Friday in Wichita, Kansas- of all places-the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested a 58 year old aviation technician at the airport for particpating in a plot to blow up the airport in the name of “violent jihad“.  Once again the “religion of peace” is implicated in a plot to blow unsupecting U.S. travellers sky high (no pun intended) during the Christmas season.

Fortunately for the travellers out of the Wichita airport Mr. Terry Lee Lowen was not a very astute student of Shari’ah (Islamic law)  since he mentioned that the target of his jihad was the U.S. Governenment. Unless he was targeting the TSA agents working at the airport I cannot see bombing the Wichita airport as an act of violent jihad against anyone but the traveling public and airport workers.

Evidently a note that was left by Mr. Lowen explained that when his family found the note that he would have been martyred in “the path of Allah”. At the time of this writing I can find no real link between Mr. Lowen and any local radical cells of any actual terror organizations, but that may change in the coming days as we find out more about this aspiring jihadi who expressed support for organizations like Al Qaeda and individuals like Anwar al-Alawki and Osama bin Laden.

It seems that this wanna-be warrior for Allah was taken down by his use of online forums to express his anti-government sentiments-the FBI became aware of his plot when the postings came to their attention (interstingly enough no article I can find mention of  just how the FBI became aware of the postings).

This case bears a striking resemblence to the case of Mohammad Mohammud the 18 year old Somali immigrant who was  tried earlier this year for his attempted bombing of Portland’s Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in 2010. I fully expect Mr. Lowen’s lawyers to use an entrapment defense for their client as well since the cases are remarkably similar in their structure. Both men were using online forums to discuss their desire to attack innocent American’s in the name of jihad. Both were supportive of Al Qaeda and both were contacted by the FBI who basically facilitated the attempted execution of their failed plots. Many may argue that this is entrapment. Personally I argue that this is a good thing. I am thankful that the FBI packed Mr. Mohammud’s vehicle with fake explosives since a successful execution of his plot would have struck an area close to my heart. I am also thankful that the FBI packed Mr. Lowen’s vehicle with fake explosives otherwise many innocent families travelling through the Wichita airport would have been killed or harmed by this sick individual and his warped beliefs since the airport had sixty eight commercial flights that came through Friday.

Score one for the FBI and place a big fat zero up on the board for the “religion of peace” this Christmas season.