Any updates on the Miami 7? Anywhere?

[Erika]

You know that "terrorist cell" that Alberto Gonzales held a press conference on touting his intelligence capabilities?

[Yollam]

1. Here's a piece from the Miami Herald...

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/columnists/14908870.htm

Some 'terrorists' are more error than terror
BY FRED GRIMM
[e-mail]
Virgil Griffin pumped gas.

Grand Wizard Griffin also led a terrorist cell of rural, middle-school dropouts left behind by the new economics and changing societal attitudes of the late 1970s. They would have been nobodies except they formed their own Ku Klux Klan klavern and spiced up their mundane lives with grandiose titles. They became exalted cyclops and grand klegals.

They harbored illusions that their band of no-account North Carolina rednecks could foment a race war that would rip America apart. They wallowed in the fearsome reputation of the KKK. But at their trial in Greensboro, N.C., Virgil Griffin's terrorists struck me as a pathetic clique of disaffected losers.

I've been thinking about Griffin since the FBI busted Narseal Batiste last week, calling him the leader of a Liberty City cell of misanthropic terrorists.

Batiste called himself Prince Manna, when he wasn't Brother Naz.

His adherents, named in the federal indictment, went by Brother Rot, Brother Pat, Brother Sunni, Brother Levi, Brother B and Brother Naudy.

The FBI said Batiste swore allegiance to al Qaeda (not that al Qaeda had heard of Prince Manna), and talked of blowing up federal office buildings and the Chicago Sears Tower, and of waging jihad on America.

But Batiste and his gang seemed long on talk, short on substance.

[Erika]

3. A group of terrorists who weren't

Yet Alberto Gonzales held a press conference? It seems like our intelligence community continues in a shamble.

Thanks.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. well, there's this...

from yesterday...

Lawyers, Activists Question Govt’s Case Against Alleged Miami Terrorists
Date: Tuesday, June 27, 2006
By: Jackie Jones, Special to BlackAmericaWeb.com

Last week's news that seven black men had been arrested in Miami on terrorism charges faded from the headlines as quickly as it landed. The group, it turns out, had no contacts with any terrorist groups; no explosives, few resources, and its leader sought such basic equipment as boots and uniforms from a federal informant.

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/bawnews/terrorists627


and this from 4 days ago...

June 24, 2006
Miami Terrorists UPDATE

Relatives of the suspected members of a Miami terror cell accuse federal prosecutors of making up a bogus case based on flimsy evidence.
http://www.klfy.com/Global/story.asp?S=5075307


and this opinion..

Wannabe terrorists: 'Threat' laughable
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Take a look at the lineup of the seven Miami men ("Emerging threat calls U.S. home," June 24) charged with -- what? Being terrorists? Fomenting terrorism? a gaggle of sad sacks.

Our government, in its wisdom, spends our taxpayer dollars to infiltrate cells of disaffected losers and then claims to uncover evil in our midst. These guys look as though they could use jobs paying $12 an hour, with health insurance and two weeks' paid vacation. Instead, prosecutors will spend millions to try them, hoping to see them sentenced to 15 or 20 years in prison for thinking bad thoughts.
http://www.oregonlive.com/letters/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1151454336224080.xml&coll=7


Is that what you meant? :evilgrin:

[Erika]

5. It doesn't seem our intelligence is getting any better?

No wonder OBL is still loose after all these years, and after all the deaths of our troops.

[Hobarticus]

7. Osama, who?

That name rings a bell...

[RagingInMiami]

4. When I went o the meeting on Monday

The plan was to put together a press conference on Thursday because on one of the suspects was scheduled to appear in court on Friday.The plan was to balance the information battle with the media.

But I noticed today by reading the news that one of the suspects had appeared in court already, two days before schedule. Now I can't find the article, so go figure. It was an AP article in the Sun-Sentinel.

I will keep you posted.

[Erika]

6. Thanks

We need to follow this through.

[RagingInMiami]

8. I agree

I'm already part of it.