Sears Tower Attack

[Park Kraken]

I've been following the story where several men in Miami were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit terroism, by attacking the Sears Tower and other landmarks before eventually overthrowing the goverment.

Ok, apparently the full story on what happened is that several guys were looking around for an Al-Qaida informant in which they could get in contact with and arrange for weapons and bomb experts to be flown in to help them carryout their plots and ideals, and one guy, actually an FBI Informant, came in and agree do be their leader, and helped them make their plans and get far enough along to where when the time came they would able to be charged when arrested.

So, something I was thinking is, if someone goes posting around on boards saying that they support any anti-american group, but that they are american citizens, then someone could come along, encourage them to get involved in a plot, and then have them arrested through them being an informat, since just saying that they support the cause is not a chargable offense since it would be freedom of speech?

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I suppose so. They'd have to do it without making it entrapment or something along those lines, I think. Such as the people in the Sears tower plot were actively looking for a person to help them get the goods, but luckily the Feds got to them before the real terrorists did.

[Byl Laprovik]

A suspect has to show intent prior to involvement with undercover ops in order to be arrested on conspiracy charges, otherwise it's entrapment and is illegal.

This doesn't always work though, as some people have been on the wrong side of the feds even after they were entrapped, such as Randy Weaver.

[Park Kraken]

Oh so entrapment is illegal? That's good to know. I though the FBI was just weeding out the people who don't like us deliberatly and leading/encouraing them on until they could arrest them.

[Byl Laprovik]

No, they can't do that. Or at least, they can't legally do it.