Life imitates art? Art imitates life?
I recently speculated that the popular TV show "The Mentalist" was politically motivated to transfer its locale to the FBI from the state agency CBI in an attempt to indoctrinate watchers with the ultra competence of the FBI.
The very popular show exhibits a brilliant observer (The Mentalist, Patrick Jane) setting up con games to capture criminals. Until the current season, Jane consulted for the CBI in Sacramento and often made fools of the agents and other law enforcement. In the current season the writers have completely changed the way things work. Now Jane is a consultant to a smart efficient gang, ooops, unit of agents at the always competent FBI. Non-coincidentally the black head of this FBI gang also has a wife who is a super competent Washington bureaucrat. Wow, another looter hero to worship!
The only thing that rings true is that this fictional FBI does use con games to entrap minor thugs.

Corrupting some otherwise harmless clueless punk in order to make a self-serving arrest is way beyond reprehensible.
IMO, those who play at being the serpent in the tree shall end up spending far more time than they could ever imagine with the Serpent himself.

There have been terrorists cells in America for as long as I can remember. The FBI and other agencies have done a good job preventing more attacks, although they have had obvious failures and those are the headlines.

Interesting discussion. It is making me think. Thank you for posting, freedomforall.

Jan

One caveat before you all get too upset at the FBI in this matter: the man they arrested had self-radicalized and began seeking connections to the terrorist networks when the FBI stepped in to become his "connection." Had they not, it is likely he would have connected, and it is possible the network to which he connected would have used him to carry out an attack, because he was stupid enough to volunteer for such and to obey orders seemingly without question. If all of that is true, then the FBI acted prudently.

Can't say I'm all against the FBI on these cases. It's not entrapment when someone is enticed to a conspiracy to commit brutal, unthinkable, senseless murder and they go along with it. We're not talking about enticing someone to go in a candy store to steal a candy bar. All these senseless killing of innocent people start with a small seed being planted. A reasonable person approached with some conspiracy to commit murder would not simply go along, unless they would like to entertain the idea. The Jihadist have made this world a lot more dangerous than it used to be. It has been well established that we do have sleeper cells in the America. To not do everything we can to protect ourselves is a senseless as some of the acts of terror that have already happened.

very interesting, FFA, and enlightening;;; Thanks!!! -- j

I agree with your comments. The Obama administration is suffocating the American people with unconstitutional laws and regulations. The NSA is in everyone's living room and the world is upside down where wrong is right and right is wrong with overreaching political correctness. However, I still believe federal agents are working to protect our country. They work for a corrupt government but there just has to be some patriots doing The right things.

Great article. Given the French knew about the Paris criminals for years that case looks like a groom and convict case too, except it was a groom and put 40 bullets in each so can't talk. Police entrapment used to prosecuted with force but not after 9.11.

and look at the mancurian candidates the get.

House of Cards script does this with investigative reporter Lucas to jail him on cyber-crime.