AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION:

The Fort Dix Verdict: A Victory for Pre-emptive Prosecutions (Amanda Ripley, Dec. 23, 2008, TIME)

[T]he verdict is a significant victory for the federal government, and not just because the conspiracy conviction is likely to put the men away for life, when U.S. District Judge Robert Kugler sentences them in April. It proves that the government can convince a jury to support the idea of pre-emptively prosecuting terrorism cases — a risky strategy that has yielded mixed results in the past.

"The word should go out to any other would-be terrorists of the homegrown variety that the United States will find you, infiltrate your group, prosecute you and send you to a federal prison for a very long time," said acting United States Attorney Ralph Marra Jr.