WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rep. Aaron Schock said Friday that he was "grateful" to the FBI for thwarting a terrorist attack targeting his office in Springfield, Illinois.
"My office was notified today of the attempted terrorist attack on both the Federal Building and my Congressional Office in Springfield," Schock said in a statement. "I am incredibly grateful to the FBI for their fine work in preventing this terrorist attack."
The Illinois Republican's office was reportedly the "secondary target" of Michael C. Finton, also known as "Talib Islam."
Finton had been supplied with a van filled explosives, which were harmless, by an FBI officer posing as an al Qaeda operative. Finton reportedly then drove to the Paul Findley Federal Office Building and Courthouse, which is close to Schock's office, and attempted to detonate the explosives with a cell phone. Finton was arrested immediately.
From CNN Politics
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WOW! 2 terrorist plots foiled in one month. Republicans can't say that Obama's Administration and their FBI is weak on terrorism. They have shown to be very tough and effective.
Is the FBI part of the same government that Republicans want to reduce or get rid of?
Really? Why would anyone target a gop nobody congressman with a terrorist plot? Would be like blowing up the mailman. Would be in the news, but would be more confusion that terror.
Wow... good thing they're a peaceful religion. Imagine if they were mad?
I wonder just how much longer the FBI and CIA will be allowed to keep us safe like this.
It is no surprise Rep. Aaron Schock would be targeted. He has a very bright future and is going to become a Republican leader.
I'm very glad the FBI and CIA are still able to do their job, despite Holder's attempts to vilify them. Thank you men and women for a job well done!
Are they sure the rethugs didn't make this all up, particularly where it relates to this kid? I'm not, as I believe that many of them have lost their minds, and have noooo way of knowing right from wrong anymore. They are such poor examples for what America should stand for, and they have shown that for some time now. I had no idea that a political party could be made up of such greedy, rude, hateful, uncivilized people, but the GOP seems to have pulled it off.
Do you think this guy was also working for ACORN/SEIU?
Wow!
President Obama, his administration, and federal government officials are doing an amazing job of defending America and keeping us safe.
By this point in Bush's administration, we were all reeling from the attack on September 11, 2001. The terror plotters had been in the country for months, received training here, and pulled off horrible attacks without much notice of the people in charge until it was too late.
Under President Obama's leadership, such plots are uncovered and STOPPED!
Thank you, President Obama! Keep up the good work!
I live in peoria,I'll bout 30 mins from springfield and knowing the area I find it wierd that this happened first in springfield,il. Second just happened to involve a republican glory boy that everyone loves. What kind of damage could a terrorist do in springfield, not much.
I live in peoria,I'll bout 30 mins from springfield and knowing the area I find it wierd that this happened first in springfield,il. Second just happened to involve a republican glory boy that everyone loves. What kind of damage could a terrorist do in springfield, not much. Peoria or bloomington would be much better targets. But if this was a real terrorist they would probably know that already.
Bush, thanks for setting up these programs to keep us safe! Great job FBI!!
FBI, CIA, this is who OBAMA is targeting...lets remember who keeps us saft.
Fear.net, that's all this crap is. He probably paid the local FBI branch to make/set the whole thing up so he'd come out looking like some true American hero. It's all bull at this point, this stupid war on everyrthing, based on some really old white mens lies (this money machine ((war)) started years ago, not 2001).
Oh, and the liberals have been saying that BUSH and company were falsely creating alert warnings.........
DA Liberals
The latest fact tea baggers can't bare to face up to? Obama is already doing a better job of keeping us safe then Bush did. And he hasn't had to torture anyone. Well done, Mr. President. Another test passed with flying colors.
@JEAN – ATL September 25th, 2009 2:51 pm E T.......
WHAT are you talking about?????? You must be a liberal as your rantings are unintelligible.
@mike September 25th, 2009 3:13 pm ET :
Keep believing that. Gee, that Kool-Aid you are drinking must be some potent stuff.
A lot of praise needs to go to the FBI for preventing this crime I guess
the FBI can deal with these people no matter what dick cheney thinks.
@If the insurance companies win, YOU LOSE September 25th, 2009 3:09 pm ET
________
Get a grip..... if Holder has his way, the FBI and CIA will be mere shadows of what Republicans were able to build.
Some of you conservatives who try to turn this into another reason to critisize Obama need help.
@Big Govt Chuck September 25th, 2009 2:35 pm ET
_____________
The only true functions of government are to protect us from enemies within and from outside the US. Never was the government intended to be the nanny-state the liberals have created. Idiot.
Amazing how some folks on here actually are commenting that this is a credit to Bush and indicative of Obama's weaknesses. When something goes bad, it's Obama's fault. When something goes well, it's to Bush's credit. Kool-aid drinkers, indeed!
Way to go FBI!!!
Come on Repugnantcans, give the Obama Administration credity for "keeping us safe" and "spoiling another terrorist plot." I know this would have been all over Fox News had it been under Bush, even though the President (neither Bush nor Obama) had anything to do with what the FBI did. I'm sure Fox will find a way to either ignore the story or put a negative spin on it and blame Obama for there even being a terrorist plot.
"Idiot_Pelosi" "OBUMMER" "Dummocrats"
Fortunately, the ignorant extremists of the American Taliban only spew their hate verbally and most ineffectively, like the impotent fools that they are.
Everytime I see such nonsense from morons who think that loud ranting is the same as serious political discourse, I make another contribution to the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, to Rob Miller for Congress, to ActBlue, or to HealthCareForAmericaNOW!
I find it incredible that we are apprehending these terror suspects within our borders. If Bush/Cheney kept us safe for so long, how come these conspirators weren't captured prior to this week? This Justice Department is conducting the war on terror the way it shoudl have ben conducted from the very beginning.