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Terrorism and Falafel

One of the traits of eating FALAFEL is the possibility of getting blacklisted in America or worse accused of being a terrorist.

Falafel and terrorismThis news story revealed that the FBI planed to use records from San Francisco grocery stores to spot terrorists; they believed that a spike in falafel sales would lead them to secret Iranian agents.

Like Hansel and Gretel hoping to follow their bread crumbs out of the forest, the FBI sifted through customer data collected by San Francisco-area grocery stores in 2005 and 2006, hoping that sales records of Middle Eastern food would lead to Iranian terrorists.

The idea was that a spike in, say, falafel sales, combined with other data, would lead to Iranian secret agents in the south San Francisco-San Jose area.

The brainchild of top FBI counterterrorism officials Phil Mudd and Willie T. Hulon, according to well-informed sources, the project didn’t last long. It was torpedoed by the head of the FBI’s criminal investigations division, Michael A. Mason, who argued that putting somebody on a terrorist list for what they ate was ridiculous — and possibly illegal.

A check of federal court records in California did not reveal any prosecutions developed from falafel trails. [Read the rest here]

I'm just wondering if Oklahoma terrorist eat Falafel too?!

On the other hand, since Wikipedia is saying that Falafel is now a national dish of Israel; can we consider this as a possible reason behind the terrorist mentality of the Israeli occupation? Equally would be the reason all around the Levant?

Could it be that the FBI found a spike but because they were not Iranians (OTHERS – guess who) they abandon the plan?

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{ 13 } Comments

  1. Robin | November 8, 2007 at 1:20 am | Permalink

    OK, I am sitting here TOTALLY falling off my chair laughing at the absurdity of this.

    Let's see, I currently have Irish stew simmering in my crock pot.

    Might I be an IRA terrorist/sleeper cell?

    But wait, I also love to eat Cuban food at Cuban restaurants.

    Might I be an agent provacateur of Castro?

    Oh, no, I bought pita bread at Trader Joe's last week.

    Quick, leave no paper trail behind, no more purchasing groceries with my debit card, cash only and in disquise with a big floppy hat.

    I sure hope I'm safe from "scrutiny"

    OH MY GOODNESS, there's crumbs left from my last pita bread.

    Gotta RUN!!

  2. desertpeace | November 8, 2007 at 1:35 am | Permalink

    This was a great post Haitham…. really shows how ridiculous the whole 'war against terrorism' is… when they don't even know who a terrorist is….
    They don't have to look any further than 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The White House)

  3. ammaro.com | November 8, 2007 at 9:11 am | Permalink

    i think they've totally lost it.

    Ok, ok, lets give them the benefit of the doubt

    lets ASSUME that their theory is correct about following falafel to find terrorists, they're still not going to end up finding any iranian ones, since falafel IS NOT AN IRANIAN FOOD.

    i used to buy hummus from the supermarket when i was in the US. Do you think I was being watched ?

  4. Haitham | November 8, 2007 at 9:50 am | Permalink

    ammaro.com

    You better think twice if you plan to eat Hummus more than two times a week ;-)

  5. desertpeace | November 8, 2007 at 12:04 pm | Permalink

    Thanks for inspiring the following post Bro….
    http://desertpeace.blogspot.com/2007/11/politics-of-food.html

  6. Robin | November 8, 2007 at 12:46 pm | Permalink

    "The brainchild of top FBI counterterrorism officials Phil Mudd and Willie T. Hulon"

    You want to know HOW top these "officials" are?

    "Mr. Mudd currently serves as second-in-charge of the CTC, which has responsibility for all-source analysis and global clandestine operations on subjects ranging from al-Qa'ida's leadership to Hizballah to terrorists' use of chemical and biological weapons.

    Mr. Mudd is the recipient of more than a dozen Exceptional Performance Awards from CIA. He also was one of the two first-ever recipients of the Langer Award (November 2002), which recognizes superior achievements in CIA's analytic directorate, and the Director's Award (July 2004), the highest achievement award personally given by the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency."
    http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel05/nsbleadership081205.htm
    ——————————————————————–
    Willie T. Hulon—Executive Assistant Director, National Security Branch

    Willie Hulon was appointed by Director Mueller as Executive Assistant Director (EAD) of the FBI’s National Security Branch (NSB) on June 19, 2006. In that position, he oversees the FBI’s counterterrorism, counterintelligence, weapons of mass destruction, and intelligence programs, and has spearheaded the integration and enhancement of the FBI’s national security mission. Mr. Hulon is also the lead FBI official responsible for coordination and liaison with the Director of National Intelligence and the rest of the Intelligence Community.

    Prior to becoming EAD-NSB, Mr. Hulon served as Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division (CTD), a position he was appointed to on December 23, 2004. While serving as Deputy Assistant Director of CTD in 2004, Mr. Hulon received the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award.
    http://www.fbi.gov/libref/executives/hulon.htm

    These are NOT your every day FBI officials, MY GOD, they are "BIG SHOTS"who have been given awards, Hulon even got the "Presidential" Meritorious Rank Award!

    But hey, considering the "president" that awarded it, I am NOT surprised.

    Lord help us all!

  7. bernarda | November 8, 2007 at 2:51 pm | Permalink

    You may be puzzled about why good commentators like Keith Olbermann regularly refer to wingnut Bill O'Reilly as "falafel guy".

    Well, it stems from a sexual harrassment suit against BillO where he was taped referring to his private parts as a "falafel".

    As to far-out military and CIA research, here is a documentary by Britain's Channel 4. "Crazy Rulers of the World".

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6708686897899858973

  8. Robin | November 10, 2007 at 1:18 am | Permalink

    This program that was OPENLY announced in the LA Times yesterday and discussed today further in another article is ALARMING.

    "LAPD to build data on Muslim areas"
    http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lapd9nov09,0,1646403.story?coll=la-home-center

    "L.A. officials defend mapping of Muslim areas"
    http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lapd10nov10,0,3960843.story?coll=la-home-center

    Actually it was a rabbi who just called me about another matter and told me to look at this because for SURE it will a MAJOR breach of the civil liberties of Muslims here in the US.

    These "law officials are running AMOK" They are 100% FASCISTS and it is FRIGHTENING!

    Don't forget, the LAPD sent members of their force to train in Israel.

  9. bernarda | November 11, 2007 at 1:04 am | Permalink

    Fox News advocates the U.S. doing car bombings in Iran.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH3BTaWrQ3I

    More at

    http://irancoverage.com/

  10. suffered palestinian | November 14, 2007 at 10:55 am | Permalink

    what is going on people?

    falafel is good and tasty!!

    and why do you hate muslim people?

    do you think that they are all Terrorists?

    I know that there are some Evil muslims… but

    that doesn't make ALL muslims evil !! .. most of muslims

    are honest and love each other .. and help if someone is helpless..

    But the American media and others still attacking muslims..

    and if you people don't believe me … on the

    next summer try to visit muslim areas

    in the middle east..(don't choose

    Iran so that peaple don't

    say you are terrorist!!)

    try to visit normal

    places.. not big

    poular places

    I hope that

    your look

    to muslims

    change

    WA ALIKOM AL-SALM WA RAHMA ALLAH WA BARAKATOH(peace be upen you)_goodbye_

  11. kimmy | November 25, 2007 at 5:24 am | Permalink

    Can someone give me a recipe for falafel?
    I love food.

  12. Andy Pandy | November 29, 2007 at 6:47 pm | Permalink

    This FBI program makes me hungry.

  13. samira | October 9, 2008 at 1:48 am | Permalink

    I'm completely mid boggled.hahahahahahaha this is ridicolously hilarious.

    *sigh*

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