What Exactly Happened At Fort Jackson…

…why is this only coming out now?  That is the damn good question that terrorism expert Patrick Poole is asking.

CBN News terrorism analyst Erick Stakelbeck first reported the story yesterday.  A highlight:

CBN News has learned exclusively that five Muslim soldiers at Fort Jackson in South Carolina were questioned just before Christmas. It is unclear whether the men are still in custody. The five were part of the Arabic Translation program at the base.

Patrick Jones, the Deputy Public Affairs Officer for Fort Jackson, confirmed for CBN News Thursday afternoon that an investigation was ongoing.

Prior to this posting, CBN News learned that these details were also confirmed by a government official with knowledge of the investigation.

The men are suspected of trying to poison the food supply at Fort Jackson.

Please click here to read the full report.

Shortly after Noontime today,  Mr. Stakelbeck filed another report:

This morning, I spoke to Army CID spokesman Christopher Gray and learned more details about a possible poisoning plot that I first reported here yesterday after CBN confirmed with Patrick Jones of Fort Jackson’s Public Affairs Office and a reliable source with intimate knowledge of the investigation. Here is the latest on what we do know.

According to Gray, the Army is investigating allegations that a group of soldiers from the 09 Lima program (more on that later in this post) at Fort Jackson–which is based in South Carolina–had talked about poisoning food in the base’s mess hall. The men were questioned about two months ago, around Christmas. Gray said that to protect the integrity of the investigation, he could not comment further. He stressed that the investigation is “open and continuing.”

CBN News also spoke to a Department of Homeland Security official with knowledge of the investigation who wished to remain anonymous. The official confirmed that the investigation was ongoing and said that someone in the Lima 09 program overheard five Muslim colleagues talking about poisoning food at the base. The person then reported the men, who were brought in for questioning.

Please do take the time to click here and read the rest of the report, which also contains some very interesting information about who can be recruited to be members of Lima 09.

Big tip of the fedora to Carol, over at Carol’s Closet, who comments:

I understand that information should not be released prior to arrests being made but once we have terrorists in custody the only reason that the government would keep the public in the dark is because the facts are embarrassing to the government.

Well, too bad if the facts are embarrassing. Our troops put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe. No member of the American military should be in harm’s way while on American soil. I want to know if political correctness once again has placed our service men in danger.

So do I.  And, if it has, then we have to shout this fact from the blogtops.

Pam Geller’s posting is here.

The Memeorandum thread is here.