Missle Smuggling farce - fake?

[hexola]

I cant help but read this as a complete hoax...

From MSNBC story...

The Briton was arrested after agreeing to sell a sophisticated Russian SA-18 Igla missile to an undercover FBI agent posing as a Muslim extremist...

So there were never any actual terrorists or terroristic intent!

Furthermore

U.S. officials say the missile that the smuggling ring managed to sneak into the United States from Russia was actually a dud that was secretly placed into arms-dealing channels by Russian authorities, who were in on the sting.

And there was never any real missle!

So what did they prove? That people smuggle things? WOW! Big Whoop!

[NYC]

1. Contrived.

Then overblown.

It's not that a SAM couldn't be used against a commercial airplane, but this "story" has little or nothing to do with that.

[tom_paine]

2. The story about the "Bush Assassination Attempt" is contrived

It stinks like the toppling Saddam statue, the Jesica Lynch rescue (though I have no ill feelings towards her, rather I have great sympathy for her ordeal and as effed up as this Bushevik War is, respect for her service to the nation), like the WMDs, like so many others I can't remember them all.

The Bushevik currency is lies lies lies.

And anyway, Busheviks don't get assassinated. They're the ones ordering the assassinations.

[Old and In the Way]

3. Manufacturing terrorism news now.

I guess we can't find enough evidence of real terrorists to justify this administration's "War on Terror" (tm) so they are actively creating the incentives and conditions for manufacturing psuedo-terrorists for validating this phony war.

I can only imagine how Fox will be reporting this story.....

[Must_B_Free]

4. getting to the point where people like Al Martin

and the inemitable "single source" stories look as legit as the major media outlet stuff...

[imwatchingem]

5. Very suspicious

CNN claimed earlier today that one person was arrested and two more arrests are expected. Since when does a "sting" operation happen in stages, with announcements that others will be arrested at a later date?

Isn't the purpose of a sting to get an entire group of "bad guys" all at the same time?

All kinds of secrecy with our current government, but they announce stings now? Sorry but something is rotten, and it isn't in Denmark.

[HalfManHalfBiscuit]

6. Probably the stupidest post I have seen in months

This is how law enforcement/intelligence works. You set up people trying to commit a crime, and when they try to commit that crime, you arrest them.

Attempting to buy or sell a portable missle is a serious crime. I think smuggling weapons is a big whoop. I'm sure airline passengers feel the same way.

I take it back. Yours is the dumbest post I have ever read.

[hexola]

8. Read it a bit more carefully...

The people who wanted to buy the missle were FEDERAL AGENTS!!! NOT TERRORISTS!!! -

TRANSLATION:
There never was anybody trying to commit a crime...got it?

Yes smuggling is a crime - but there are plenty of other ways to bust smugglers without resorting to this type of politically motivated setup...Drudge even had a picture of Airforce One!!!

NOTICE: the story only refers to them as "smugglers" not "Arms Smugglers"

[HalfManHalfBiscuit]

11. I can't believe I am responding to this

That is how you catch people. Federal agents pose as "terriorists" and try to make a deal. Just like NARCS pose as junkies to try and nail drug dealers.

It is called undercover work.

Kudos for the most stupid post of all time.

[hexola]

13. Your analogy is wrong!!!

Execept in this case the "Drug Dealers" were also federal agents...not real "drug dealers." All they did was get the "mule" - who is generally clueless...unscrupulous perhaps...but again - people will do ANYTHING for money...

The fact is:

THERE WERE NO TERRORISTS INVOLVED IN THIS BOGUS SETUP.

The Sellers were FEDS - The Buyers were FEDS

I would have NO PROBLEM with this IF:

They new of a terror cell in the US and set up a sting with the missle as bait...make the bust...great work...

But in this case both supply and demand were manufactured...fake.

[Old and In the Way]

15. To extend your analogy further.....

Would that also be like the CIA smuggling cocaine into Oakland to finance illegal arms purchases for the RW terrorists in South America?

I know, I know....we are the good guys, I sometimes forget that these days...

[lfairban]

16. Isn't that entrapment?

I guess that depends on how much the government is involved in encouraging the activity.

[terryg11]

7. possibly a "manufactured" bust

to make the admin look good but they were saying on Nightline tonight that this operation has been in going on for nearly two years which means that it may have possibly been initialized during Clinton's governance although he may not have known about it at the time

[cthrumatrix]

9. they said it was for the money....

Officials told NBC News Tuesday night that the arms-ring members were not terrorists; they were believed to be out to make money. But investigators said the smuggling suspects clearly knew the buyers expressed intent to use the missile for a terrorist attack.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/951575.asp?0cv=CA01&cp1=1

[hexola]

10. So people will do anything for money...

...that's not news...

[iangb]

12. A Far more meaningful sting.....

....would have Fed's posing as weapons dealers......and seeing who would try and buy the weapons.

[pruner]

14. too logical.

n/t