Yeah. Poor old Mohamed Osman Mohamud, the 19 year-old radical Muslim who fully intended to blow up families at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland, is a victim of the FBI's nefarious plot to twist young men into terrorists-- or something. At least that's the view voiced by Mohamud's defense attorney (who is just doing his job) and a friend (who does not have that excuse).
From the AP article by Nigel Duara and Tim Fought (via Drudge):
"A defense attorney and friends suspect that a teenager accused of plotting mass killings in Portland was set up - groomed and talked into a plot to detonate what he thought were six 55-gallon drums of explosives in a van.
"But prosecutors led by Attorney General Eric Holder say Mohamed Osman Mohamud plunged into a what turned out to be government sting, dismissing talk of backing out and also exhulting in the mayhem he expected as Portlanders gathered by the thousands last week for a Christmas tree-lighting celebration.
"Mohamud 'was told that children - children - were potentially going to be harmed,' Holder said Monday as the 19-year-old native of Somalia appeared in court and his defenders attacked the government's case.
"Outside the courtroom, a man who has played basketball with Mohamud said the teenager wouldn't have gotten involved in the plot without encouragement from the FBI.
"'If you talk with someone enough, they'll be convinced they need to do something,' said 20-year-old Muhahid El-Naser. He was among a small number of people gathered outside a federal court building about a five-block walk from what the government alleges was the target of the bomb plot last week, Pioneer Courthouse Square."
Huh. "If you talk to someone enough they'll be convinced they need to do something." And I guess that "something" would undoubtedly be to attempt to murder as many innocent civilians as possible for a political statement. Interesting theory El-Naser.
More from the article:
"Inside the courthouse, public defender Stephen Sady was advancing similar arguments as he entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Mohamud.
[...]
"Prosecutors say that agents let the plot string out to its end, with Mohamud feverishly dialing a cell phone number he thought would touch off the bomb, so that they could gather enough evidence to support the single charge he faces, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.
"Holder also said the FBI was investigating a fire Sunday that destroyed part of an Islamic center in Corvallis, where Mohamud occasionally worshipped while attending Oregon State University.
"Police believe the fire was a case of arson, and they increased patrols around mosques and other Islamic sites in Portland."
I love the way that Islam isn't mentioned in the article until its a victim of a suspected arson. No mention of Mohamud's declaration of jihad (from a speech Mohamud recorded on Nov. 4th as reported by the AP in another article: "To my parents who held me back from Jihad in the cause of Allah," nor his yelling of the Muslim terrorist rallying cry "Allahu Akbar!" ("God is great!") when he was arrested.
You know, I was just waiting for this defense from some of my more conspiracy-minded fellow Oregonians. I should have posted about it yesterday and then looked prescient. I guess these people believe that FBI has nothing better to do these days then to coerce young men into acts of domestic terrorism. But wouldn't it make more sense for the Obama Administration to try to coerce Tea Party member into blowing up families in Portland instead of Muslim radicals? Go figure. I guess those mean old Republicans are running the FBI or something...
I remember that when I was 19, I couldn't be talked into wantonly stepping on an ant. Might have been because I was brought up to respect life in all its forms.
ReplyDeleteWell, I was never really worried about you being a terrorist QR. :)
ReplyDeleteMohamud's problems go well beyond his upbringing-- of which we know little except that his parents "held me [Mohamud] back from Jihad" and had "made allies with the enemy."