A Decatur man was charged today with plotting to blow up the federal courthouse in Springfield, but the charges make it clear that authorities were on to him from the start and that he was dealing with an undercover federal agent posing as an Al Qaeda operative.
Michael Finton, also known as Talib Islam, was charged with attempting to murder federal employees and to use an explosive against the Paul Findley Federal Building, according to a federal complaint.
An affidavit filed in the case states that members of an FBI-led task force began investigating Finton, a restaurant worker who converted to Islam in prison, after hearing from his parole officer. A search of his vehicle after his arrest in 2007 on a parole violation allegedly turned up letters mentioning martyrdom and purported contact with John Walker Lindh, the so-called "American Taliban," who was captured in Afghanistan.
The FBI had a drug informant become friendly with Finton, according to the complaint. The informant told agents Finton had talked about wanting to get terror training and to fight in Gaza against the Israelis. Agents then worked to set up an "opportunity for action that we controlled," began recording contacts with him and put him in touch with an undercover agent who told Finton he was an al-Qaeda operative.
In a July conversation, Finton allegedly told the agent he was considering attacks on "government buildings, banks and police stations." His hope was that an attack would cause the U.S. military to withdraw from conflicts overseas.
"Finton said attacking the FBI office would be great, because he had no love for the police, so that would not bother him a bit," according to the affidavit. He allegedly proposed bombing the federal building in Springfield with a backpack bomb or an explosive in a vehicle in July.
In August, the agent allegedly told Finton the plan had been approved by his purported supervisors in al-Qaeda and had Finton make a videotaped message that supposedly was to be shown to organization leaders including Osama bin-Laden.
Finton, who made statements acknowledging he knew everyone in the Paul Findley Federal Building would be killed, allegedly met up with the agent on Wednesday, believing he would be carrying out a mass-casualty bomb attack against the building....
Muslim charged with plotting to blow up Illinois federal courthouse
Apparently another Misunderstander of Islam. "Man accused of plotting to bomb Springfield courthouse," from Chicago Breaking News, September 24:
America is being "enriched" by Islam. Get it? You islamophobes.
"Michael Finton, also known as Talib Islam, was charged with attempting to murder federal employees and to use an explosive against the Paul Findley Federal Building, according to a federal complaint."
Paul Findley was famous for one thing and one thing only: ranting incessantly against Israel, in a way that any member of Al Qaeda would find pleasing. No, come to think of it, he's also famous for something else, which is his apologetics on behalf of Muslims and Islam, with the usual claim that everything would be swell if only Israel were abandoned by the U.S.
Savor this, if you will.
"a restaurant worker who converted to Islam in prison" -- from article
Now, why am I not surprised? A prison convert? Does he even have a GED? My God, look at this moron. A typical convert to the "religion of peace," lol
Hey Mohammedans - you've really got some stellar folks converting to your mass-murder Hate ideology! Your Warlord would be proud to have yet another stooge willing to die for his "Islam" hoax.
"Muslim charged with plotting..." -- headline
Er, shouldn't that be "Man charged with plotting..."? :)
A typical career, a bloke in prison converts to Islam and then invariably becomes a terrorist. Same old story. I'm not for bans and prohibitions, but we should ban da'wa, not only in the U.S. and Europe, but all over the civilised world, that's a ban that really makes sense. Dealing with drugs is forbidden, so it should be forbidden to sell mental diseases, as well. It should be severely punished to make people insane and violent.
Er, maybe moron charged...but man? Please, spare us. Only morons convert to islam and only morons would think this approach is valid to alleviate their grievances. That pretty much puts most muslims in the moron category in my book. Probably you too Eastview.
Comic Relief,
Eastview was just being sarcastic since Robert changed the original p.c. headline from "Man charged..."to "Muslim charged...".
Comic Relief - I believe Eastview was being sarcastic.
Sometimes sarcasm doesn't translate well on the 'net.
Today, the federal cout houses are in danger. Tomorrow it will be all other court houses as jihadists continue to feel emboldened.
His hope was that an attack would cause the U.S. military to withdraw from conflicts overseas. he should have looked at dec 8 1942 the usa withdraw naw the last time was in veit nam and before that from the invasion of Canada in 1812
come to think of it that why the white house in now white the brits tried to burn it ,i guess this nut never learned history but why dont they ever do something usefull and go after the IRS {:p OR WOULD THAT be helping infidels by going after everyone's hatted enemy the Infernal Revenue Service
(AS long as it was just the computers and tax records )
or is the irs were the real hades were all good jihadist suicide bombers go to drive us insane and into the poor house?? (evil grin)
OT: Demonstrating that "No humor in Islam" thingy:
CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan authorities plan to impose fines on cable television companies that refuse to stop airing the animated television series "Family Guy."
Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami says the program should be pulled from the airwaves because it promotes the use of marijuana.
El Aissami was outraged by a recent episode in which the show's characters started a campaign to legalize marijuana.
He said Thursday that cable networks that broadcast "Family Guy" would be fined by Venezuela's telecommunications regulator if they refuse to dump the program.
The government of President Hugo Chavez is preparing to impose new regulations on cable television. Among other rules, cable providers could be forced to carry Chavez's frequent speeches.
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People - why does Venezuela have a Justice Minister named "Tareck El Aissami."
The "El" means he's Egyptian. I thought Venezuela was a Spanish country?!What is going on?
darcy, there are quite a few Muslims in South America, some of them in high places. This has been going on for decades. What's going on is equivalent -- but more sinister and more dangerous -- to what was going on for a good half century from the 1920s to the 1970s with Communists infiltrating as many countries as they could around the world in order to conquer the world (or in Marxist parlance, in order to facilitate "world revolution").
Back then -- at least until the late 60s -- the West was mostly aware of the danger and took steps to counter it on various levels. Now we are far less aware, and even actively shooting ourselves in the foot and bending over backwards to facilitate the infiltration of this current enemy. One ironic (and infuriating) connection between the two enemies: our current PC MC that hinders our awareness is the same PC MC that has "revised" our history of anti-Communism and has largely concluded that there was no real threat of Communism, and that it was overblown by paranoid American and British right-wingers in order to advance their own sinister agendas (among which was the Vietnam War, redefined as a pointless barbaric invasion by evil Americans of a poor helpless region of Third Worlders, thus completely forgetting the fact that Communists in the region were engaged in mass-murderous military supremacist expansionism).