Here’s the transcript of AG Holder’s speech at Muslim Advocates’ annual dinner. Key passage:
Some have expressed concerns about the recent charges brought against Mohamed Osman Mohamud in Portland, Oregon, for his alleged involvement in planning – and attempting to execute – a terror attack during a Christmas Tree-lighting celebration.
(…)
I make no apologies for the how the FBI agents handled their work in executing the operation that led to Mr. Mohamud’s arrest. Their efforts helped to identify a person who repeatedly expressed his desire and intention to kill innocent Americans. As you may have read – and as the affidavit alleges – Mr. Mohamud chose the target location months in advance; provided FBI operatives with bomb components and detailed operational instructions; and repeatedly refused to change course when he was reminded that a large crowd – including children – would be in harm’s way.Because of law enforcement’s outstanding work, Mr. Mohamud is no longer plotting attacks. He is now behind bars. And he will be brought to justice. But you also have my word that the Justice Department will – just as vigorously – continue to pursue anyone who would target Muslims, or their houses of worship.
Those who characterize the FBI’s activities in this case as “entrapment” simply do not have their facts straight – or do not have a full understanding of the law.
shams, 
aziz, and 
Abu Noor Al_irlandee are discussing. 
thabet and 
Tec15 are discussing. 
Abu Noor Al_irlandee 1:00 pm on December 14, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Of course, since no trial has taken place, there is no way we could know the full facts of the case…all we know is what the government alleges and/or admits to doing in its own indictment.
I don’t think many people are arguing, however, that the defendant is likely to prevail based on entrapment at trial. The legal standard for entrapment, especially in federal court, and what most people think of as morally dubious government behavior which is often loosely referred to as entrapment are two different things.
aziz 7:37 am on December 20, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
agreed. entrapment is a broad moral issue and a much tighter legal issue. But I’mnot against entrapment in the former sense if it helps to isolate and identify people with a prediliction towards violence against innocents. Especially since that prediliction has now been channeled into a harmless outlet rather than succeed.
Abu Noor Al-Irlandee 1:10 pm on December 14, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Here’s a satirical commentary on the issue:
shams 8:52 pm on December 15, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
wallah we have MUCH BIGGER PROBLEMS Aziz.
Our Airforce just forbid American citizen soldiers enlisted in the Airforce from reading THE {EDITED} NEW YORK TIMES.
we are living a police state RIGHT NAOW.
aziz 7:36 am on December 20, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The Airforce is not a democracy – it IS a police state. But the existence of thousands of mirrors basically suggests to me that liberty is alive and well.
I’ve been a big fan of @davewiner ‘s coverage of WikiLeaks, above all others. And he remains un-silenced or Gitmoed. Police state? Um, no.
In the past year, I’ve traveled to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and India. Even India – where you can’t buy a SIM card without providing your passport copy and verified address, is more of a police state than the US.
Ironically, the people in front of me on my flight were griping about the etra flight security for US-bound flights … as evidence of a “police state”. I’m sorry but sometimes I think Glenn Greenwald does as much to foster cudlip-ism as anyone on the right side of the political spectrum,
shams 12:10 pm on December 22, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
wallah you have read nothing.
there is a beta prototype closed information systems killer running loose on the web RIGHT NAOW.
it is working as intended, american cant turn it off, and if it works as designed we will turn into a police state on our way to nonlinear system collapse.
you totally dont get Assanges design do you?
This is extremely frustrating for me….i guess it’s the whole first culture vs third culture dynamic. I understand the vast majority of readers and commenters here dont have the system theoretic or information theoretic background to assimilate what Assange is attempting to do.
But it doesnt matter if you think he cant (technically) or shouldnt (morally) accomplish his STATED goals….. the system killer is WAI and it cannot be turned off..
Assange has been very forward about his philosophy and what he is trying to accomplish.
It is nothing less than a new world order.
Highly radical, highly ambitious.
The reason i think Assanges strategy has a 90% chance of working is that Assange just did in cyberspace what OBL did to us in meatspace.
Granted, OBL’s tactical strike was not as well formed as Assanges hackitivist manifesto.
It was really just junk-punching Big White American Christian Bwana in the economic junk.
But it worked splendidly, pretty much bringing down the American economic house of cards and turning America into Soviet Russia in the worlds eyes.
Now Julian Assange just junk-punched America in the security/diplomacy junk.
And if America runs true to form, we will sting ourselves to death like the poisoned scorpion in the faery tale.
i think the judiciary is our only hope.
but right naow our never-torture-again president is apparently complicit in torturing Bradly Manning with solitary and drugs in order to get him to flip on Assange.
the alternative is to suborn the judiciary to redefine “conspiracy” like they redefined torture under Bush.