Baltimore Recruiting Center Bomb Plot Stopped Before It Started

US News • Views: 20,599

Another self-styled jihadi has been arrested in Baltimore for planning to detonate a car bomb at a recruiting center — once again, with a fake bomb supplied by federal agents. Congratulations to the feds for stopping a would-be mass murderer before he had a chance to hurt anyone.

Federal authorities say Antonio Martinez, also known as Muhammad Hussain, attempted to detonate what he believed to be a vehicle bomb this morning at the Armed Forces Career Center in the 5400 block of Baltimore National Pike.

Court records paint Martinez as obsessed with Jihad and intent on punishing the military. He praised Nidal Hassan, the U.S. Army major who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, and discussed obtaining weapons and shooting up military installations, records show.

In November, he was observed on a public computer in Woodlawn viewing videos of Osama bin Laden and an Iraqi martyrdom. He discussed in public postings on his Facebook page how the “reign of oppression is about 2 cease.” It was through the social networking site that he communicated at times with an FBI informant, saying he wanted to go to Pakistan or Afghanistan and join the ranks of the “mujahideen.”

He told the confidential source that if the military continued to kill Muslims, “they would need to expand their operation by killing U.S. Army personnel where they live,” records show. They discussed attacking military installations and the possibility of using gas or propane tanks. …

Court records show Martinez attempted to recruit multiple individuals, all who declined to participate. According to a law enforcement source, one of the friends “thought he was kidding or nuts and told him to stop talking about jihad.”

U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said no one was in danger because the FBI was monitoring Martinez.

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72 comments
1 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 1:54:07pm

I guess he’ll share a jail cell with Portland’s would-be bomber.

2 Political Atheist  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 1:55:05pm

May all our violent jihad enemies be so foolish and incompetent.

3 goddamnedfrank  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 1:55:24pm

I’m glad these wannabe jihadis don’t have my trust issues.

Who the fuck is stupid enough to enter into a criminal conspiracy with anyone I wonder, and then I look around.

4 Obdicut  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 1:56:21pm

So was this guy hooked up with anyone, or was he a lone asshole?

5 Charles Johnson  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 1:56:28pm

If you read the full article, he actually kind of figured out that he was being set up by the FBI but went ahead anyway.

Seems to be a few screws short of a tight seal.

6 darthstar  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 1:58:11pm

OT (informational purposes only, not to derail this topic): Beck’s gold-hawking sponsor goes into receivership

7 Varek Raith  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 1:58:23pm

re: #5 Charles

If you read the full article, he actually kind of figured out that he was being set up by the FBI but went ahead anyway.

Seems to be a few screws short of a tight seal.

Yeesh.
Though, it’s good that they seem to be this dumb.

8 Killgore Trout  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:02:15pm

Antonio Martinez. Another Hispanic revert.

9 Obdicut  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:02:51pm

re: #8 Killgore Trout

Are you sure? He could be Asian.

//

10 Varek Raith  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:03:17pm

re: #9 Obdicut

Are you sure? He could be Asian.

//

They all look alike!
//

11 Varek Raith  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:04:57pm

re: #3 goddamnedfrank

I’m glad these wannabe jihadis don’t have my trust issues.

Who the fuck is stupid enough to enter into a criminal conspiracy with anyone I wonder, and then I look around.

He seemed alright at the time…
XD

12 TedStriker  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:05:31pm

re: #5 Charles

If you read the full article, he actually kind of figured out that he was being set up by the FBI but went ahead anyway.

Seems to be a few screws short of a tight seal.

He should’ve gone with his gut feeling, but I’m glad the feds nabbed him. Remember, jihadi wannabes in the US, if someone offers their “bomb-making expertise” to you, it might be a trap…

As the great DC political sage, Marion Berry, once said, “Bitch set me up!” ;-P

13 Obdicut  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:07:35pm

This guy was obviously inspired by radical Islam, but was he really a Muslim convert, or did he just start calling himself by an Islamic name and get all Jihad-y by himself?

The news reports don’t mention any mosque or anything that he belonged to.

14 Killgore Trout  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:07:57pm

I really like this fake bomb gimmick the FBI is using. It should really make wannabe martyrs think twice. A fake bomb from the FBI or a dud from Al Qaeda, those are your only choices.

15 Obdicut  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:08:55pm

re: #14 Killgore Trout

A few going off early and blowing them up wouldn’t be a bad variation, either.

I know it’s happened a couple of times.

16 Killgore Trout  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:09:52pm
Court records show Martinez saw reports of the Oregon case and became agitated, fearing that he was being set up. He and the confidential source had a meeting on Nov. 27, where he advised that he still wanted to go forward. The source told him to sleep on it and call him the next day.

On Nov. 28, Martinez phoned the source and said: “I’m just ready to move forward.”


Heh.

17 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:10:50pm

re: #15 Obdicut

Aaah. The sweet sound of a “training accident”.

18 SpaceJesus  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:11:35pm

well, looks like a group of 16 year old habitual masturbaters who like anime too much have managed to take down visa’s homepage

[Link: www.huffingtonpost.com…]

19 Killgore Trout  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:12:01pm

re: #13 Obdicut

This guy was obviously inspired by radical Islam, but was he really a Muslim convert, or did he just start calling himself by an Islamic name and get all Jihad-y by himself?

The news reports don’t mention any mosque or anything that he belonged to.

From the article….

His mother disapproved of his life choices, according to records. “She wants me to be like everybody else, being in school, working,” he told the informant. “Glad I am not like everyone else my age – going out having fun, be in college, all that stuff. That’s not me. … That [sic] not what Allah has in mind for me.”


I’m guessing that he converted himself as an act of rebellion. Probably from reading books from the library.

20 SanFranciscoZionist  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:12:37pm

re: #13 Obdicut

This guy was obviously inspired by radical Islam, but was he really a Muslim convert, or did he just start calling himself by an Islamic name and get all Jihad-y by himself?

The news reports don’t mention any mosque or anything that he belonged to.

That’s a real issue—sadly, in this day and age, jihad can be a DIY project.

21 Killgore Trout  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:13:25pm

re: #19 Killgore Trout

I know a lefty chick that converted to Islam shortly after 9-11 to outrage her family. People do strange stuff.

22 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:13:59pm

re: #16 Killgore Trout

Martinez: Are you a cop?
Cop: No.
Martinez: Okay.

23 Obdicut  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:14:58pm

re: #19 Killgore Trout

I just don’t get someone who can watch an Osama Bin Laden video and go “Yeah, that’s the ticket!”

Well, double good job to the FBI for catching this guy, then, as they didn’t even have the sane Muslim community and relatives to rely on to turn him in, like they did with that last one.

24 TedStriker  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:15:08pm

re: #16 Killgore Trout

Heh.

Moronic jihadi wannabe is moronic…

25 Varek Raith  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:15:08pm

re: #22 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Martinez: Are you a cop?
Cop: No.
Martinez: Okay.

With this caliber of enemy, we are truly doomed.
Doomed!

26 goddamnedfrank  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:15:42pm

re: #7 Varek Raith

Yeesh.
Though, it’s good that they seem to be this dumb.

It’s the cowardice that most often does them in, they rarely have confidence enough to act alone. Which isn’t to say that Major Hassan wasn’t a coward simply because he did act alone, he still had to reach out to a foreign cleric for moral support and desperately needed to believe that he was part of something larger than himself.

27 TedStriker  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:17:24pm

re: #18 SpaceJesus

well, looks like a group of 16 year old habitual masturbaters who like anime too much have managed to take down visa’s homepage

[Link: www.huffingtonpost.com…]

Which does almost nothing to affect their merchant customers…Paypal, OTOH, is up shit creek unless they have some robust defenses.

28 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:18:13pm

re: #20 SanFranciscoZionist

That’s a real issue—sadly, in this day and age, jihad can be a DIY project.

Maybe Walmart will start selling a kit?

29 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:18:13pm

re: #14 Killgore Trout

I say we make it into a TV show like they did with bait car.

30 goddamnedfrank  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:21:13pm

re: #29 Dreggas

I say we make it into a TV show like they did with bait car.

Punk’d: Jihad Edition

31 brookly red  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:21:24pm

re: #28 Walter L. Newton

Maybe Walmart will start selling a kit?

Complete with a copy of Jihad for Dummies?

32 SpaceJesus  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:21:38pm

re: #27 talon_262

Which does almost nothing to affect their merchant customers…Paypal, OTOH, is up shit creek unless they have some robust defenses.

I hear they do

33 engineer cat  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:22:04pm

dept of unintentional black humor

He discussed in public postings on his Facebook page how the “reign of oppression is about 2 cease.”

yo, d00d, g-hod

ur not doin it rite

34 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:23:19pm

re: #33 engineer dog

How much you want to bet he had to look up the correct spelling of “reign”.

35 Varek Raith  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:24:18pm

re: #33 engineer dog

dept of unintentional black humor

He discussed in public postings on his Facebook page how the “reign of oppression is about 2 cease.”

yo, d00d, g-hod

ur not doin it rite

Image: facepalm5.jpg

36 brookly red  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:25:19pm

maybe we should start checking out peoples FB page when they buy an airline ticket?

37 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:25:24pm

re: #30 goddamnedfrank

Punk’d: Jihad Edition

Now that would be funny. Have it so when they tried to detonate the bomb the car alarm goes off with a voice over the radio or some mechanism saying:

“Congratulation! You’ve just won a one way ticket to super-max! Have fun pursuing jihad from behind bars asshat!”

39 brookly red  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:27:10pm

re: #37 Dreggas

Now that would be funny. Have it so when they tried to detonate the bomb the car alarm goes off with a voice over the radio or some mechanism saying:

“Congratulation! You’ve just won a one way ticket to super-max! Have fun pursuing jihad from behind bars asshat!”

exploding detonators would be a nice twist…

40 WINDUPBIRD DISEASE [S.K.U.M.M.]  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:27:51pm

re: #18 SpaceJesus

well, looks like a group of 16 year old habitual masturbaters who like anime too much have managed to take down visa’s homepage

[Link: www.huffingtonpost.com…]

they work pretty fast, don’t they?

41 Shiplord Kirel  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:28:37pm

Clueless jihad wannabes are not the only threat.

Here’s some more anti-military agitation from the whack-job right:

Part 1 of 2: Surviving Martial Law

As far back as December 2009 President Obama has been preparing for a civil war within the United States. In November of 2009 he directed USNORTHCOM to make sure that there are at least 1 million troops inside the US by Jan 2010 while still continuing conflicts abroad. It makes sense why he’s ending both Iraq and Afghanistan so early. Currently the military is participating in Unified Quest 2011 where they are preparing strategies on how to deal with a financial local or global collapse or if there are huge slashes in the budget.

First and foremost a little trick I learned from being homeless for 5 years is being in small groups is an instant survival technique. Talk with your neighbors and friends about what to do if even a huge disaster hits your town. When forming your small group, realize everyone is in it for survival, so if you can’t contribute, you wont last long. The reason why you travel in groups being homeless is because of security and common interests. Think of it like this, everyone acts independently and for the group. No one is going to attack 10 people with 3 people. Also, everyone has different skills and resources that can be used for the group that can ensure everyone’s survival, in a way it’ll be like barter.

Swallow your pride, you might be humiliated or searched, but cooperation ensures survival. Last thing you want is to go to a FEMA camp.

Actually, the small group thing is very good advice in a survival situation. The rest of it is insanity2. There are apparently millions of people who believe this stuff or something close to it.

42 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:28:58pm

re: #38 WindUpBird

Anyone who wants their eyes to vibrate should click on this, it’ll make a lot of sense to you

(safe for work, contains op art)

Hmmm… ah… alpha patterns… choke… spasm… convulsions… ah that was refreshing.

43 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:29:35pm

re: #38 WindUpBird

Why did I click on that?

44 WINDUPBIRD DISEASE [S.K.U.M.M.]  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:30:05pm

re: #41 Shiplord Kirel

USNORTHCOM

Crazy beardo survivalist types love the big long acronyms and anything that sounds like a government authority with capital letters

45 WINDUPBIRD DISEASE [S.K.U.M.M.]  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:30:25pm

re: #43 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Why did I click on that?

That’s between you and your God, sir

46 WINDUPBIRD DISEASE [S.K.U.M.M.]  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:30:39pm

re: #42 Walter L. Newton

Hmmm… ah… alpha patterns… choke… spasm… convulsions… ah that was refreshing.

I woke up to that @_@

47 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:31:29pm

re: #46 WindUpBird

I woke up to that @_@

Piss hard on?

48 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:31:57pm

re: #44 WindUpBird

Will Ferrell did a very good skit on SNL once as the Unibomber. Goes to his class reunion… crazy eyes.

49 engineer cat  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:32:12pm

re: #38 WindUpBird

thank you i really enjoyed that now my brain is reprogrammed and i can’t see straight

50 brookly red  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:32:24pm

re: #41 Shiplord Kirel

when picking a small group to join make sure your not the smallest/weakest person in the group… it could end badly.

51 WINDUPBIRD DISEASE [S.K.U.M.M.]  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:32:24pm

re: #47 Walter L. Newton

no, just my google reader feed ._.

52 WINDUPBIRD DISEASE [S.K.U.M.M.]  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:32:51pm

re: #49 engineer dog

thank you i really enjoyed that now my brain is reprogrammed and i can’t see straight

There are only 7 days left!

*upside down spinning chair*

53 WINDUPBIRD DISEASE [S.K.U.M.M.]  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:33:43pm

re: #50 brookly red

when picking a small group to join make sure your not the smallest/weakest person in the group… it could end badly.

I agree, always get a songwriting credit on anything you play on, you don’t want too many strong personalities when you go into the studio

54 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:33:54pm

re: #52 WindUpBird

There are only 7 days left!

*upside down spinning chair*

I was in a swingers motel once that had one of those.

55 researchok  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:35:39pm

re: #8 Killgore Trout

Antonio Martinez. Another Hispanic revert.

Trending?

56 brookly red  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:36:55pm

re: #54 Walter L. Newton

I was in a swingers motel once that had one of those.


I think they are called a “lazy Susan”…

57 researchok  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:37:00pm

re: #15 Obdicut

A few going off early and blowing them up wouldn’t be a bad variation, either.

I know it’s happened a couple of times.

‘Work accidents’.

58 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:37:46pm

re: #57 researchok

Urkel the dead terrorist.

59 TedStriker  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:38:54pm

re: #58 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Urkel the dead terrorist.

“Did I do that?”

;-P

60 SpaceJesus  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:39:42pm

re: #40 WindUpBird


they sure do. i wonder how many of them weren’t smart enough to conceal their identities properly from the authorities.

61 Varek Raith  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:40:03pm
62 freetoken  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:45:20pm

I wonder if Beck will spin this into whether the Fed is coming to get him…


Judge Freezes Assets of Beck’s Gold Advertiser

Glenn Beck might, for once, be right: the government is coming for your gold. But only if you happened to buy it from one of Beck’s advertisers, the Superior Gold Group. At the request of prosecutors from LA County and Santa Monica city who have filed a civil suit against the company, Los Angeles County judge has ordered that Superior Gold be placed into receivership and all of its assets—bank accounts, real estate, and presumably gold stored for customers—frozen. On Monday, a court-appointed lawyer actually physically seized control of the company, presumably to prevent further wrongdoing. The lawsuit alleged that among other things, Superior had defrauded its customers by overcharging them, fraudulently inducing them to buy overpriced collectors’ coins rather than the bullion that they wanted, and taking customers’ money for coins they never produced. The prosecutors hope that the lawsuit will provide restitution for all of the company’s ripped off customers. The judge will hold a hearing later this month to decide whether the company’s assets should remain frozen until the case goes to trial.

Putting a company in receivership is a pretty drastic and very rare move for a judge in a civil case. It does not bode well for Beck’s other and much bigger gold advertiser, Goldline, which has also been accused of very similar tactics, as Mother Jones documented earlier this year. The California prosecutors are also investigating Goldline. Both companies have claimed that they were targeted solely because of liberal outrage about Beck’s political viewpoints, and touted their outstanding ratings from the Better Business Bureau in their defense. But the dramatic business seizure on Monday of Superior Gold suggests that the consumer complaints were not only legitimate, but that the situation may be worse there than any of the critics suspected. Whether Goldline is in the same boat is hard to know, but the swift takeover of Superior Gold has to be making Goldline (and Beck, too) awfully nervous.

Goldline has been a backer of many of the ultra-right talk shows for years, as well as that of the flakier night-time radio-shows.

BUY GOLD!!

63 Romantic Heretic  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:47:17pm

re: #62 freetoken

I wonder if Beck will spin this into whether the Fed is coming to get him…

Judge Freezes Assets of Beck’s Gold Advertiser

Goldline has been a backer of many of the ultra-right talk shows for years, as well as that of the flakier night-time radio-shows.

BUY GOLD!!

First rule of a con: Make sure your mark has money.

Second rule: Make sure they want more.

After that it’s easy.

64 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:48:56pm

re: #62 freetoken

I wonder if Beck will spin this into whether the Fed is coming to get him…

Judge Freezes Assets of Beck’s Gold Advertiser

Goldline has been a backer of many of the ultra-right talk shows for years, as well as that of the flakier night-time radio-shows.

BUY GOLD!!

They also advertise on Thom Hartmann’s show.

65 simoom  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:49:42pm

So Sen. Collins was offered 10 GOP amendments to the Defense Appropriations Bill, with a total of 14 hours of debate on those amendments. The Dems would get 5 amendments at a total of 5 hours of debate for their amendments.

Some Senate GOP staffers also seem to have indicated their senator would vote for cloture if another Republican goes first, and it sounds like Lisa Murkowski has? Though the latest on twitter about Collins is that she has reverted back to insisting on the tax rate extensions passing first. Hopefully some of the other Republicans that claim they support DADT repeal will step up (Luger, Snowe, Brown, etc; Ensign has already walked his support back: “Not in the Lame-duck session.”). They have to realize this whole exercise become hopeless after the Christmas recess, and if wait much longer there won’t be time to work through the amendment process beforehand, so if any of them are serious about repeal now (or very, very soon) is the time.

I’m guessing all the Dems will be on board as the last time this came up they all voted yes until it was clear they didn’t have the votes, and Reid then plus two others switched to no.

66 reloadingisnotahobby  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:50:29pm

Considering the direction this thread is drifting I will not say what I spent the afternoon doing!
;)

67 researchok  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:55:13pm

re: #64 Walter L. Newton

They also advertise on Thom Hartmann’s show.

Shhh! The meme..you’ll destroy the meme…!

68 Obdicut  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 2:59:16pm

re: #67 researchok

What meme is that?

69 researchok  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 3:04:39pm

re: #68 Obdicut

What meme is that?

That the gold guys target only the looney right.

70 freetoken  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 3:07:57pm

re: #67 researchok

Shhh! The meme..you’ll destroy the meme…!

Heh, I just highlighted Goldline’s own claim:

Both companies have claimed that they were targeted solely because of liberal outrage about Beck’s political viewpoints

It’s more than a “meme”. Goldline’s owners have ties to the various right-wingnuts that goes back decades.

71 Obdicut  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 3:13:58pm

re: #69 researchok

That the gold guys target only the looney right.

Well, Thom Hartmann has tons of libertarian and other fringy guests. So I would expect quite a few people on the ‘looney right’ listen to his show.

However, I don’t think that anyone has ever said that the gold guys target the looney right, anyway. What has been said is that Beck spurs fears and tells his watchers to buy gold, while profiting from that same behavior.

72 researchok  Wed, Dec 8, 2010 3:23:49pm

re: #70 freetoken

Heh, I just highlighted Goldline’s own claim:

It’s more than a “meme”. Goldline’s owners have ties to the various right-wingnuts that goes back decades.

Yup- but they go where the money is.

Everywhere.


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