New York women inspired by IS plotted bombing, FBI says

[Surya Gayatri]

Source: BBC News

The FBI says it has arrested two women accused of plotting to plant a bomb in New York City.

The two women, who are US citizens, referred to themselves as "citizens of the Islamic State", according to court documents.

Ms Siddiqui "had repeated contact with members of the foreign terrorist organisation al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula" the documents said.

Her accomplice, Ms Velentzas referred to Osama Bin Laden as a hero, according to the US Department of Justice.



Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32169141

---

Was this real or another one of those 'set ups' so beloved of US anti-terror agents?

[cosmicone]

1. Quick trial and immediate death penalty n/t

[Surya Gayatri]

6. Do NOT agree with the death penalty in any circumstances. Period.

They've done nothing but 'plot', supposedly.

How much were they aided and abetted by the very people who 'caught' them?

Read this:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141056846#post3

[cosmicone]

14. I don't believe in entrapment in terrorism, murder or rape.

I may be tempted to make a drug deal, rob a bank or forge a check but there is no way I could be tempted to commit murder, rape or terrorism no matter how persuasive the undercover operatives are.

This was NOT entrapment -- these women were serious and believe in terrorism in their hearts with full motivation to carry it out.

Death penalty to stop other secretly violent people from thinking about it.

[Surya Gayatri]

16. Good luck with the 'death penalty' equals 'deterrent' argument.

It works so well in other areas as well.

[cosmicone]

18. I respect people who are against death penalty and their views on it.

To me, it is not black and white .... I believe in death penalty for some rare and particularly heinous crimes. Otherwise, it should not be applied.

[Surya Gayatri]

19. And, I can respect your position as well.

It is a vexed question, especially in horrendous crimes against children. But, in those kinds of crimes, the specter of a death sentence wouldn't have deterred them anyway.

I tend to side with the European liberal democracies, where the death penalty has disappeared entirely.

[Larry Engels]

15. Just like China?

You want the US to emulate their system of quickie trials and executions?

[Warpy]

29. And how is that different from what ISIS does?

It amazes me how many people are so focused on hitting back that they don't get that.

[Aerows]

35. Let's at least wait

to see if they were actually entrapped and egged on. The FBI is exceptional at preventing terrorist attacks it orchestrates.

[samsingh]

2. why are these people living in a free country

it's very easy for them to live in one of the repressive countries they seem to love

[Surya Gayatri]

7. Because they happen to be American citizens.

What a simplistic solution.

'Merca!!! Love it, or leave it!!!!

[alcibiades_mystery]

11. I'd actually settle for "At least don't blow up bombs in New York City."

I suppose that's simplistic as well...

[Surya Gayatri]

17. No, but revoking their citizenship would be simplistic, not to say impossible.

Killing people to stop other people from being radicalized has not been proven as a deterrent.

[christx30]

31. If they're not happy here,

they should pack up and move somewhere else.
'Merica, love it or leave it' might sound simple, but it's better than 'kill innocent people to force an oppressive Islamic government on 230 million people that don't want it.'
If you aren't happy with America's openess and permissiveness, go where it doesn't happen. Live in crazy place like Iran, where female rape victims are stoned for adultery.
But that won't happen with these women. They are going to spend the next 20 years in a small room for conspiracy. They wanted to die for their beliefs. Well, they have given up their lives, but will get to live every day in that cage. I know I'd hanf myself before doing that.

[samsingh]

32. i hope they are in prison for the rest of their miserable disgusting lives

[Maedhros]

3. The Modus Operandi of the FBI for these kind of things usually runs like this:

1. Identify target (usually young, angry, with mental health issues and/or financial difficulties) from cyber-surveillance of email and other communications.

2. Co-opt an informant, with ties to the target, with threats of prison time and/or promises of financial reward.

3. Have informant introduce target to FBI undercover operative, who then urges the target to plot a terrorist attack.

4. Provide operational planning, training, materials, and assistance to target.

5. Arrest target when he or she follows through.

6. Profit!

Let's see if this case plays out the same as the others.

A concise discussion of the FBI's methods here:

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/02/26/fbi-manufacture-plots-terrorism-isis-grave-threats/

And a more detailed case study here:

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/03/16/howthefbicreatedaterrorist/

[Surya Gayatri]

4. Speak it, Maedhros! Why don't you start a thread in GD

about this?

[Maedhros]

5. I started this thread, but it dropped like a stone:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026376549

[Surya Gayatri]

8. It's great, but too long (unfortunately) to catch the casual DU reader's eye.

Use exactly the text you've written here. Short and sweet, and reference this LBN OP.

Just a suggestion.

[seveneyes]

9. Ms Siddiqui "had repeated contact with members of the foreign terrorist organisation al-Qaeda"

Yep, the FBI made her do it.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

30. On DU it is possible...

[riderinthestorm]

10. These two women are 28 and 31. Not so young.

Tairod Pugh, another American just arrested on the same charges is 41 yrs old and a U.S. Air Force veteran.



The FBI only caught on to these cases because the suspects had contacted Al Qaeda numerous times already...

[Maedhros]

12. There were few details in the report.

It's entirely possible that the FBI actually did interrupt a plot. Slim odds (based on their track record), but possible.

[riderinthestorm]

13. I googled for more info since the BBC article is very short

I'm not disputing your outline. Just that these particular cases don't appear to fit that mold.

For now...

[Maedhros]

37. More details available - see post #36. [n/t]

[GoneFishin]

20. Spot on. But many are oblivious to this pattern or it differs from their world view so much that

they mentally cannot accept that this type of thing happens.

I also will wait to see how it unfolds. But purely on the historical precedent I will not be surprised one bit if they were "encouraged" a lot.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

23. If anyone "encouraged" me, I'd report them immediately to the FBI.

[GoneFishin]

33. Me too. But dim bulbs would be easy to manipulate which always seems to be the case.

[Surya Gayatri]

26. Would put a whole line of political understanding and mindset into question to

perceive a pattern.

'I will not be surprised one bit', either.

[geek tragedy]

28. one of them literally wrote love poems to al Qaeda.

They're idiots, but also evil

[Blue_Tires]

21. A "setup?"

Read the charging document for yourself:

http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1700101/complaint-bombers.pdf

FWIW, some useful idiots on the left absolutely refuse to ever hold muslim extremists responsible for their own actions...Not everything is a "setup"

[Surya Gayatri]

25. When posting the 'breaking' story I didn't have time to

do an 'in-depth' background on it first.

You'll notice the ? mark after my question?

[GoneFishin]

34. You are correct, not everything.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

22. Now they are "citizens of the New York State Penal System".

[Surya Gayatri]

24. True enough...or more likely Federal jurisdiction, no?

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

27. Probably, that works for me too!

[Maedhros]

36. More details available now that the criminal complaint has been unsealed.

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/04/03/alleged-isis-inspired-plotters-provided-bomb-making-manual-informant/

Like other recent sensational “terror plots,” however, the criminal complaint unsealed yesterday demonstrates the key role of an undercover law enforcement informant in both formulating and facilitating the alleged plot. It doesn’t appear that Velentzas or Siddiqui actually planned or attempted to bomb any target, nor is there any evidence of discussions about how to create a bomb before the introduction of the informant into their lives.

Nonetheless, their discussions allegedly progressed, with the informant and Velentzas meeting to talk in greater detail about how to create a bomb, using information gleaned from The Anarchist Cookbook, and discussing whether it would be appropriate to target a gathering of police officers with such a device. At several points in the complaint, Velentzas indicates her reticence about doing anything that might harm “regular people,” even criticizing the Boston Marathon bombers for killing and injuring civilians. During this time, the informant also provided both Velentzas and Siddiqui with printed copies of Inspire, including selected passages about how to create explosives.

So...it looks like the probability that this is another manufactured FBI "plot" is higher than I originally thought.

[Surya Gayatri]

38. Histoire à suivre, as the French say. To be continued...

Since the inception of the 'Homeland Security' monstrosity, nothing surprises me anymore.

[geek tragedy]

39. These were AQ/ISIS sympathizers who were willing to

massacre innocent people to help establish an Islamic caliphate. It is a very good thing they have been taken off the street.