Comments on: Obama Assassination Plot

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:34:17 +0000

Well, if Major Terrorist Threats are people who gather to talk about taking down the Brooklyn Bridge with a blowtorch, then I guess these are deadly assassins.

Or trying to bring down the WTC with box cutters.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:33:20 +0000

But it sounds like these are just low-lives rather than conspirators in a serious assassination plot.

The only difference between the two definitions is whether or not they were successful.

By: Dave Schuler

Dave Schuler — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:53:46 +0000

That's been true of the last several “Al Qaeda terrorist plots” broken up here, too. I think there's something of a larger issue: there will always be a possible complaint about anything that resembles crime prevention.

My own view is that it's neither an either-or nor a slippery slope to prevent politically motivated violence. It does require judgment and oversight, however.

By: carpeicthus

carpeicthus — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:50:53 +0000

Well, if Major Terrorist Threats are people who gather to talk about taking down the Brooklyn Bridge with a blowtorch, then I guess these are deadly assassins.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:28:40 +0000

Even if the plot was more aspirational than operational IMO it's a good thing that these characters have been arrested.

Oh, no disagreement there. But it sounds like these are just low-lives rather than conspirators in a serious assassination plot.

By: Dave Schuler

Dave Schuler — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:38:50 +0000

Even if the plot was more aspirational than operational IMO it's a good thing that these characters have been arrested.

By: Bithead

Bithead — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:28:29 +0000

Drudge has some upates on this. Apparently there was never any serious threat.

By: Below The Beltway » Blog Archive » Obama Assassination Plot: Much Ado About Nothing

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:56:16 +0000

[...] James Joyner [...]