Going After Guppies

Another set-up has resulted in headlines about the local al-Qaeda threat. But the two local Muslims who were busted on Monday after being coaxed by an undercover agent into pledging allegiance to Osama bin Laden don't look all that dangerous. The would-be plotters-jazz musician Tarik ibn Osman Shah and physician Rabiq Sabir-appear to be of the same laughable caliber as the rest of the hapless fish to swim straight into federal nets since 9/11.

No doubt there are sleeper cells in the city capable of pulling off big, sophisticated attacks, but these two guys couldn't even produce an instructional karate video. Surely there are bigger fish to find and fry. Meanwhile, as the feds announced their latest shlub sting, Pataki and Spitzer appeared, touting yet more meaningless "anti-terror" laws, this time against impersonating pilots and aviation workers. Feeling safer? We hope someone is.