Mohamed and Megahed Had Pipe Bombs

The curious case of the two University of South Florida students is beginning to look a bit more serious that authorities have previously let on.

Authorities: Men Had Pipe Bombs in Their Car

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (AP) -- Authorities say two Middle Eastern men arrested near a Navy base had several pipe bombs in their car.

Authorities say 24-year-old Ahmed Abda Sherf Mohamed and 21-year-old Yousef Samir Megahed were charged Monday with possession of an incendiary device.

An FBI spokeswoman says a joint state-federal investigation is under way to see if there was any terrorism connection but no link had been found yet. The Navy base is the site of a brig where enemy combatants have been held.

According to an affidavit with his arrest warrant, Mohamed admitted he made the pipe bombs from items he bought at Wal-Mart.

Defense attorney Dennis Rhoad says Mohamed and Megahed have a reason for having the devices, but he declined to comment further during their bond hearing.

Naturally, the thugs at CAIR rule out any link to terrorism. Question: How would they know?

Ahmed Bedier, the executive director of a civil rights organization for Muslims in Tampa, criticized the arrest as racial profiling, an accusation South Carolina police refuted.

"Definitely this is not related to terrorism," said Bedier, of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

"Had these been two good ol' boys from South Carolina driving through and speeding -- and even if they did have some fireworks -- nobody would have been arrested," Bedier said.

Watch it, Ahmed, you're precipitously close to hate speech there.

Dan Riehl is still all over this one. More also at Hot Air.

Previously: Al Qaeda Cell on the Loose in America?