Man Sought In Yale Bombing

The Hartford Courant ^ | May 22, 2003 | DIANE SCARPONI

[conservababeJen]

Man Sought In Yale Bombing
2:47 PM EDT,May 22, 2003
By DIANE SCARPONI, The Hartford Courant

NEW HAVEN -- FBI agents investigating the explosion of what they believe was a pipe bomb at Yale University's law school were showing students a sketch of a man they want to identify.
The sketch is of a man in his 20s or 30s with a round face and glasses, a law student said Thursday on the condition of anonymity. The student refused to say what race the man in the sketch appeared to be.

The FBI is trying to identify the man and did not characterize him as a suspect, said the student, who did not recognize the man.

The bomb damaged two rooms at the law school and about 300 rare law books that got soaked with water from the building's sprinkler system. No one was injured.

Acting Police Chief Francisco Ortiz said the bomber was apparently "trying to send a message," although police said they have no suspects.

The classroom was empty at the time, but students were studying in a nearby lounge and the library, suggesting that the bomber did not mean to harm anyone, he said.

"It's another piece of the puzzle," Ortiz said. "If the intent was to bring media attention to this campus, they've done it."

He said there is no evidence that international terrorism was involved because of the nature and timing of the bombing.

Investigators would not discuss what they think the bomb was made of or how it worked. But a university source with firsthand knowledge of the investigation said told The Associated Press that authorities strongly believe the device was a pipe bomb.

Bomb experts went through the classroom on their hands and knees Thursday in search of shrapnel from the bomb, said State Police Lt. Col. Edward Lynch. They also swabbed for explosives or other evidence and took fingerprints from doorways and furniture.

Police said they would have a better idea of how the bomb was made after they recover pieces. The search and forensic tests were expected to take a few days.

"It's an explosion. When something explodes, it doesn't leave much there," Lynch said.

Preliminary tests detected no evidence of chemical or biological agents in the room, Lynch said. Police dogs were used to try to detect explosives or accelerants.

The FBI has interviewed students, faculty and staff who were in the building at the time.

Lynch said everyone who has been interviewed has been cooperative, but no solid leads have come from the interviews.

Several students reported seeing a fireball in the corridor outside the classroom, which was used by various professors all semester. A partition between the room and an adjacent faculty lounge collapsed, and some of the ceiling also fell down, littering the room with debris, police said.

[Bars4Bill]

[BurbankKarl]

has anyone seen jonathon reno?

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

Was the round faced guy working alone?

[We Happy Few]

Yale Law School is far left. There are probably only a couple registered Republicans across the whole faculty. (The days of Robert Bork teaching there are long gone--and even then, he was in the minority.) The school is regarded as having the brainiest law students (to the point of eccentricity), and relative to class size it produces by far the highest percentage of law clerks to federal judges and Supreme Court Justices. It used to be the case (may still be) that Property was an elective course, not mandatory. (In a socialist workers' paradise you don't need to worry about property rights.)

[Thane_Banquo]

The sketch is of a man in his 20s or 30s with a round face and glasses, a law student said Thursday on the condition of anonymity. The student refused to say what race the man in the sketch appeared to be.

Then he must be either an Arab Muslim or a black radical. My bet is the former.

[HairOfTheDog]

The sketch is of a man in his 20s or 30s with a round face and glasses, a law student said Thursday on the condition of anonymity. The student refused to say what race the man in the sketch appeared to be.

More to the point, why is the source of this story some anonymous student? If there was a sketch, why wouldn't the FBI release it to the media if they want the guy found?

[oceanview]

maybe because the guy is a middle easterner, and they don't want to go public with the tie in, because people would draw the logical conclusion. this could have been an attack of opportunity, like the LAX shooting by that lone gunman, as opposed to an organized terrorist strike (which is does not appear to be).

[HairOfTheDog]

But there would be no reason to hide that.

[oceanview]

sure there would, they don't want the media to make the connection and start asking alot of questions and pumping the story. imagine what would happen if they held a press conference and said that Abu Ali Baba was being sought for the Yale bombing. All hell would break loose.

[HairOfTheDog]

All hell would break loose.

Bull! All hell didn't break loose when Abu Ali did a lot more damage than a teenage pipe bomb! This country rallied around this president and his efforts to find these guys. All of them.

Think about it. The president continues to tell us that we are still under threat and must believe him in that and support his efforts to combat it. Why on earth would they hide evidence of the very threat he keeps telling us not to forget?

[oceanview]

the first time, sure. but don't be too sure about a second time, or a third. and don't discount the media's ability to take what might really be some isolated nut job and make a bigger story about it then it really is. Remember the poltical angle on this. The Dems are desperate for an attack here in the US, they would LOVE to see one. That would validate their attacks on Bush.

[HairOfTheDog]

The Dems are desperate for an attack here in the US, they would LOVE to see one. That would validate their attacks on Bush.

Only the very naive would ever believe that Bush could prevent another attack. Anyone who is cunning can foil any system, and this incident isn't even all that cunning. A teenager could have done more damage. No.... the dems can hang themselves, but no one would buy it.

Sorry... I just don't see any conspiracy to cover up Arab threats. This is much more likely something else altogether. Like a really over-the-top student who didn't want to name race.

[null and void]

I guess us peons don't need to see a copy of the sketch...

[oceanview]

recall the results of the last presidential election, who got more votes? we are living in a nation of mostly idiots, don't overestimate the "public".

[HairOfTheDog]

OK - give up hope. I am too cheerful to see a benefit to it.

[cardinal4]

The student refused to say what race the man in the sketch appeared to be.

A follower of Allah, perhaps?

[oceanview]

I'm not giving up, I just don't want to prejudge this bombing and hand an issue to the Dems who are licking their chops waiting for anything they could call a "terrorist attack" here in the US.

[HairOfTheDog]

I am telling you that a freshman PR major could turn that on them faster than they could say it.

[HairOfTheDog]

My point is, the truth should just be reported. This student, the FBI, everyone, just needs to report what happens truthfully, because cover-ups don't work. We can't ever have anyone pre-spinning the facts to try and control the direction of spin.

I am gonna guess this is a student with a personal issue.... This is not terrorism. But who cares, really? It was junior league, whatever it was.