FBI Hoped to Follow Falafel Trail to Iranian Terrorists Here

[babylonsister]

Could this be the sort of investigative techniques we can't possibly advertise to the enemy? :eyes:


FBI Hoped to Follow Falafel Trail to Iranian Terrorists Here
By Jeff Stein, CQ National Security Editor

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. A similar project was aimed at Sunni Arabs in the Washington, D.C., 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.

more...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=hsnews-000002620892

[JohnyCanuck]

1. The falafel trail? That might have led them to Bill O'Reilly.

Watch out Bill! Those kinky habits of yours might get you in trouble one day with Homeland Security.

[zabet]

4. Yep, ol' Billo...the falafel felon...

the falafel fool...the abuser of all that is
falafel around him.
:rofl:

[MetaTrope]

2. Hell, there haven't even been any prosecutions developed from extraordinary rendition and Gitmo

:shrug:

[madokie]

5. not a one I can remember

[Eric J in MN]

3. The FBI should certainly be able to spy on us without a warrant.

Hooray for National Security Letters (sarcasm.)

[tanyev]

6. Dayum. I bought a box of falafel mix a couple months ago.

:scared:

[icnorth]

7. Cheer up tanyev...

Unless you've made a recent contribution to a liberal cause you should be ok. :hide: