Terror Link Downplayed in Courthouse Break-In

[Harsh_77 716]

http://news.yahoo.com/5-foreign-nationals-held-texas-court-break-140920895.html

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Five foreign nationals were arrested Wednesday after a break-in at a county courthouse in San Antonio and investigators found 90-day visas, maps, cell phones and computers inside a rented RV parked outside, authorities said.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Five men in their twenties, described as French-Moroccan Muslims, are being questioned by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and by officials of the Department of Homeland Security after they were arrested inside the 120 year old Bexar County Courthouse in downtown San Antonio shortly before 2 this morning, 1200 WOAI news reports.

Officials say three of the men crawled through a window to get into the 120 year old Courthouse, which is a landmark in downtown San Antonio, and theother two were found in a van parked in front of the building.

Inside the van, officials say they found "photographs of infrastructure" including photos of shopping malls, water systems, courthouses and other public buildings which they say were taken in cities nationwide.

"They got travel documents, parking passes, they have been all over the country," one law enforcement officials who asked not to be identified told 1200 WOAI's Michael Board on the scene. "A lot of photographic equipment, a lot of documentation equipment inside their vehicle."

Officials say the five men entered the country legally on visas from Heathrow Airport in London. They didn't immediately know how long the men have been in the U.S., or what places they may have visited.

CLICK HERE for Photo Gallery from the Scene

Officials immediately blocked off a two square block area of downtown San Antonio around the Courthouse, and bomb sniffing dogs fanned out throughout the building. About two hours later, the streets were reopened, indicating nothing dangerous was found in the building.

"They are going to be held for interrogation by the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the joint terrorism task force," the law enforcement source said.

The men are described as in their early twenties. One law enforcement official said the men told him they climbed to the fourth floor of the courthouse at 2AM "to get a better view of the city."

There is a military intelligence convention underway at the city's Convention Center several blocks away, with top intelligence officials including White House officials set to speak, but investigators didn't say whether there was any connection.

Investigators were tight lipped about the incident this morning.

http://radio.woai.com/cc-common/mainheadlines3.html?feed=119078&article=9273355

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Good. Terrorism is terrorism, no matter who indulges in it.

[sandinista! 1,816]

Bexar County Courthouse Break-In May Have Been Prank

SAN ANTONIO -- Five foreign nationals accused of breaking into the Bexar County Courthouse early Wednesday morning may have been playing a prank, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said.

During a news conference, Wolff said surveillance video from inside the courthouse showed some of the men wearing sombreros and waving a court gavel. Wolff said the men appeared to be having a good time.

"I don't think we know at this time still yet what their motives are," Wolff said. "It was a very unusual event to happen. They certainly didn't steal anything because they didn't take anything out of the courthouse."

Bexar County Sheriff Amadeo Ortiz said the men, who may be of Morracan descent, didn't speak much English but were cooperating with the help of translator. An earlier report that two of the men were on the FBI's watch list hasn't been confirmed, officials said.

When deputies responded to a burglary alarm at 1 a.m., they found two of the men walking outside the building, sheriff's officials said.

Sheriff's officials determined that the men broke into the building through a door on the fourth floor, sheriff's officials said. Three men were located inside the building and two were found outside near a recreational vehicle, which contained several documents and proof the men had been traveling across the country for some time, sheriff's officials said.

there's a link in the story to view pictures of the guys arrested, they look intoxicated. their moroccan-ness doesn't appear to make this any more than trespassing, intoxicated dumba$$es making fools of themselves. the items found in the rv sound like items carted around like the tourists they are, not terrorists. "water systems"-what, a fountain? photos taken at wild waves? http://www.ksat.com/news/29526902/detail.html

[Ban Hammer 12,900]

duplicate topics have been merged.

[TBoneTX 43,493]

On the late news tonight, a Fed said that they were not terrorists and were probably drunk.

[wayno 9]

"Inside the van, officials say they found "photographs of infrastructure" including photos of shopping malls, water systems, courthouses and other public buildings which they say were taken in cities nationwide."

Um! A prank??? Maybe they were just having a good ol drunkin time----while seeing how easy it would be to enter said facilities. We all carry around photos of infastructure and water systems, don't we?

[sandinista! 1,816]

You had best call your local FBI office with your lingering suspicions.

Anyways, I've had the unfortunate experience of having to sit through even more boring tourist photos. And been left wondering why on earth people would take pictures of the things they do while on vacation. It's excruciating. People take pictures of Portland's water systems all the time-we (stupidly) have completely uncovered drinking water reservoirs, that are actually kind of pretty. I've seen plenty of people take pictures of them though.

[slim 1,514]

OMG, brown dudes with maps and stuff. TERRORISTS!!!!

Early 20s on 90 day visas traveling the country taking pictures. Maybe they're just on vacation? They're driving around in a rental RV from place to place taking pictures along they way. But OMG, they're brown!

Right on time for getting the threat level back up. We haven't had a good terror threat in a while. We'd hate to see Homeland Security or the TSA or some other agency's funding dry up and disappear, wouldn't we?

We all carry around photos of infastructure and water systems, don't we?

Ever stopped by the Hoover dam? How about the Mall of America? Vegas strip? A big huge bridge over any river in America?

All that is infrastructure yet it's all stuff normal people take pictures of on their vacation. I do. You do. We all do. These guys probably did too.

[luckytxn 2,263]

Saw a short vid of them online. I had to laugh at how they looked in the sombrero's and running around drunkenly.

[slim 1,514]

Saw a short vid of them online. I had to laugh at how they looked in the sombrero's and running around drunkenly.

They must've learned that tactic in Pakistan.

[luckytxn 2,263]

They must've learned that tactic in Pakistan.

What? Run around drunkenly with silly hats?

[slim 1,514]

What? Run around drunkenly with silly hats?

Yep. That and all their other "terrorist training."

[ScramJet 35]

They look a bit inbred don't they? Ugly dumbasses

http://www.ksat.com/...902/detail.html

Edited October 20, 2011 by ScramJet