FLASHBACK: Terrorists on buses and in malls: Ohio CHL important to Homeland Security

June 14, 2004
NBC4Columbus.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Federal authorities said Monday that they have charged a man from Somalia with plotting to blow up a Columbus-area shopping mall.

According to the FBI, Nuradin M. Abdi, a 32-year-old Somali national, was indicted and charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to provide material support to al-Qaida, and two counts of fraud and misuse of government documents.

"We have taken steps in the Columbus area to mitigate this threat," Attorney General John Ashcroft said. "We believe the activities of local law enforcement, together with federal authorities, have addressed this matter comprehensively and successfully. This is not to say there couldn't be other threats or other circumstances."

Ashcroft said that in March 2000, Abdi re-entered the United States from Africa, using a fraudulent immigration document. According to the FBI, one of his co-conspirators was Iyman Faris, a convicted al-Qaida operative, who picked him up from an airport.

Upon their return to the Columbus area, Abdi, Faris, and other co-conspirators, allegedly initiated a plot to blow up a Columbus-area shopping mall. It is also alleged that in pursuit of this plot, Abdi received bomb-making training from one of the co-conspirators.

Authorities did not immediately say which mall was being targeted.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

Following the old adage that a picture says a thousand words, some Ohio businesses are choosing to use pictures say few words to would-be criminals who may target their stores.

Consider the message received by all who view this picture of law enforcement agent dusting for fingerprints next to a "no-guns" sign at a Fifth Third bank. The photo appeared on the front page of the Willoughby News Herald. (We already know what message the bank robber received when he saw the sign in the first place.)

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On the other hand, a far different message is being sent to would-be criminals by this Middletown retailer:

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State Representative and two-time OFCC PAC Endorsee Keith Faber recently told the Greenville Daily Advocate that he is concerned about this issue.

"I am very concerned about organizations that make victim zones, essentially, by prohibiting law-abiding Ohioans their right as provided by the constitution and state statute for self-protection," Faber said. "Ohio's concealed carry statute strikes a careful balance between the right of the self-protected and appropriate training. Generally I'm not in favor of exclusion zones. I think it's bad public policy to try and stop law-abiding Ohioans from their right."

Customers and employees at eleven retail stores and banks on the list have experienced violent criminal encounters. And that's just the ones we know about.

The latest occurred just last week:
Police Search For Waffle House Bandit

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In northeast Ohio, police are investigating a rash of armed robberies on exits in Ashtabula County.

This is the 5th such robbery in 6 months along theses exits on Rt. 534 and Rt. 45.

One area store which has not been robbed in this exact same area is the store at which an OFCC volunteer put up a CCW friendly sign.

The following bulk email is being sent to customers who contacted FirstMerit bank about their recent decision to post signs, and about to five subsequent bank robberies in their Ohio locations.

From: Karen Rose [mailto:Karen.Rose@firstmerit.com]
Sent: Friday, June 11, 2004
Subject: Re: Why does FirstMerit discriminate?

Dear Mr. XXXXXXX,

Your e-mail in regard to the recent Concealed Carry Weapon Law was forwarded to me as the senior executive in charge of our banking regions. I appreciate you taking the time to communicate to us your position on Ohio's new concealed carry law.

As you observed, FirstMerit has decided to post signs at each of our locations indicating that concealed weapons may not be carried into our facilities unless specifically authorized by our Security Department. Our definition of a weapon includes, but is not limited to firearms of any kind (e.g., handguns, rifles, shotguns); replica firearms, pellet guns, air rifles/pistols, tasers, stun guns, knives (e.g, switchblades, hunting knives); swords and/or martial arts weapons.

It is our position that weapons are not necessary in our facilities unless authorized by our Security Department. We neither support, nor reject current weapons laws; rather we remain focused on our mission of providing the highest quality of service to our customers. We do employ numerous security measures, which are in compliance business standard practices.

We appreciate your business and respect your views.

Kindest regards,
Robert P. Brecht
Senior Executive Vice President

To read a follow-up inquiry from OFCC's Jim Irvine, click on the "Read More..." link below.

June 13, 2004
Columbus Dispatch

I respond to the June 5 letter from Lori A. O’Neill, president of the Greater Cleveland chapter of the Million Mom March ("Store owners who take on gun lobby deserve thanks"). O’Neill fails to mention that the only people who are banned from these businesses are the law-abiding, licensed, trained, screened, fingerprinted and honest concealed-carrying public. Those who choose to carry without being licensed are doing so illegally and couldn’t care less about a sign at the door. These signs basically inform the criminal element that no one on the premises can stop them from robbing the business or harming those inside.

Ohio’s concealed-carry law has made the public safer because the criminals do not know who is or is not carrying a concealed weapon, thus they cannot be sure if an intended victim will be the one who will put a stop to their threats. I have many friends, both licensed and unlicensed, who will not shop at stores that have a guns-banned sign, simply because that store is less safe than others that allow those who are carrying concealed handguns. For a business to post that sign, it might as well say that it is a better target for the criminals.

Just as some restaurants offer free coffee to police, it would be interesting to see a convenience store offer a discount to anyone who possesses a concealed-carry license. Do you think that criminals would choose to try to rob a store that encourages concealed-carry permit holders to shop there? Wouldn’t we all feel safer in such a place?

It is my belief that business owners know what is best for their customers and their businesses. I also believe that it is hard to take an organization such as O’Neill’s seriously when it hires such speakers as Rosie O’Donnell to lecture about the evils of guns — and then we find out that O’Donnell hires armed bodyguards to protect herself and her children. Ohio residents are smarter than that.

DAN SCHELLKOPF
Westerville

To read O'Neill's June 5 letter, click on the "Read More..." link below.