Ferry plots and Filipino Muslim converts
The FBI is still sifting through hundreds of tips on the two suspicious men in Seattle whom ferry employees witnessed photographing restricted areas and pacing several ferry routes, “as if trying to measure distances,” over the past several weeks.
I have learned that these men have been the subject of much investigative energy within homeland security bureaucracies for quite some time. Indeed, one source told me that until the FBI released the photos of the men, the snapshots had been handled as classified material.
Arab-American and Muslim groups have suggested that the FBI is unfairly profiling Middle Eastern men (even though no one at the FBI has breathed a word about the men’s ethnicity or religion). But as I’ve noted many times in speeches and debates about profiling, if Filipinos were engaging in this same sort of suspicious behavior, I’d want the feds to give them every bit of extra scrutiny they deserve. And I believe they are.
Abu Sayyaf jihadists and other loosely-affiliated al Qaeda off-shoots in the Philippines pose national security risks not just to that country, but to the rest of the free world. Operation Bojinka, the precursor to the 9/11 attacks, was hatched in the Philippines. Ramzi Yousef, the convicted mastermind of the 1993 WTC bombing, trained operatives in the Philippines and set up bases and finances there with Khalid Sheik Mohammed for bin Laden. And as I noted in my first post on the Seattle ferry story on Aug. 21, al Qaeda-linked operatives in the Philippines have targeted ferries before for mass murder and violence.
Those plots and the jihadists behind them are worth a closer look.
Filipino Muslim convert Redendo Cain Dellosa, aka Habil Akmad Dellosa, admitted to carrying out the bombing of a superferry in February 2004 that killed 116 people in Manila Bay. Dellosa had trained under an Indonesian Jemaah Islamiya (JI) instructor in January 2003 in Jolo, Sulu and underwent further explosives training in Buti, Lanao del Su, according to Filipino authorities. Dellosa told police he had carted eight pounds of TNT in a cardboard box onto the ship, concealed it in a TV set in a cabin bunk, and deboarded the ferry before the timed bombing device exploded and partially sunk the vessel. Militant Muslims working for Abu Sayyaf were fingered in another ferry bombing in the Philippines in 2005. Stratfor looks at ferries as jihad targets here.
The Christian Science Monitor and Western Resistance outline the threat of Filipino Muslim converts who have spread from the southern islands to the main island of Luzon, where they blend in with Catholic names. They are part of a larger “Balik Islam” (Return to Islam) movement converting Filipinos in droves to the cause of jihad. Among the prominent Filipino jihadists arrested for terrorist plotting: Rajah Solaiman group founder Ahmed Islam Santos and No. 2 leader Pio Abogne de Vera. Others arrested in airport, mall, and church bombing plots have ties to JI and Abu Sayyaf. Four were apprehended as they got off a ferry in February 2005.
Saudi terror funding has poured into the Philippines through charity front groups. The financial interconnectivity is explored in more detail here.
Behind every picture, there’s a bigger picture. Behind the FBI photo of the suspicious Seattle ferry riders, there may be many more dots to be connected than are immediately obvious to the public.
In other words: Keep your eyes wide open. And as always, if you see something, say something.
CAIR or whatever grievance group be damned.
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- Michelle Malkin » Found: The men on the Washington ferries
- Seattlepi scores in decision to not publish photos of two men who looked Middle Eastern « A FAITHful voice
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Categories: Jihadists, Racial profiling
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Ditto if it were blonde, pale Nordic types of full Scandinavian blood.
(Speaking as a blonde, pale Nordic type of full Scandinavian blood.)
Exactamundo!!!!
Then there was the Abu Sayyaf auxiliary program operating out of San Jose, California, that got busted this month. This guy was sending equipment to his brother– Abu Sayyaf’s commander–in the Philippines and giving him details about attempts to catch him.
Actually I think these guys are Malaysian, but still the point stands–keep your eyes peeled.
Remember! In this war against Islamic Faciets,we must all be John Does!Don’t be intimidated by the media,and those al-Qeada loving slugs,in congress.
And the muslims are complaining before we even know what ethnicity and or religion these guys are.
So speak up and let em seethe and whine.
If behavior is suspicious, then the burden of proof is on the accuser to prove that an inquiring law enforcement agent made the decision to observe or follow-up because they were of a specific ethnic group.
The behavior in question regarding the ferries, I hope, would have been deemed suspicious if a pair of 21 year old caucasian frat boys were doing the same things.
I hope our law enforcement agents are using the behavior patterns to isolate suspects.
No one can help the *FACT* that most of the individuals demonstrating this behavior are Muslims and share certain ethnic body type characteristics.
But who in their right mind can claim that if you look a certain way, such as our friends in South Carolina or in Washington, you must be Muslim. Our law enforcement agents aren’t; I hope.
CAIR is easily beaten back with the facts of the case. Law enforcement should put way out ahead of CAIR’s interference something like this- “These two individuals were observed by witnesses to be doing x, doing y, and doing z. Since the time the observations were made, it has come to our attention that said individual(s) is a practitioner of Islam, making s/he a Muslim. We did not know this at the time the conclusions were made about this individual(s) behavior being suspicious. What we did know is what witnesses corroborated as “suspicious behavior” given the nature of terrorist activity. Therefore, how can we have singled them out?”
Islam is a religion, not a race. Therefore, there can be no racial profiling.
We need to establish some clear lines of communication with the judiciary and with quisling civil rights attorneys: if you bring this kind of “profiling” argument when it comes to Islam and terror suspects, there will be no play on it.
“…grievance group be damned” We are at war, dude.
An innocent person / persons would have come forward by now, dont ya think?
It’s really bad over there in the Philippines. The population is about 80% Catholic and about 3% muslim, but the Jihadist overwhelmingly control the lower islands. The poverty rate in those part of the Islands is 80%, because Businesses are afraid to go into the lower islands due to Terrorist’s threats. The safest place for Tourists to go is the Metro Manila area or Business District…
Dont tell this to my Dentist, Anna Sobrero her brother was beheaded by the dirtbags over there leaving behind a 7 year old daughter at the time.
As soon as it is real Asians, the MSM list the country they are from. What is wrong with this picture.
Historians will scribe favorably about blog discussions where Americans shared ideas and then put them into practice on how to fight against Islamic Jihad.
They will not pass.
Being an equal opportunity offender, a follower of the High Priest of the Church of the Painful Truth, I don’t give a rat’s rear what color, nationality, faith or foot-tapper a person is. If they are suspiciously stepping things out or in a place they shouldn’t be, CHECK THEM OUT!
As an author of fiction, I sometimes step out distances and make photos of unusual places and ask some very strange questions. Luckily God gave me sense enough to let someone in charge, or in authority, know what I’m doing. If I don’t find anyone to inform, I fully expect confrontation, if they see me acting questionably.
If the actions of these clowns were truly innocent, they would have come forward by now. I think we will see them again – probably in connection with an imminent plot.
People wonder why we have such a formidable presence in the Pacific. “Oh we are sooooo stretched militarily.”
Never let the enemy know how strong we really are.
The Phillipines will have to be cleaned out eventually.
WWIII it is.
I have an 8 year old daughter in the Philippines and have kept an eye on the activities from the Muslim groups there for about 9 years now, well before one was “linked to al-qaeda.”
The islands of Basilan and Mindanao are the problem areas. If you are white, American or a missionary there, you could be a target. Who in their right mind would go there knowing of the problems?
The U.S. armed forces have been invited to help with the training of Filipino soldiers to resolve the issues there, but the problem is the Filipino soldiers are not qualified to erradicate the Abu-Sayyaf (Michele’s article above mentions nothing of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)circa 1981 or the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) circa early 70’s, who have a much longer history of activism ever since the Christians (Catholics) came to settle their land. This is where the conflict started years earlier.
If the Philippine government is serious about getting rid of the radical Abu-Sayyaf group, then they should call for all individuals (Muslim and Christian) to go to one side of the island(s) and anyone who doesn’t obey can stay on the other side of the island and napalm the dissodents and “let God sort em out” (U.S. Army motto).
It would at least save a few heads of the soldiers in the Philippine army.
By the way, I feel very safe in Metro Manila, Cebu and most other places. One should feel safer there with the potential of Abu-Sayyaf activity than at a Raiders home football game here in California.
Every country has their issues.
I think these two rats (pictured above) have gone to ground. But destructive people like them are generally impatient, eventually they will make a break for the border and will get nabbed. There is no doubt in my mind, they will be caught.
Daniel Pipes says it very well.
1) Not all Muslims are terrorists, but unfortunately most terrorists are Muslims.
2) Radical Islam is the problem. Moderate Islam is the solution.
Moderate Muslims should be DELIGHTED that we are trying to find these two people. If they are involved with a plot to bomb people, innocent Muslims will be just as dead as innocent Jews, Chrisitans, etc.
It cannot be about soothing feelings. I has to be about saving lives, because dead people feel nothing.
http://blacktygrrrr.wordpress.com/2007/05/09/ethnic-profiling-screw-feelings-i-want-to-live/
Respectfully,
eric
STILL waiting for “the community” to convince these fine young men to come forward.
Remain vigilant.
The only Filipino terrorists to kill Americans on American soil were agents of Ferdinand Marcos, who with the cooperation of the US government assassinated Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes in Seattle in 1981. Tony Baruso and Tony Dictado, Jimmy Ramil, and Ben Guloy are still in prison for those murders.
Have there been others?
I’m probably misquoting Mark Steyn from his book “America Alone”. But not too too bad. Anyway, he gets the credit for the gist.
At a crossroads, lies a $20 bill. On one road looking at the bill is a Radical Muslim, on the other is a Moderate Muslim, on the other stands Santa Claus, and on the other stands the Easter Bunny.
Who gets the $20 bill? The Radical Muslim of course. The other 3 are myths.
aj crying his eyes out hearing Santa is a myth.
Bear,
I am not saying Mark Steyn stole that from me, because…1) There is no original thought…2) Marlk Steyn is an intellectual titan…However…
I remarked that for those looking for Moderate Muslims, they are playing in my Thursday night poker game in my living room with the Easter bunny and my pet unicorn.
eric
http://www.blacktygrrrr.wordpress.com
I’m really sorry to hear what happen to your Dentist’s brother. If you followed the politics over there it’s getting really bad over there. The leftist groups or the Communist party wants the US out of there even though we’re helping and training the PH Marines to fight the Islamic Terrorists in their country. I guess they don’t care that 15 of their Marines were beheaded by the savages…
MM,
Thanks for the links to: “PHILIPPINES TERRORISM: THE ROLE OF MILITANT ISLAMIC CONVERTS” and the “Operation Bojinka” The report was very informative. Nobody covers this stuff like you. This is why I tune in.
Eric- you are scream.
I agree everything you said but the problem is the Leftist groups and the Communist Party in their country wants appeasement from the Islamic Terrorists. It seems to me that the leftist groups only care about is over throwing their sitting President and put Estrada back in power instead of fighting Islamic Terrorism and bring ecomnomic prosperity to the Flipino people…
I keep hearing this rumour that moderate muslims exist but haven’t found any concrete evidence for it yet….but I’m still looking.
The “Why they hate us” myth…….
Zone,
I am tired of my people being the victim of discrimination.
I wear a silver and black badge of honor.
I am a Raider.
The Raider Nation came to America to like everybody else, and we are tired of being profiled because of our warpaint.
eric
OT- eric, good luck tonight you’re going to need it.
Our third string may hurt you guys.
I am supposed to move to the Philippines soon..such great news.
Opps! I agree with everthing “Fed Up” said except for “The Raider Nation” comment even though everyone knows that the Raider’s SUCK!
It’s a beautiful culture and country. You should be safe if you’re living in the Main Island of Metro Manila, Makati City or Quezon City.
eric,
the Raiders comment was a personal experience I had in Los Angeles at the Collesium…perhaps I should take some of the blame as I was dressed in my Chicago Bears colors (with 200 others)…and that didn’t go over too well with the locals…We were lucky…only one arrest.
The Bears have more calendar losses in 2007 than the Raiders, 1 to 0.
Actually the Raiders have not lost a game in February in years.
Anyway, I did not mean to hijack (poor choice) this thread, I was being reactive.
All I know is the reason why Condoleeza Rice is higher up on my “no way in heck but a guy can dream” list than Double-M is because while Double-M has many fine qualities, Condi is obsessed with the NFL.
eric
aka the Tygrrrr Express
and yet the FBI asks for assistance and the PI shows them the door. Unreal.
We must maintain vigilance. Q. Do you know how the Statue of Liberty got AIDS? A. From the Staten Island Ferry.
The Philippines is considerably safer than the MSM’s portrait. (So is Israel.) Muslim activity is concentrated in western Mindanao and the islands to the southwest. Luzon and the Visayas (large central islands) are safe. As with visiting any country, the general rule is, if you don’t go looking for trouble, the odds are you won’t find any.
The only Filipino terrorists to kill Americans on American soil were agents of Ferdinand Marcos, who with the cooperation of the US government assassinated Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes in Seattle in 1981. Tony Baruso and Tony Dictado, Jimmy Ramil, and Ben Guloy are still in prison for those murders. Have there been others?
>
Yes. Martin Burnham and his wife Gracia were held captive by Abu S. group. they were missionaries. Martin was subsequently killed when the army confronted the group. You may try to argue that Abu S didn’t kill them. when they took their freedom they were responsible for anything that followed.
I am moving to Quezon City so I feel a little better about it now.
For some reason, when I heard about these guys poking around the Seattle ferries, it made me think of the Super Ferry that’s scheduled to make its first run in Hawaii in September. Hello? Is anyone in intelligence listening? What better way to strike at the heart and economy of America than to blow up a ferry full of tourists in America’s favorite tourist destination?
Basically I don’t “CAIR” if Muslims are offended by close scrutiny of Middle Eastern men acting strangely aboard shuttles….