Jihad talk in the USA – At what point to you arrest them?

How about a discussion on freedom of speech and yelling “FIRE” in a crowded movie theater? Four Islamic-fundamentalist-terrorist wanabees were arrested by the FBI in Southern California after they expressed a desire to go to an Al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan and learn how to use C4 to blow up an entire military base.

From the UK Guardian.

Four Southern California men have been charged with plotting to kill Americans in the US and overseas by joining al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan, federal officials said.

The defendants were arrested for plotting to bomb government facilities and public places after federal authorities uncovered their plans to engage in “violent jihad”, the FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.

I just realized Fox News online actually has more details.

The men wiped their Facebook pages of radical Islamist content and photos of themselves in traditional Muslim attire, and devised a cover story that they were going to Afghanistan to attend Kabir’s wedding.

Federal authorities said the trio and the FBI’s confidential source bought airplane tickets last week for a Sunday flight from Mexico City to Istanbul, with plans to later continue to Kabul.

After Kabir began talking to him about Islam, Santana said he “accepted Islam without knowing anything about it besides it being the truth” and that he believed the religion would help him “fit in and actually be able to fight for something that’s right,” according to the complaint.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison.

I guess the FBI figured once they purchased the tickets, they were committed and thus worthy of prosecution. Discuss.

Update … others writing include Sweetness & Light.

Notice how much the AP stresses that these are Californian men. In fact, buried in the last paragraph of the article we will learn that one was born in Afghanistan. another in Mexico, another in the Philippines. Only one of the men, Gojail, is said to be a US citizen, and we aren’t told where he was born.

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Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

6 Comments

  1. Plainvillian on November 20, 2012 at 9:10 am

    What part of Islam’s political pronouncements and Sharia law are compatible with the US Constitution?? Why must we consider this seditious and violently misogynistic totalitarian belief system a religion with all the protections attached thereto?? Didn’t Islam declare war on the rest of the world centuries ago?? At what point will the rest of the world return the favor or will we, in the pursuit of diversity, be assimilated out of existence?? Should we fear for our progeny?



  2. JBS on November 20, 2012 at 10:27 am

    The liberals are always making excuses for the radical Islamic talk. This is the short-sightedness and blithe disregard for reality that is the hallmark of the Left.
    Their mantra is, “Dude, like, can’t we all get along?” That isn’t tolerance, it is epic stupidity.
    Some things are like, totally intolerable. Good for the FBI.
    Three down, how many nuts to go? Gitmo just isn’t large enough.



  3. JollyRoger on November 20, 2012 at 2:52 pm

    They could only be more dangerous if they waved gadsen flags while espousing heretical statements against our lovely tax system of voluntary compliance. ??



  4. Lynn on November 20, 2012 at 4:06 pm

    I am glad they arrested these pseudo Californians. However, freedom of speech demands that the authorities release the man who made The Video mocking Islam. The video is not responsible for the terrorist attack in Beghazi. Release the man.



  5. yeah on November 21, 2012 at 10:58 am

    Government encroachment & overreach talk in the USA – at what point does it make sense to seriously talk about Revolution?? Now that we know voter fraud is rampant wherever there’s a close race the Statists need to win, the legislative process is a sham, they dont care one whit for how much is spent so long as every last hand has manna distributed from on The Government on High, nor how much debt they deem us responsible to pay off – when do the pitchforks and torches come out?
    ?
    The vast majority of governments are so inept and corrupt it isnt even funny any more.? 2012 isnt the end of the age of man, it is the end of the age of man controlling man.? The more the people learn how many umpteen ways their governments at every level are screwing them over, the more closer we get to bringing this whole pile to a head.
    ?



  6. Tim-in-Alabama on November 21, 2012 at 6:07 pm

    Gojail go jail.



Terrorist large

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