Major flop of anti-terrorism agencies.

[miko2d]

I am afraid that ours and british security agencies really dropped the ball on this "missle affair" by only making miniscule use out of it.

 We all know now that there were no terrorists willing to harm US involved in that affair. - the buyers initiating the deal were the US agents.
 We also know that there were no real illicit arms dealers involved in that affair - those were the russian security agents.

 The only real offenders were the small-time crooks willing to act as intermediaries for monetary gain. They did not come up with the plan on their own initiative and basically agreed to do certain steps not devised by them for a comission. While the world will be cleaner with them behind the bars, we have a few hundred million more like that between our three countries.
 Much has been said how those alleged geriatric criminals expressed their hate towards US, etc. I suspect that if the agent who approached them had presented himself as a right-wing christian militia member willing to use the missles against muslim planes, they would have expressed hate for Islam no less convincingly. Customer is always right...

 Anyway, the major flop that I am referring to is that our valorous agents have only saved us from having 50 airliners being blown out of the sky by imaginary missiles. They could have done so much more than that with so little extra effort!

 They should have set up a fake operation involving a purchase of 50 hydrogen bombs mounted on imaginary ballistic missiles and hiring a mercenary army of 5 million bloodthursty troops for the follow-up invasion of teh continental US!
 This way they could have saved us from total annihilation of all US cities and subsequent occupation and extermination!

 Or maybe they should have comissioned that trio of crooks to facilitate the Coming of Antichrist, a raid by Four Riders of Apocalypse, the attack by Martians, inducing the Sun to go Supernova and a concert tour by Michael Jackson!
 And then saved us from all that horror by foiling the imaginary threats.

 I bet Bush could have used all that success in his 2004 elections!

 Fire away.

* The real terrorists probably used the fact that so many resources were distracted to their advantage.

 miko

[ra]

The only real offenders were the small-time crooks willing to act as intermediaries for monetary gain. They did not come up with the plan on their own initiative and basically agreed to do certain steps not devised by them for a comission.

Assuming that they were only motivated by money, the fact remains that in their minds they were abetting mass-murder.  Thus they were not small-time.  The theatricality of this news release makes me think that the whole idea is to warn would-be intermediaries for terrorism that they are playing a dangerous game, and that there is a possibility someone along the line is a government agent.

ra

[Mickey1992]

I agree with ra.  Even if those apprehended weren't terrorists but were simply caught in a business deal sting, it still sends a message.  I almost now think that the arrest in New York of the diamond broker turned money launderer is a bigger catch than the apparently down on his luck Brit looking to make some money.

[Martlet]

Troll Rating:  2

I've seen much better.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Martlet
Troll Rating:  2

I've seen much better.

Absolutely! Maybe even 1.5 (I quoted you so even Miko could enjoy your ignored post )

[john9001]

miko , your looping logic totaly lost me on that one.

are you trying to say it was a bad thing they got caught? never mind, your answer would just confuse me.

[Erlkonig]

You're probably right, miko.  There's no point in pretending that international arms dealers ever had any real moral scruples with the people and organizations with whom they choose to conduct business.

[miko2d]

Erlkonig: You're probably right, miko.  There's no point in pretending that international arms dealers ever had any real moral scruples with the people and organizations with whom they choose to conduct business.

 What arms dealers? The "arms dealers" were russian agents.
 Sure, a guy who steals dangerous weapons and makes them available is a real threat. A guy who is willing to run an errand for such an arms dealer is no threat at all, even if he really hates US.
 There are plenty of people out there wishing that US was struck by a meteorite or an earthquake, but untill someone gets hold of a mechanism to cause those, why should I worry?


ra: Assuming that they were only motivated by money, the fact remains that in their minds they were abetting mass-murder.  The theatricality of this news release makes me think that the whole idea is to warn would-be intermediaries for terrorism that they are playing a dangerous game, and that there is a possibility someone along the line is a government agent.

 That is a valid logic. But does a slight deterrent value of that affair outweights the resources diverted? The fact that the terrorists are now warned and will act more carefully?


Ripsnort:  Absolutely! Maybe even 1.5 (I quoted you so even Miko could enjoy your ignored post)

 Thanks, Rip.
 But you are obviously wrong here. Troll is not any post that you personally do not agree with or any post containing satire.
 A troll is a post expressing views that the poster does not really believe in or referring to non-existent event, that induces newbies and flamers to make themselves look even more clueless than they already do, while subtly conveying to the more savvy and experienced that it is in fact a deliberate troll.

 The part where I said the feds should have blown this case even more out of proportion is obviously a satire but my sentiment that this was just a huge waste of resources for PR purposes is completely genuine.

 It is a common tactics of narrow minded arrogants like Mart to avoid arguing the issue by claiming that the oponent could not possibly believe what he is saying - in this case by calling it a "troll". I would not be surprised if he really makes himself believe it. Some people just cannot comprehend how anybody can truly hold an opposing views.

 miko

[Martlet]

Arguing the issue?  What's the issue?  You're upset that we put a criminal in jail?  Waaaaaaaaah.

[ra]

That is a valid logic. But does a slight deterrent value of that affair outweights the resources diverted? The fact that the terrorists are now warned and will act more carefully?

You said yourself these guys are not terrorists.   They are just opportunists willing to do business with terrorists.  Now it's the opportunists who will have to be more careful, so there may be fewer of them willing to take the risks.

ra

[miko2d]

ra: You said yourself these guys are not terrorists. They are just opportunists willing to do business with terrorists.

 Why do small-time crooks need more persuading not to cooperate with terrorists that they need persuading generally not to break any law?

 NY City Police could have approached the same individuals with an offer to help laundering money concealed from the IRS or to pass a bribe to a government official, etc.

 That would not need involvement of the state security agencies of three countries and would have landed the crooks in jail till the rest of their lives.

 How about just taking an ad in the newspapers saying "Get caught abetting the terrorists and your bellybutton is forefeit" or something to that effect?

 As I said ("While the world will be cleaner with them behind the bars"), I am glad that the crooks are caught but the effort involved and misconception of the government competency we get from this staged PR operation does not justify it in my view.

Now it's the opportunists who will have to be more careful, so there may be fewer of them willing to take the risks.

 Riiight... That's what we need - carefull terrorists using creme of the crop accomplices rather than any stupid crook...

 miko

[ra]

How about just taking an ad in the newspapers saying "Get caught abetting the terrorists and your bellybutton is forefeit" or something to that effect?

I think that's what they just did, only more effectively.  The idea is not to remind crooks that they are breaking laws, but to show them that there is international cooperation among law enforcment agencies.  A crooked businessman will take this into consideration when deciding whether or not to take the risk of smuggling weapons or anything else for terrorists.   At the very least, he will charge more for his services.

ra

[miko2d]

I surely hope you are right here, ra.

 miko

[Eagler]

they deserve a bullet in the head - on pay per view

maybe that would deter others - if not it would provide entertainment for the rest of us

I hope they "set up" a ton of these creeps, toss them into cells to be bubbas next play toy. bubba has a missile for them..

[-dead-]

Originally posted by Eagler
they deserve a bullet in the head - on pay per view

maybe that would deter others - if not it would provide entertainment for the rest of us

Hehe you should move to China, you'd fit right in.