<The Las Vegas Review Journal article on Saturday sent us on a mission. We were determined to meet Michael Hamdan for several reasons:

1. The FBI said that the story was not credible but did not provide any reasons for this conclusion - as if somehow in the last two weeks the FBI itself has acquired the credibility to pass judgment. They have missed tips before.





A crank response. The media is not in the FBI chain of command, therefore updates to the press are not mandatory.

2. The FBI mentioned a polygraph, but never stated that Mr. Hamdan had failed it. In typical government newspeak, they implied a connection and hoped their 8th grade reading level subjects would make that assumption.

Yet another crank response (you’re not really researching this, are you, Tom?).

3. Mr. Hamdan claimed that the FBI did not return his phone calls. This happened to us in 1996, in the aftermath of the pipe-bombing at the Olympics.

I might not return J.J.’s & Nancy’s calls either.

4. Mr. Hamdan was demonized by the local media. Due to our past experience, that was a clear red flag.

A “red flag” that, served up correctly -- or incorrectly, as the mores would hold -- there are bucks to be had in this story -- if it’s. Tossing ethics aside, I could make a killing doing this as well.

Anyway, to me it’s a credible story. Just too bad it needs to be sensationalized, such as what I’ve posted above, and other “assumptions” in the text itself:

* "I thought telling the media might speed things up a bit." Oh, it did alright.
* The media feeding frenzy is on. ...and still on, with J.J. & Nancy.
* The FBI calls and asks Hamdan to take a polygraph on Monday. Fifteen minutes later (perhaps after Washington read someone the riot act) they ask him to do it tomorrow, Friday. whatever that’s supposed to mean.
* "We know you've been busy," the agent sneers. colorful.

"The FBI's investigation into the allegations made by Michael Hamdan is substantially complete. The remainder is expected to be concluded in the next several days. Results of the investigation to date do not substantiate these allegations and the FBI has determined that this information is not credible."

After interrogation, the investigation would likely be “substantially complete”, as Hamdan’s claim is the only real substance to the threat. I would also have to agree that, with the 4th of July just around the corner, the remainder of the investigation could be “concluded in the next several days”. As it stands, there is no solid proof the threat was overheard, since there is an error-factor in the polygraph test, therefor the threat could not be substantiated. Were Hamdan a credible (i.e., reliable, known, repeated) source, other drastic (as well as tax-expensive) steps would have been taken. As it is, we, and the FBI, can only wait.

But this is a 'global' phone, leaving one to speculate that the overheard call was a call made to somewhere - on the other side of the globe.



But again, that's just speculation.





Meaning the sensationalized comment was completely uncalled for. “The other side of the globe”? It could have been from his neighbor’s pool party -- or just an idea floating around the back of Hamdan’s schizoid brain.

But that's just my own snide, completely uncalled for speculation

calling the proper authorities; only to get a return call after the story hits the media

Weekends -- and dead-head shift-workers -- happen.

To the FBI, this is a closed matter.

Just a parting assumption.

And before anyone trounces me for disliking the press, especially in poorly written articles of this sort, I say again:

To me it’s a credible story,
Dan