How is it possible that the federal government, NSA, and FBI can't crack an iPhone, but they think Apple can?

Hint, they can.

Give it to a teenager...they'll have it unlocked and a "how-to" video on YouTube in a few days.

Methinks that the FBI should 'recruit' a hacker from the dark side to do what they cannot.

I am stunned that the FBI, a federal court, bill gates ,51% of our nation citizens and even a draft dodger Trump are all criticizing Apple for their resistance to oblige. Now I know this case is a little different but how come these steps weren't taken with Hillary's Hardrive?. I am all about doing everything possible and necessary to capture or destroy terrorist cells here and abroad but to order a private company to compromise the privacy of IOS iPhone users by creating a back door is outrageous specially when a Secretary of State who did not comply with proper security of classified information and apparently we don't even have a clue how much of it was compromised.
Until this day I am a big supporter of the Patriit Act and if our representatives in congress and senate would of taken the necessary steps to ensure the NSA was utilizing this tool properly instead of spying on our allies or using it at their own will maybe just maybe this great tool would still be in effect, our government wouldn't have to bully Apple around. By the way thank you Senator Rand Paul for your pathetic stand you pull to get rid of the Patiot Act.

That’s because ownership of the OS code allows the ability to bypass the security of the device or system. What, you don’t think Microsoft and Apple are “NOT” looking into your privet life on a regular basis?

https://www.morningstar.com/news/dow-jones/us-markets/TDJNDN_ [login to see] 036/justice-department-seeks-to-force-apple-to-extract-data-from-about-12-other-iphones.html

All I can say is I have an android because I always forget my code and it would piss me off to lose everything. I will also say all that is in my phone is numbers and emails address. I don't trust them to do more.

I think it boils down to legal issues and the legal gathering of evidence, if any, on that device.
If the FBI breaks the encryption on that device without Apples help it could get sticky because now you have illegally hacked into that device and any information obtained would be inadmissible.
In my opinion I think that Apple has the capability to create a single use algorithm to break into this device and allow the FBI to see what is on that phone. I don't buy that excuse that resetting the password on the iCloud caused the information to be lost, I have reset my password on my iCloud without any loss of data that I had in the Cloud.
I can also understand Apples point because once created it can be adapted to other devices and I would worry that some Apple employee looking to get a good payday could sell that algorithm to the right person.
I think that the FBI, because of the constraints of evidence gathering and handling, is in a tough position because if they knowing violate the law anything they get is useless legally.

I think rather than have Apple design a backdoor, just have Apple decode the phone's hard drive with a court order anytime an act like San Bernardino occurs. Saves time and citizens' privacy.

Just a point here if you all remember BlackBerry getting asked to set up a server in a country so that country's government could keep I eye on the data flowing through the Blackberries in their country. BlackBerry said no and no one raised a big stink about it what has change.