TAMPA,
Florida, August 26 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The Council on
American-Islamic Relations cautioned Sunday, August 25, that police
are failing to treat seriously the case of a Florida doctor arrested
for possessing a large stash of weapons.
Robert
Goldstein, 37, a podiatrist, has been charged with possession of 20
bombs, and with planning to blow up some 50 Islamic centers and
mosques in Florida.
Goldstein
was arrested Thursday, August 22, at his home in Seminole, Florida,
after his wife, Kristi, 28, called police to say he had threatened to
kill her.
When
Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies entered Goldstein’s house, they
found 20 live bombs and 10 inactive bombs and weapons including
revolvers, sawed-off shotguns and hand grenades.
He
had left plans outlining how he would destroy an Islamic education
center using bombs.
The
Islamic civil rights and advocacy group complained that local and
federal authorities have failed to inform Florida’s Muslim community
over action by police to find possible accomplices of Goldstein.
CAIR’s
spokesman in Florida Altaf said he believed that the incident would
have been treated much differently had the alleged perpetrator been a
Muslim threatening to attack synagogues.
In
a note outlining his plans to attack the center, Goldstein wrote that
“hand to hand is unlikely but be prepared to liquidate (Muslims) up
close,” and also made reference to accomplices, naming one as
“Mike.”
According
to an article published by the Washington Post on Saturday, August 24
said that there was also a detailed plan written by Goldstein: “Set
timers for approximately 15-20 minutes to allow for enough time to get
out of area, but to confirm explosions has (sic) been successful,”
reads an outline of the attack, according to court documents.
“The
amount of explosives should be ample to take down the building(s).”
Police
believe Goldstein planned to use VCR tapes and walkie-talkies to hide
explosive devices or detonators, sheriff's Detective Cal Dennie said,
the Post added.
According
to court documents, the template for the bombing outlined details
including what Goldstein would wear, how he could get rid of
fingerprints and how he would engage in hand-to-hand combat if
necessary, said the Post.
According
to an article published by the St. Petersburg Times on Sunday, August
25, Goldstein did not have a criminal record in Florida, but he was no
stranger to law enforcement.
He
had several clashes with friends and neighbors over the years. There
were disputes over a barking dog, harassing phone calls and $30,000
that went missing, the paper said.
On
March 25, a man drove his truck into the Islamic Center of Tallahassee
in Florida, prompting police to seal off the area and call in a bomb
squad, CNN reported.
No
one was inside the Islamic Center of Tallahassee at the time, and
police say only the driver was injured.
“We
believe this was a hate crime,” Tallahassee Police Lt. Edward Smith
said at the time adding that firefighters were concerned about
suspicious items found in the truck, including a bottle of liquid
marked “holy water.”