But Gonzales warned that these kinds of homegrown terrorists "may prove to be as dangerous as groups like al-Qaeda." [NYT, June 24, 2006]
For longtime observers of political terrorism in South Florida, the aggressive reaction to what may have been the Miami group's loose talk about violence, possibly spurred by an FBI informant posing as an al-Qaeda operative, stands in marked contrast to the U.S. government's see-no-evil approach to notorious Cuban terrorists who have lived openly in Miami for decades.
For instance, the Bush administration took no action in early April 2006, when a Spanish-language Miami television station interviewed Cuban terrorist Orlando Bosch, who offered a detailed justification for the 1976 mid-air bombing of a Cubana Airlines flight that killed 73 people, including the young members of the Cuban national fencing team.
Bosch refused to admit guilt, but his chilling defense of the bombing-- and the strong evidence that has swirled around his role-- left little doubt of his complicity, even as he lives in Miami as a free man, protected both in the past and present by the Bush family.
So they are sure they caught some bad guys. That's what they say. Don't you feel safer already? Having just completed a stint on jury duty in which the entrapment technique was the basis for the charges, it's time to revisit what happens in these stings. Whether NYC cops or FBI agents in Miami, the m.o. is to pose as a kindred spirit in the illicit activity du jour. But the smarter à ‚¬Ëœcriminals' don't fall for this crap, so the operation itself becomes mere bottom feeding. But these agents of our state(s) have to produce results lest they lose their jobs, so they ply away at the bottom, where the picking is plentiful and easy. The PR bounce is discernable, whether in the offices of 1 Police Plaza where the number of indictments grows like a feather in the cops' cap or in the press that sells us the à ‚¬Ëœnews' of a terrorist sting. The unsuspecting public continues to think it's good news when these stings are successful.
For hours, the major news networks covered this "major terrorist bust" that was really a distraction and an effort by Karl Rove to move forward his goal of making terrorism and fear the main issue in the Fall elections. Will the American public buy it?
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
