Jewish Militant Arrested in L.A. Bomb Plot Slideshows AP Photo Jewish Defense League By Sarah Tippit LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The chairman of the militant Jewish Defense League and a follower have been arrested in an alleged plot to bomb a major Los Angeles area mosque and the office of a Republican California congressman, among other targets, federal officials said on Wednesday. JDL Chairman Irv Rubin, 56 and group member Earl Krugel, 59, who were arrested on Tuesday night, were charged with conspiring to bomb the King Fahd Mosque in the Los Angeles suburb of Culver City, the offices of Southern California Congressman Darrell Issa, who is the grandson of Lebanese immigrants and the Muslim Public Affairs Council office in the Mid-Wilshire section of Los Angeles. ``Last night's arrests confirm that we meant what we said: if you cross the line from expressing your political or religious beliefs to committing violent acts against those whose beliefs are offensive to you, then you will likely end up facing federal prosecution on charges carrying extremely long prison sentences,'' said John Gordon, U.S. Attorney for California's Central District. The two men face one count each of conspiring to destroy a building by means of an explosive and possession of a destructive device during and in relation to a violent crime, according to an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. If convicted each could face 35 years in prison. THIRD MAN TURNED INFORMER Officials said the two men plotted with a third, a former JDL member, to make and detonate bombs. The third man, who was approached last October told authorities of the plot, officials said. No bombs were detonated and no one was injured. A complaint against the two men said that Krugel told the informant the bombings were necessary because ``Arabs need a wake-up call.'' At that meeting Rubin added that the JDL needs to let people know they are ``alive in a militant way.'' The complaint added that the unnamed source was asked to photograph the Muslim Public Affairs Council and help purchase bomb components and that Krugel said he would build the bombs at his residence. The source would then place the explosives. When the source asked Krugel how the bombings might affect human beings, he allegedly said: ``C'est la vie,'' Gordon said. ``The affidavit makes clear their primary motivation was to ... terrorize Muslims or Arabs and alert the national if not the local community to JDL's commitment to attack those targets,'' Gordon said. The source told officials he was led to believe one bomb was to be placed in the offices of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). He arrived at Jerry's Famous Deli in the Los Angeles suburb of Encino with 5 pounds (2.2 kg) of explosive powder in his vehicle ready for delivery to Krugel. The MPAC, which also has a Washington, D.C. office, describes itself as a public service agency working for the civil rights of American Muslims. TARGETS CHANGED AT MEETING However at the deli meeting the two men said they had changed their targets and bombs were instead to be placed at the Culver City mosque and Issa's office. Gordon said he believed Issa, a Christian American of Lebanese descent, was targeted because he made statements the JDL disagreed with. There was no specific time frame for when the bombs were to be detonated, however they were expected to be set off ``in the near future. Things were fluid,'' Gordon said. Issa was not made aware of the plot because authorities only learned of it moments before the arrests, Gordon said. Because the informant wore a wire when he met the two men, federal agents followed and arrested them a short time later. A search of Krugel's Reseda, California house turned up bomb making materials including caps, pipes and fuses and a dozen firearms. The bombs were adequate to cause ``considerable damage'' to the areas where they were to be detonated and possibly death to people in the vicinity, officials said. Issa, who appeared at a press conference Wednesday flanked by several Jewish congressmen, thanked law enforcement officials for their quick action and said he had ``no way of knowing'' why he had been a target of the JDL. ``Like most Americans, my hope and wish is for a peaceful resolution to the Middle East conflict. Unfortunately, there are extremists on both sides who oppose a peaceful resolution.'' ``I describe myself as an American,'' he said, when asked about his ethnic background. ``I'm an American, somebody who served in the military both as an enlisted man and as an officer, who does have an Arabic surname.'' He said he had grown up in a Jewish neighborhood. Several Jewish congressmen stood by him and denounced the Jewish Defense League and urged prosecution of the suspects. ``This is a small group of wackos,'' said Rep. Gary Ackerman (news - bio - voting record), a New York Democrat. ``They get more attention than they deserve but they can't get more punishment than they deserve.'' The JDL was founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was assassinated in New York in 1990. Prior to his death he founded the extremist KACH party in Israel which advocated the expulsion of all Arabs from Israel and Israeli-occupied territories. The party was later outlawed.
A Terrorist Attempt foiled in California Foiled??? Sounds Like Pretty Important News.....yet its not even on the front page of any newspaper, web-site etc. I'm sure if it was a Muslim "Plot" to bomb a Jewish Temple and a congressmen and the AIPAC office it would be on the cover of every paper in this country. I don't believe in the the Grand Jewish Conspiracy, but I do believe there is a strong bias against muslims in the media.
RockMillenium, Read the Article, 1.) The word "TERRORISM" is never used. 2.) A Terrorist Plot in the US to Murder a Congressman, destroy a religious building and a political action committee office, and its on page 3 of Yahoo??? 3.) "The two men face one count each of conspiring to destroy a building by means of an explosive and possession of a destructive device during and in relation to a violent crime, according to an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. If convicted each could face 35 years in prison." Now if a Muslim was caught in a terrorist plot in the US this BBS would go insane if the penalty was 35 years in prison!! I would be irate! 4.) "Several Jewish congressmen stood by him and denounced the Jewish Defense League and urged prosecution of the suspects. ``This is a small group of wackos,'' said Rep. Gary Ackerman (news - bio - voting record), a New York Democrat. ``They get more attention than they deserve but they can't get more punishment than they deserve.'' The JDL was founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was assassinated in New York in 1990. Prior to his death he founded the extremist KACH party in Israel which advocated the expulsion of all Arabs from Israel and Israeli-occupied territories. The party was later outlawed. " These last three paragraphs push the notion that it very very few Jews think this way and does not characterize actions of a few to reflect the thoughts of the whole. Yet actions by muslims are portrayed as the underlying "belief" and part of the religion of over 1.4 billion people!! People ask what in Muslim's religion makes them want to kill Jews? But in other crimes, the question of what in their religion makes it acceptable is not asked.
I think the reason for not being on the cover of every paper was that these aren't the people who were involved in 9/11. They didn't succeed in doing anything (thank goodness) so they are almost ignored. I don't think there is a whole lot of bias against Muslims in the media. How many times have I seen OVER-hyping when a few ignorant fools took out their rage against Muslims, and the media makes it seem like no Muslim can safely walk in the streets? The story wasn't really all that news-worthy, plain and simple.
Are you serious? I'm not going to go as far to say that there's an obvious bias against Muslims, but you don't think that a terrorist attempt foiled (that would've taken the life of a congressman, possibly) is newsworthy? Wow.
It's not publicized because it's not a "good story." The press, believe it or not, doesn't have so much an ideological agenda as a monetary one. Telling the world about the plot by two Jewish wackos to bomb mosques isn't as dramatic as telling about John Walker Lindh's bull**** information about the Taliban's bravado. To capitalize on the terrorist frenzy, the media has to report stories that inspire either patriotism or fear. This one does neither for most people. I agree with you, this should have gotten more press. But I don't think there's an active effort to suppress it. Incidentally, it did run on the CNN.com front page.
F.D. Kahn, I saw the report on television last night. The story is mentioned at: <A HREF="http://www.iap.org">ISLAMIC ASSOCIATION FOR PALESTINE</A> <A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com">New York Times</A> Neither site had it as the lead (front page) story. A few other international sites that I frequent had Bush and the ABM Treaty as the <i>story</i> from the United States. The Indian sites are focusing on shocking events in that country. Two Pakistani sites had no mention of it. The conclusion that I draw for the lack of focus on the JDL story is the old adage: <i> If it bleeds, it leads. </i> Mango
No, no, no. That's not what I mean. My point is that this didn't seem that organized when compared to the worldwide networks of Al-Quaeda or Islamic Jihad. This was just a couple of nuts who wanted to cause damage. About on the level of a guy shooting at the White House, and it was covered about the same. It 'could' have been harmful, but it wasn't well-planned or executed. That's why it's not so newsworthy. Had it been successful, closer to being successful, or had an intricate plan, I think we would have seen a lot more coverage (and deservedly so).
haven is right. This story, as stupid and crazy as it is, wouldn't sell papers because people aren't really pissed at or afraid of Jewish people at the moment. It sounds stupid, but that's the media for you.
I agree with those who say it won't lead if it doesn't bleed i.e,it is not quite a compelling news story it would have been if they had actually bombed the mosque and the congressperson's office. Despite that the government should respond to this action like they would if it was the same action by an Islamic group. Possible steps to take are freezing all assets of this group and any organization that contributes money to them. They should be thoroughly investigated for any connections with radical foreign groups etc. An FBI task force should be set up to track this groups activities with vgor both home and abroad.
The fault here lies with the media; the government takes these guys just as seriously as it takes Islamic terrorists. It's a little-reported fact that about 60 of the detainees are Jews, some of whom presumably have ties to the JDL... But I think Mango and others here are correct that unless it bleeds, it's not going to lead.
Excuse me Timing if I'm not a fool that believes the "they hate our freedom's" line. You know Timing you're right....... Arabs /Muslims/ all those "brown" people they just hate the fact that we in the United states are free. They just hate America. YEAH RIGHT. Go On Timing, make a mockery of the fact that I have a mind that allows me to analyze and get to the root of a problem instead of just stereotyping and generalizing. Then again i've read most of your posts, and I can't find much intelligence that even warrants a response. There are many posters who I don't agree with, but I respect them greatly. Your trivial attempt to mock me shows your ignorance. I think the "root" to why the JDL hates Arabs/Muslims is pretty obvious if one is familiar to Meir Kahane's teachings and policy in regards to Arabs/ Muslims in the occupied territories and within Israel. Then Again Timing, no one responds to your simple-minded, non thought provoking, one-liner Posts so why should I?
Hey Khan, you're the fella who about an hour after two skyscrapers were crashing to the ground was already throwing out the "root causes" of these attacks. That was you wasn't it? Now you're upset that a plot, just a plot, isn't splashed all over the news like the murder of 4,000 people? Please man... and spare me the "brown people" card. The JDL is a very well known terrorist group in the US so any kind of insinuation by you that they're not dealt with just like Muslim terrorist groups is a total misrepresentation of the truth.
Of course I'm going to ask why anything happens. When I saw the destruction of the WTC and the Pentagon, once the preliminary shock wore off, I wanted to know who did this and why. I want to know why these people would kill themselves, take their own lives and the lives of thousands simply to make a statement. I find absolutely nothing wrong with that. I am by no means saying they are right if that is what your overtones are trying to imply. I hope they hang every Al-Queda Terrorist that had anything to do with the attack, anyone who helped them and anyone who heard about it and did nothing to notify anyone. Yet I also want to know what policies can create this sort of animosity. If it is something that I can justify, than that is fine. But if it is for a cause that is not just, then I have to question the actions of my governement. I think we would not be Americans if we did not ask the question. Why? I do agree with Treeman in that the JDL and other Jewish Extremist Groups recieve equal precedence in the eyes of the US government, CIA and law, but i'm talking more about the media coverage of terrorist actions that also take place in the occupied territories by Extremist Jews against muslims and I just feel the press places an added emphasis on what it wants.
Well I agree that determining root causes is necessary in solving conflicts but as with this plot, I would totally reject the idea that we empathize or sympathize with potential root causes as the answer for stopping lunatics like the JDL and Al-Qaeda. I have little confidence that if the Palestinian issue was solved and the US left Saudi, that Al-Qaeda would disappear tomorrow. I also reject the notion that these stated root causes even have much bearing on why these crimes are committed. Al-Qaeda is about power, they don't really care about the Palestinians. They want to overthrow governments all over the Middle East and prop up little Talibans, especially in Saudi Arabia. King Fahd, King Abdullah, and even Hosni Mubarak would be prime targets of Al-Qaeda if the US were out of the region. The governments of the Middle East know this better than anyone and that's why there's the two-facedness (is that a word) with ME countries helping America just enough to keep us there but not enough to rally support for the local militants. So I highly dispute that the Palestinian issue is a root cause of Al-Qaeda's or even the JDL's actions. IMHO this issue is just a way to gather support to fulfill other objectives. On the media, you're probably right. The media is a business and like any other business they have their own self-interests which don't necessarily involve fair reporting.
Our government has certainly made mistakes, as have all governments. Questioning their actions is a right we all have. But sometimes the policies are just, others just don't like them. When we are referred to as 'infidels' and 'defile' land just be walking on it, you really have to wonder how much responsibility lies with our government and how much with the distorted and hateful perceptions of others. Our government did not make the wackos at Waco, and they also did not make these wacko fundamentalists. H*ll, if anything, it seems that these wackos resent Hollywood as much as anybody. Or maybe Disneyland? Shall we analyze what Disney has 'done' to the muslim world to warrant 9/11? Based on the Taliban's rule, freedom does not seem to be consistent with their beliefs. Early on, I though that the 'they hate our freedom' line was hokey. Now, I agree with it after seeing what they did to the Afghanis.
It's a Reuters story. There was a big hub-bub several weeks ago when Reuters said they wouldn't refer to the people involved in the 9-11 events as "terrorists". They're simply being consistent here.
