

Federal Agents Accuse Two Of Plotting Deadly X-Ray Weapon - jmadsen
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/06/19/193599569/federal-agents-accuse-two-of-plotting-deadly-x-ray-weapon

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mpyne
For those who only browse the headlines, the U.S. is charging two Americans
with plotting to build a weapon to be used to inflict deadly radiation
poisoning using X-ray.

The victims were to be Muslims and other "enemies of Israel and the U.S.".

One of the accused works as an industrial mechanic at General Electric, the
other worked at the G.E. plant as a contractor.

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HarryHirsch
The folks were patently cuckoo. If you believe that someone offering to
assassinate a fellow through Voodoo ought to be prosecuted then so should
these people. If you believe a case against a Voodoo assassin should be thrown
out, this case ought to be thrown out.

~~~
mpyne
Well as a nuclear-qualified submarine officer I can assure you that whatever
else you think about Voodoo, radiation actually does exist

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HarryHirsch
Sure, but their system of delivey is entirely unfit for purpose, and even the
police agrees.

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mpyne
Perhaps, but I'm not sure why we'd give someone "extra credit" just because
they were too stupid to sharpen their knife before they plunged it into their
victim.

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HarryHirsch
The law does consider outcome, not just intent, doesn't it? A contract killer
who offers to kill his victims by voodoo would get a lesser sentenct that
someone who offers to use a gun, and this somehow makes sense.

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Canada
Alledged mastermind Wile Al Coyote is still at large

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jmadsen
"The two men were in federal court Wednesday on charges that they conspired to
provide material support to terrorists, including use of a weapon of mass
destruction."

I'm starting to think rolling a large rock down a hill at a group of people
would be considered "a weapon of mass destruction"

Does the term have any meaning anymore, or is it just a pile-on item to aid in
plea bargains?

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anigbrowl
It's very specifically defined in law, and has been since 1994:
[http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2332a](http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2332a)

~~~
jmadsen
Thank you - that was quite informative, actually. I don't think I'm alone in
feeling that that term seems to many people more like a label they hang on
"terrorists" rather than something with a specific definition

