Remember them? They wanted to kill soldiers, so they went off to the woods for the requisite weapons training/screaming about Allah and videotaped themselves doing it — before dropping the tape off at Circuit City to be transferred to DVD, an encounter that gave rise to one of the immortal lines of the war on terror. It’s been awhile since I read about the case but I do vividly recall Olbermann’s pointed skepticism that “six morons” could have posed any threat to Fort Dix personnel, notwithstanding the fact that they were shopping around for automatic weapons and RPGs. That’s known in legal parlance as an “overt act,” incidentally. And an overt act plus an agreement to commit a crime equals — well, this:

The defendants were acquitted of attempted murder charges but face life in prison for conspiring to kill military personnel. The federal jury spent about 38 hours deliberating over the past six days…

Prosecutors said the men bought several assault rifles supplied by the FBI and that they trekked to Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains to practice their shooting. The government also presented dozens of jihadist speeches and videos that the men supposedly used as inspiration…

“I think they were in the last stage of planning,” then-U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie said at the time of their arrest. “They had training, they had maps, and I think they were very close to moving on this.”

He added: “This is what law enforcement is supposed to do in the post-9/11 era — stay one step ahead of those who are attempting to cause harm to innocent American citizens.”

In Olby’s defense, he didn’t really say anything about this plot that he doesn’t say about all of them. Exit question: You know who owes the FBI an extra debt of gratitude on this one? ICE.

Update: Olby Watch ponders how the hour of spin will spin this.