Comments on: Leading Off (09/25/09)

By: Sky Masterson

Sky Masterson — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:26:04 +0000

The fact that he attempted to detonate the bomb–despite the FBI agent’s telling him there were other, non-violent ways to commit jihad–shows how dangerous he was.

The guy was trolling message boards looking for support to commit an act of mass terror. If the FBI hadn’t set him up with a fake bomb, Al Qaeda could very easily have set him him up with the real thing.

By: Bethany

Bethany — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:20:59 +0000

I’m torn. The first thing I said upon hearing about this was that I wasn’t at all sure the charges would result in a conviction, because there could be an argument for entrapment.

However, this is not a new thing, resorting to trickery to take someone out of circulation. Is it all that different from a police officer posing as a 13-year-old girl in a Yahoo chat room, agreeing to meet someone, and then that person getting arrested?

This guy wasn’t just randomly picked off the street. He was on a Web site familiar to extremists, looking to jihad.

So I dunno – how is he different from the guy who tries to meet a 13-year-old who is really a police officer?

By: amandacobra

amandacobra — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 15:39:55 +0000

The FBI sting culminated in Thursday’s arrest after Smadi parked a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, supplied by the FBI, in the garage

The FBI provided him no means to carry this out?

By: Dubious Brother

Dubious Brother — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:43:01 +0000

Too bad “dumb kid” Hosam Maher Husein Smadi won’t get to go waterboarding with the American military as his hosts thanks to Barak Husein Obama. Instead he gets to play the quiet game with free legal representation.

By: Neither party

Neither party — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 03:00:04 +0000

Those kooky,crazy Terrorists…..

By: rexthewonderdog

rexthewonderdog — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:27:23 +0000

Feeling pretty good about that move downtown about now?

By: Neither party

Neither party — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:56:48 +0000

@amandacobra
Calling a group dedicated to killing us because we are free is sabre rattling? Tea party participants are conspiracy theorists? I am sure you see the G20 protestors as just exercising civil disobedience….but those damn baby boomers at tea parties are stifling the American conversation.

By: Dallasite

Dallasite — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:17:39 +0000

amandacobra:

He immigrated to the US for, what he claimed, the purpose of waging Jihad. The FBI didn’t encourage him, or provide him the means to do that.

That’s just a smidge more than a disgruntled ex-Walmart employee b******* to his friends between bong hits.

Buy what do I know, I’m just some dumb kid.

By: Jody

Jody — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:06:48 +0000

The arrest warrant suggests that the suspect was a bit more than a dumb kid. Evidently his only mistake was talking to the wrong people – and it just as easily could have been the right people. Of course then people would be griping that that the FBI had done nothing. But there are always those oblivious to the idea that some people watch through the night so they can sleep blissfully through theirs.

By: Nate

Nate — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:11:55 +0000

Read the Arrest Warrant and Criminal Complaint for this case. It details how extensive the work done by the FBI was. It is a textbook example of how good intel and investigation can prevent tragedies.

I just wish I could have heard the kid’s reaction when his cell phone “detonator” dialed the FBI instead!!!!