If authorities tricked you into buying stolen merchandise without knowing it, then arrested you for it, most folks might say you were set up.
But if authorities pretended to help you with a plot to detonate a bomb in the middle of a town Christmas celebration, and you went along with it eagerly and knowingly, that's hardly being set up.
It's more like being exposed.
Yet, friends of Somalia-born 19-year-old Mohamed Osman Mohamud say he was tricked into accepting the help of undercover officers to detonate a bomb at the Portland, Ore., Christmas tree lighting ceremony last week.
"If you talk with someone enough, they'll be convinced they need to do something," a Muslim observer in Portland claimed.
What undiluted drivel. You can't be stung by a sting if you don't have your hand in the hive. No one is going to be fooled into going along with a bomb plot unless it's in his heart and mind to do so.
From what we know, it sure was in this guy's. He reportedly talked excitedly about killing people, even children. Authorities say he "chose at every step to continue" with the plan to kill masses of people -- and that it ended with him "feverishly" dialing a cell phone he thought would set off the bomb.
Yeah, he was set up, the poor baby.
Well, except that he told undercover agents he'd been wanting to participate in violent jihad since he was 15.
The FBI also alleges that Mohamed Osman Mohamud has written articles for the online al-Qaida-linked magazine Inspire that encourages jihad against the West. One article, written by Inspire editor and New York-raised Muslim Samir Khan, is titled, "I am proud to be a traitor to America."
Oops. Sounds like poor Mohamed might have fallen into another trap!
The truth is, once you cut through the cynical claptrap coming from defense attorneys and jihadist sympathizers, entities such as Inspire are targeting American Muslim youths for extremism and terrorism. Like radical remote madrassas -- Muslim schools that preach hatred of Jews and Christians and are essentially factories for radical clerics and terrorists -- they seek to brainwash the young in abject hatred of all things non-Muslim.
As the PBS show Frontline put it, these radical madrassas, especially in Pakistan and Afghanistan, are "not so much concerned about scholarship as making war on infidels."
Now they have the Internet to create a kind of online madrassa.
Thus, the real trap: hatred.
It is world-wise and worldwide, showing up now even at Christmas tree lighting festivals in America's Great Northwest.
Mohamed Osman Mohamud isn't being set up.
But maybe the rest of us are.
Wouldn't you have loved to have been on the other end of that phone when he dialed the number?
"Hello, this is the Portland Pork Sausage Plant. If you push one, your order will be sent to the address where your phone number is listed."
The young are used for these crazy situations because of passion and their special thinking abilities. (The same reason they were draftees here in the days gone by) Members of this "peaceful religion" are turned to "justifiable" violence way too often. That part seems to be an often repeated "trick".
If he's actually guilty, and it sounds as if he is, he will no doubt be convicted. At the same time, one reminds the ACES that in America everyone is innocent until proven guilty. There have been cases like this that ultimately resulted in dismissal of charges when it turned out that the government was wrong. One also reminds Sandpiper that many religions have been twisted to the cause of evil, including my own religion of Christianity.
Rhetor, are all things equal to you? Does your Christianity really teach "by the sword"?
Wizzardx1. Would you clarify what you meant when you wrote "The muslims in America should be held as POWs until hostilities cease."?
"Wizzardx1. Would you clarify what you meant when you wrote "The muslims in America should be held as POWs until hostilities cease."?"
LOL looks like Wizzardx1 loved the internment camp idea back in WWII as well.
Of course all things are not equal to me, and no, my Christianity does not teach by the sword. It is, however, very easy to twist Bible verses out of context to support evil causes--just as it is possible to do the same with the Koran. Most Muslims are in fact peaceful, law-abiding people.
To Christians the greatest sin is to deny God and his son Jesus. To teach, preach, or believe anything other than Christianity as the true religion is a ticket to hell. So keep on believing those who tell you that Christianity does not in any way use scare tactics to make people believe their religion.
Wow, Thomson, where do I begin? First of all, what you call political correctness is the exact same thing that people used to call good manners.
Have you ever read the Koran? I have, and I cannot share a malicious interpretation of it. It is not my religion, but it is clearly worthy of respect.
People guilty of terrorism obviously need to be confined and dealt with. Innocent people who share the same ethnicity or religion are just that, innocent people. I don't see why this is such a hard concept to grasp.
I would rather love all people and promote peace instead of hating others in the name of a religion and promoting war on those whose ideologies differ from mine.
I would rather live my life spreading kindness, honesty, love, peace and helping others because it is the right and humane thing to do than only because I fear a vengeful, wrathful God.
If certain narrow minded religious groups condemn me to Hell for this, then I will continue to do what I know to be the right thing in my heart and take my consequences.
If I am condemned to Hell, if other good people are condemned to Hell because we do not think like you, then your vision of God is unjust, uncaring, and unworthy of my devotion.
Rhetor,IF most muslims are peace-loving,why won't they condemn jihadists? Why won't they condemn mass murder? Why won't they press for tolerance of "infidels"?
There are more than a billion muslims and rhetor claims to know most of them. WOW!
Rhetor and Libertarian, who and what have you been listening to that makes you say the things you do? Christianity twisted to the cause of evil and Christianity using scare tactics to make people believe?? You have been listening to 'false teaching' or you cannot read with understanding.
Someone please explain how we can tell the difference between a "peace loving" muslim and a jihadist.
Rhetor, first, what is called politically correct speak now is what people called lying up until (relatively) recently. Second, the wording of the Koran provides many opportunities to "interpret" the decision of violence. This isn't an opinion, just look at the violence and unrest around the world. It isn't a coincidence that every armed insurrection has a group from the "religion of peace" involved. Justifying the actions of this "religion of peace" is politically correct, but it certainly isn't polite.
wizzardx 1, in responce to your 11:12 question, a jihadist carrys out violence against a perceived enemy and a "peace loving" muslim gives financial support to a jihadist, but is otherwise a peaceful, law-abiding person.
Seems like we just have wait until mass murder is committed before we can tell the difference. GOOD plan, except for those that are killed.
This is one screwed-up young man who needs to be behind bars. I would rather we had a sting that caught this kid than a cell of terrorists who taught this kid how to build and set-off a bomb. The kid's intentions are clear and the choice he would have made is clear.
Rhetor,how is it possible to become close friends with over half a billion people that hate you? You claim that MOST muslims are peace-loving. Which imam have you been listening to? The koran instructs muslims to lie to non-muslims.
Sandpiper,how do we tell the difference BEFORE the bomb explodes?
How many of you really believe a muslim will violate the laws of the koran for the sake of political correctness? How many christians will violate one or more of the 10 commandments to be politically correct?
Wizzard, I actually have a few Muslim friends and co-workers. The Muslim world does not hate me. I assure you that you are mistaken in your opinions.
Wizzard, the Koran does not tell Muslims to tell lies or to engage in aggression. It is true that you can find some websites, most written by uninformed persons, which quote the Koran out of context to give a false impression. Again, I feel you have not informed yourself adequately. Is it your view that we should kill or punish all Muslims just to get the minority who are guilty? Should we do the same with Christian terrorists? Should we kill all evangelicals just to get the few who bomb abortion clinics? Should we kill all Catholics to make sure that we get the few who support the IRA? Should we imprison all Southern conservatives just to get the few who commit hate crimes against African Americans? Of course not. There is not any end to the kind of thinking that you seem to advocate. Please do not let fear rule your heart.
Let's get back to the first part: the man arrested for terrorism deserves a fair hearing; if he is guilty, he needs to be dealt with according to our laws.
Rhetor,If you think "a few muslim friends" constitutes MOST muslims,it would seem that you are mistaken. That is unless these few friends are muslim leaders and can speak for the majority of muslims. But then,the koran instructs the true believer to lie to all non-true believers. So,in your opinion,your muslim friends will trade their soul in order to be honest with you?
Rhetor, of all of the Muslim friends you have that don't hate you, how many would choose your friendship over support for a jihadist, given the choice? How do you know?
I don't think any of us believe Muslim can't be good neighbors, it's just that we never know if or when they'll flip. Will they actually choose what's best for our society over what's ordered by their religious leaders? How do you know?
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