© AP
Comment: Is this another case of the FBI creating terrorists out of thin air through its well known entrapment efforts? The U.S. never does get tired of using fear to control its populace, and it sure looks like this story falls into that familiar pattern.
Federal authorities have arrested two women who were allegedly planning to detonate a bomb somewhere in the United States after being radicalized at least in part by ISIS, sources familiar with the arrests told ABC News.
The public was never in danger, as it was all part of a lengthy undercover FBI operation. And court documents suggest any plotting was more aspirational than operational.
However, court documents cite direct connections to known or suspected terrorists inside the United States and overseas.
In August of last year, 28-year-old Noelle Velentzas became Facebook friends with Tairod Pugh, a U.S. Air Force veteran indicted two weeks ago for his own ISIS-inspired plans. Meanwhile, 31-year-old Asia Siddiqui "has had repeated contact with members of" Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Yemen-based terrorist group behind several bomb plots targeting U.S.-bound planes.
Both were arrested earlier today without incident in Queens, N.Y., where they had been roommates until recently.
In meetings with an undercover FBI agent in recent months, Velentzas and Siddiqui allegedly discussed efforts to learn the "science" involved in building explosives, often analyzing previous bomb plots inside the U.S. -- failed ones and successful ones, like the Oklahoma City bombing. In addition, they downloaded "The Anarchist Cookbook" and watched videos about building bombs, court documents allege.
Comment: Maybe if the U.S. was less concerned about producing bombs, missiles, and bullets and invading other countries, there would be money to spend on repairing the country's infrastructure.