(continued)
A complaint against the two men said that Krugel told the informant the
bombings were necessary because ``Arabs need a wake-up call.´´
Additional comments were made at a meeting by Rubin that the JDL needs
to let people know they are ``alive in a militant way.´´
The complaint added that the unnamed source was asked to photograph the
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) offices and help buy bomb
components and that Krugel said he would build the bombs at his
residence. The source would then place the explosives at the MPAC
office.
The MPAC, which also has a Washington, D.C. office, describes itself as
a public service agency working for the civil rights of American
Muslims.
When the source asked Krugel about dangers to human beings should the
bombs detonate, he allegedly responded: ``C´est la vie´´
(´´That´s life´´), Gordon said.
``The affidavit makes clear their primary motivation was to ...
terrorize Muslims or Arabs and alert the national if not the local
community to JDL´s commitment to attack those targets,´´ Gordon
said.
The source told officials he was led to believe one bomb was to be
placed in the offices of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. He arrived
at Jerry's Deli in the Los Angeles suburb of Encino with 5 pounds (2.2
kg) of explosive powder in his vehicle ready for delivery to Krugel.
TARGETS CHANGED AT MEETING
However at the deli meeting the two men said they had changed their
targets and bombs were instead to be placed at the Culver City Mosque
and Issa's office. Gordon said he believed Issa, a Christian American of
Lebanese descent, was targeted because he made statements the JDL
disagreed with.
There was no specific time frame for when the bombs were to be
detonated, however they were expected to be set off ``in the near
future. Things were fluid,´´ Gordon said.
Issa was not made aware of the plot, because authorities only learned of
it on Tuesday moments before the arrests, Gordon said.
Because the informant wore a wire when he met the two men, federal
agents followed and arrested them a short time later. A search of
Krugel's Reseda, Calif. house turned up two pipe bombs and firearms. The
bombs were adequate to cause ''considerable damage'' to the areas where
they were to be detonated and possibly death to people in the vicinity,
officials said.
Issa thanked law enforcement officials for their quick action and said
he had ``no way of knowing´´ why he had been a target of the JDL.
``Like most Americans, my hope and wish is for a peaceful resolution to
the Middle East conflict. Unfortunately, there are extremists on both
sides who oppose a peaceful resolution.´´
Rubin and Krugel are expected to appear in court later on Wednesday when
bail and future court dates will be set.
The JDL was founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was assassinated in New
York in 1990. Prior to his death he founded the extremist KACH party in
Israel which advocated the expulsion of all Arabs from Israel and
Israeli-occupied territories. The party was later outlawed.