Now considered a WMD
Man Charged In Plot To Attack Illinois Mall – News — this story is currently breaking about some nutball trying to put hand grenades in a garbage can to bring down the USA. It’s laughable except for the fact that the hand grenades are now considered WMD’s. Is this the backdoor plan to prove that Hussein had WMD’s??
Department of Justice said that Derrick Shareef, 22, planned to set off several grenades in garbage cans at a shopping mall in Rockford, Ill., about 90 miles west of Chicago.
Federal prosecutors said Shareef faces several charges, including attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, and attempting to damage or destroy a building. If he is convicted, he could face life in prison.
Authorities said the man was arrested Wednesday when he met with an undercover FBI agent in a parking lot to trade a set of stereo speakers for four grenades and a handgun.
Federal officials said that in September, Shareef became acquainted with an FBI cooperating witness and confided to him that he wanted to commit acts of “violent jihad” against civilians, as well as other crimes to obtain funds to further his goals.
Is this the backdoor plan to prove that Hussein had WMD’s??
Oh no you di-int!
I once stopped in Rockford, IL while travelling because I had trouble with a tire on my car. I decided to get some lunch while having a pair of new tires put on, so I was in town for about an hour and a half.
After about 45 minutes, I too began planning to set off several grenades in garbage cans at a shopping mall.
It’s a totally understandable thing…
But yeah… the definition of WMD is getting a bit stupid.
Bottle rockets are next..
on the one head, I appauld the feds for getting this idiot. on the other hand , the way this hyped as a terrorism plot foiled you would have thought he was planning to take out the Sear’s Tower.
speaking of which does anyone have an update on those criminal masterminds from Florida. 🙂
…to trade a set of stereo speakers for four grenades and a handgun.
Must’a been a nice set of speakers… or is the price of WMD at an all time low??? 🙂
WTF?
…attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, and attempting to damage or destroy a building.
Don’t you have to have possesion of WMDs, before you can “attempt to use” them…
How does “planning” to damage a building suddenly become “attempting” to destroy a building???
I’m thinking about killing my boss, earlier today, so I guess the Pre-Crime unit will be here any minute… to arrest me for “attempted” murder.
http://tinyurl.com/yey37u
The slippery slope appears to have slanted downwards a bit more just recently.
If this keeps up it won’t be long until just starting your car will be construed as attempted vehicular manslaughter–after all, it’s obvious you had the means to commit that crime in your possession, and it’s probable that you have felt road rage at some point in the past, so it ‘obviously follows’ that….
Cripes.
I, for one, do not welcome our Totalitarian Fascist overlords.
I’m still holding out for the Huxlerian Dystopia to happen, as I hate cheap gin.
I really thing this is a case of bad reporting. No where in the federal Gun Control Act or the National Firearms Act. Is the phrase “Weapon of Mass Destruction” even used.
What they probably said was and was misreported was he will be charged with possession of a “Destructive Device” which is how a grenade is defined in the law.
Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by THE NEWS MEDIAS ignorance or stupidity.
This from a Police State that defines owning two handguns as “possessing an arsenal.” There’s nothing new here.
Hand Grenades, RPGs, explosive shells are considered destructive devices, or ie. weapons of mass destructions, under federal law. I suspect the story was simply reported by an incompetent reporter that knows nothing about weapons or federal law.
Just in case you’re wondering you can legally own destructive devices, but you have to licensed which includes FBI background checks, insurance, and possible spot checks by the BATF, or whatever they’re called inside Homeland Security.
I can’t imagine someone owning a hand grenade sine it would be regulated under State as well as Federal law, the actually grenade would serial numbered and individually licensed, which is very expensive. If you ever used it your license would be used as well and you would probably have to account for it, to the BATF which would not be a pleasant experience.
GigG — not that the writers never make mistakes, but this would be a whopper. You are saying they just made up the whole thing from the sounds of it. That’s beyond misreporting.
Where can I see the list……..I’m sure my Aunts Meatloaf is on it and I want to report her.
I suppose it could a mega-ton hand grenade. Was this guy a Muslim? I don’t want to stero-type but ‘Shareef’, just maybe? Other than ‘violent jihad’, it’s funny there’s no mention of that. There is no race in Islam, it’s a violent religion and any convert, ie someone that takes it seriously is going to be influenced by Mohammad’s words about jihad and the need to kill non-believers.
Quote from D.Shreef: “I am from America, and this tape is to let you guys know, who disbelieve in Allah, to let the enemies of Islam know and to let the Muslims alike know that the time for jihad is now,” http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a5nOSt7jVjCQ&refer=home
ABC and Wash.Post reported that Shreef was going to blow up the Mall, four hand grenades are not going to blow much. They could kill / injure 40 to 80 people depending on how they were used, but it wouldn’t blow up a Mall, not without a secondary:( Typical reporting though.
As for this being a wopper of a mistake, not really it’s pretty typical of ignorance of most reporter, or should we say ‘Mass Media Majors’. Those I’ve meet seemed more concerned with networking and were extremely ignorant of just about everything, and I mean things like cell phone, faxes, the “Internet”, etc. I’ve come across this referance several times, I wonder how long it will take for this to be corrected.
Another possibility is that he was charged under a different, ‘new’, Federal law, possibly under the Patriot Act, but I doubt it:(
GigG – I would disagree with you on reporter malice. They have to know they are so ignorant, yet they treat they mistakes with such an élan as to baffle common sense, unless they have private agendas. Surely a reporter wouldn’t use their position to try and influence politics or public opion, yeah right:(
#5. Under most laws, an “attempt” really does border on PreCrime. Any “substantial step” will do. So the fact that
(1) he did not actually have the grenades;
(2) he could not have obtained the grenades, since the people he was trying to get them from were Feds;
does not prevent him from being charged with an “attempt” to whatever.
#14, enter the F-word network
This was a huge deal here in Rockford today! We never get stuff like this (trust me, I work for a news station).
1. From the press conference with the FBI, the grenade is classified as a WMD because it’s explosive. I don’t remember if it was someone in the FBI or the US Atty. in Chicago who basically said that anything explosive could be considered a WMD.
2. His plot, iirc, was to blow up some garbage cans in the mall. I don’t see how that would have blown up the mall, but hey, I’m no explosives expert. Now, CherryVale is the most popular mall in Rockford, so you could reasonably guess that had this gone off, the injury toll would be in the hundreds. I doubt that anyone would have been killed if he’d have succeeded.
3. He was being watched 24/7, so he was basically a moot point before he started
4. Before some of you go knocking the mass media and ‘mass media’ graduates, I want you to try and deal with the “controlled chaos” of the newsroom today. You try coordinating 2 live shots while directing, punching, rolling tapes, and keeping track of a newscast. Do that and then we’ll talk.
yawn – this is just the hyped-up media that doesnt have anything else to cover – the “next big” adrenaline rush – “theres terrorist in every town, oh my”
fucking waste of time
I think the guy will get a reduced sentence once the truth comes to light… Those grenades were going to be set off in a Hot Topic…
And Traaxx – it’s good that you never allow truth to stand between yourself and a paranoid delusion.
Now, CherryVale is the most popular mall in Rockford, so you could reasonably guess that had this gone off, the injury toll would be in the hundreds.
Not if you understand the physics of explosions. Even a plastic garbage can would deflect some of the blast upwards. Second, those surrounding the garbage can would absorb any blast from those further away. Third, because most garbage cans are near wall, much of the effect would be absorbed by the wall.
While there would probably be some injuries, and possible even some deaths, they would not extend to more then a few people. The most fearful aspect would be the panic rush to evacuate the building. The stampede would more likely cause more injuries then the explosion. If he let off one grenade, don’t expect him to be letting off any more.
The next weapon of mass destruction will be Ephedra.
The woman who was booted off the plane for lighting matches in an earlier post posessed a Weapon of Ass Destruction.
http://tinyurl.com/y2wcnz
15 …does not prevent him from being charged with an “attempt” to whatever.
Well, at least being charged with something doesn’t mean they will be able to win a conviction on those charges.
And, I can’t overlook the fact that our plea-bargain system means that they are probably just “throwing the book at him” so they can get him to plead guilty to lesser charges.
I had jury duty 2-weeks ago, and we were reminded during the welcoming speech that it was important for us to show-up – even if we didn’t get called-up for a trial – because a lot of defendants decide to plea/settle when it finally comes down to selecting a jury.
Mr. Dvorak is mistaken. Here is a link to the press release put out by
the office of Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. — Andrew Harris
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2006/pr1208_01.pdf
From the horses mouth!
#24. I have a problem with sting operations which are charged as if the defendant was dealing with real drug dealers, arms dealers, hired killers or whatever. If the defendant is dealing with a cop, obviously no real drugs will be purchased, no grenades will be bought, and no assassinations will be arranged. in other words, the harm that the law is supposed to prevent could not possibly happen. It is a preemptive strike. Sure, charge it as something, but it should not be as harsh as if there was a real danger.
And it is not just the defendants who decide to plead at the last minute, the State sometimes gets real about its plea offer at the last minute.
26 It is a preemptive strike. Sure, charge it as something, but it should not be as harsh as if there was a real danger.
I concur.
It should be like prostitution. i.e There should be a charge for soliciting someone for WMD…
17 3. He was being watched 24/7, so he was basically a moot point before he started
As was mentioned previously, this reminds me of “The Bonehead Seven”.
He was trying to trade a pair of speakers for them…
25 Here is a link to the press release…
Thanks, Curmudgen.
From the link:
“While these are very serious charges, at no time was the public in any imminent peril as a result of the defendant’s activities.”
But we are charging him as if there was “peril”, aren’t we?? Even if it wasn’t “imminent”….
The only bright side is that the words “imminent peril” make me think of Monty Python & the Holy Grail. 🙂
Anyone want to trade an RPG for the rest of my PBJ sandwich?