Using the Security State to Get Back at Your Family

Here's how to make terror alerts really work for you, from the Chicago Sun-Times:

More than 100 law enforcement agents spent thousands of hours investigating a series of false terrorism threats allegedly phoned in by a Chicago businessman who had a grudge with his relatives.

In the calls -- some made while the country was under a heightened terrorism alert -- Abdul Rauf Noormohamed claimed several people connected with al-Qaida were planning to bomb the Sears Tower, Lake Point Tower, Soldier Field, O'Hare Airport and City Hall, federal authorities allege.

But in reality, the people named as the plotters were relatives of Noormohamed's -- a Pakistani-born, naturalized citizen -- with whom he was feuding, officials say.

[Thanks to Ivan Osorio for the link]