While we're racing around trying to learn all we can about Mohamed Osman Mohamud, the 19-year-old accused of plotting to bomb Pioneer Square, I want to point out that his case is the second politically-motivated bombing case in Oregon courts right now.

Father and son Bruce and Joshua Turnidge are facing aggravated murder charges for allegedly building a bomb and planting it at a bank in Woodburn Oregon. The blast killed two police officers and took the leg of another who responded to a phone call warning employees to get out of the bank. When FBI agents stopped by his house, devout Christian Bruce Turnidge struck up conversation about the importance of the right to bear arms (saying, "Every ballot should come with a bullet.") and called Obama a racial slur. His house was filled with weapons and friends testified as state witnesses at the trial that he had tried to organize an anti-government militia and cheered that the Oklahoma City bombings would "teach the government a lesson."

Like the Turnidges, Mohamud is accused of planning to kill civilians to teach the country a political lesson. Unlike the father and son, Mohamud did not build or actually detonate his device but is accused of the much more serious federal crime of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. According to the FBI, Mohamud told informants in detail about his plan to blow up Pioneer Square during the tree lighting ceremony—much like how a family friend said the Turnridges had more than 50 conversations about how to blow up a bank.

It's a lesson people repeat a lot, but I think this parallel hits it home: Terrorism isn't just a Muslim issue. The definition of “terrorism” under US law is "premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents."

I don't see how the Turnidge's acts wouldn't qualify as terrorism—just like Mohamud's—if the things the FBI alleges are true. The only difference is they're white, they're Christian, and so the government and the populace doesn't fear them as much. Remember when the "tax protester" flew a plane into an IRS building? When a white, Christian guy kills people in a politically-motivated attack, he's a bad guy. When a Muslim immigrant expresses an interest in a politically-motivated attack, he's a terrorist. And according to the people who keep track of extremist people who want to kill normal people—the Southern Poverty Law Center—the fastest growing hate groups are anti-government "patriot" groups. I hope the FBI is planning to thwart the next "patriot" attack, as well.

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Mohamed Mohamud Pleads Not Guilty: In case you missed it last night, the 19-year-old charged with plotting to bomb Pioneer Square pleads not guilty and argues he was a victim of entrapment.

If you've been reading our coverage of the FBI-assisted Pioneer Courthouse Square bomb plot, you know we've been airing an interesting discussion about whether all the federal help given to Mohamed Osman Mohamud was good police work—a sting that ensnared a committed extremist—or something else: entrapment.

Well, no surprises here, but just like in FBI terror sting cases from all across the country, planting that particular seed of doubt emerged today as the heart of Mohamud's legal strategy.

At an arraignment hearing so packed that only a few reporters were allowed in (they were forced to give the rest of us the scoop afterward), Mohamud, who emerged with a smile, pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.

And Deputy Chief Public Defender Stephen Sady, sitting besided his subdued 19-year-old client, accused the FBI of creating a "very unusual" legal situation by allowing "quite sophisticated government agents" to go spend the past six months or so "basically grooming" his client into a would-be terrorist.

And then, as a topper, he said, the FBI waited only hours to widely distribute the the detailed affidavit in Mohamud's arrest Friday night, turning it into a "press release."

Sady was irked in particular that the FBI's first sting-related meeting with Mohamud, unlike every other meeting with him, wasn't recorded because of presumed "technical difficulties." Sady argued that the first meeting in cases potentially involving entrapment often is the most important when assessing whether a defendant was legally enmeshed in the plot.

"The arrest is obviously timed for maximum impact and maximum publicity," Sady said.

In response, Ethan Knight, a deputy US attorney representing the prosecution, pointed out that in subsequent meetings, it was Mohamud who choose the timing and location of the attack. The affidavit also says that agents, posing as Mohamud's Islamist handlers, allegedly offered him alternatives to detonating a car bomb—including merely praying in support of jihad.

Sady, however, persisted and later sought a motion that would preserve not only the recordings of Mohamud's meetings with undercover agents, but also the devices used to make the recordings. US Magistrate Judge John Acosta allowed it, but asked Sady to submit a more specific request by tomorrow.

Acosta eventually set a tentative date for a jury trial: February 1, 2011. And no more than 15 minutes after Mohamud was brought out, he was whisked back away.

After the jump, see a photo of the statement the Federal Public Defender's Office handed out after the arraignment hearing. (No, they told me, they don't have any digital copies to send, and for me to copy and paste.)

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Subject line: "Holiday fun at the Square continues..."

The Pioneer Square marketing and communications group writes, "Please see the attached press release regarding more Holiday events at the Square. There is an event almost every day until Christmas!!!"

Who's up for some holiday fun?!?!