the house of cards. . .

. .is collapsing! below is the end of a NYT article on the third trial of a group of chigago men alleged to be planning to blow up the Sears Tower. another example of the fake War on Terror -- or maybe more accurately, the (real) War on (fake) Terror, a real war fought with real money against linguistic violence. in short, in this case at least, a war on free speech.

Assistant United States Attorney Richard Gregorie, at a hearing where the decision was announced, said another trial was necessary to “safeguard the community.” Mr. Gregorie cited some of the violent comments allegedly made by Mr. Batiste, including a threat to “kill all the devils.”

Mr. Winick said that no new evidence was expected, and that this would probably be the last trial for a case that he, some former jurors and other legal scholars have seen as politically driven. The timing in particular has attracted scrutiny because the arrests came just a few months before the 2006 elections, and they were widely publicized by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, who outlined the most sensational evidence at a news conference.

Mr. Winick said that by that point, “The plot, to the extent there was a plot at that point, was falling apart,” suggesting that it would have made more sense to continue observing the group, rather than making arrests.

Winning a conviction at this point, he and others said, will be difficult.

“I don’t see it ending any differently than before,” said Mr. Agron, the former juror.

Mr. Winick agreed. “It’s a case where a government informant got a bunch of guys together to swear a loyalty oath to Al Qaeda,” he said. “It’s a B movie really, more than a criminal case.”