Update Bumped: South Carolina Two Charged With Felonies

Update: Well, one's a "chanter," FWIW.

"He was in possession of pipe bombs, and materials used to make other bombs," said 9th Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson.

During the bond hearing, Megahed appeared calm while Mohamed seemed agitated and was seen chanting. One unanswered question, what were the pair doing in Goose Creek?

Also a note: Ace discusses the pipe bomb verbiage. I emailed to say I don't disagree - but there were liquid explosives involved. Could be a "hobby rocket" deal, or a Molotov cocktail like device, I guess.

Update: So, are you just happy to see me? Or is that a pipe bomb in your trunk? And don't ask me to explain it, ask the AP, it's their story.

Meanwhile, CAIR insists if their names had been Joe Bob and Bubba, they would have gotten off with a speeding ticket - calling it racial profiling.

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (AP) -- Authorities say two Middle Eastern men arrested near a Navy base had several pipe bombs in their car.

According to an affidavit with his arrest warrant, Mohamed admitted he made the pipe bombs from items he bought at Wal-Mart.

Defense attorney Dennis Rhoad says Mohamed and Megahed have a reason for having the devices, but he declined to comment further during their bond hearing.

2nd link:

Ahmed Bedier, the executive director of a civil rights organization for Muslims in Tampa, criticized the arrest as racial profiling, an accusation South Carolina police refuted.

"Definitely this is not related to terrorism," said Bedier, of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

"Had these been two good ol' boys from South Carolina driving through and speeding -- and even if they did have some fireworks -- nobody would have been arrested," Bedier said.

Update: WIStv

University officials say both 24-year-old Ahmed Abda Sherf Mohamed and 21-year-old Yousef Samir Megahed were in good standing.

Mohamed, who is from Kuwait, is a graduate student in civil engineering. He earned his undergraduate degree in Cairo.

Megahed is an undergraduate who is an Egyptian who has permanent residency status.

Update: It'll be interesting to see what John Little, who knows the rocket angle, has to say about this: See Allah and also Little for more.

In the vehicle, investigators say they found potassium chlorate and sugar, which when combined with a catalyst create what has been dubbed "instant fire" releasing heat, flames and smoke in a spectacular fashion. As a result, they are used in making fireworks and as a fuel for model rockets.

In addition a can of gasoline, PVC pipe, four hobby store brand rocket launchers and hobby store brand fuses were found, investigators said. The four PVC pipes contained an unknown substance. Also taken into evidence was a laptop computer, a GPS unit and Trac cellular telephones. The laptop computer was sent to the FBI lab at Quantico for analysis.

John Little has an update - FBI results on explosives due back in a day, or two.

According to the latest, one of the young men arrested in South Carolina was from Egypt and the other from Kuwait, and they could be looking at from 2 - 15 years. No word on any potential immigration charges. But drivers might want to make a note, it probably isn't a good idea to be speeding with a laptop computer and some other suspicious items in your trunk, especially when you're about ten miles away from two Nuclear Submarines. According to a reader, they are training vessels: (Moored Training Ships, MTSs), for the Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit at Charleston. Below is the description via Google Earth. The site is 12 miles from where they were arrested and in the direction from which they were driving.

Here is a very well guarded nuclear sub base up the Cooper River, north of Charleston SC. I found these subs up close during a Waverunner trip down the Cooper. I rode a bit too close to them, and was turned away by gunboats in the river, on guard 24/7. They are teeny fron this perspective, but when you are in the river with them... they are huge!!!! They are painted black, and are at the dock. There are two of them. You will also see the gunboats in the river, and the HUGE dockside hangar, that they are housed in at times. Hope you like this... and yes.. it must be a deep river!!!

If convicted of the charges, Youseff Megahed, 21, and Ahmed Mohamed, 24, could face between 2 to 15 years in prison.

DeWitt said the men were pulled over Saturday night on U.S. Highway 176 while driving more than 60 mph in a 45-mph zone. When an officer approached the car, he saw one of them men fold a laptop computer, which the officer believed was suspicious, DeWitt said.

The officer asked them if he could search the car, which the men agreed to. When he asked if there was anything in the car he should know about, the men said there were fireworks in the trunk.

Comments

[Rich Casebolt]

I guess it is much easier to always assume that the authorities are either blithering idiots, and/or have nefarious agendas.

Unless they lean to the Left.

Methinks that the concussion and even the plastic shrapnel moving at high velocity from these "motors" could still do a lot of damage.

I question the posession of these devices, in the context where they were found, for the same reason that -- when I worked in a publically-accessible office building in Dallas -- I always did a double-take at the sight of every U-Haul or Ryder left parked next to the building.

Regardless of the skin color of the driver.

[nowingker]

"I" do not try to ban guns, if we ban everything that could potentially be used as a weapon there wouldn't be much left.

What can't be a weapon? Kitchen knife, baseball bat, vodka bottle and a match, automobile, fertilizer.

A model rocket is a hobby unless its an arab who has one, and then its a weapon and he is a terrorist. Makes perfect sense.

[bloodrage bob]

makes *perfect* sense actually. because while not all arabs are terrorists, all terrorists ARE arabs. how then should we view arabs caught with potentially explosive devices?

[Rich Casebolt]

Actually, if these are legitimate motors, they might be large enough to be classified as devices for amateur -- as opposed to model -- rocketry, and therefore would merit a higher level of scrutiny from authorities ...

... scrutiny usually and prudently welcomed by legitimate rocketeers, who would also know to document their activities in ways that will reassure authorities ... and other means of avoiding a "misunderstanding".

Apparently, such attention from the authorities is welcome by all ... until it can be turned into an anti-Bush talking point.

Scream louder, nowingker ... the sand is muffling what you are saying.

[Purple Avenger]

"PVC doesn't seem like the best material for a pipe bomb."

If you don't want to blow yourself up screwing on the end caps (which many amateur pipe bomb makers do), then you use PVC. Just coat the exterior with liquid nails and BB's.

[Purple Avenger]

"Defense attorney Dennis Rhoad says Mohamed and Megahed have a reason for having the devices"

Which is irrelevant. If you want a bomb, then you need the ATF "destructive device" paperwork to go with it, and you need to comply with ATF's storage and transport requirements.

[nowingker]

So, let me get this straight, if they have no terrorist ties, if the 'bombs' are really amaeteur rockets or model rockets or home made fire works they STILL should be convicted and sent to prison because they didn't have the right paperwork, that I'm sure every other rocket hobbyist in the country has on his person at all times.

When are these dumb arabs going to realize that they need to stay in their houses, not take road trips, not own businesses, not attend college, not talk to strangers, not practice their religion, not vote, and certainly NOT have any hobbies, I mean, what do they think, this is a free country or something??????

[Reboo]

No, not every model rocket in the hand of an arab is a weapon, but don't get your panties in a ball when law enforcement is suspicious about what looks like a pipe bomb is found in the trunk of a car. What would you think it was Dr. Goddard? You show contempt for the deputy and his intelligence and his motivation. Fact is the deputy is trained to react to objects resembling pipe bombs, and not trained to distinguish model rocketry parts. There is no indication of the deputy's bias towards arabs (you assume he is not of arab descent) or of his intelligence or lack of intelligence. You are ready to send these sweet boys on their way. You proclaim it racially motivated act and these boys are being railroaded. You exploit stereotypes of southerners (and especially southern police officers) to explain these innocent actions. Distortion of fact is your claim. Well, they got pulled for speeding over 60 in a 40mph zone. A legitimate reason to be stopped.Incidently, a jailable offense in SC. To say that the officer knew they were arab BEFORE he pulled them is unrealistic. He asked to search their car and they consented. He discovers a bunch of chemicals and pipes. If that deputy did anything other than what he did, he would be derelict in his duty. It is suspicious, it does demand investigation. We have the benefit of the internet to resaerch this after the fact. have faith in our system to either demonstrate their guilt or innocence.

[Rich Casebolt]

Convicted ... no.

Investigated ... yes, at least to the same degree I would be if I pulled up in a U-Haul across from the Oklahoma City Memorial ... or just outside the main gate at the sub base in New London, CT ... and parked it there.

You can have your pristine little world back, nowingker, when those who foment terror to expand totalitarian rule are either turned from terror, or eliminated, and terrorism is reduced to such insignificance we only hear about it on Tabloid TV, right along with the Jefferey Dahmer/Scott Peterson wannabes.

ALL of them ... not just Al Quada, but all those who share their disdain for life and liberty.

Like Mahmood Ahmedinijad.

Like Saddam Huessein.

There is only one way to achieve that ... credible confrontation.

This President and the warfighers he commands, despite your assertions to the contrary, is ACTING to do just that ... and undo the damage caused by the INACTION which resulted from those who share your misplaced idealism.

You want your world back?

Support the mission.

[nowingker]

The problem isn't the deputy's actions when he stopped them.

The problem is the subsequent actions of closing the highway, keeping them in jail for two days before charging them and then charging them with felonies and giving them a ridiculously high bail based on, from what I can tell, not much evidence that they posed any kind of threat or had any kind of ill intentions.

Our system is deeply flawed, what's left of it, that is.

[Papertiger]

Firecrackers and sky rockets are banned in California as illegal incendiary devises - we sent Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein to Washington so what do you expect?

Home of the mandatory bicycle helmet

[Reboo]

Nowingker,
People like you accept Zero Tolerance in our schools when they expel a little girl because her mom packed her a butterknife with her lunch (having a weapon) or gave an aspirin to their friend (drugs!), but you go crazy when they arrest 2 arab men, driving off the beaten path with a rocket motor in their trunk that resembles a pipe bomb, and a bunch of chemicals. Maybe it is time to be suspicious. To not be suspicious because they are arabs is irrational. To be suspicious when they are arabs, when they do have a dangerous looking items in the trunk is completely rational. To say it isn't is a BIG LIE. IT IS A DANGEROUS LIE!

[nowingker]

Support the mission.

---------------------

What a bunch of crap. There are brutal dicators all over the world, abusing, killing, raping and torturing their own people.

We have no business waging war against any country that has not attacked us or is not a threat to us.

My world is never coming back, not in my lifetime anyway. We are going down a dark road, and at the end of that road is the final act in American democracy and American power. George Bush has shown that the Constitution is nothing more than a piece of paper with words on it, that the system of checks and balances and separation of power is an anachronistic concept, simply not up to the task for these times, the idea of a government that serves the people and answers to the people is dead, government now serves the party and the man in power. Its going to get worse, much, much worse.

[nowingker]

People like you accept Zero Tolerance in our schools when they expel a little girl because her mom packed her a butterknife with her lunch (having a weapon) or gave an aspirin to their friend (drugs!),
-----------------------------

No, I am against the war on drugs in all its forms, I am for personal privacy and personal freedom and common sense. Common sense tells me that a child with a butter knife put in her lunch by her mom is not a threat.

Obvious, illogical, irrational outcomes that are justified by 'the rules' are another example of people no longer being willing to think for themselves or use ANY judgement whatsoever...the rule book says 'no knives' and so, a plastic knife in the lunchbox of I think a 10 year old is a 'weapon'.

I can't say whether the right or left is more responsible for the wholesale repudiation of common sense, situational judgement and looking at every case as unique instead of blind citation of guidelines, laws and rules.

[Playing with Fire]

In response to nowingker, above, I submit that even joe blow white guy loner gets in trouble for speeding in a car, acting weird when pulled over, and having tubes filled with energetic compounds. People who do such things generate this thing called "probable cause." They are routinely jailed, and brought up on felony charges, even absent any arab or islamic origins.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_520018.html

..is just one example.
,

[Rich Casebolt]

"What a bunch of crap. There are brutal dicators all over the world, abusing, killing, raping and torturing their own people ... We have no business waging war against any country that has not attacked us or is not a threat to us."

So, you think that leaving thug regimes alone promotes stability?

How selfish.

By threatening the stability of global civilization -- not only Americans, but all those who do business and otherwise interact with us, making the global economy work and bringing a level of prosperity and opportunity to many nations that they would not see otherwise -- allowing their people to experience a better way of life than oppression and/or revolutionary fanaticism -- all those I mentioned above ARE a threat to us.

The reason those other dictators you mention are of less concern, is that they lack the means and/or the will to expand their totalitarian rule beyond their borders ... at present.

Like our "rocketeers", they deserve watching based upon their actions ... and confrontation when it is prudent to do so.

The sooner our present mission is complete, the sooner we -- and all those who have replaced your conventional wisdom with TRUE wisdom for this century -- can turn our attention safely to the others.

*********************

Actually, we were going down a dark road already, without the headlights on ... because people like you considered the light blinding and distracting to others, and insisted we keep them turned off.

GWB turned on the headlights -- and we are heading to a new dawn; a dawn where, instead of America being pulled down to the least-common-denominator of realpolitik, other nations will rise to become our equals -- morally as well as socially and economically -- BY ADOPTING THE PRINCIPLES OF RIGHTS-RESPECTING GOVERNANCE THAT SERVE US WELL.

A world where the Constitution, far from being damaged, is protected from the activist judges that are the darlings of "Leftists like you".

A world where other nations will adopt our checks-and-balances and respect for rights in their own governments ... bringing peace to their people and ending any threat they would pose to us.

The system of checks-and-balances is there ... your friends the Dems could defund this war any time.

They know better, than to do so ... but being the political animals they are, they won't admit it, despite 3% approval ratings.

"We the People" are pulling our heads out of the sands of Woodstock Nation, and facing up to the reality of the 21st Century with -- not "arrogance", as the nowingkers of the world might say -- but prudence and optimism.

[Reboo]

I am a realist. We are in a war, no changing that now. Even if we were not in Iraq, we would still be the target of ISLAMIC terrorists. I was waiting for you to bring Iraq and Bush into the discussion. I don't see the connection. We were targets of terrorism before Iraq, before Bush.

I do not see how these guys rights have been denied. To say they were held two days without being charged is not correct. They were charged for something when they were taken into custody. They made an appearanc before a judge today and bail was set for them.Does not sound as if they have been waterboarded yet. Charges of incendiary device charges probably were added AFTER some laboratory tests. I assume that took time.

You offer no logical or rational support for your positions, just a notion of tolerance. Well tolerance of hate is deadly, and I think you not only excuse the hate of our antagonist in this war, and spread your own hate in your views of your country and of George Bush.

I think the holding of these two is justified and your position that it isn't is not based on logical, rational thought. Go drink your koolaid.

And before you paint me with a redneck,racist, warmongering, republican brush, I am not a Republican,nor a Democrat for that matter. They are the same party with different sponsors, Pepsi vs Coke. Truth is I am gay and know what it is like to experience the prejudice you decry. But I aint dumb. If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, then its worthy checking out whether it is a duck.

[Reboo]

wow. I got the last word.

[Rich Casebolt]

Not quite ... for you did bring a question to my mind.

Were the first words out of their mouth ...

... "AFLAC!"??

[Dan_P]

nowingker, you're just way off base.

The cop was doing his job. I thank him.
The rest of the system "are/will" do their jobs.
If the "kids" (jeez, 'kids' at their ages) are
innocent, it will come out. And CAIR will have
a field day.

I've been "here" before. When "innocent". Totally.

I'm an old man. In 1970 my wife and I drove from Detroit
to Buffalo across Ontario to go to a car race at Watkin's
Glen, NY. We were classic "hippie" looking people. Long
hair and bell-bottoms with really bad "fabric patterns".
And, I was driving a brand-new Daytona Yellow with Black
Stripes Camaro Z28. What would you think about "hippies"
driving a brand-new (and hot) car ? Even if white ?

Would you be surprised if we were profiled on "re-entry",
and the car pulled out of line and COMPLETELY searched ?
As in removing interior panels and the rear seat, jacked
up and searched underneath, and trunk, and under the hood.
They even removed the glove box "container".

Did I bitch, complain, and call my lawyer ?
No. I fit the profile.

Except, I was a mechanical engineer for the largest
automotive company in the world. Working on occupant
safety. That didn't "show" to the authorities.

I just told them, "sorry, good job, but wrong guy".
And, they let me use their tools to put my car
"back together". That was because I was polite.

The car race was good too.
I like cops. At least the one's who do their job
and don't get "too taken with themselves".
God knows I've had a lifetime of traffic stop experience
with the good, the Bad, and the UGLY ones. {:^)

[Sly Bri]

There are so many leftist dopes out there it is hilarious. Firecrackers.....yeah sure. If those Muslims said that they were stale chocolate donuts there would be thousands of liberals who would believe them.

[daveinboca]

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (AP) -- Two men found with several pipe bombs in their car near a Navy base were charged Monday with possession of an explosive device, authorities said.

A joint state-federal investigation was under way to see whether there was any terrorism connection but no link had been found yet, said FBI spokeswoman Denise Taiste. The Navy base is the site of a brig where enemy combatants have been held.

Ahmed Abda Sherf Mohamed, 24, and Yousef Samir Megahed, 21, both students at the University of South Florida in Tampa, were driving through the area on Saturday to vacation at a North Carolina beach for Mohamed's birthday, their defense attorney said.

South Florida is where a whack-job psycho islamist perfesser got busted for preaching Death to Israel as part of his course curricula.

Liberals are disingenuous fools except when it comes to Aryan Nation, when they are stupid fools. Electing a naive gullible Dhimmi-crat will encourage these moral cockroaches to get near nuke facilities like Goose Creek with their weapons more than ever.

[bill]

Now tell me why anyone would go from a beach in Tampa to one in NC for their birthday? For one thing fireworks (that shoot up in the air) are illegal in NC.

[bill]

I live in NC and also lived in Goose Creek. Went to school everyday down the road they were on and it is a road to the Naval Weapons Station or to nowhere basically.

[Tomp]

Let's pose a scenario. Let's suppose these guys DID go on and commit a terrible act. Then the same people who pooh-pooh the police reaction to this would be saying, "Those nitwit southern cops had their chance to stop them speeding through a 45 mph zone, but they didn't do their job." Some of the PC crowd makes everything a no-win situation. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't--you set up a no-win for the cops so that no matter WHAT they do, you play the Monday morning quarterback.

[nowingker]

And the distancing begins.....

"Whatever turns out to be the case with these two individuals, it underscores the importance of people being alert," Chertoff said at the University of South Carolina, where he demonstrated a program employers can use to check the legal status of workers. "Even if it turns out this is benign, if it turns out not to be a big deal, this is the kind of alertness and response that creates real homeland security for this state as well as the country."

---------------------------

Now, I ask myself, would the head of Homeland Security be raising the spector that this incident would turn out to be 'benign' or 'not a big deal' if we were talking about terrorists and pipe bombs?

My 'gut' tells me that the FBI told him exactly what they told the dummies in South Carolina, that it was conventional homemade fireworks, not a bomb, not a weapon........

WHy else would he be praising them for their alertness instead of trumpeting a potential terrorist arrest?

But, yeah, I know, they are 'really' terrorists disguised as dumb college students and it was 'really' a dry run, so that 'next time'...well, you know the drill, doncha wingies?

[Rich Casebolt]

Yes, we know the drill ... the drill that makes the hole in the sand for your head to go in, nowingker.

[flares]

Their story is obviously false. It does make sense that they may have intentionally called attention to themselves and had wanted to be arrested. This way, they not only test the reaction of security at the base, they make police more hesitant to take action the next incident. They will fan the flames of 'racial profiling' and 'unjust arrest' among the Muslim community, hoping to attract more volunteers for jihadist activities.

I really wonder about the posters here that seem to be parrotting the CAIR line.

[zak822]

I think you guys are way, way too far into conspiracy theories.

According to this thread, all Middle Eastern looking men are terrorist masterminds, devising complex plans to blow up subs with garden chemicals.

We haven't been hit with anything remotely as clever as what you guys come up with. Even 9-11 was done low-tech, with box-cutters and by exploiting a security hole that flight attendants had complained about for many years.

Try decaf and avoid Tom Clancey novels.

[Fred Beloit]

Why Mr christamfordmum, who took zak821 before you got to it?