Without informants, Corrigan said, investigators are often left with little more than educated guesswork. "In most cases, you can't get from A to B without an informant," said the ex-NYPD detective.

The four-person plot, revealed Saturday, demonstrated the growing importance of informants in the government's efforts to combat terrorism, particularly as smaller radical groups become more aggressive.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/04/jfk.plot.ap/index.html

Neither of these plots would probably ever been carried out. I believe a lot of people tend to entertain themselves by talking a lot. Obviously, to the wrong people. Don't YOU be one of them. Remember you live in a police state and have to view everyone as a potential informant.