Remember Mohamed Osman Mohamud, the 19-year old alleged terrorist who was set up and arrested by the FBI trying to detonate six 55-gallon drums of mock explosives in a van in downtown Portland?
You don't have to be a conspiracy theory sympathizer to wonder exactly how much of the story you're getting when it's a completely one-sided narrative courtesy of the FBI. But the FBI does have tapes where Mohamed claims that the act is in retaliation for America's killing of Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan. And it's quite plausible he would say that. After all, if the FBI were truly fabricating the entire story, they might have tried convincing us he said he did it, "Because I hate their freedom!"
So, merely as an experiment in critical thought, let's take the FBI at their word and Mohamed at his. In order to "retaliate" for our military actions in the Middle East, he'll blow up a city. And what do you think our "retaliation" to that would have been if he was successful?
I'm having trouble seeing the Disney/Spielbergian ending here that some generals and politicians are still telling me I'm a quitter for not believing in.
Eric Olsen,
Regular Columnist, THL
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