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- Terrorists and Traffic Cops - Scary
Terror and Traffic
February 2002, a rural Deputy Sheriff patrolling I-70 in Utah seized $300,000 as the result of a traffic stop involving an undocumented Jordanian citizen. Authorities believe the suspect is an Al Qaida member operating in the US.
February 2002, an Omaha Police Officer conducted a routine traffic stop on I-80 involving two Jordanian citizens. Suspicious of the occupants' travel accounts, the officer forwards the information to a federal agency.
Days later, one occupant is indicted for funneling millions of dollars in drug proceeds to overseas middle-east terror organizations.
December 1999, a Klamath Falls Oregon Police Officer conducts a traffic stop on an individual later found to be an Al Qaida operative living in the U.S.
April 1995, an Oklahoma State Trooper arrested an individual for driving with a suspended license and carrying a concealed weapon. The suspect, Timothy McVeigh, was in the process of fleeing Oklahoma after blowing up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building with a truck bomb.
May 2002, Nevada State Troopers arrested mailbox pipe-bomb terrorist Lucas Helder in Reno. Police in Fowler Colorado, Watonga Oklahoma, and St.
Edwards Nebraska had previously stopped Helder, only to let him go.
Helder is reported to have driven through Omaha and stayed briefly in a hotel mere miles outside of town.
December 1999, uniformed US Customs agents conducted a stop on a vehicle in Port Angeles Washington. Agents arrested an Algerian man who was in possession of more than 100 lbs of powerful explosives. The suspect was en route to the Los Angeles International Airport where he planned to explode a devastating car bomb during the New Years Eve Millennium celebration.
September 9th 2001, a Maryland State Trooper conducted a traffic stop on a rental vehicle speeding northbound on I-95. The Trooper issues a $270 speeding ticket. The driver, Ziad Jarrah, was en route to the Newark, New Jersey International Airport where he would eventually hijack an airplane and crash it into the World Trade Center.
August 2002, a police officer in Arlington Virginia conducted a traffic stop on a speeding New Jersey plated van. The driver, Hani Hanjour, presented the officer with a Florida driver's license. Days later, the driver hijackacked an airplane and crashed it into the Pentagon.
July 2002, Police in Tamarc Florida ticketed a man during a traffic stop for having an invalid license. The driver, Mohamed Atta, disregarded the summons and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Days later, Atta was stopped again in a nearby town. Officers are unaware of the warrant and Atta was issued a warning. Months later, Atta, the suspected ringleader of a group of hijackers, takes control of an airplane and crashes it into the World Trade Center.
Folks... are you starting to see a trend here? The facts speak for themselves. When the terrorists find ways to slip through the cracks of the FBI and CIA, there is one last potential line of defense between them and their victims. That last line of defense is the uniformed cruiser officer.
Be aggressive, be proactive and be observant. Treat every traffic stop as if it is "the traffic stop". Don't let anybody make you feel like you are "just a cruiser cop". You are the most critical and effective anti-terrorism tool this nation has. Whether I personally know you or not, you are all truly my heroes. Stay safe brother and sisters, and be ever vigilant to keep our nation safe as well.
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
"Benjamin Franklin
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