Hosam Maher Husein Smadi and Michael Finton aka Talib Islam Seeking Employment in the Destruction Business?

Terrorism is a growing problem. The hardest thing to understand about terrorism is the "why?" The "how" is easy to understand as the common element is death and destruction. Our country's new administration needs to take the threat of terrorism both domestically and on foreign shores seriously or tragedy is inevitable. Recently, Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, a 19 year old Jordanian, was arrested and accused of plotting the bombing of a skyscraper in Dallas, Texas. He was caught after posting violent messages on an extremist chat site. The 19 year old was supposedly targeting the Fountain Place skyscraper in Dallas.

Hosam Maher Husein Smadi apparently entered the United States illegally. He lived in Texas. He was arrested after trying to detonate an explosive attached to a vehicle located next to the 60-story Fountain Place tower. Prior to the failed attempt, authorities were tracking his posts on the extremist chat site. Smadi's posts were apparently even more violent than other posters who advocated ill will towards the United States. For more information visit the following links:

Recent arrests of terror suspects »
Dallas office tower
Arrest in Illinois truck bomb plot
Smadi actually tried to act on his evil thoughts. He obtained what he believed to be an explosive from an undercover agent. He then drove a car with the fake bomb into a parking garage under the skyscraper. He tried to detonate the bomb by dialing on his cell phone. A similar apparently unrelated terrorism arrest occurred on Wednesday in Springfield, Illinois. There, the suspect ( Michael Finton, aka Talib Islam) allegedly plotted to blow up the federal building in Springfield. Finton, 29, apparently idolized American-born Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh was arrested after attempting to detonate a bomb inside a van outside a federal courthouse in Springfield, Illinois. Fortunately, the bomb was fake courtesy of an undercover agent.

Smadi is charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. The possible penalty is life in prison, and a $250,000 fine.

Again, the scary part is the "why?" In neither case can authorities confirm any known ties to a specific terrorist group. Furthermore, there is no evidence that either of these plots were related to the alleged terroris plotting in New York and Denver. Simply, it appears that terrorism is spawning unrelated terrorism. Does any one else think that the penalty for plotting an act of terrorism ought to be death?

As always, all suspects are to be considered innocent unless otherwise proven in a court of law.