The charges against Padilla were described in excruciating detail with the obvious intention of terrifying the public and trying to enlist greater support for the government's shaky case. Comey's soliloquy showed how adept the Ashcroft Justice Dept is at abandoning all sense of restraint in a blatant attempt to prejudice a case pending before the Supreme Court. It's rare when we can observe the concerted efforts of government employees whose sole purpose in life is subverting the course of justice; a talent that is highly valued in the Bush White House.
http://www.counterpunch.org/whitney06032004.html

The Comey speech was a masterstroke of cynicism. His tale of Padilla's alleged plot to "blow up apartment buildings" hit all the right notes; the perfect blend of originality and raw terror. Needless to say, he didn't bother to corroborate any of the allegations, but what the hell; the charges would show up nicely on the front page of every newspaper in the country just as he had planned.

These cases are now decided according to the discretion of the President; a man whose exalted sense of justice sent 152 people to their death in Texas during his tenure as Governor.

Deputy Attorney General Comey's long-winded summary of Padilla's vagaries was designed to scare the public, but it was noticeably lacking in evidence. The allegations that Padilla was planning to blow up apartments seems far-fetched at best. Al Qaida targets (typically) have some symbolic value. Either they are reminders of American hegemony or they are directed at critical parts of the infrastructure. (ie. The World Trade Center, Khobar Towers, the Pentagon and the USS Cole, are all symbols of American dominance. Attacks on these, resonate with those who share the same ideology) The attacks are not usually just the random killing of innocent people, but carefully chosen political targets. So, it's not likely that Padilla was serious about blowing up apartments. It seems much more probable that the Justice Dept invented the whole story to prejudice the outcome of the case; a "probability" that borders on absolute certainty.