leftrare

May 1st, 2012 at 2:33 PM ^

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or if you don't know that the FBI has been setting up these kinds of things for years, making some of us wonder if their time would be better spent actually looking for actual plots instead of ideating plots for would-be-terrorists to act out.

BLUEnTAYLORED

May 1st, 2012 at 3:01 PM ^

I disagree. Yes, maybe these guys wouldn't have done this without the help of the FBI since they lacked the capabilities but they sure lept at the opportunity (And do you really want those kind of guys in the open?). And it creates a scenrio where people are hesitant to get involved in the first place since they fear someone involved might be an undercover agent.

leftrare

May 1st, 2012 at 3:04 PM ^

Yes, I did read that article but I'd heard about it before.  We may be getting dangerously close to crossing the line into politics here, but I'll just say this: I think the FBI is conducting these operations solely for homeland security PR and not for catching terrorists.  It's all bullshit.  This thread is shot through with bullshit -- People: this was not a terrorists plot!  It was an FBI plot!

 

 

Erik_in_Dayton

May 1st, 2012 at 3:08 PM ^

Doesn't that make it all the more impressive that they stopped it?  It's one thing to stop five jackasses from trying to blow up a bridge.  It's quite another to stop a massive government law enforcement agency from doing it. 

goblueclassof03

May 1st, 2012 at 3:21 PM ^

Agree completely, when the FBI agents come up with the idea and all of the logistics, and convince a bunch of idiots that it's the right thing to do... a very reasonable conclusion is that, but for the FBI involvement, these attempted attacks would not occur.

Anyway, I'm more interested in the fact that most commentators and observers (including this CNN piece) do not refer to this attempted bombing as an attempted "terrorist" attack.  Same can be said about the Norway shooter, whose massacre of 75+ people was not characterized that often as an act of terrorism, but mental instability.

SalvatoreQuattro

May 1st, 2012 at 4:46 PM ^

Do I believe that the FBI could be using these as PR tools? Yes. But I do believe that there is a certain amount of zealousness in the FBI to prevent attacks by the use of such tactics. I think they see it akilling two birds with one stone. Get good PR while eliminating persons who are potential terrorists.

bjk

May 1st, 2012 at 6:22 PM ^

via wiki"

Security theater is a term that describes security countermeasures intended to provide the feeling of improved security while doing little or nothing to actually improve security.

hart20

May 1st, 2012 at 1:07 PM ^

people in Michigan were arrested for doing something similar? And I'm pretty sure that terrorism isn't the type of thing that gets you on Jerry Springer.

Baloo_Dance

May 1st, 2012 at 1:26 PM ^

The did try to detonate the fake bomb.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/05/fbi_in_cleveland_makes_nationa.html

 

To all of those making fun of Ohioans, have a little sensitivity.  My wife drives on one of their "other targets" every day for work.  This would have been innocent people here, not a couple of jerkoffs lighting a couch on fire.  

mGrowOld

May 1st, 2012 at 1:48 PM ^

I live in Hudson and work in Aurora.  I drive over the actual target several tims a week.

Guys - make fun of Ohio and Ohio State fans all you want (lord knows i do) but this is NOT funny in the least.  If these idiots had been successful a lot of people would've died.  And last time I checked my home state of Michigan had just as many crazy people in it as my current state does.

goblueclassof03

May 1st, 2012 at 3:27 PM ^

You do realize that this plot had no chance, at any stage from inception to arrest, of succeeding, right?  You do realize that all of the planning and logistics was conceived of and performed by the FBI, right?  I urge you to read the NY Times expose on these FBI busts from the past weekend.  

The irony here is that the fear (as exemplified by your commnets) which result from these attempted attacks are not the product of terrorist organizations who have as their agenda spreading fear, but rather the product of our government and tax dollars.  Awesome.

profitgoblue

May 1st, 2012 at 4:29 PM ^

Okay, I'll bite . . . How exactly did the FBI convince these suspects of carrying out the plot?  I assume money and the promise of no jail time?  How are they going to effectuate these promises?  Are the prosecutors and judges in on it?  Do they have accountants in on it that are cooking the books?  The logistics are mind-boggling.  You don't honestly believe what you are saying, do you?

 

goblueclassof03

May 1st, 2012 at 5:10 PM ^

I'm making assumptions with respect to this specific case since all the facts are not yet known.  My assumptions are based on the NY Times expose from over the weekend, which detailed the FBI's practice of identifying potential "terrorists" and convincing them to commit specific terrorist attacks against specific targets with specific weapons supplied by the FBI, in addition to the documented FBI tactic of sending indigent ex-cons to mosques to convince people to become terrorists (and in so doing alienating the very communities that have been the most helpful in combatting domestic terrorism).  

That is, the FBI identifies a potential terrorist, conceives of a terrorist plot, convinces the potential terrorist that it's a good idea to carry out this plot, and provides all of the weapons and logistics.  Frankly, it seems to me that the FBI is simply fishing for people that are stupid and crazy that they can convince to become terrorists.

bjk

May 1st, 2012 at 6:31 PM ^

observed and commented on for decades that if you are a member of a dissident (anti-war, ecologist, etc.) organization, the people advocating bombings or other violent acts are usually, almost always, the FBI infiltrators.

profitgoblue

May 1st, 2012 at 2:19 PM ^

Not sure.  I do know that conspiracy only requires one affirmative step towards committing the crime, which they obviously accomplished.  A mere meeting about committing a crime is not enough, the extra act to carry it out is required.  Charges of conspiracy to commit a terrorist act is probably a very, very high level felony (maybe carrying the same possible sentence as certain homicides!).

 

kehnonymous

May 1st, 2012 at 1:13 PM ^

Unfortunately for us Michiganders, Terry Nichols pretty much trumps 90% of most other state's domestic terrorist entries. :(  I guess we still have Kate Upton to Ohio's Casey Anthony, so there is that, I guess.

JHendo

May 1st, 2012 at 1:16 PM ^

If obvious poor hygiene and unattractiveness were any indication of the likelihood of criminal intentions, these "lookers" should've been locked up a long time ago.  Yikes.  Come on guys, you're anarchists, not animals!

But on a more serious note, I'm obviously glad they were caught well before anything came to fruition.  I despise Ohio with an indescribable hatred, yet these evil scum aren't even good enough to even be Ohioans, let alone be considered human beings.  Lock 'em up and throw away the key.

gopoohgo

May 1st, 2012 at 2:06 PM ^

WTF does blowing up a bridge that everyone who lives in the Cleveland area has crossed at least SOMETIME have to do with 1% of high-net earners?

What is wrong with some people?  Idiots

 

HarBooYa

May 1st, 2012 at 2:19 PM ^

While technically i think they arr more a holes than idiots lets let freedom reign on this board huh? Humor Is used to cope with the seriousness of some things. Get a grip. Should we not make fun of Osama bin laden? I think it's pretty damn funny to think of him getting waxed in his undies and think the underwear bomber is quite fun to make fun of too. Either "could have" blown me or my family up (and their buddies still could) many times over too. The greatest freedom we all enjoy however is the freedom to scoff at them In doing so it makes us feel better and placesthem in the category they deserve to be in...a "joke" (please note parentheticals before you jump on this and say how your wife might have died again).



That all said. We shall forever bear the idiot tattoo that is their hogan militia, terry Nichols, Ted k and the haturi dudes. I think we could really give Ohio a run for their money on this one.