Dewitt says deputies pulled over 21 year old Youseff Megahed and 24 year old Ahmed Mohamed for speeding.

Deputies then noticed what are being called suspicious items.

Dewitt says the men told deputies they had items in the car for making fireworks.

They are being held for possession of those items -- some chemicals with the intent to distribute.

Sheriff Dewitt was not able to give much info...

But we now know more about the two men.

Megahed is from Egypt and Mohamed is from Kuwait. Both have addresses in Tampa, Florida and have legal status in the U.S.

When asked about the chance of terrorist activity... Dewitt says he can't be sure... But they have not ruled out they really were only making fire works.

The men are scheduled to appear in bond court today at 4 p.m.

For the latest…watch News Two at Five and Six.

This as of noon time today. From
http://www.wcbd.com/midatlantic/cbd/new ... -0023.html