Filling out the al Qaeda application

It is no longer possible to tell if our public servants are just being...for lack of a better word...funny.

The "Mujahideen Data Form" bears the signature of Abu Abdallah al Muhajir, which the F.B.I. says is the Muslim name that Mr. Padilla adopted after he converted to Islam.

Defense lawyers have questioned the authenticity of the document, potentially a critical piece of evidence for prosecutors trying to prove that Mr. Padilla sought to become a terrorist.

Stephanie Pell, a federal prosecutor, has said Mr. Padilla completed the form to begin training in Afghanistan on July 2000. Ms. Pell said it was found by American forces in late 2001 in a binder that contained other terror-camp applications.

Remarkably, The General has obtained a copy of the actual application.