FBI and the War on Terror

FBI and the War on Terror

I know I mockingly joke about there actually being a war on Christmas, but this following story shows that there was at least one instance where someone took the war on Christmas a bit too far by trying to blow up a Christmas tree lighting festivity in Portland. It's a good thing the FBI was there to stop it... Though they were also the ones to fund it.

The FBI thwarted an attempted terrorist bombing in Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square before the city's annual tree-lighting Friday night, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Oregon.

A Corvallis man, thinking he was going to ignite a bomb, drove a van to the corner of the square at Southwest Yamhill Street and Sixth Avenue and attempted to detonate it.

However, the supposed explosive was a dummy that FBI operatives supplied to him, according to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint signed Friday night by U.S. Magistrate Judge John V. Acosta.

Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, a Somali-born U.S. citizen, was arrested at 5:42 p.m., 18 minutes before the tree lighting was to occur, on an accusation of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The arrest was the culmination of a long-term undercover operation, during which Mohamud had been monitored for months as his alleged bomb plot developed.

"The device was in fact inert, and the public was never in danger," according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The investigation involved the FBI, Oregon State Police, Portland Police Bureau, Corvallis Police Department and Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.

Mohamud will appear in U.S. District Court in Portland on Monday.

"This defendant's chilling determination is a stark reminder that there are people -- even here in Oregon -- who are determined to kill Americans," said Oregon U.S. Attorney Dwight Holton. "The good work of law enforcement protected Oregonians in this case -- and we have no reason to believe there is any continuing threat arising from this case."

According to the FBI affidavit, the case began in August 2009 when Mohamud was in e-mail contact with an unindicted associate overseas who was believed to be involved in terrorist activities. In December 2009, while the unindicted associate was in a frontier province of Pakistan, Mohamud and the associate discussed the possibility of Mohamud traveling to Pakistan to participate in violent jihad.

The associate allegedly referred Mohamud to a second associate overseas and provided him with a name and e-mail address. In the months that followed, Mohamud made several unsuccessful attempts to contact the second associate.

Ultimately, an FBI undercover operative contacted Mohamud in a June 2010 e-mail under the guise of being an associate of the first unindicted associate.

Mohamud and the FBI operative agreed to meet in Portland a month later. Mohamud allegedly told the FBI operative that he had written articles that were published in Jihad Recollections, an online magazine that advocated holy war.

Mohamud also indicated he intended to become "operational," meaning he wanted to put an explosion together but needed help. The two met again in August 2010 in a Portland hotel.

"During this meeting, Mohamud explained how he had been thinking of committing some form of violent jihad since the age of 15," the affidavit says. "Mohamud then told (the FBI operatives) that he had identified a potential target for a bomb: the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square on Nov. 26, 2010."

The FBI operatives cautioned Mohamud several times about the seriousness of his plan, noting that there would be many people, including children, at the event, and that Mohamud could abandon his plans at any time with no shame.

"You know there's going to be a lot of children there?" an FBI operative asked Mohamud. "You know there are gonna be a lot of children there?"

Mohamud allegedly responded he was looking for a "huge mass that will ... be attacked in their own element with their families celebrating the holidays."

Mohamud dismissed concerns about law enforcement, explaining that, " ... It's in Oregon; and Oregon, like, you know, nobody ever thinks about," according to the affidavit.

"The threat was very real," said Oregon's FBI Special Agent in Charge Arthur Balizan. "Our investigation shows that Mohamud was absolutely committed to carrying out an attack on a very grand scale. At the same time, I want to reassure the people of this community that, every turn, we denied him the ability to actually carry out the attack."

Mohamud maintained his interest in carrying out the attack and spent months working on logistics.

He allegedly identified a location to place the bomb and mailed bomb components to the FBI operatives, who he believed were assembling the device. He also mailed them passport photos so he could sneak out of the country after the attack, according to the affidavit.

He provided the FBI operatives with a thumbdrive that contained detailed directions to the bomb location and operational instructions for the attack.

On Nov. 4, Mohamud and the FBI operatives traveled to a remote spot in Lincoln County, where they detonated a bomb concealed in a backpack as a trial run for the upcoming attack.

On the drive back to Corvalis, FBI operatives quizzed Mohamud about whether he was capable of looking at the bodies of those who would be killed in his planned Portland attack.

"I want whoever is attending that event to leave, to leave either dead or injured," Mohamud reportedly told the FBI operatives, the affidavit says.

Later that day, Mohamud recorded a video of himself with the FBI operatives in which he read a written statement offering his reasons for the planned Portland bombing.

On Nov. 18, FBI operatives picked up Mohamud to travel to Portland, where they would finalize details of the attack.

David S. Kris, assistant U.S. attorney general for national security, said, "The complaint alleges that Mohamud attempted to detonate what he believes to be a vehicle bomb at a crowded holiday event in downtown Portland, but a coordinated undercover law enforcement action was able to thwart his efforts and ensure no one was harmed. "

While I'm all for catching terrorist and saving lives, I do have to wonder... Is this really the route the FBI wants to go? It's essentially NBC's "To Catch A Predator". You're giving people bombs and arresting them for having a bomb. I'm not sure if this is too far from the blurry line of entrapment, but I guess in this post-9/11 world, that's the norm.

I'm pretty sure that every step of the way they were all like "Are you really really sure you want to go through with this? You can say no at any time! We won't look at you any differently, you know." "Oh, don't say I didn't give you enough warning...." *wink wink*

I mean, he did have the legal alternative of not accepting and using the fake bomb offered. He did come up with the idea and the location he wanted to use it. But it's really worth noting that the FBI provided him with the dud bomb as well as showed off a real one in a test sample. Considering he never was able to get a hold of the second contact, I'm a betting man and putting my money on the fact that he would have never been able to get a bomb if it wasn't for the FBI.

But as a criminal attorney, I'm sure that it's going to be utterly impossible to find a blue-blooded American judge or jurist that would give a shit about this guy's civil liberties. Especially considering he's Somali.


I wish I got paid defense money to find pissed off teenagers on the internet who wanted to blow up a mall or get back at their step father Chad. It would be easy money.


There was a story a while back where they did the same thing with some mentally deficient fry-cook and it was concluded that if the FBI hadn't gotten involved, the dude would have never been able to procure anything more powerful than some firecrackers.

That's another reason why I'm taking offense to the whole idea that they are calling this a "Weapon of mass destruction". Since when is a pipe bomb in the same class of explosive destruction as a nuke or some chemical weapon?

Maybe it's more post-9/11 mentality in the work suggesting that anything that can kill more than one person is labeled as a wmd. So I guess you can lump my baseball bat I keep in the trunk as a wmd.

But, I mean, how else are they going to meet their arrest and conviction quotas, if not by some simple convictions of thought-crime. I guess this way of capturing threats isn't new. Just look to the 1200. How would you be able to find out who wanted to kill your king? Well, have the king offer to kill himself and whoever accepts the offer, just have them killed instead.

I think the real tragedy in all this is that the article actually talks about him as being a serious threat to this nation. He's an angst child. Nothing more. But now he's going to be the state's problem with three meals and a bed to pay for.

I mean, let's get past the fact that he tried to blow shit up with fake explosives, this news piece is getting all of the attention, which is bizarre considering that no one is paying attention to that news article about the Serbian dude with a huge bomb factory in his house in Escondido, Ca.

Plastic explosive PETN, weapons-making materials found in Escondido home
November 26, 2010 | 6:38 am

Authorities have discovered blasting caps and a quantity of pentaerythritol tetranitrate, a powerful plastic explosive known as PETN, along with a huge cache of weapons-making materials at the home of an Escondido man in jail on bomb-making charges.

PETN was the explosive used by would-be shoe-bomber Richard Reid and by terrorists worldwide, officials said.

The resident of the home, George Jakubec, 54, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Serbia, is charged with possession of explosive devices, possession of bomb-making materials, bank robbery and burglary.

Jakubec has pleaded not guilty, with bail set at $5 million. Prosecutors said he is an unemployed software consultant.

The house came to the attention of authorities when a gardener was hurt in an explosion.

On Sunday, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department bomb squad entered the house, retreating after seizing evidence that included homemade grenades.

On Wednesday, the squad reentered the house, finding it "extremely cluttered, making movement and observation extremely difficult," the Sheriff's Department said.

In a storage area outside the house, authorities found containers of hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and sulfuric acid and 50 pounds of hexamine, a bomb-making material, authorities said.

"Proactive operations on site have been suspended," the Sheriff's Department said. "Explosive material and hazardous chemicals remain within the house."

Local, state and federal explosives experts are conferring about a plan to reenter the house and remove the materials. No further action is expected until Dec. 1 at the earliest.

The charges against Jakubec do not include any allegations that he had used or sold any explosive devices, according to court documents. He apparently lived alone in the home; his estranged wife attended his court arraignment Monday.

Police have seized computers at the home in hopes of determining a motive for the alleged crimes.

Stay Class, San Diego.

So you're probably wondering what the significance of Hexamine is. Well, if you mix it with nitric acid you can produce RDX, which is a critical component for modern plastic explosives.... holy shit, am I talking like an expert in explosives as well as criticizing the FBI for essentially sponsoring a fake terrorist? Welp, I'm going to Gitmo. Hello Mr. FBI agents reading this clearly flagged blog post.

May I make a suggestion that perhaps this Serbian was simply trying to make some fireworks? I mean, it is Escondido. They called it "Hidden" for a reason, it should stay that way. It's like your backwater hickville. The only thing good about that place is that the Stone Brewery is located there and you can get some wicked beer there.

So perhaps that's the only reason why it shouldn't go up in flames. But isn't it funny that the majority of post-9/11 terror bust where actual weaponry and explosives are discovered by authorities involved white people. Where as the Islamic cases are either in pre-pre-planning stages. Or at least could be made a case of having some dealings with entrapment.

I'm really surprised that we haven't seen some sort of Timothy McVeigh level shit storm already. The modern tea party seems like the perfect candidates for that sort of stupidity from the far-right.

But in essence, this story is just more proof as to why Ron was right..

Fuck You, San Diego!

What Will You Do For Your Safety?

What Will You Do For Your Safety?

If you haven't heard by now, some kid from Nigeria tried to blow up an airplane on Christmas day using bombs that he sneaked onto the plane in his underwear. This caused a lot of concern because he was able to get past that much talked about TSA security that I have hated since I first started doing a lot of traveling for work back in 2001.

It was a bit of a bad timing for me. I just got a gig that required me to fly around and do location shoots, which would have me away for weeks at a time, but worse of all, I had to first really start flying after 9/11 and the levels of security were just annoying. I knew the risk, I was more than happy to take them. Hell, chances were that they just did an attack via planes, why would they do it again so soon?



In any case, I really hated TSA. I'm sure you're going to tell me that they're keeping the air safe for travelers. I disagree. Their tactics are nothing more than Security Theater. In that it's security countermeasures that are intended to provide the feeling of improved security while doing little to nothing to actually improve security.

I suppose for many the feeling of safety is actually more important than being safe. That's why we're in the fear based society we are in today. Because the only thing you really need to control the people is fear. So with that in mind, there's a new method to try to weed out the potential problems on a flight.. futuristic x-ray machines. Stuff that will see past your cloths and will only stop with your skin...



I just have one thing to say; I'm a grower not a shower, it's such bullshit having to explain that to security every time I go to an airport. Or having them look at me odd when I go into this super x-ray machine with a stiffy. I mean, maybe they'll feel like there's some sort of awkwardness to be felt between the two of us. I'm also pretty excited and I can't wait until a transgender gets arrested and humiliated because they think it has a bomb.

It's perfect for all of you who love showing off your supple bosoms to homeland security. Hey, just doing your patriotic duty for them boys in blue, am I right? I mean, look at the following old lady get the classic Tit split. Tell me if that's not anything more than security theater. It's not really proving anything, other than she doesn't have one of those boob dividers or bombs in her cleavage.



why such the fuss about these things? is it that perverts would use it as spank material? we would only have to worry about perverts that are attracted to slightly-anthropomorphic blue human-shaped blobs. On the other hand, avatar did make a lot of money...

Think about it, wouldn't you want to be the TSA agent when the Swedish bikini team is flying out? It'll be like watching muted Tool videos all day. Then again, given that TSA is one of those agencies that it's sole existence is to give people who couldn't get a job at McDonalds a pay check, I suppose that would be an ideal task for them.



While they're trying to rush them both in the US and in Europe, it's facing a small problem there as it... um.. sort of crosses the lines into the child porn laws. But really, this is all for nothing. Especially when people can turn themselves into bombs these days. Just like the attempt on the Saudi Prince Nayef last August where the dude had a bomb sewn into his body to bypass security. Let's face it, it's simply too easy to get through security anywhere if you really want to.

Protip: If you remove the firing pin in a glock and attach it to your key chain with other ornaments to disguise it, you can get it through security just fine. Oh wait, you also need to take the barrel out and the bullets because they are metal as well. Turn them into a modern art sculpture. Attach that sculpture to your keys as well. It's fail proof. You know what? Just put te whole gun on the key ring. When have you ever seen security check any keyrings? That shit's going to slip right by them.



Besides that, until they make a scanner that detects aluminum and iron oxide or magnesium that has ill intent there's pretty much no way to keep planes safe sort of physically examining every single piece of luggage because basically anyone with an alarm clock can make an inextinguishable incendiary device and get it into the luggage compartment.

And the day after they figure out how to prevent someone from filling the frame of their suitcase with thermite, someone will simply toss a grenade at the security check in line and kill 50 people. Or convert one of the pilots themselves into being a sleeper agent. There's nothing we can do to make planes super safe. They are designed by nature to allow way too many factors into the system to sabotage something.



This doesn't mean we shouldn't take precautions to prevent highly impulsive or easy as buying a ticket and getting on a plane acts of sabotage from happening. It's just to say that life comes with risk and the more safety you want, the more of your personal freedom it will require. Speaking for myself, I feel like my personal freedom has already been stomped on to the point of me not caring. Especially when it's all for nothing.

You should be thankful in the fact that these terrorist attack are more of a symbolic attack. Just take a moment to wonder what they could do that would be thousands of times better in terms of targets that have no security and would destroy our way of life. Very few of them don't even involve suicide. Imagine what one motivated guy with basic internet level knowledge of explosives, a couple tons of easy to steal mining explosives, a van and some basic understanding of infrastructure could do. He could take out railways, power grids, water, major buildings, etc.



It's a good thing that Islamo fascists are per definition, dumb as shit. Things that would actually do a lot of damage are rarely all that symbolically satisfying as the things like blowing up planes or blowing up some big buildings.

All I know is that the first thing I'm going to do the next time I fly anywhere is write "Fuck You" on my ass in electrical tape and then fly around the country shaking it.

You Dropped The Bomb On Me..

You Dropped The Bomb On Me..

I live for this sort of shit. This is the stuff that if I'm in a thrift store or looking through an elderly persons tossed out papers that my eyes open up with glee. Christmas aint' got shit on this sort of stuff. Here it is in all its glory. The fine folks who would later on allow gay marriage and not pass a prop to oppose it were well aware of the threat of a nuke. With this easy guide you too can survive a blast with only slight headaches and melted body parts.




step 1: you're fucked




I love it when massive gamma irradiation turns my DNA into spaghetti so all my cells can commit suicide.

Along with this video and it floods my mind with potentials behind this whole fear mongering of the 50's during the nuclear scare.

I laugh a little when the family in the film hides under the blanket. What do you do when YOU see the flash of an atomic bomb? Your answer is Nothing because you're already a fried corpse. But according to the fine folks at the "Federal Civil Defense Administration" you simply duck and cover and you will be safe from this new danger. While you have your head down there you might as well kiss your ass goodbye.

"AN ATOMIC BOMB COULD GO OFF AT ANY TIME, EVEN ON SUNDAYS, HOLIDAYS, VACATIONS"

It's easy to see why people were so worried about nuclear war in the 50's. It's video likes these that had people in a constant state of fear. To add further to this, the public service announcements were an attempt to assuage the fears of the Average American Citizen but at the same time - because the government just couldn't help itself - they had to make out like Commie villains were going to rape their corpses in their beds. AT ANY TIME.

Here's the question I have. Did the Russians have their own corny version of stop and get down or did they just tell their citizens "yeah you're fucked"

Most of the devastation radius is not due to thermal or blast effects (which will flat out kill you) but due to fall out. The most dangerous part of the explosion is after the mushroom cloud falls to the earth and the idea is to minimize exposure to that. I think the following steps are the only thing you can really do that would be productive.

1. put your head between your legs
2. kiss your ass goodbye

If I survive a nuclear holocaust (doubtful, I live 15 minutes from a nuclear sub station) the only decision I'll need to make is which gun to put in my mouth. Probably go with the shotgun, Hemingway had class.

Then again, here's more of that sort of dry run fear inducing action



People carrying their belongings in subway station used as an air raid shelter in the city.


Eugene Mott and family climbing down stairs to the cellar for practice air raid drill -- parents adjusting their children to abnormal conditions in wartime.


Family of 6 holding atomic war drill, sitting in small, enclosed downstairs hallway w. pet dog, 1st aid kit & radio, place they thought safest in house to ride out nuclear attack.


A demonstration of the proper way to keep dogs safe during an air raid, keeping them secured to the sturdiest objects available.



P.S. I was going to title this Nuking the Fridge but that would have me remember the Latest Indiana Jones film. So I went with an infectious song. I'm not going to defend the title of this one. I'll fully admit it, I got the song stuck in my head. It's Saturday night. I got me the Saturday night (one man) party pit going. Now in explaining that, I'm sure the song is now embedded into your skull.


Pretty scary science. Yes, that's right. Science. It's all part of discovering something new. It's really very alarming how many times we have been very close to being eliminated. Hell, in Los Alamos they actually played a game of chicken with uranium, poking two lumps of it closer to each other with screwdrivers, looking to see who would dare to push it closest to near critical mass.

good times

Then again, it was a necessary criticality experiment that they called 'tickling the dragon's tail' so they would know the limits as well as just accidentally screw things up killing Loius Slotin.

Care to find out more about these sort of wacky fallout plans? Take a look at this one