Jenny McDermott joins the Zeitgeist Movement

Credit: Justin Templer

'Osama bin Laden' Was An American Idol Fan

By Ryan J. Reilly

Published

January 13, 2012, 9:37 AM EST

"At least that's what was suggested by copies of a typed, two-page letter -- purportedly from the al-Qaeda leader -- which started showing up at schools, law enforcement agencies, a medical facility, municipal agencies and private and religious entities in the spring of last year.

The letters demanded that America "neutralize" all its nuclear weapons and arrest unnamed individuals "responsible for unnecessary crimes of War, poverty, and suffering of families in the world" and bring them "to OHare Air Force Base for a live, unedited trial on TV, just like American Idol where people vote to determine results."

FBI officials knew the letters were a hoax from the beginning, but the threats were still a violation of the law. Ten months later, they say they've got their man.

Timothy O'Donnell, the 51-year-old man charged last week with sending the letters, apparently first came to attention of the authorities when they noticed the same IP address had visited websites affiliated with recipients of the mailings within a few days of when the letters were mailed.

According to an August affidavit in support of a search warrant obtained by TPM from the U.S. Attorney's office, O'Donnell was observed visiting the residence connected to the IP address, located on a quiet tree-lined suburban road in Park Ridge, Illinois. Law enforcement agents found an envelope similar to those sent to recipients of the letter in the trash outside his own residence.

At the point the affidavit was written in August, officials had allegedly already connected O'Donnell's fingerprint on the underside of a postage stamp affixed to an envelope containing one of the letters.

The letters referenced a "Secret Covenant" and "secretsofmardigras.com," according to the affidavit, which also said that at least 35 of the letters contained handwritten notes calling for the arrest of British financier Evelyn de Rothschild and American David Rockefeller.

A member of the Zeitgeist movement in Chicago told the FBI that O'Donnell attended meetings from June and Sept. 2010 and shouted out that the Rockefellers should be arrested. He was subsequently banned from meetings because his behavior was "extreme," according to the FBI source.

The Zeitgeist movement "works globally to spread information about a new social system called a Resource Based Economy," according to its website. A movie by the founder of the movement reportedly inspired Jared Lee Loughner, the man charged with shooting Rep. Gabby Giffords and killing several others last January.

The letters allegedly written by O'Donnell reflected some of the Zeitgeist movement's points of view, stating that the "supply of resources available on this earth for all families to live a peaceful and happy life." Officials with the Chicago Zeitgeist movement did not respond to TPM's requests for comment.

O'Donnell was released on a recognizance bond of $5,000.00 on Thursday.

(Correction: It was the movie "Zeigeist," produced by Peter Joseph, that reportedly inspired Loughner, not the Zeigeist Movement, which was founded by Peter Joseph.)"

Voiceofreason467 gets hacked

Check out the comments section, as I expose who hacked my account http://t.co/C0nqZfJU via @youtube

— voiceofreason467 (@VOR467) October 24, 2011

James Kush is no doubt the guy who hacked my account.

— voiceofreason467 (@VOR467) October 24, 2011

@JimJesus Ah, so you are responsible in some way for my accounts getting hacked. Great to know you have very low integrity.

— voiceofreason467 (@VOR467) October 24, 2011

Noel Hunter quits TZM

Terror DVD student jailed for six months

Terror DVD student jailed for six months

Bilal Malik sent 'terrifying' film containing graphic images of terrorist acts to neighbours.

"Terror DVD student jailed for six months A Pakistani student at a Scottish university has been jailed for six months for sending a DVD containing horrific scenes of terrorist atrocities to his neighbours.

Illegal immigrant Bilal Malik, 28, admitted terrifying his neighbours by sending them a DVD with graphic images of terrorist acts.

He posted a shocking DVD that showed the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Iranian Embassy siege, bloody war scenes from Iraq and Afghanistan, and graphic shots of dead bodies, through the letterbox of a horrified family.

The practising Muslim, a student at Dundee University, hoped that the explosive film downloaded from the internet would "frighten" the unsuspecting couple.

He now faces deportation to his homeland of Pakistan after it was revealed he has been an illegal overstayer in the UK since 2005.

At Arbroath Sheriff Court Malik pleaded guilty to a breach of the peace charge after allegations of "anti-western sentiment" were deleted.

Depute fiscal Hazel Anderson told the court that Malik posted the DVD to a house in Arbroath on September 2 or 3 last year, after his family home had mistakenly received the couple's mail.

He delivered the mail to the right address, and slipped through the letterbox his own parcel, despite not knowing them personally.

The parcel contained the DVD and a message that read: "The post woman made a mistake and you will also because you don't have time to watch this film."

A 29-year-old female occupant found the parcel, opened it, and put the mysterious film into her DVD player. She was "extremely distressed and alarmed" by what she saw and contacted police.

Tayside Police officers found Malik's fingerprints on the handwritten message and after an extensive police search, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police, eventually traced Malik at his mother's home address in Arbroath this September - almost a year later.

Asked by police about the film - which is called Zeitgeist - he replied: "It is a very convincing film, that Christianity is not true, and is fake."

Defence solicitor Keith Sym said that while his client was a Muslim, he "did not consider himself radicalised."

Sentencing, Sheriff Stein said: "It is clear that there was considerable unfairness to the occupiers of the house and to your mother, who has had to sit through these proceedings. It was your intention to frighten the occupiers of the house and, in that objective, you plainly succeeded."