FBI Supplies Cleveland 'Anarchists' with Fake Bombs, Arrests Them
Whew. The FBI arrested five "anarchists" last night, who allegedly had their sights set on blowing up a Cleveland area bridge and no, it has nothing to do with the anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden.
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Actually, it turns out the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Brecksville Station wasn't in any real danger, as CBS reports that "the sting operation supplied the anarchists with what they thought were 'explosives' and bomb-making materials," but that didn't stop the anarchists from allegedly charting out a Chistopher Nolan-style plot of distracting law enforcement officials with smoke bombs "in order for the co-conspirators to topple financial institution topple financial institution signs atop high rise buildings in downtown Cleveland" or planning to detonate the bridge remotely using C-4 explosives. The sting does bring to mind questions of entrapment and the war on terror, and the similar case of Amine El Khalifi who the FBI arrested in February for planning to blow up restaurants and other targets in Virginia, after they had supplied him with a dummy suicide vest and a fake gun (which he thought were real). El Khalifi could face life in prison (he's pending indictment), while CBS notes that the five arrested "anarchists" will appear before a federal magistrate today.
