For years we have been noting specious terrorism cases in which FBI operatives entrap gullible hotheads by pretending to be from al-Qaeda. Well this time it's different. This time its DEA operatives pretending to be from the Taliban. But once again, if you just read the headline you'd never know that the real Taliban had nothing to do with the case whatsoever. A sinister federal practice is compounded by irresponsible journalism. From the New York Times, Feb. 14:

Men Accused of Plot to Sell Drugs to Arm Taliban
A group of men agreed to assist the Taliban in a conspiracy to ship narcotics through West Africa to the United States and with the proceeds buy weapons for use against American forces in Afghanistan, federal prosecutors in Manhattan announced on Monday.

The charges stemmed from a sting operation run by the Drug Enforcement Administration, in which paid informants posed as representatives of the Taliban and discussed arrangements for the proposed drugs and weapons deals with the accused conspirators in meetings in West Africa and Eastern Europe.

One conspirator told the confidential informants that they could obtain heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles, antitank missiles, grenade launchers, night vision equipment, sniper rifles and AK-47 assault rifles, according to a criminal complaint unsealed in Federal District Court in Manhattan.