Cell phones can be used as detonators. And “Middle Eastern men” have been buying an awful lot of them in the U.S. over the last few days.
Note that when the authorities say there are no terrorist ties involved in any of these purchases, they mean that the purchasers don’t have any discernable connections to Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hizballah, etc. They do not mean that these men could not be or are not freelance jihadists — that possibility still doesn’t enter into their thinking, despite Muhammad Reza Taheri-azar and Naveed Haq. “Police seek more information on large cell phone purchases,” from the Arizona Daily Star, with thanks to Gary:
Tucson Police Department officials are investigating a report that two men purchased an abnormal number of pre-paid cell phones at a local store.
The incident comes after several similar reports across the country, although authorities have not found any links between the incidents, or any terrorism ties to any of them, as was originally suspected.
Tucson police received a report on Saturday about the two men, who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent, purchasing the phones at Sam’s Club, 4701 N. Stone Ave., earlier in the day….