Posted on 05/05/2002 4:00:32 AM PDT by TomGuy
Six Pipe Bombs Found in Nebraska Mailboxes; Some Leads in Bombs That Hurt 6 in Iowa, Illinois Published: May 5, 2002
Federal officials had described the earlier bombings as an act of domestic terrorism and said anti-government propaganda and notes warning of more "attention getters" were found nearby. It appeared that the six devices discovered Saturday also were accompanied by letters, at least one of them identical to those found in eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois, FBI Special Agent Jim Bogner said. Unlike the bombs found Friday, authorities said, none of the bombs in Nebraska exploded. After Saturday's discoveries, postal inspectors in Iowa and Illinois curtailed inspections planned for thousands of mailboxes. Mail was suspended in the area and officials did not say how soon it would resume. "We're using all of our resources for investigation and apprehension of whoever is responsible," said Rick Bowdren, inspector-in-charge of the Midwest division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. He urged people across the Midwest to use caution in opening their mailboxes and said anyone who sees tape, wire or anything unusual around a mailbox should report it their local post office. "We are asking postal patrons to keep their mailboxes open. We would recommend they tape it open," Bowdren said. "That way the carrier making a delivery can look in and patrons can look in and that anxiety factor will be alleviated." The devices found Saturday near the central Nebraska towns of Ohiowa, Columbus, Dannebrog, Davenport and Scotia had been placed in the mailboxes, not sent through the mail, said Weysan Dun, assistant special agent-in-charge of the FBI's Omaha office. He said four were found by mail carriers and one was discovered by a resident. A sixth bomb was found in a residential area of Seward late Saturday night. That bomb, which appeared to include a note and was similar to the other devices, was detonated by the Nebraska State Patrol shortly after midnight without injury, said Terri Teuber, a spokeswoman for the patrol. "For the individuals or individuals who may have been responsible for this and who may be listening: You have gotten our attention," Dun said. "We are not certain we understand your message. We would like to hear from you. You do not need to send any more of these devices." Earlier Saturday, Bogner said authorities had some leads on who may have planted pipe bombs in at least eight rural mailboxes in eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois on Friday, but they didn't know if one person or several people were responsible. Four postal workers and two residents in Illinois and Iowa were injured in the explosions, including one woman who remained hospitalized in fair condition Saturday. The note that had been left with the pipe bombs said more "could be delivered to various locations around the country," and postal officials in Washington on Friday had advised mail carriers across the country to be cautious. A map of the bombs found Friday forms a jagged circle straddling the Mississippi River and covering part of eastern Iowa and the northwest corner of Illinois. Saturday's pipe bombs were found about 350 miles west of there, not far from Interstate 80, which runs through both regions. "You might find a beer can in a mailbox every once in a while around here, but not a bomb. Somebody obviously is screwed up in the head," said Cathy Meyer, an Ohiowa resident and former postmaster in the area. "This obviously is very, very troubling that someone would do this," Meyer said. Gorlyn Nun said he wasn't aware of the explosions in Iowa and Illinois when he walked down his gravel driveway Saturday morning and opened his mailbox to find a pipe inside with a battery attached to it. "I opened it up, my mail was there and there was a clear Ziploc bag in there. I could see it was a pipe and it had a 9-volt battery in there," he said. The 59-year-old carpenter said he took his mail out and left the device behind, then called the local sheriff. The state patrol later arrived and detonated the pipe bomb. Postal officials said the bombs that were found Friday were accompanied by typewritten notes in clear plastic bags that began: "Mailboxes are exploding! Why, you ask?" Then it said, in part: "If the government controls what you want to do they control what you can do. ... I'm obtaining your attention in the only way I can. More info is on its way. More 'attention getters' are on the way." It was signed, "Someone Who Cares." Officials described the bombs as three-quarter-inch steel pipes attached to a 9-volt battery, which appeared to be triggered by being touched or moved. Jon Petersen, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said some of the bombs went off when the mailbox was opened and others went off when they were moved. Postal officials were working with the Iowa state crime lab to devise a gadget similar to a fishing pole that would allow inspectors to open a mailbox without having to get close to it, said Ron Jensen, a postal inspector from Des Moines, Iowa. In Illinois' Carroll County, Sheriff Rod Herrick spent Saturday morning opening mailboxes for worried residents. He fastened a clamp to the mailbox handle, tied fishing line to the clamp, then stepped behind his car and pulled on the line. "It's no high-tech thing. I'm not a bomb expert," Herrick said. "But I need to do something to keep the calm here." AP-ES-05-05-02 0159EDT
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In Illinois' Carroll County, Sheriff Rod Herrick spent Saturday morning opening mailboxes for worried residents. He fastened a clamp to the mailbox handle, tied fishing line to the clamp, then stepped behind his car and pulled on the line.
"It's no high-tech thing. I'm not a bomb expert," Herrick said. "But I need to do something to keep the calm here."
Maybe the postal officials ought to call the Sheriff.
Has there been any increase in cult activity and/or Earth/Rainbow/any other envirowacko rallies in your areas lately?
These guys are destroying all the evidence.
Do you remember this headline from three weeks ago?
New Al Jazeera Tape Aired-9/11 Hijacker Says 'It is Time to Kill Americans in The Heartland'
Was that a call to action for a sleeper cell?
If so, this sleeper cell is the biggest crop of morons al Qaeda has trained so far.
Even most IDIOTS know it's stupid to go after rural residents. They're likely to shoot you and bury you in their backyard. Swift, efficient and CHEAP way to get rid of the problem.
Yep - just a bunch of kids. Muslims need to "martyr" themselves.
How about a long bamboo rod with a hook at the end? Like a fish spearer. Without the point on the end, of course. Doesn't take too much 'devising.'
I know you didn't ask me, but I'm tending toward Sikhs at the moment based on the wording and thoughts in the note.
Mailboxes are exploding! Why, you ask?
Attention people.
You do things because you can and want (desire) to If the government controls what you want to do, they control what you can do.
If you are under the impression that death exists, and you fear it, you do anything to avoid it. (This is the same way pain operates. Naturally we strive to avoid negative emotion/pain.)
You allow yourself to fear death!
World authorities allowed, and still allow you to fear death!
In avoiding death you are forced to conform, if you fail to conform, you suffer mentally and physically. (Are world powers utilizing the natural survival instinct in a way that allows them to capitalize on the people?)
To "live" (avoid death) in this society you are forced to conform/slave away.
I'm here to help you realize/ understand that you will live no matter what! It is up to you people to open your hearts and minds. There is no such thing as death. The people I've dismissed from this reality are not at all dead.
Conforming to the boundaries, and restrictions imposed by the government only reduces the substance in your lives. When 1% of the nation controls 99% of the nations total wealth, is it a wonder why there are control problems?
The United States strives to provide freedom for their people. Do we really have personal freedom? I've lived here for many years, and I see much limitation. Does the definition of freedom include limitation? I've learned about the history of various civilizations in history, and I see more and more limitation. Do you people enjoy this trend of limitation? If not, change it!
As long as you are uninformed about death you will continue to say "how high", when the government tells you to "jump". As long as the government is uninformed about death they will continue tell you to "jump" Is the government uninformed about death, or are they pretending?
You have been missing how things are, for very long. I'm obtaining your attention in the only way I can. More info is on its way. More "attention getters' are on the way. If I could, I would change only one person, unfortunately the resources are not accessible. It seems killing a single famous person would get the same media attention as killing numerous un-famous humans. There is less risk of being detained, associated with dismissing certain people.
Sincerely,
Someone Who Cares
PS. More info. will be delivered to various locations around the country.
There are elements of Eastern religious thought, the typical resentment of the US, and this person is not a citizen. Militant Sikhs and militant Islamics have formed alliances before. The bombings started right after the transfer of the 6 prisoners from Arafat's compound to Jericho with US and British monitors. There has been other evidence of terrorist activity around the Mississippi River.
Just thought I'd throw that out for you guys to consider.
I'm obtaining your attention in the only way I can.
Who talks like that? This isn't something written by a disgruntled rural heartlander.
This ("say 'how high' ... 'jump'") is a very American idiom. I tend to think these pipe bombs are being placed by one or more Americans (motivated primarily by personal emotional problems, aka craziness).
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