WMD... SO WHAT IS IT?

Hey there, just a quicky--I'm just spending a few minutes catching up on my Secrecy News emails from FAS.org. They're always fascinating and depthful (is that a word?) so it's no wonder I get backed up on them all the time.

Anyway, in the April 14 mailing they report on 3 Brits that had been convicted in NYC by the DoJ of "conspiring to use weapons of mass
destruction, among other charges."

The catch is, they weren't planning to use nukes, bio-weapons, or chemical weapons. Here's a clip from Secrecy News:

At a press briefing on the indictment, an alert reporter asked Deputy
Attorney General James B. Comey exactly which "weapons of mass
destruction" the individuals had conspired to use.

"Is there any implication in the use of that term that there was a
biological or a chemical or a radiological element to the plan?" the
reporter inquired.

"We have not alleged that," Mr. Comey replied.

But, he added, "a weapon of mass destruction in our world goes beyond
that and includes improvised explosive devices."

How absurd is that?

Imrpovised bombs that can kill 20 or 30 people are suddenly on par with bio/chem weapons that can kill thousands or even nukes that can kill millions?

I CAN'T be the only person who can see this is over-the-friggin'-top.

What's the next re-definition of WMD? Downloaded MP3s and movies? Shopping carts you steal from the supermarket? Words of dissent?