Paranoia and the Bogus Midland "Terrorist Cell Phone Purchase Threat"

[rpannier]

This story appeared on Crooks and Liars courtesy of that ranting lunatic Michelle Malkin.

According to Malkin:
That’s what happened in Midland, Texas. Some Middle Eastern guys wanted to purchase 60 disposable cell phones at Walmart. Not TNT. Not subatomic machine guns. Not even box cutters. Just cell phones –the pre-paid disposable kind which people with bad credit have to buy because they can’t get cell phone accounts in their name.
The Midland Police Department and the FBI then detained the cell phone buyers, and one of the local officers included this paragraph in his preliminary internal report, which ended up being leaked to ABC News:
"Upon the arrival of special agents, and as a result of subsequent interviews, it was discovered that members of the group were linked to suspected terrorist cells stationed within the Metroplex."

The truth about the story is (as weird as it is):
"There is no known link or demonstrated link or any other kind of link at this point between the people here and any terror cell," he said.

However, this is not good enough for some readers of MyWestTexas.com:

1) BS..........How are we to believe a thing the Midland FBI office says. If this had not hit the national news do you think we would have ever heard anything about it. I for one think we have the right to know if there is a terrorist cell active here in Midland.

2) How come we are just now hearing about this? Seems like the news media is a couple of days or weeks behind on the news now days. And to think, I was in that store that day shopping for x-mas. Be careful Midland... And to those who are doing these kinds of things... shame shame. Judgement day will come upon you one day. What will you say to the Father?
(IMO the second post makes no sense)

Links to this story:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/

http://www.mywesttexas.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15922345&BRD=2288&PAG=461&dept_id=475626&rfi=6

[liveoaktx]

1. Here's Olbermann's take on that

Video on CanOFun

[rpannier]

3. Thanks for that link

[Coastie for Truth]

2. My take

My Take--

Buy them at a discount and sell them on eBay.

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We accept PayPal :hi:

[fed-up]

4. when I first read it quickly I skimmed over the middle eastern part and

thought they were going after a group from Camp Casey.

This was in the first online version of the story, I reread it and decided the whole thing was crap. (which of course it was since I read it first on Drudge)

[seabeyond]

5. midland isnt even a couple hundred thousand out in middle of nowhere

lol lol amongst a whole bunch of white yeehaws. ok hubby form midland and he isnt a yeehaw, but he is white. why in the world would they be there. a 4 hour drive to dallas, longer to the gulf adn other than that, nothing......?

i dont know

midland just doesnt seem like a likely place for terrorists to hang out. kkk, skin heads, but not terrorists

[Rigby Reardon]

6. I was wondering about that as well...

Bugt then I figured that they were there to blow up the oil wells or refineries there.