FBI Says Reported Boston Terror Threat Was a False Alarm

[displacedtexan]

News from Planet Oh Never Mind...

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBDQFQNE4E.html


FBI Says Reported Boston Terror Threat Was a False Alarm

By Brian Carovillano Associated Press Writer
Published: Jan 25, 2005


BOSTON (AP) - The FBI said Tuesday that the possible terrorist plot reported against Boston by a tipster last week was a false alarm. A law enforcement official in Mexico said that a suspected smuggler made the story up to get back at people who failed to pay him.

"There were in fact no terrorist plans or activity under way," an FBI statement said. "Because the criminal investigation is ongoing, no further details can be provided at this time."

Jose Ernesto Beltran Quinones, one of 16 people sought for questioning about the alleged terror plot, was detained over the weekend in Mexicali, a Mexican border town near San Diego. His son, also named Jose, was detained Monday.

According to a law enforcement official there, the two men were involved in smuggling Chinese migrants across the border and told investigators that smugglers had squabbled over a deal, and that one had anonymously called in the false tip to U.S. authorities as revenge. The source, who asked not to be named, did not say which smuggler had made the call.

The official from the Baja California Attorney General's Office said the men told investigators the claim was nothing more than a tall tale.

The two were later released; relatives at their houses told reporters Tuesday that they were not at home.

more at link (above)

[Bunny]

1. Everyone who is surprised by this, please raise your hand!

Could these douchebags be any more transparent? :eyes:

[rocktivity]

2. Where's that smiley for "boring"?

Oh, here it is...

:boring:
rocknation

[displacedtexan]

4. Serious jail time for announcing this is the only solution, IMHO.

This crap has got to stop!

How many frail citizens have been scared to death by this repuke/nazi terror campaign against all US citizens?

[barb162]

7. I am very glad to hear this is a phony story. Let's face it we are not

protecting the borders and anyone can bring anything in.

[Mabus]

10. Who says they have to "get in" the country

Whatever happened to the anthrax investigation (no, not the pie throwing incident where the stick turned sideways and ducked the incoming pie)? Whoever did it tried to make it look like one of those damned foreigners but didn't fool anyone. As far as I know we still have that terrorist on the loose.

Also, Eric Rudolph, the alleged bomber of women's health care and reproductive facilities, should be called a terrorist. He's advocating that the government change its position by causing terror by bombing clinics.

Then there was Timothy McVeigh and his group.

They don't need to get into our country, they are already here.

[barb162]

14. there are some absolute sickos here, agreed. But the people

who did 9/11 were not our own home-grown sickos, like McVeigh etal.

I am a big advocate of tightening up the borders and enforcing immigration laws.

[daleo]

22. I haven't been so surprised since the sun came up this morning. n/t

[Damien]

3. FBI coverup?

Likely, it was an excuse for FBI people to be running around. It's S.O.P. They just say there is something important, then later say they found out it was a bad tip. Really, they were doing something else entirely.

[Demeter]

5. If This Is What Our Tax Dollars Are Buying In Homeland Security

then we are truly worthy of being taken for all we are worth by thisw misAdministration.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. Gee, what'll we cover up the news with next week?

[Bunny]

8. That's exactly the problem.

They cooked this story up last week on the very day the Condi was getting her ass handed to her by Sen. Boxer, didn't they? Weapon of Mass Distraction, anyone?

[Mabus]

12. There so many on the burner

We got Michael Jackson coming up sometime soon, we've Ashcroft investigating the "oil for food-Fox trumped up" scandal, search for new FCC head or time to turn to what those bad British soliders did at Camp Bread Basket to take the heat off any news. And those are just the ones that come to mind.

[rock]

9. Oh. A Boston Terrier threat. That's different.

Nevermind. As Gilda Radner's character (Laticia?) would say.

[katinmn]

11. LOL! Lookie here. They can be terrifying to some I guess

[rock]

13. OK, you made me laugh

LOL

[katinmn]

19. what? not scary enough?

;-)

[Bunny]

17. Miss Emily Litella?

That was a good one!

[tridim]

18. That's what I read first too..

Whaaaaaaa?

[rocktivity]

27. That's Emily Litella to you

:headbang:
rocknation

[Just Me]

15. ",...a suspected smuggler made the story up,..."

and PLANTED IT IN THE NEWS?!?!?!?!

You have GOT to be shittin' me!!! :mad:

Who planted this story in the news? Are they basically admitting that the US government did it,...but are blaming "a suspected smuggler" who "made the story up"?

Give me a break!!! Geez.

[Mabus]

20. was Cat Stevens or Chalibi?

[indepat]

16. No freakin' shit!

[LisaL]

21. Well, who would have thunk?

[WMliberal]

23. hmm, this is a headline that won't get quite the font size

on Drudge that the threat got. Although I'de love to see it: ***Drudge Cried Wolf***

[Nothing Without Hope]

24. Shame on the media and everyone else pushing this programmed panic

I live right across the river from Boston but wasn't afraid, just furious. I knew that this story was a planted lie. Not only was the timing suspicious, but why was something so seemingly secret and with the potential to provoke dangerous publlic panic being blasted from every TV, radio, newspaper, and internet news site? Don't you think they'd try to keep a REAL investigation under wraps?

If there were really a terrorist plot to blow up part of Boston and it became public, the panic to escape the city along the few immediately clogged highways would be disastrous. Total prolonged gridlock. And please, what possible benefit would these blanketing announcements give? None, but many potential harms, the least of which is uselessly terrorizing so many people. When Republican (of course) MA Gov. Mitt Romney described how well he would sleep even in the face of the stories, I felt like hurling. Oh, such a brave Mitt. So manly and Republican and hopefull of ever-higher political office.

This was a terrorist plot all right, but not by FOREIGN extremists. No, they're the home-grown kind. Shame on the media and everyone else pushing this programmed panic.

[Merlot]

25. That's what I thought...if it was a terror plot,

wouldn't it be better to not broadcast it so they could investigate?

Everytime I hear one of these stories I think the gov't is either really stupid or really smart.

[Politicub]

26. I need sleep

I read the headline as Boston Terrier threat! Those little dogs can be vicious indeed.