AP: Charges Dropped in Mich. Cell Phone Case

[Eugene]

Associated Press
Charges Dropped in Mich. Cell Phone Case
09.05.2006, 05:45 PM

A federal judge threw out conspiracy and money laundering charges Tuesday
against three Texas men who originally were accused of planning terrorism,
saying there wasn't enough evidence to bring them to trial.

U.S. District Court Magistrate Charles Binder released Louai Othman, 23,
his brother Adham Othman, 21, and their cousin Maruan Muhareb, 18, all
of Mesquite, Texas, after a preliminary hearing.

The three were arrested Aug. 11 after buying large numbers of prepaid cell
phones at a Wal-Mart store in rural Caro, about 80 miles north of Detroit.
Michigan charges against the men were thrown out last month.

"I guess their ordeal is done," said defense lawyer Abed Ayoub of Dearborn,
who represents the three men.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/09/05/ap2994795.html

[thepurpose]

1. Well time to find some one buying a lot of shampoo to scare everyone with

[C_U_L8R]

2. another "scare" evaporates

how many more phoney baloney "terrorist"
scares will blow up in republicans faces??

Perhaps all of them???

[Rex]

3. So in otherwords, it turned out to be nothing.

Just like everything the BFEE does, nothing, I wish someone would put them in their place.

[gratuitous]

4. But they had funny-soundin' furrin names!

Gol durn activist judges and their Frenchy insistence on "evy-dense."

Well, now that Congress is back in session, we'll get Sen. Specter a-writin' laws so that George can arrest anybody and have them convicted of terrorism before you can say "Clarence Darrow." And it'll be all nice and legal.

[bluestateguy]

5. Make sure you turn to page B18 in the newspaper tomorrow

Cuz that's where you'll have to go to read anything about it.

[Straight Shooter]

6. What a shock.

:sarcasm:

[dipsydoodle]

7. I figured originally they wuz just

makin' a livin'.

[Sherman A1]

8. Sorry wrong number???

or can we say Oops?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

9. U.S. Campaign Produces Few Convictions on Terrorism Charges

Flanked by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, Bush said that "federal terrorism investigations have resulted in charges against more than 400 suspects, and more than half of those charged have been convicted."

-

An analysis of the Justice Department's own list of terrorism prosecutions by The Washington Post shows that 39 people -- not 200, as officials have implied -- were convicted of crimes related to terrorism or national security.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/11/AR2005061100381.html

[Ecumenist]

10. No kidding...

This is something that anyone with one working eye, 3 relatively active brain cells and the IQ of cranberry sauce and turkey gravy could have predicted.

[yellowcanine]

11. Someone really needs to "keep score" on these false "terra" arrests.

Number arrested, charges filed, days until release and charges dropped or thrown out. Compare these to successful prosecutions.

[HuffleClaw]

12. good to hear

its rare that common sense has prevailed in these circumstances.