TA-INDIVIDUALS: Hamas Operative Arrested for Videotaping the Bay Bridge

A Virginia resident who is also a high-level member of Hamas was arrested Friday in Maryland when he was videotaping the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. He is not being charged for any wrongdoing in Maryland, but was name in an indictment as a "co-conspirator" in Chicago, because of his part in a conspiracy to illegally finance terrorist acts in Isreal. For those who are not familiar with the Bay Bridge it is a 4.3 mile bridge that connects Annapolis MD to the Eastern Shore of MD (Ocean City). The bridge carries nearly 65,000 vehicles per day, and up to 3,784 at one time (that's if it was bumper to bumper traffic on the bridge at one given time).



It seems to me that they need to focus on why he was videotaping the Bay Bridge. I am a MD resident and would love to know whether or not they were planning to blow the bridge up before I decide to go to Ocean City this weekend

[edit on 8-25-2004 by Valhall]

It's routinely packed with cars every single weekend when people travel across it for the mad dash to go to the beaches. There are actually two bridges side by side with one span being somewhat older than the other. Seems unlikely that it would be hit on the weekends as there is not as much media attention on a Saturday morning to be had.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge seems like an odd target to me. The Wilson Bridge connecting VA and MD on the Capitol Beltway would be a much more devestating target

Anyhow, the family aparently had several videotapes in their car with images of the bridge supports and other structures (as reported by WRC 4).

Have fun in OC...

[edit on 25-8-2004 by RedBalloon]

Originally posted by RedBalloon
Seems unlikely that it would be hit on the weekends as there is not as much media attention on a Saturday morning to be had.

I think an attack would spur the news companys into action... Do you think not? I would imagine that an attack would happen when the attackers thought it was going to be most busy. No matter this "media coverage" your talking about.

Originally posted by HumptyDumpty
I think an attack would spur the news companys into action... Do you think not? I would imagine that an attack would happen when the attackers thought it was going to be most busy. No matter this "media coverage" your talking about.

Well there are many more people at home on a weekday than weekends, and nothing makes people more paranoid and afraid than sharing conspiracy and fear stories at work with their co-workers. News spreads much faster when people are around you to pass the word along. I'm not saying it would have no impact, and of course news companies would jump right on it. Terrorism is about fear, not just the bodycount.

RedBalloon I see your point. Terrorism is about striking fear into someone. And you're not going to get that out there if alot of people are out all day on Saturday just doing # and then get home at 9 and find out that the Bay Bridge got bombed.

On 9/11 it was so terrorising because we watched it happen.

But everyone makes good points.

The maggott is now screaming racial profiling. According to breaking news his video revealed that he was filiming structual components of the bridge. Individuals like this are using our own legal system against you and I.

Racial profiling...

At the very least this man has financial ties to an organization that has vocally expressed hatred for America and desires its destruction. He wasn't filming the pretty scenery off the side of the bridge, he was filming it's structural features.

He wasn't arrested because he's an Arab he was arrested because he's a psychotic hateful person with murderous intentions who was unfortunate enough to get caught. Too bad. That's one less person with intent to kill that we have to worry about.

He was arrested after two off-duty Baltimore County police officers noticed a man in a passing SUV videotaping the bridge.

If nothing else, he could always be charged with reckless driving.

The sad thing about this is, I used to take pictures of bridges, and other engineered structures. The support structures of a bridge can be an interesting photographic subject for man reasons. aesthetic, historical, technical etc. Unfortunately, that is harder to do these days.

On the other hand, I do find this individual's actions suspicious. I doubt that he is an engineering student.


[edit on 26-8-2004 by HowardRoark]

Howard hit the nail on the head there. If the guy was an architect student or an engineering student fine. No one would care. But as someone with financial ties, and possibly more, to an organization who would love to blow up a bridge I simply do not see any saving grace for him here.

Ya know... The more I think about it, I don't get why terrorists in general would need so many pictures of landmarks. Ahem... landmarks. I did a google search, and the very first link returned was full of pictures of the bridge and supports etc. www.roadstothefuture.com... There are even links with photos of the construction.

Can you imagine what's available on real landmarks like the Golden Gate or Brooklyn Bridge? Who needs a video camera when you can watch the History channel and watch how it was built and hear about all of its security features.