1000 new cell phones seized...

[LuvRPgrl]

You really have to wonder about the intelligence level of the terrorists. After police seized a cache of brand new cell phones, the defendent tells the judge that they purchased them to re sell and make a profit.

Hmmmm, Im wondering how they are going to explain, once its brought up, why then, did they open the packages and throw away the battery chargers that go to them? Yea, that really makes it easier to sell for a profit.

Hey all you whacky right wing conservatives, we have a new economic theory, buy something retail, partially destroy it, then try to re sell to the guillable American public at a profit. Makes sense to me.

 

[red states rule]

Libs will dismiss this as another act of the Karl rove propaganda machine

They will say this is all to distract the public from Pres Bush's poll numbers, the war in Iraq, and to help Republicans in the November election

 

[Told you So]

interestingly, the phones were produced and manufactured in Motorola-Israel.
how can anyone make a profit selling phones without batteries or chargers (or any combination of these)? Also... who buys cell phones that are missing parts from guys driving around in a white van?
Though i will concede that it is possible to sell different parts on ebay at discount prices (because they were originally bought from Walmart) to people with no Wal-marts or whole-salers in the area.

Still a little fishy...

We shall see what becomes of these guys.

 

[dilloduck]

interestingly, the phones were produced and manufactured in Motorola-Israel.
how can anyone make a profit selling phones without batteries or chargers (or any combination of these)? Also... who buys cell phones that are missing parts from guys driving around in a white van?
Though i will concede that it is possible to sell different parts on ebay at discount prices (because they were originally bought from Walmart) to people with no Wal-marts or whole-salers in the area.

Still a little fishy...

We shall see what becomes of these guys.

I'd be curious to know where they got the money to buy these phones.

 

[LuvRPgrl]

interestingly, the phones were produced and manufactured in Motorola-Israel.
how can anyone make a profit selling phones without batteries or chargers (or any combination of these)? Also... who buys cell phones that are missing parts from guys driving around in a white van?
Though i will concede that it is possible to sell different parts on ebay at discount prices (because they were originally bought from Walmart) to people with no Wal-marts or whole-salers in the area.

Still a little fishy...

We shall see what becomes of these guys.

FISHY???

Thats an understatement if I ever heard one.
IF they are trying to make money, why throw away brand new chargers? Why open them and throw away only the chargers? There is NOTHING about it that makes sense, I sell parts on ebay, what they did makes ZERO sense, as far as trying to make money goes. Sounds like they have a moveon.org attorney

 

[Told you So]

i dont think they were throwing away chargers, they were sorting phones into one box, chargers into another, and phone batteries into another.

I dont sell stuff on ebay- so im not sure how they would possible be able to sell the different parts.

Im with you- most likely a terror plot- now theres something else: a bridge in michigan which was a probably target. Seem like these guys were caught red-handed.

and good call 'dilloduck'- didn't even think about where money to buy a thousand cell phones came from...

 

[Annie]

i dont think they were throwing away chargers, they were sorting phones into one box, chargers into another, and phone batteries into another.

I dont sell stuff on ebay- so im not sure how they would possible be able to sell the different parts.

Im with you- most likely a terror plot- now theres something else: a bridge in michigan which was a probably target. Seem like these guys were caught red-handed.

and good call 'dilloduck'- didn't even think about where money to buy a thousand cell phones came from...

All the stories I've seen say they were throwing away the chargers and batteries. Most likely reason, phones going out of US-different electrical systems.

 

[trobinett]

 

[MissileMan]

All the stories I've seen say they were throwing away the chargers and batteries. Most likely reason, phones going out of US-different electrical systems.

I saw the same story as ToldYouSo, that they were separating the phones, chargers, and batteries and were planning to sell the parts for more than what they paid for the whole phone. No idea yet whether their story is true or not, but it kinda makes sense...a parted out car can make more money than a whole one.

 

[Annie]

I saw the same story as ToldYouSo, that they were separating the phones, chargers, and batteries and were planning to sell the parts for more than what they paid for the whole phone. No idea yet whether their story is true or not, but it kinda makes sense...a parted out car can make more money than a whole one.

I don't buy it. If so, we'd be seeing Jason Smith and Rob Brown doing so. Not the case.

 

[PsuedoGhost]

I don't buy it. If so, we'd be seeing Jason Smith and Rob Brown doing so. Not the case.

You may not buy it, but what exactly is the crime that these guys have accused of? Is it suspicious? Hell yes it is... But I just dont see what crime they could be charged with...

I would like very much to see whether our response would be the same if people of a different race did the same thing.

 

[MissileMan]

All the stories I've seen say they were throwing away the chargers and batteries. Most likely reason, phones going out of US-different electrical systems.

If they were throwing away just the chargers, then the theory about an overseas destination would make sense. That said, the phone uses the same battery, no matter where it's being used. It's only a difference in the input voltage to the chargers that requires a difference in the charger, not the battery.

These guys may well have been up to no good...I'm reserving judgement until all the facts are in.

 

[Annie]

You may not buy it, but what exactly is the crime that these guys have accused of? Is it suspicious? Hell yes it is... But I just dont see what crime they could be charged with...

I would like very much to see whether our response would be the same if people of a different race did the same thing.

Well if their 'plan' to resell was a good one, we should be seeing that shortly.

 

[LuvRPgrl]

All the stories I've seen say they were throwing away the chargers and batteries. Most likely reason, phones going out of US-different electrical systems.

Chargers on electrical devices work on both systems. I too have only heard and read that they were throwing them away, and not placing them somewhere else.

So, as I see it, only two possibilities, one is they are lying, and two, maybe they are lying.

If they were in fact throwing out the chargers, then they were going to use the phones for something other than what they were produced for.

 

[LuvRPgrl]

I saw the same story as ToldYouSo, that they were separating the phones, chargers, and batteries and were planning to sell the parts for more than what they paid for the whole phone. No idea yet whether their story is true or not, but it kinda makes sense...a parted out car can make more money than a whole one.

No, the general public doesnt repair cell phones like we do with cars. Cell phone parts are not sold to the public.

Also, throwing away the chargers is plan and simply moronic if you are trying to make money on the operation, since they can be sold for money also. The only possible motive is the cell phones were going to be used for something other than cell phones.

 

[LuvRPgrl]

You may not buy it, but what exactly is the crime that these guys have accused of? Is it suspicious? Hell yes it is... But I just dont see what crime they could be charged with...

I would like very much to see whether our response would be the same if people of a different race did the same thing.

So you think if the cops uncovered a terrorist plot and then discovered it was white middle aged men doing the planning they would suddenly declare, "Oh, lets not bother with this one, let them blow up a bridge or something, after all, they are white guys".

You do realize the FBI profiling experts almost immediately led them to believe the Oklahoma bombing was done by a caucasian male? They used that tool effectively in that case. T McVeigh was arrested within hours of the bombing. Albeit on a different charge, but nontheless, the profiling led them to him as they used their profiling to narrow the list of possible suspects. This helped lead them to check on caucasians with criminal backgrounds, which helped lead them to McVeigh.

 

[jillian]

It's unrealistic to think they wanted to do anything legitimate with the cell phones. And the source of the money needs to be tracked. What I'm not certain about is whether they weren't premature in disclosing/stopping this before they got more intel.

 

[LuvRPgrl]

If they were throwing away just the chargers, then the theory about an overseas destination would make sense. That said, the phone uses the same battery, no matter where it's being used. It's only a difference in the input voltage to the chargers that requires a difference in the charger, not the battery.

These guys may well have been up to no good...I'm reserving judgement until all the facts are in.

Overseas destination is out of the question.

First, as I said earlier, phone chargers have dual input capability. They make ALL of them for virtually all electrical devices to work on both voltage systems.

Second, they guys have no tickets for overseas destinations as far as I know, nor have they stated that they intended to sell them overseas.

Also, to sell them overseas, they would have to declare them at customs, and a tariff to virtually any overseas destination would be imposed, and thus a profit margain would dissappear, and particularly with the loss of value by tossing the chargers, there is no possible way for them to make a profit by selling overseas, not to mention the cost of the airline tickets.

 

[LuvRPgrl]

It's unrealistic to think they wanted to do anything legitimate with the cell phones. And the source of the money needs to be tracked. What I'm not certain about is whether they weren't premature in disclosing/stopping this before they got more intel.

Its difficult to second guess on these situations, because by their nature, much of the information the officials gather, will never be known by us. We really dont know how much info they have gotten from the criminals.

This is one area where you have to vote in people based on how much you can trust them (kind of an oxymoron, trusted politician?), because we will never know for sure just exactly how much they have done to prevent terrorist attacks, or how much info they have really gotten, or how many terrorists they are currently tracking.

My bottom line is NO terrorist attacks on US soil since 9/11. In spite of many screaming there are lots of gaping holes in our homeland security, their track record is excellent in stopping, in fact, perfect, in stopping terrorist attacks. I know they have methods of filling those supposed gaping holes, but they dont disclose thier methods for obvious reasons. So when people, usually liberals who have their own agenda, scream we have gaping holes in our homeland security (like the cargo containers which supposedly it would be so easy to load bombs on one and get it through to US soil - which if it was so damn easy I GUARANTEE you the terrorists would have already done it), I think all the evidence is against them.

 

[jillian]

Its difficult to second guess on these situations, because by their nature, much of the information the officials gather, will never be known by us. We really dont know how much info they have gotten from the criminals.

I agree. Except if the admin had more, I think they would publicize it. So I think, for now at least, that's all they have.

This is one area where you have to vote in people based on how much you can trust them (kind of an oxymoron, trusted politician?), because we will never know for sure just exactly how much they have done to prevent terrorist attacks, or how much info they have really gotten, or how many terrorists they are currently tracking.

Again, I agree, which is why I want the administration to be transparent to the extent possible.

My bottom line is NO terrorist attacks on US soil since 9/11. In spite of many screaming there are lots of gaping holes in our homeland security, their track record is excellent in stopping, in fact, perfect, in stopping terrorist attacks. I know they have methods of filling those supposed gaping holes, but they dont disclose thier methods for obvious reasons. So when people, usually liberals who have their own agenda, scream we have gaping holes in our homeland security (like the cargo containers which supposedly it would be so easy to load bombs on one and get it through to US soil - which if it was so damn easy I GUARANTEE you the terrorists would have already done it), I think all the evidence is against them.

The fact that there have been no attacks on U.S. soil since 9/11 is a non-sequitur, IMO. There were 7 years between the two WTC attacks. These people are patient. They bide their time and they are unafraid to die. That makes it unrealistic to say that the fact there have been no attacks here has some significance, particularly when they've hit both Spain and Britain in the interim.

It is very easy to say that if they "could" have done something, they "would" have. Perhaps not having lived through the 7 years of silence between the two attacks in NYC makes you more certain of that than I.