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FBI Official: We're Not Looking at Iran in JFK Plot
An FBI official who declined to be named tells TPMmuckraker that the JFK bomb plotters aren't connected to any international terrorist organizations or other foreign powers. "They were not associated with anyone else," the official says.
Over the weekend, reports out of Trinidad -- where Abdul Nur, the fourth suspect in the plot, surrendered to authorities yesterday -- suggested that the FBI had told Trinidad's Police Special Branch to look at the plotters' connections to Shiite terrorist groups, including those based in Iran and southern Iraq. The Trinidad & Tobago Express quoted sources in the Police Special Branch saying they were looking at whether alleged conspirator Kareem Ibrahim "has links to radical Shia groups in the Middle East" based on information provided to them by the FBI. That's not the case, according to the official.
While the FBI official wouldn't comment on the bureau's "partnerships with a variety of law enforcement and intelligence agencies," he added, "I think they were stretching," referring to the paper's sources in the Special Police Branch. If Trinidadian officials are in fact looking for Middle East connections to the JFK plot, they may be digging a dry hole. The plotters "may have been looking for help, and people to talk to, but I don't think they had much success," the official says.
Comments (8)
LTO wrote on June 6, 2007 10:01 AM:Pure FUD. That's all this ever was.
Code word "judge", as in what judge would indict?
JNagarya wrote on June 6, 2007 10:25 AM:I think it's yet another of Rove's efforts to terrorize We the people, and distract from the mountain of elephantine scandals in the room.
SC = rule. As in, Rove's rule is that there are no rules.
Michael Lafferty wrote on June 6, 2007 10:26 AM:As a former military police officer, military intelligence officer and civilian law enforcement officer who worked in the eleventh largest metropolitan agency in the nation, I can reasonably assure you that this entire matter has been blown completely out of proportion. Were it not for the apparent criminal intent of these pitiful plotters, the matter would be laughable. It appears to be on par with the fanciful antics of cartoon villains, and had absolutely no chance of achieving the apparent goals of those accused of planning this 'attack.'
The commentary provided to date by the deputy US Attorney seems to indicate that she is practically unhinged. And, certainly uninformed. Even if the matter ever reaches trial—which strikes be as doubtful, based solely upon the coverage I have seen of the story—the case will be taken apart by experts examining the exaggerated claims announced following the initial arrests. The degree of coverage of the plot by the media is way out of proportion to any degree to which it might have represented any real danger to the populace of Queens or the travelers who pass through the JFK airport facility. Mayor Michael Bloomberg quite possibly said it best when he described the irrational response in a press conference, saying "There are lots of threats to you in the world. You have a much greater danger of being hit by lightning than being struck by a terrorist."
gcs wrote on June 6, 2007 10:28 AM:I just adore these weak denials that just happen to conflate two ideas in people's heads. How long before the nattering bobbleheads on the teevee start repeating the connection that (whisper) isn't there until people end up believing these wannabe terrorists are actually Iranian?
Instructions for bombing Iran: Say JFK and Iran in the same sentence. Toss in a weak denial. Repeat indefinitely.
Matt wrote on June 6, 2007 10:41 AM:gcs, I flipped by "Hannity's America" on Sunday night (I don't know why) and he was already pushing the Iranian connection hard.
gcs wrote on June 6, 2007 11:04 AM:In that case, Matt, Hannity ought to be "embedded" with the first wave of ground troops into Iran if he's so gung-ho about helping Cheney start Armaggedon.
jeffgee wrote on June 6, 2007 11:45 AM:This "attack" would have been much more complicated than the 9/11 plot was. Obtaining the quantity of explosives necessary to blow up even one part of the fuel distribution system would have been beyond the capabilities of these bozos. Jet fuel needs air to burn. Pipelines don't catch fire easily.
Richard L. Adlof wrote on June 6, 2007 1:15 PM:Coordinating a lot of operatives would have been beyond these guys' abilities.
The Iran connection sounds like an attempt by the Cheney contingent to find a reason to start bombing Iran.
Yet another "File under no duh" that will be spun the opposite direction by Hannity, Limbaugh and O'Reily tomorrow.
Is there drinking game for this, yet? Could some one e-mail me the rules?