More questions than answers in terrorism plots

Posted at 9:39 AM on October 21, 2009 by Bob Collins (2 Comments)
Filed under: Crime and Justice

If the recent reports of thwarted terrorist plots are true, two questions come to mind: How is it authorities are able to intercept these things and how many plots are out there that haven't been intercepted?

The latest case is unfurling today in Boston where a Massachusetts man has been arrested for plotting to attack shopping malls.

"Federal prosecutors say Tarek Mehanna and his conspirators tried to get automatic weapons for a mall attack, but their plans were foiled when they could not get the weapons," the Associated Press reports. This brings up another question: If drug dealers and other low-lifes have no trouble getting automatic weapons, how is it these terrorists-in-waiting seem to have such a difficult time? This person allegedly has been planning the attacks for seven years!

Mehanna is also accused of distributing videos of dead American soldiers being abused and mutilated in Iraq. Not exactly a good way to lay low while plotting an attack.

Comments (2)

It'll be interesting to see if there's an FBI informant or undercover agent involved here, as is the case with most of the other much-ballyhooed "terrorist" arrests.

My guess is that what we'll end up seeing here is the setup, by the feds, of some essentially poor, misguided shlubs who wouldn't be capable of pulling off a sophisticated crime -- unless the entrapping agents provided the encouragement as well as the means.

Posted by bob | October 21, 2009 11:58 AM

This brings up another question: If drug dealers and other low-lifes have no trouble getting automatic weapons, how is it these terrorists-in-waiting seem to have such a difficult time?

It may be the difference between ideology driven criminals and economically driven criminals. The drug dealers and other modern day gangsters don't care too much about who they get there guns from. The dedicated jihadi may only look to certain channels due to ideological nature of the action. The result is that law enforcement has fewer, and potentially lesser quality, arms dealers to watch.

Posted by JackU | October 21, 2009 1:28 PM

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories