> But seriously, this laptop idiot was planning to blow up a building, or something equally as bad, but wasn’t smart enough or flush enough to pop for the $39.99 to step up to the maximum-strength encryption?

Boy, you sure seem confident in your assessment of the severity of the situation. It's not like the NSA would have any idea how to get information out of people by convincing them the situation was something other than what it actually was.

Granted 18 years ago was a much different time than today. It's a shame that these agencies have proven their motives so untrustworthy.