U.S. arrests two British tourists over mild Twitter jokes

wfgodot

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W-w-what?

'I'm going to destroy America and dig up Marilyn Monroe': British pair arrested in U.S. on terror charges over Twitter jokes
Two British tourists were barred from entering America after joking on Twitter that they were going to 'destroy America' and 'dig up Marilyn Monroe'.

Leigh Van Bryan, 26, was handcuffed and kept under armed guard in a cell with Mexican drug dealers for 12 hours after landing in Los Angeles with pal Emily Bunting.

The Department of Homeland Security flagged him as a potential threat when he posted an excited tweet to his pals about his forthcoming trip to Hollywood which read: 'Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America?'
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So - didn't they attempt to explain themselves, were then heard out, and the whole thing abandoned as a merry mix-up?
Despite telling officials the term 'destroy' was British slang for 'party', they were held on suspicion of planning to 'commit crimes' and had their passports confiscated.
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Leigh was also quizzed about another tweet which quoted hit US comedy Family Guy which read: '3 weeks today, we're totally in LA p****** people off on Hollywood Blvd and diggin' Marilyn Monroe up.'

Federal agents even searched his suitcase looking for spades and shovels, claiming Emily was planning to act as Leigh's 'look out' while he raided Marilyn's tomb.
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much more, with pictures of the "desperadoes" and a sidebar with words deemed "sensitive" by DHS, at Daily Mail link above
 
Reading paranoid garbage like that, one would hardly think politically-correct America could ever have been home to the James Gang or Bill The Kid. What IS this nation coming to?
 
I am glad that all serious threats to the security of US citizens have now been ruled out and the authorities have got nothing better to do than to do quality control on Twitter jokes.

No, wait...
 
Wow, that's one dangerous looking hipster dude. :eek:hoh:

I for one am glad to see we're keeping 'murrica safe from these British terrorists.
 

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