Man Charged in Ill. Courthouse Bomb Plot

[RamboLiberal]

Source: CBS News/AP

(CBS/AP) A 29-year-old Illinois man who idolized American-born Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh has been arrested after attempting to detonate what he thought was a bomb inside a van outside a federal courthouse, officials said Thursday.

Michael C. Finton, also known as Talib Islam, was arrested Wednesday and charged in a criminal complaint with one count of attempting to murder federal officers or employees and trying to detonate a weapon of mass destruction. Federal officials said the case has no connections with the major terrorism investigation under way in Colorado and New York.

"This alleged plot drives home the stark reality that we must avoid complacency and remain ever vigilant to the threats that violent extremists may pose to the public safety," Acting U.S. Attorney Jeffrey B. Lang said.

Finton appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Byron G. Cudmore in Springfield and said he was an unmarried, part-time cook at a fish and chicken restaurant in the central Illinois city of Decatur. He was ordered held in jail pending action by a grand jury.


Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/09/24/national/main5336523.shtml?tag=stack

[Posteritatis]

1. K&R

I really wish that the courts would treat the term "weapon of mass destruction" properly and not apply it to anything more damaging than a punch in the head, though.

[Thothmes]

2. The van he parked in front of the Federal Court House

was suppose to have about one ton of explosives. Considerably more damaging than a punch in the head. Fortunatly, the explosives were fake.

[Posteritatis]

3. A ton of explosive doesn't constitute WMD. (nt)

[Thothmes]

4. Dont know what the legal definition of a WMD

is but one ton of explosive is considerable more than a "punch in the head"

[Posteritatis]

5. WMD's long been defined as nuclear, chemical or biological weapons

A ton of high explosives is none of those. A B-52 with forty tonnes of high explosives would be none of those.

The charge is bullshit meant for theatrical purposes; I imagine there's less hysterical ones they could throw at him and have a better chance of making stick. This falls in the exact same range, as far as I'm concerned, as people with inactive pipe bombs getting the same charge.

[Thothmes]

6. The only definition that counts is the definition in the

law that is being applied in this particular case.

[anigbrowl]

7. In law, any kind of bomb is a weapon of mass destruction

As opposed to a targetable weapon like a gun. I'm summarizing, but here are the relevant sections of code.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00002332---a000-.html
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/uscode18/usc_sec_18_00000921----000-.html

[Downwinder]

8. what is a cluster bomb?

a mine?

[anigbrowl]

9. bunch of small bombs in a cluster somewhat like a mine. Google it

[grantcart]

10. Sting catches alleged terrorist in plot to blow up courthouse

Source: CNN



WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A would-be terrorist was arrested in Springfield, Illinois, for allegedly attempting to detonate a truck bomb to blow up a federal building and kill its occupants, officials said Thursday.

Authorities were waiting Wednesday for Michael Finton, also known as Talib Islam, who unwittingly had been dealing with undercover FBI agents continually monitoring his activities.

Justice Department officials said Finton, 29, of Decatur, Illinois, drove a vehicle he believed contained a ton of explosives to the Paul Findley Federal Building and Courthouse in Springfield. He got out of the truck, got into a waiting car with an undercover agent, and then, when he was a few blocks away, attempted to detonate the bomb with a remote-control device.

"When he pushed the button, nothing happened except he got handcuffs slapped on him," said one Justice Department official familiar with the case.

The truck contained inactive explosives


Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/24/illinois.sting.truck.bomb/index.html

---

This sting was unrelated to the sting in Texas but the FBI coordinated it so that they could pull off both stings within 24 hours


Texas sting reported on thread here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4075982&mesg_id=4075982

[Flabbergasted]

11. Wow! Sting = amazing musician AND Super crime fighter? nt

[grantcart]

13. lol just clip and post lol

[TheModernTerrorist]

14. BEAT ME TO IT!

:spray:

[U4ikLefty]

15. OMG my mind is a-flutter from all the Police-related quips.

like:

Don't Stand to Close to Him.

He a walking disaster, he's a Demolition man.

Every Little Thing He Does is Magic.

...etc

[Psephos]

12. What's not to like? G-men put the smack on a true mofo. n/t