Posted on 09/09/2002 7:36:03 PM PDT by Dallas
GEORGETOWN, Texas (AP) - About 330 pounds of ammonium nitrate, which can be used as fertilizer or in explosives, was reported stolen Monday from a business in central Texas.
The chemicals were taken from behind a fenced area at Austin Powder Co. sometime after midnight, said FBI ( news - web sites) Special Agent Darren Holmes in San Antonio. There was no sign of forced entry, he said.
"The only thing unaccounted for was the tubes of ammonium nitrate," Holmes said. "We suspect they might be sold on the black market."
Williamson County Sheriff's Sgt. Mike Lummus said there was no immediate evidence the theft was linked to terrorism.
Ammonium nitrate is typically used by farmers, lawn care companies and consumers. It was also used in the bomb that destroyed the Oklahoma City federal building and killed 168 people in 1995.
Austin Powder provides explosives for mining, construction and seismic exploration, Holmes said.
A man who answered the phone at the Austin Powder referred calls to owner Mike Gleason, who did not immediately return a telephone message.
Georgetown is about 30 miles north of Austin.
This would be six 50-lb bags. More than $10 and less than $1000 worth of material? Whoopie.
How many times are these idiots going to repeat that ammonium nitrate was "also used in the bomb that destroyed the Oklahoma City federal building?"
There isn't any physical evidence of that; there's only the repeated assertion that ammounium nitrate was used. The FBI crime lab never tested a single molecule of ammonium nitrate from Oklahoma City.
What possible black market can there be for the stuff? This is maybe 50 bucks of ammonium nitrate—surely dope growers don't need fertilizer so badly that they pay a huge premium for it.
KXAN.com: "EXPLOSIVES MISSING" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Sheriff Maspero says the suspects also ransacked the office, taking the paperwork needed to transport the explosives. "It appears that they were looking for something specific and as much as they knew what it would take to have the right documentation to move this stuff anywhere across the country," Maspero said.") (090902)
FOX NEWS.com (AP): "EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCE MISSING FROM TEXAS COMPANY; FBI ISSUES BULLETIN" (ARTICLE SNIPPET:"The FBI issued a bulletin asking the public to be on the lookout for the fertilizer authorities believe was stolen from the Austin Powder Co., said FBI Special Agent Darren Holmes in San Antonio. Ammonium nitrate is typically used by farmers, lawn care companies and consumers. It is also the material used in the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. About 600 pounds were used for a two-ton bomb that killed 168 and injured hundreds.") (090902)
stepping back in time...FAS.org -Article Snippet from the Counterterrorism section: "A February 26, 1993, explosion in the WTC's parking garage resulted in 6 deaths and 1,042 injuries. The blast, caused by a bomb made of about 1,200 pounds of explosives, resulted in a five-story crater with damage of over $500 million. On March 4, 1994, Muhammad Amin Salameh, Nidal Ayyad, Mahmud Abouhalima, and Ahmed Ajaj were convicted for their roles in the bombing. On April 25, 1994, each received a 240-year prison term and a $500,000 fine. Also, money they may receive from interviews or books must be turned over to the families of the six people killed in the bombing. Salameh's roommate, Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, also was found to be involved in the conspiracy. However, he left this country for Pakistan the day after the bombing on board a Pakistan International Airlines flight. On February 7, 1995, Yousef, a "Top Ten" fugitive, was arrested in Pakistan and was then turned over to the FBI."
I think the theft of ANY ammonium nitrate is significant.
There are terrorist cells operating all over this country, and it doesn't take many thefts of this nature to get enough material to make a sizeable bomb.
But some people believe that our own government are the terrorists.
In my opinion, they're no better than Jane Fonda.
Great post. 350 pounds of AN will not bring down a building but it sure as hell can bring down a bunch of human flesh in a crowded area.
yes, there are those loons.
conversely, some of us smell iraq all over it ...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.