Israel Arrests 6 In Alleged Al Qaida Plot Targeting Bush

JERUSALEM — Israeli investigators have arrested six men suspected of trying to set up an al-Qaida-linked terror network, including one who wanted to shoot down President Bush's helicopter, the Shin Bet security service said Friday.

Two of the men are Arab citizens of Israel, both of them students at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, according to the statement. The other four are Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem. The men range in age from 21 to 24.

The new charges follow the arrest this month of two Israeli Arabs on suspicion they gave strategic information to al-Qaida. Those arrests marked the first time Israel had accused any of its citizens of cooperating with the terror network.

Investigators found bomb-making instructions on the personal computers of several of the six new suspects, the Shin Bet said. But the statement gave no indication that their activities ever moved beyond the planning stage.

None face charges of active involvement in any attacks.

One of the Israeli Arabs, a 24-year-old chemistry student, lived in a Jerusalem college dormitory overlooking a helicopter landing pad used by Bush during a visit in January, the statement said.

Using his cell phone, the student filmed helicopters taking off and landing, and sent a message to a Web forum linked to al-Qaida asking about shooting Bush's helicopter down, according to the Shin Bet.

The men were arrested in June and July, the statement said. But the information was only approved for publication on Friday, the day the men were to be indicted in a Jerusalem court.

The two men arrested earlier this month, Bedouin Arabs from southern Israel, gave al-Qaida operatives information about strategic sites like army bases, skyscrapers and Israel's international airport that could serve as targets, Shin Bet said.

Comments

[imusintheevening]

Yeah right, everyone knows that Bush has been their best recruiter, it would be a case of killing the goose that is laying the golden eggs.

[surfcitysteven]

Target Bush. Bull. Why would al qaeda want to hurt their cash cow? Bush is the best thing that ever happened to them and they know it. They will never again have a recruiter like Bush.

[holeybuybull]

Why would Al Qaeda target their biggest cheerleader and source of funding? The cia helped create and fund these people in the fight against the russians. When US troops were close to catching them, they were called off, and then diverted to Iraq. We continue to fund them , indirectly, with our foreign aid to Pakistan. They serve as a convenient propaganda tool for the MIC.

[wadenelson1]

You have to consider that George W. Bush is a desperate man. He's desperate for someone to like him, someone to approve of him.

And along comes Israel. They're more than willing to tell GWB whatever he wants to hear. Stopping a plot against his life, even if it was just idle talk by some Arabs, well that's EXACTLY what he wants to hear.

Why wouldn't Israel, for the $15B a year or so we give them, make GWB feel "presidential."

Israel wants and needs US support. And they are an ally. Even so they will use and abuse the US at any chance if its in their best interest, including shooting up the USS Liberty. Go read the account of that by the ships captain. It was no mistake by the Israeli forces when a 20 foot US flag was flown adn they KEPT shooting.

Israel has spied on the United States endlessly, and successfully.

They hijacked our nuclear- know-how.

And they may indeed have had advance knowledge, or false-flag participation in 9-11. The proof is our government won't tell us SQUAT about the "Israeli Art Students" or the Israeli moving company which vacated the WTC 2 weeks before 9-11.

So when I read this story, ALL I have are doubts. Doubt about Israel's sincerity, their honesty, and whether or not having them as an ally is making America safer or LESS safe.

[AzRealProgressive]

Your arguements leave no doubt to the reader. Written with a compelling flair, and the inevitable conclusion about Bush and Israel.

However it fails completely, totally and leaves no doubt as to the bias of the author. I wish someone, would post something that has moved beyond BDS. This post is an example of what Obama is saying needs to change.

[Vyvjala]

Smell a rat.....................this stint is right out of the karl rove playbook..............

[Huffyfan]

I see it as nothing but Israeli propaganda and they are good at that . the Last time they arresed "AL Qaeeda" they were recruited by the Israelis , to blame the Palestinians . i still what happened to the 3 iranian soldiers they found in Summer 2006 in Lebanon or what happened tothe 400 Hezbollah bodies they had . , and how can they explain how the tank fired on its own on Beit Hanoun Nov 2006 and killed 20 from the same family . there are plenty of questionable things happening over there .

[treetracker]

Has anyone noticed the closer we get to the elections, the more the 'terrorist" stories are being reported in the news? Two years and it's been nothing, then out of the blue they start again - package at a mall in TX, another airport security problem, now this. Here we are again approaching another election and these stories start coming out of the woodwork like cockroaches. Sorry, not buying it from the boy who cried wolf too many times.

[AzRealProgressive]

Two years about terrorist stories? My, you must have missed the London bombings, the would be bunch who were caught doing their best to attack an army base, and others throughout the world.

I am sick of hearing them myself. What a mess to deal with.

[springsm]

Very timely announcement. Obama will be going to other countries and will definately be a breath of fresh air. So we must draw our attention back to terrorism/bush, and oh ya "Myfriends". Since I don't watch or listen to MSM anymore...how are they spinning all this wealth of knowledge and fear.

[AzRealProgressive]

Nicely is the word. Obama is setting the stage for his policy changes on Iraq from his web site. In advance of those he appears to have removed all of the stuff that is irrelevant. Namely his old positions. His new ones are up. When he returns I am sure he will update his new ones. Excuse me, refine his new ones.

Nice speeches, but oddly enough they appear to have been received better among the media types than the European public.

[danoj]

Is everything a conspiracy with you guys? Obama is going to get plenty of press i'm pretty sure there is not much behind the timing of the release. Good lord the media is for in the tank for Obama it's rediculous. Don't see how you can draw the conspiracy conclusion from this.

[prattvictory]

I'm sure they'll get a fair trial.

[Wilburrr]

The presidential helicopter never flies alone... a piece that is missingin these stories.

[RaraAvis17]

Scary to think DARTH Cheney would be at the helm then. I don't know which is worse.

[lvdragonlady]

This has got to be the BIGGEST flippin lie told yet, regarding shrubie.
If they were going to go after him, don't you think they would have done it a few years ago and NOT right before he leaves office and during the presidential elect? Think about it... Does it really make sense to anyone??
More lies from MSM that is all it is.

[sherbug]

I hope they discovered this using warrentless wiretapping. I don't want anything to happen to this guy until UHaul picks his butt up and drives him back to Crawford.

[ApolloniaCreed]

Here we go...

[schicklett3]

How much ya wanna' bet this is just another political stunt trying to scare us into voting for Mr. "I KNOW HOW TO WIN WARS" Mccain?