In early 2009, "it appeared that Finton was on the verge of taking action, so it was decided to proactively provide him with an opportunity for action that we controlled, rather than merely hoping to be able to find out and stop him," according to a government affidavit.
He was introduced to an undercover FBI agent who began working with him to plot an attack, but Finton was repeatedly told he could walk away at any time, according to the Justice Department.
Eventually, Finton picked the federal building in Springfield as the target and on Wednesday he parked a van he believed carried one ton of explosives at the location, the complaint said.
I just don't understand this. This guy wanted to fight against Israel, so the FBI set up an elaborate sting to make him think he was part of a big plan to blow up the federal building in Illinois, and then they arrested him for a crime that never would have happened if the FBI hadn't set it all up in the first place.
Am I crazy, or would surveillance on this terrorist wannabe be a better use of taxpayer dollars, and possibly lead the FBI to real terror cells in the U.S., if they exist? It just seems insane to me that we're going to lock this guy away, probably for life, without actually getting any real terrorist intel in the process.
