According to Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr., Ferhani was “committed to violent jihad, and his plan became bigger and more violent with each passing week.” Still, authorities believe they had no ties to Al Qaeda or any other terrorist network. And those who knew the men were skeptical that either man was capable of carrying out a major terrorist attack. “There’s no way they could be terrorists. They are too stupid,” said a neighbor. “Him and his brother are always out in the street smoking pot and fighting.” The pair face a maximum sentence of life without parole if convicted.
Does this mean we finally have a legal reason to lock up the cast of Jersey Shore?
burnspbesq
If these defendants are as stupid as their neighbors seem to believe, locking them up for life would have the ancillary benefit of making it difficult for them to procreate.
burnspbesq
And if the cops crossed the fuzzy line between legitimate law enforcement activities and entrapment, they’ll walk. New York juries are pretty smart.
Just Some Fuckhead
Burns makes me all hot and tingly with his savvy law talk.
Brachiator
I liked this sidebar story at the NY Magazine site: “New Jersey High Schooler Challenges Michele Bachmann to Debate on U.S. History”
Maybe Bachmann and these jihadi wannabees could have a stoopid grudge match.
srv
Having a jihadi conviction is the combat medal for DA’s.
What ever happened to the Star of David army?
Violet
Some of the alleged terrorists we’ve captured because their attempts to commit a terrorist act have failed have not seemed to be the brightest bulbs.
srv
@Brachiator: He might be onto something there. Have all the candidates appear on that Smarter than a 5th Grader show.
pragmatism
smoking pot and fighting? does not compute. smoking pot and going to taco bell. computes.
lacp
@Violet: Yeah, the dude who set his underwear on fire wasn’t exactly Carlos the Jackal.
dr. bloor
@Violet:
My favorite was the dimwit who tried to get his rental truck deposit back after he turned the truck into a bomb on wheels during the first attack on the WTC in 93.
Caoimhe Snow
I’m glad to see this is being handled as a private prosecution by a private (lawyer group).
p.a.
Get ’em a C-street counselor and they could be 2nd-tier Republican presidential candidates.
Remember the crew that wanted to take down the Brooklyn Bridge using propane torches? I believe the Bushies cranked the terror level up to 11 that week.
Violet
@lacp: Ditto the shoe bomber.
@dr. bloor: Didn’t the Times Square bomber do something stupid with the car too?
Turgidson
Can’t we make an exception just this one time and lock them up without needing any legal reason whatsoever?
srv
Ah, the “Seas of David” aka “Liberty City 7” were ganjihadis also. Next up medicinal dispensaries as terror funding fronts.
Why don’t these DA’s do something useful and stop Yanni before his next tour.
CJ
@Brachiator: I read that as “Oh hey colleges, I’m the girl that challenged Michele Bachmann!” Good publicity stunt.
bkny
one of the highlights of their terrorist bona fides is the statement ‘we hate jews’ … seriously. ray kelly has used that in the scare-mongering, er, press conference about the arrests.
if that’s enough basis for arrest, some of the commenters at any nydailynews story about jews are in for a visit….
Martin
Unfortunately no. The legal definition of stupid is vastly more rigorous in NY than in NJ. Little known fact: the cast of Jersey Shore are members in good standing in NJ-Mensa.
bkny
@p.a.: that one just cracks me up.. i cross that bridge every day and that friggin thing would take a nuke to bring it down. (it’s awesome up close and personal)
dollared
@Turgidson: Oh, in this case I fully support presidential assassination orders. Despite the moral support this gives the General and eemom.
ruemara
I’m willing to overlook my liberaltarian views if it would result in the lock-up of Jersey Shore, Real Housewives of ____, Teen Mom, American Idol, Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunter Knockoffs, American Chopper Dad vs Jr, Fox & Friends, and Uwe Boll.
There are times when ethics are an obstacle to universal good.
artem1s
@CJ:
well, better than, ‘hey colleges, my daddy went to school there (and bribed you with a professorship endowment), dontchaknow?’
Hawes
Luckily, we were able to uncover the plot when these guys accidentally waterboarded themselves when they kept looking up during a rain storm to see where the water was coming from.
Paul in KY
@Hawes: I think they call that being ‘turkeyboarded’.
Davis X. Machina
@ruemara: Fine. But not Uwe Blab. Or Heinrich Böll. Gotta draw a line somewhere.
cbear
Jonah Goldberg has a brother?
JCJ
@Davis X. Machina
OMG. I can’t believe you brought up Uwe Blab. Just seeing his name makes me shudder. Who are you going to bring up next? Jens Kujawa?
El Cid
If this is the standard of threats to the nation, my neighbors growing up probably caused the deaths of thousands from their plots to go somewhere and kick some damn a**.
Can't Be Bothered
“Does this mean we finally have a legal reason to lock up the cast of Jersey Shore?”
I don’t know. Did these “terrorists” also have bad hair and more crabs than the Bering Sea? If so, then someone call the CIA, b/c we’ve got a Situation.
JD Rhoades
@Violet:
Didn’t the Times Square bomber do something stupid with the car too?
He left the car running with the hazard lights on and the keys in the ignition, along with his house key. He’d bought the car with cash, but given the lady he bought it from his real cell phone number. Oh, and the type of fertilizer he tried to make the bomb out of wasn’t the explosive kind.
http://jdrhoades.blogspot.com/2010/05/world-dumbest-terrorists.html
Tone in DC
@ruemara:
You forgot Crushed Limburger and Jerry Springer.
slag
Yeah, well I thought GW was too stupid to be president. What really matters are the connections they have.
burnspbesq
@Just Some Fuckhead:
“Burns makes me all hot and tingly with his savvy law talk.”
That’s really pathetic. Get a fleshlight, willya?
burnspbesq
@JCJ:
Christian Welp. Detlef Schrempf.
Ogami Itto
@burnspbesq: He was already using a fleshlight as he single-finger-typed his post to you.
burnspbesq
@Ogami Itto:
“He was already using a fleshlight as he single-finger-typed his post to you.”
I’m glad I had a good lunch, because I got to taste it a second time on the way back up.
Just Some Fuckhead
@burnspbesq: Talk dirty to me, old man! Yeah!
ruemara
@Davis X. Machina:
what about Yngwe Malmsteen? a co-worker used to play it every morning during restock days at my one retail post. And I could add Limbburger and Blech, but, meh. that’s too easy.
Mattminus
@bkny:
Jew people…