No terror charges, but Arab-Americans in scheme: US

[cynatnite]

DETROIT (Reuters) - Michigan prosecutors dismissed terrorism-related charges against three Arab-Americans on Wednesday, but soon afterward the FBI accused them of a phone-selling scheme that could land them in prison for 25 years.

The three U.S. citizens of Palestinian descent from the Dallas area -- brothers Adham and Louai Othman and cousin Awad Muhareb -- were each charged in federal court in Bay City, Michigan, with conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods and money laundering.

Their case and another dismissed this week in Ohio against two Arab-Americans buying cell phones for resale have raised the ire of the Arab-American community, with complaints that local authorities are overzealous in suspecting Arabs of terrorism.

In the Michigan case, the men appeared in state court in Caro where prosecutors dismissed charges of support for terrorism and surveillance of a vulnerable target -- the Mackinac Bridge -- which the FBI had previously said had no basis.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060816/us_nm/security_phones_dc

[thepurpose]

1. And round and round we go again. Terror terror every where that will

disappear like magic after the elections.

[angstlessk]

2. They probably would have gotten less time for terrorism activities.

25 years for selling cell phones?

[acmavm]

3. Gotta save face and get these guys for SOMETHING.