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Moroccan arrested in thwarted U.S. Capitol bomb plot

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So basically the FBI set him up.

That used to be called entrapment and it was illegal for law enforcement to do that.

This guy is probably mentally deficient like a lot of the other cases and he seems to have been taken advantage of by zealous FBI agents looking to justify their existence.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

He will have lawyers working for him so if it's entrapment they will be able to prove that and he will be released. After that you can probably get in touch with the young man and offer his poor soul a cup of coffee and a place to stay.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Bravo! My kudos to the FBI! If this Moroccan fool had blown himself up and or killed say tourists there standing around taking pictures of the White House etc..it would have been a home run for all of these AQ terrorists and their wannabe copy cats all around the world and in this case, this fool was living illegally over in Virginia, which is right next door to the American capital of Washington DC. After 9/11 there are no set ups, you think you can go to America and blow your self up, well, well, some American agencies are right on the ball and now this fool will hopefully get an eternal place down there in Guantanamo, Cuba's Camp X Ray.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Well, prepare for more of such and other cases in the US (& Europe) with the grow of Islam.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

"THE FBI" was my favorite show.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The (FBI) has once again proven that the only thing Americans need fear, is their own government, with the latest “terror attack” foiled being one entirely of their own design.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

The GOP is right. America needs more nuclear warheads to prevent threats like this Morrocan terrorist.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

So basically the FBI set him up. That used to be called entrapment and it was illegal for law enforcement to do that. This guy is probably mentally deficient like a lot of the other cases and he seems to have been taken advantage of by zealous FBI agents looking to justify their existence.

Cue the tiny violins.

At least he didn't end up blowing off his own legs like that guy in Bangkok.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

It will be interesting watching the "the US creates a thousand terrorists a day" crowd go up against the "all terrorists are fake and only used to create fear and justify spending" crowd.

Who will win?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Examine yourself and see how fear is guiding your choices in life. Fear is the reason why people who are presented with “conspiracy facts” choose not to believe them. They choose self deceit rather than reality. We all let fear control us to some degree, the key is to recognize it and reject fear. Don’t deceive yourself. Deceit, by definition, is undetectable.

"I prefer dangerous freedom to peaceful slavery. Thomas Jefferson."

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Whereever radical islam is taught, you get this. It is only a question of time until the next spectacular one slips through.

By concetrating on only catching this shahid or that, the Western police forces are blind to fhe forest because there are too many trees.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

sushisake3:"The GOP is right. America needs more nuclear warheads to prevent threats like this Morrocan terrorist. "

A Mohammedan fanatic from North Africa tries to blow up the Dem-occupied White House and killl his hero Obama in the process and all SS3 can think of is the "GOP". Bizarre.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Don't deceive yourself. Deceit, by definition, is undetectable

.

"I prefer dangerous freedom to peaceful slavery. Thomas Jefferson."

Yeah well maybe you should read Jefferson's opinion of Mohammedism

search

Jefferson's Quran What the founder really thought about Islam. By Christopher Hitchens|Posted Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007, at 3:05 PM ET

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

The GOP is right.

Not quite sure what the GOP has to do with this. But then again with a brain like yours, I'm pretty sure you're the kind of guy who could give Stalin the royal historical whitewasher.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

So basically the FBI set him up.

That used to be called entrapment and it was illegal for law enforcement to do that.

It's called entrapment if it's done on citizens and/or human beings. People like that Moroccan terrorist and yourself don't count

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Nothing in this story tells us the FBI acted in as agent provocateurs. If they did lead an innocent Muslim, illegal immigrant down the path of suicide bombing, this should come out in court. Let's give the FBI the benefit of the doubt, for the moment. The truth is, the FBI has agents or informants in just about every radical organization in the United States, from anti-war movements to racist groups (of all colors). With this wide of a net, they are going to catch some nuts. Better that they assist the nuts into a court of law, than let them stew in their juices until they snap and do something both horrible and feasible, such as commit a mass shooting in a small town shopping mall. No tears for this dick.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I suppose the entrapment angle is a valid point, but it seems he was a willing human detonator so who the hell really cares?

Weak-minded or sick terrorist. Either way he's off the streets.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It's really rather to bad that Gitmo was made into such a political issue last campaign. Since this guy is not a U.S citizen it would have been the perfect place send him to after this and face justice through a Military tribunal and not through a regular U.S court with the rights he will be afforded as a U.S citizen even though he is not entitled to them.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Gitmo was political from the moment the Bush Junta were condoning torture down there.

A military tribunal is for military people, not suicidal ilegal immigrants with a fundie grudge.

I think the best option is a fair trial on US soil, and whatever outcome may he be deported back to Morrocco. I have a hard time believing the FBI's case won't be air-tight, and imagine life languishing in a Morroccan jail adequate punishment.

Plus it doesn't cost the tax-payer a dime after the trial.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

... rights he will be afforded as a U.S citizen even though he is not entitled to them.

My, how malleable rights are for some! Christians may seem rights as God-given, humanists as fundamental towards the dignity of mankind as a whole - whichever, whether an American citizen or not, the man deserves a fair trial. The hellish limbo of Guantanamo was and is a black stain on the ideals of America.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

They have pretty nasty jails over there.

Sending him back to Morocco could be much worse than Gitmo, and against his fundamental human rights, I can just hear his lawyer arguing.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Exactly. I doubt the families of the innocent gunned down by Mac 10 would be worried too much about his rights, and neither would I. In fact I almost pine for the early Bush years when the do-gooder lawyer would have been shrieked down for helpin' the terrorists!

The more I think of the entrapment issue, the more I think this man is mentally deficient. The FBI claim the suspect tested an explosive device a week ago yet went off on his "rampage" with a Mac 10 the FBI claim was un-operational.

Something isn't quite right.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Also this individual has been an illegal sine 1999. Why now?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sure sounds like profiling to me . This poor Moroccan just walking along, minding his own business, wearing his custom-made "vest". Heh, just your everyday, peace-loving true Muslim.

RR

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Entrapment or not the man still could have been smart enough to say, "No I'll never do such a thing" He's not as innocent as people would like to push. ALL HUMAN BEINGS HAVE A CHOICE WHEN PRESENTED WITH A SITUATION. He chose the wrong decision and is getting the consequences of saying, "I'll do it!" The FBI didn't force him to it, they just presented it to him and he went with it in the bad decision making way just to see how far he'd be willing to go.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

That's still entrapment though, isn't it, Honest? An over-zealous agent with a weak-minded individual, in a recession. Amidst government budget slashes? The suspect sounds at best an accomplished loser.

Is their a US lawyer amongst us to shed some light?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Whatever anyone may think of the FBI's motivations at least give them the fact that they're a fairly clever group of individuals. I'm willing to bet that throughout the entire operation they were meticulously collecting material, recording conversations, and checking the law books to make sure that entrapment wouldn't be an issue. In any dealings they had with this guy they probably used very well selected language so as to not be seen as goading him to do anything.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

"Whatever anyone may think of the FBI's motivations at least give them the fact that they're a fairly clever group of individuals."

Only a fool would think otherwise.

"I'm willing to bet that throughout the entire operation they were meticulously collecting material, recording conversations, and checking the law books to make sure that entrapment wouldn't be an issue."

Who's to know what was omitted? From what I've read so far, this individual is on record with murderous aspirations in the past, and the FBI clearly have him on record choosing the method and location, but it would seem to be an FBI agent that handed him the vest and the gun prior to his walk to life imprisonment.

I'm not excusing him, or defending him. I just think any sort of acceptation of entrapment sets a dangerous precedent.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I'm not excusing him, or defending him. I just think any sort of acceptation of entrapment sets a dangerous precedent.

There's a fine line between enabling and encouraging but I think the FBI has the right of it. If he asked the agents for the materials it's just the FBI putting themselves in a position of sabotaging a plan that was already in the works by acting as a seller. If the agents suggested materials, encouraged, or offered advice I think it could be an issue but I haven't seen anything to indicate that was the case.

If there was any dubious behavior on the part of the FBI they've certainly covered it well but, as with other accused terrorists, he'll likely get the counsel of a fairly good defense attourney that will work every available angle and a small army to sift through the evidence. The defense attourney in the Detroit bomber case has played his hand admirably even though his client has been less than helpful.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Excellent job by the FBI.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

". If he asked the agents for the materials it's just the FBI putting themselves in a position of sabotaging a plan that was already in the works by acting as a seller."

Perhaps you're right. This is the fine line that worries me. Who's to say he isn't just a weak-minded individual pushed into the attack by under-cover agents goading him on with emotional support, and then on to material support. A deranged individual doesn't need much of a push. Let's not forget all these agencies need to justify their budgets and existence in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad this individual is off the streets - it's the apprent way they've groomed him that is alarming. By the FBI's own admission, he's had no known contact with real terror groups.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

In the hands of the courts now. I'm not of the mind to presume his state of mental capacity or the possibility of a misguided agency plan to defend its relevence. I hope this guy gets a great lawer but is drowned in enough solid evidence to put him away for a long time. Its gotten to the point in the US that anything but working on a case by case basis becomes convoluted with innumerable political/partisan issues, I'm just to tired for it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"innumerable political/partisan issues, I'm just to tired for it"

I'm pretty much in agreement with you, I'm just worried how far this kind of operation could go beyond terror suspects. Powerful arms of government such as the FBI et al need to be kept in check.

But yeah, simpleton or true blue fundie he's better off in the booty house.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Madverts: Let's not forget all these agencies need to justify their budgets and existence in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

But that could be a ready-made response unless the terrorist is discovered and captured minutes before he detonates. And if you want a safe job in the US right now I'm sure counter-terrorism enforcement is right up there with foreclosure processor. I can see them stringing it out to have more of a case but to say they planned out their route in order to get more funding sounds pretty far out there to me.

And if the guy had worked on his own and been successful people would claim the FBI are a bunch of idiots...or....they could claim they intentionally let a guy like that through so a bomb would go off so they could justify more funding. Works both ways.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Obviously the man has been set up by the FBI, the disturbing part is the FBI is wasting resources on a setup while a real attack may not be getting the attention, the FBI director should simply stop this sort of nonsense and make his resources work on prevention of real cases rather than manufacture of fake attacks, one can only cry wolf so many times and be taken serious.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

" but to say they planned out their route in order to get more funding sounds pretty far out there to me."

I'm still not sure. We've heard so little since his arrest it's like it was played down all of a sudden. At the end of the day the FBI like the other agencies are there to get results to prove their existence merits their budgets. Who's to say the suspect might never have done anything had the FBI not given him the push?

Police entrapment sets a scary precedent all the same. Just playing devils advocate there.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I don't buy that "weak-minded" garbage. If I follow that logic there would be a lot of weak-minded murderers, dictators, thieves, terrorists, etc that were just as weak-minded when they ended up commiting the crimes, genocides, and destruction that they did because, "They just couldn't think for themselves."

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I'll tell you what, President Obama is doing a hell of a job. No terrorist attacks on his watch.

You know, that's the only criteria there was for being a good president for a while. Keep the major terror attacks in the U.S. down to under 2 per term and you were golden.

Obama's got that record shattered. A president who truly understands the war on terror.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

So basically it's just another case of the FBI finds a potential terrorist, gives him aid, planning and support, and then arrests him at the last moment. This is far from the first time the FBI has done this. In fact, I think it's fair to say that there would be no Muslim terrorist plots if the FBI wasn't fostering them to begin with....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Lee Allen, you don't seem to understand. Catching potential threats before they happen is just like fishing, if the bait is there and they bite then something is wrong with the one that bites it. Compared to having a real terrorist organization using the same lure and actually succeeding without the knowledge of who or what is planning things until AFTER its TOO LATE.

If you want to pull out the bad apples in the bunch you're going to have to search for them, you can't just eat indescriminately and get sick afterwards once its in your stomach. Unless you assume we have a mind reader that can predict peoples thoughts and determine if they'll really go through with it or not.

What is what the FBI did, they gave him enough rope to hang himself with (He pushed the button assuming the bomb would work right?????). If he bailed out, or said he wouldn't do it then it would be on them. But he did it to completion. Reckless manslaughter is about accidental killing, intent to murder is exactly what it is... INTENT and PREMEDITATION.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

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