Third toy found depicting terrorism

From WFTV
KISSIMMEE, Fla. Channel 9 has discovered another controversial toy.

A local mother took a closer look at the toy and realized something wasn't right. It's a toy cell phone with a picture of Osama bin Laden on it with one word above it, "King."

The toy cell phone is tiny, only about two and a half inches long, and the picture of bin Laden is even smaller. But it infuriated a Kissimmee mother.

Channel 9 has discovered there is a connection between this toy and another toy we've told you about.

Two-and-half-year-old Carolina Vega's dad bought her a cellophane package of toys. He saw the doll, colorful sunglasses and lollipops in the package. He did not spot the picture of the most hated man in America.

Carolina's mom noticed it after she found the little cell phone in her car.

"Who would sell this knowing America went through this tragedy? Who would put this on a toy for a kid to play with," she questions.

The girl's father bought the package at a Hispanic grocery store on 17-92 in Polk County. The owner tells Channel 9 he never noticed exactly what the deliveryman was hanging.

A company called El Club Mexicano, based in Ashboro, N.C., packages and distributes the toy packs. A spokesman tells Channel 9 they stopped shipping them two months ago when they discovered the picture of bin laden. They say they received their shipment from L and M Exports in Miami.

You may remember the name. That's the same company that shipped a toy depicting a plane spinning between two identical towers, with the serial number '9011' on each one.

Vega remembers seeing our story on that terror toy. "It just hit me, with the two towers and the airplane and now this. What's going on? What else are we going to find in one of these packages?" she comments.

We called L and M Import and Export on Tuesday. They say they get the phones from China and were unaware of the picture of bin Laden. They plan to recall the toy and stop doing business with the company. It's not clear why that company would put the picture on the phone.

This is the third controversial toy. The first was a toy showing two similar towers with a plane spinning between. It was discovered in an Orange County store. The second was Osama bin Laden between the same two towers, bought in another state. The first two toys were recalled.

Image slideshow of all 3 toys found HERE
Story for second toy can be read HERE
Story of first toy can be found HERE

All I can say is that there are some sick scumbags out there that would even consider manufacturing toys depicting Osama as a hero and making a joke of the WTC disaster!

Wouldn't you think the Company would have noticed this earlier and severed ties with the Chinese company earlier? I think the Company was well aware of what was going on and just wanted to see if anyone noticed and looked forward to the publicity. I don't think any of them are innocent in this.

Jemison

If this hasn't been bad for the business of the manufacturer and the importer, it should be. America is a huge market and the loss of it for either should be a good wake up call.

Hero?


I thought it went too far the last time with the other "Florida Exclusive" though once again the US importers played it off as an unknowing Mexican importer getting them from some Chinese manufacturer.

Plus then we couldn't be "positive" it was intentionally linked to 9/11.

Now it's clear. Someone is putting 9/11 reminders in the hands of Florida children right before the election...for whatever reason, with big exclusive stories coming from WFTV with this caveat:

Copyright 2004 by wftv.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Fine. That explains why this isn't blown open on the national news even after the third toy...but does it really?

The pictures themselves being shown on WFTV websites come from a national news network host. The Internet Broadcasting System: images.ibsys.com...

Scrolling through the last couple images put up alone shows national stories one would think anyone in the network could run:
(What story is that btw?)

An index of all the stations that could be running this story is shown on IBS here: www.ibsys.com...

But it's a WFTV "exclusive" for some reason. WFTV, the leading station in central Florida is owned by Cox Enterprises. The only bigger soft money lobbyist to the government in the cable/broadcast industry are General Electric and Disney. Cox spent $4.5 million between 1999 and 2002 alone seeking to soften monopoly regulation.

On direct contributions they had previously given to both Democrats and Republicans, but I'm having a hard time now finding exact amounts to Kerry and/or Bush for 2004. Any help appreciated.

I said alot of this before when it was just the second story in as many months, but this story #3 is too much in my opinion. Something stinks.

And no it's not "dumb Chinese" that don't get they'll lose money by making anti-American toys. :shk: Either in the placement of these toys through virtually untracable degrees of seperation, or the frequency and localized "breaking" of these constant reminders of 9/11 to Floridians with small children to "protect" something is rotten here.

I don't buy it. Even if it's just as simple as they knew about all three toys with the first story, but leak them like this for maximum impact...it's wrong.

This time the toy went through NC first, but still it's only showing up in Florida in this one TV channel's market. What the hell? Stuff doesn't work like that.

China --> Mexico ---> Florida?

Did the CIA add toys to their ususal drug run?

Why now? It's been three years since 9/11...but now there's an election looming, and China suddenly thought this toy would be funny? Especially in FLORIDA?

I don't buy it.

this is the funniest thing ive ever seen does anybody know if the manufacture had a response

Originally posted by 1Gov
this is the funniest thing ive ever seen does anybody know if the manufacture had a response

Well if someone with a little more gumshoe than this Florida station would investigate it they could get a response, but everyone seems content with this being blasted to the Florida market with no questions asked.

Sick...Sick...Sick...What is this world coming to?

Like a lot of cheap plastic crap that toy was probably made in Pakistan. Pakistanis love UBL, they think he's freaking George Washington.

In my opinion the CIA is playing their mind games with the Americans. They are basically saying that their exalted agent Osama Bin Laden is still out there.

I think it comes down to HOW they even got put on racks in the first place.
If I was opening a box of toys and saw this,or any of them,I would have to question it and let it be known to an upper management person.

My feeling is someone is letting these toys be available for some stupid reason or another.There is no way they can be put on racks without being noticed of

Originally posted by taibunsuu
Like a lot of cheap plastic crap that toy was probably made in Pakistan. Pakistanis love UBL, they think he's freaking George Washington.

You hit the nail on the head!

This makes one wonder though... if this idea is popular enough in the Middle East to make toys of it, what does this say of Arab Muslim popular culture? Maybe that 'silent majority' of Arab Muslims that are anti-terrorism isn't as much of a majority as the West would like to hope...