ARAB-AMERICANS ARRESTED IN ''PLOT'' TO BLOW UP US-CANADA BRIDGE WITH TWO FIRECRACKERS

Please note that 2 articles follow:

*Two Men Arrested Near Bridge Linking Detroit, Canada; Police Say They Had Dynamite in Car
*Two men arrested near Ambassador Bridge


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(1)

Two Men Arrested Near Bridge Linking Detroit, Canada; Police Say They Had Dynamite in Car
The Associated Press
Published: Apr 21, 2003

DETROIT (AP) - Two men were arrested after police saw them videotaping the Ambassador Bridge, the nation's busiest international border crossing, and found dynamite, a collapsible baton and shotgun shells in their car.

Officers saw the men during a routine patrol at about 10 p.m. Sunday, police spokeswoman Bernadette Najor said. The men, who were not identified, were taken into custody and were being questioned by the FBI, she said.

"Even though the homeland security level has been lowered, we're still patrolling our borders, and we're not taking any chances with our city," she said.

Police were holding the men, ages 26 and 30, on a felony charge of possessing a dangerous weapon because the officers found a collapsible baton - similar to one carried by police - inside the car, Najor said.

Police were evaluating whether further charges should be brought for carrying two quarter-sticks of dynamite, which are comparable to M-80 firecrackers, Najor said.

The men also had a tape recorder and photographs of immigration papers, which were turned over to the FBI, Najor said.

The FBI did not return a message seeking comment left early Monday.

The Ambassador Bridge has about 10 million vehicle crossings every year and handles about 25 percent of all trade traffic between the United States and Canada.

AP-ES-04-21-03 0853EDT

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAKF3DGSED.html


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(2)

Two men arrested near Ambassador Bridge
Wood TV
April 21, 2003
http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1241535&nav=0RceFLXS

(Detroit-AP, April 21, 2003, 7:55 a.m.) Two Dearborn men found videotaping the Ambassador Bridge are in custody on a dangerous weapons charge. Detroit Police spokeswoman Bernadette Najor says officers saw the men during a routine patrol at about ten o'clock last night. Officials aren't releasing their names, but they say one man is 26 and the other is 30. The men, who are Arab-American, are being questioned by the FBI. Najor says they're facing the felony charge because officers found a collapsible baton inside their car. The baton is similar to one carried by police.

Officials are still evaluating whether they should face further charges for carrying two quarter-sticks of dynamite. Imad Hamad of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee says people should not rush to judgment. The Ambassador Bridge is the nation's busiest international border crossing.

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1241535&nav=0RceFLXS