# 11 Egyptian "Sudents" Disaapear-Homeland Security, anybody? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 9, 2006, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988 "2006-08-09T11:08:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/61 "2006-08-09T18:47:35Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Don’t matter–the Republican Party has been infected with this, like a disease. It’s very, very bad for our country. and every time I try to explain it to somebody, in a restaurant or coffee shop, they give me funny looks, like I was from Mars. ☹ Joe Average doesn’t seem to be able to grasp this. [/QUOTE] Has anyone done a study on this? I’d love to see a graph showing the rate of “incidents” like this and our nifty color-coded terror chart, and how they relate to election days. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/62 "2006-08-09T22:23:22Z")
according to the FBI, one was just apprehended in Minnesota :smack: ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/63 "2006-08-09T22:58:38Z")
> [@FOXNews](#): > > “The FBI remains extremely interested in interviewing,” the other missing Egyptian students," said Paul McCabe, a spokesman for the FBI in Minneapolis. > > The missing students pose no terrorism threat, the agency said. The rest of the group arrived safely. Either they were infiltrated, or the combination of booze, hookers and free thought in this country beguiled another set of poor furriners. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/64 "2006-08-10T01:11:00Z")
[QUOTE=Count Blucher] Eleven college age boys in a foriegn country for the first time act irresponsibly. Is this really front page news? [/QUOTE] Natalie Holloway was a terrorist! ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/65 "2006-08-10T01:26:26Z")
[QUOTE=Sublight] Natalie Holloway was a terrorist! [/QUOTE] Damn. Throw in a shark attack and you have the perfect media storm. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/66 "2006-08-10T01:29:04Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] This is carey-i certainly WON’T be in NYC on that date. [/QUOTE] No, [this is Carey,](http://www.self-gov.org/gif/drew.gif) and in August he’ll be at the Yuk Yuk Factory in Saratoga, Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/67 "2006-08-10T01:38:16Z")
According to [CNN](http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/09/egyptian.students/index.html) 3 have been located. > [@](#): > > Mohamed Ragab Mohamed Abd Alla and Ebrahim Mabrouk Moustafa Abdou, both 22, turned themselves in to police in Manville, New Jersey, after seeing news reports that federal agents were looking for them, a law enforcement source said. > > The two men showed up at the police station and asked why they were being sought, the source said. > > Sam Aboelata, the owner of a Manville restaurant, said Abdou and Abd Alla were given his number after getting lost and calling their parents. They were distressed and crying when they arrived at his eatery, he said. > > \< snip \> > > Eslam Ibrahim Mohamed El-Dessouki, 21, was arrested without incident about 11 a.m. (noon ET) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, according to a statement from FBI Special Agent Richard Kolko. > > “El-Dessouki was taken into custody on an administrative immigration violation as an out-of-status student,” Kolko said. > > El-Dessouki “was located through source information,” a federal law enforcement official said. > > Authorities gave no indication what he was doing in Minnesota, but a family member said El-Dessouki went to visit relatives and that he wanted to go to school there. Yessir, sounds like a bunch of fanatic terrorists to me ! ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/68 "2006-08-10T01:56:28Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Eleven Egyptian students say they want to go to Montana, and nobody gets suspicious about _that_? [/QUOTE] Well, they said they wanted to be dental floss tycoons. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/69 "2006-08-10T12:17:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, they said they wanted to be dental floss tycoons. They probably know enough not to eat the yellow snow. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/70 "2006-08-10T12:23:27Z")
I think one wanted to be a mennil-toss flykune. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/71 "2006-08-10T12:58:48Z")
On the other hand, given the current bombs-on-ten-airplanes thing going on in the UK, perhaps we need to take thing a little more seriously. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/72 "2006-08-10T16:47:23Z")
**Bosda** may have a point, but I think it’s becoming safe to say that this particular event is a false alarm. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/73 "2006-08-10T16:57:41Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] according to the FBI, one was just apprehended in Minnesota :smack: [/QUOTE] [Three down, 8 to go](http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4106183.html). ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/74 "2006-08-10T17:20:11Z")
Crucify them! Crucify them! _readies his “Free Barabas Instead” protest signs_ ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/75 "2006-08-10T22:29:10Z")
[6 down, five to go](http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp?S=5265864&nav=8H3x). ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/76 "2006-08-11T00:00:19Z")
Well, apparently its pretty easy to apprehend “terrorists” when they turn themselves in. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/77 "2006-08-11T00:12:07Z")
[QUOTE=threemae] Well, apparently its pretty easy to apprehend “terrorists” when they turn themselves in. [/QUOTE] So every time a dozen tourists don’t turn up at their hotel, just get the NY Times onto the scoop!! This Homeland Security thing is a doddle, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/78 "2006-08-11T04:34:27Z")
[QUOTE=Polycarp] Amun to that! Personally, I think they’re all just seeking Aten-tion! 😛 [/QUOTE] Why are you acting all high and mighty? You’re just as guiltly as them. In fact, I would say you are in denile. ---
**Author:** ![Chotii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Chotii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chotii)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/79 "2006-08-11T06:47:07Z")
I just don’t understand this: these guys all come in (together? That’s implied) to specifically go to the University of Montana. I won’t assume they all knew each other, because I was an exchange student myself once (went through the Rotary - maybe university exchanges are different). Presumably, each had an itinerary, pre-purchased tickets to arrive there, and a place they were expected - presumably in Montana. Yet they did not follow their itineraries, did not use their tickets, did not check in, and did not apparently provide any method by which they could be contacted (cell phone? Emergency contact numbers?) How long were they missing? How did they get scattered so widely without using ANY traceable funds at all? How did they afford to travel that distance at all, without cars, or traceable funds with which to buy tickets on public transportation? As I say, I was an exchange student. If I had gone missing, the Rotary would have been in touch with my hometown Rotary very rapidly. I had very strict rules I was expected to follow (I didn’t follow them, but neither did I take off for parts unknown and vanish into society). ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988/80 "2006-08-11T17:54:33Z")
[QUOTE=Chotii] How did they afford to travel that distance at all, without cars, or traceable funds with which to buy tickets on public transportation? [/QUOTE] - Pictures all 11 of them, airborne, in Ferris Beuhler’s father’s Ferrari, while speeding around Chicago \* [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-egyptian-sudents-disaapear-homeland-security-anybody/367988.md?page=5)