The potential terrorist, cell phone connection

Recently there has been an inexplicable rush on untraceable,

disposable cell phones by foriegn nationals here in the United States.

The continued surge in the purchase of these phones -- the kind that can be used and easily discarded to avoid wiretap as well as to detonate bombs – deserves a lot more attention.

A few months ago two men were arrested in Ohio and charged with money laundering in support of terrorism. The two men, Osama Sabhi Abdulhassan and Ali Houssaiky, were from Dearborn, Michigan and were found in possession of a dozen untraceable, disposable cell phones and $11,000 in cash. It turned out that the two had purchased over 600 such phones and were on their way through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina to purchase more. They initially lied to police about their activities, but later admitted they were selling them to someone in Dearborn who was sending them overseas. Ultimately, they were not charged with any crimes.

A week later, three young Arab men were arrested in Michigan and charged with providing material support for terrorism acts and terrorism surveillance. They had about a thousand of the disposable, untraceable cell phones in their van. Police say they had thrown away the phone chargers for the phones, which indicates they were going to be sent overseas where different electrical outlets are used.

Another Michigan resident was arrested in Pennsylvania after being stopped on a traffic violation and being found with 15 of the untraceable, disposable cell phones and $4,200 cash. Malkhaz

Zakutashvilli admitted to being in the country illegally, although he had a Michigan driver’s license.

The story has touched Tennessee, too.

Just last week, two men - Stanislav Legkunets, 19, and Konstantine Mkbitarian, 47 - from Soviet Georgia, Russia living in the vicinity of Dearborn, Michigan, were detained by police in Monterey, Tennessee after they refused to leave the local Family Dollar store. They were found in possession of over 100 of the disposable, untraceable cell phones and $6,000 in cash.

Homeland Security and the FBI have clamped down on all information about this story, even though people throughout the Upper Cumberland are certainly talking about it.

Why do so many young, mostly Muslim, men in the Dearborn, Michigan area suddenly have such an interest in making bulk purchases of phones that can be used for terrorist purposes? More importantly, why is the mainstream media ignoring the obvious connections between these and other arrests that are taking place all over the country?

Perhaps there is no terrorist connection to the purchase of large numbers of phones that can be used to evade government intelligence gathering and detonate roadside bombs. Keep in mind, that these same type of phones were used by Islamic terrorists to detonate bombs on trains in Madrid a few years back. Terror plots are foiled every day in this country. Most Americans are blissfully unaware of the threats we face because the mainstream media fails to alert us to the dangers we are facing within our own borders. Ignorance may be bliss, but it also puts us all at greater risk.

(Steve Gill is the host of a statewide radio talk show and Chief

Political Analyst for Nashville's WKRN News 2.)