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Old 08-14-2003, 05:03 AM   #6 (permalink)
Dragonlich
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Location: The Netherlands
Quote:
Originally posted by HarmlessRabbit
Right, that's my point. If this is true (and there certainly isn't convincing proof yet) then the FBI has just shown that desparate people will do anything, not that they have captured a dangerous arms dealer. The way it was being played out on the news was that the government has captured a dangerous, experienced arms dealer bent on destroying the USA.
True, the reporting is excessive. However, as I already stated, this isn't just "desperate people". This was a guy who thought he was selling an anti-aircraft missile to terrorists, who told him they were going to use it to blow up an airplane full of innocent people. That is wrong, no matter how desperate you are.

IF this had not been a setup, had the buyers actually been terrorists, and had they actually used the missile, then this guy would have been partly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people. Apparently, he cared more about his money than about those potential victims. In short: he's desperate *and* lacks empathy.

One question though: might this sting and the accompanying media campaign have been pre-planned to cause would-be arms dealers to think twice about their actions? After all, if *I* were an evil arms dealer, I'd be starting to worry whether those "terrorists" I am dealing with aren't really FBI agents...
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