AZ Heads up

[KAM_Indianapolis]

Received this via Hackworths newsletter. Has anyone read or seen anything like this?

A group of arab men with large, heavy orange backpacks have been sighted six
times hiking up Squak Peak (Phoenix) singing with fists raised in the air by
the local hiking clubs. Their bad attitude called attention to themselves,
along with the fact that they seemed to be out of shape trying to haul the
heavy packs up the hiking trail during predawn outings. The Arizona Republic
published an article on this, Wednesday, buried in the back of the paper
after they noticed that the local hiking club published the information in
their monthly newsletter. The Republic reportedly called the local FBI, but
they blew her off. Help! Do you know anyone in
Arizona that can prod the FBI here to look into this?

 

[C.R.Sam]

Tis Squaw peak, not Squak. Passed.

 

[KAM_Indianapolis]

Here's the story from the paper...

http://www.arizonarepublic.com/arizona/articles/1024squawpeak24.html

Suspicious men seen on Squaw Peak trail


By Judi Villa
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 24, 2001


The Squaw Peak Hiking Association is urging members to avoid the mountain's Summit Trail because two groups of Middle Eastern-looking men were seen there with "heavy, identical orange backpacks."


"While the contents of these heavy backpacks are not known, what is worrisome is that they could contain hazardous agents, explosives or firearms, should the owners have bad intentions to those on the mountain," the group said in a news release.

However, FBI spokesman Ed Hall said there is no evidence to suggest that the mountain would be a terrorist target.

"I have no information of anything that would keep somebody from hiking Squaw Peak," Hall said Tuesday.

Muslim community members liken the group's warning to racial profiling and say it's fueled by paranoia, not logic.

"There is no reason for anybody when they see a Middle Easterner here or there to panic," said Ihsan Saadeddin, spokesman for the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix. "There are 8 million Middle Easterners in this country, and they cannot be treated like this."

The hikers group says it has received "six independent reports of suspicious activity"; three were reported to authorities. An e-mail sent to members says two of the men drew suspicion by singing in Arabic at 4 a.m. and raising their fists in the air.

The group is asking for a police presence on the mountain.

"It's good for people to be cautious and to be alert and to report suspicious things," said Marwan Ahmad, publisher of Arizona Muslim Voice, "but if this group of men was Caucasian, doing the same and carrying the same backpacks, would there be a press release?"

 

[WilderBill]

I don't know about a press release, but I would still be curious.
If they had anything to hide I would think they might try not to sing at 4 AM or use bright orange packs, matching or not.

Could be just a middle eastern hiking association out to try to get away and fell better about their heritage or...
you did say there was nothing of any strategic importance up there, right?