TERRORISM: Feds Seeking Middle Eastern Man Who Tried to Buy Explosives, page 1

posted on Jan, 5 2005 @ 01:52 PM

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Federal authorities are searching for information on a man who is using a Middle Eastern name to try to buy explosives, identical to the type used in the Oklahoma City bombings. The individual has been making inquiries for a large amount of explosives from various companies including a Canadian firm. It is believed that the individual in question is also using bogus construction credentials to help him acquire the explosives.

ap.tbo.com
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said there is no indication yet that terrorism is involved, but the agency is still checking information that came from a company in Canada that reported the attempted purchase as suspicious.

ATF is asking the fertilizer and explosives industries to help locate the man and to report any suspicious inquiries for the fertilizer chemical ammonium nitrate, which is used to make so-called fertilizer bombs.

"We're still running down leads. But we thought it would be prudent putting out an advisory to the fertilizer industry," said Tom Mangin, an ATF agent in Phoenix, where the investigation is centered.

The suspect also made several Internet email inquiries to vendors seeking to buy between 500 to 1,000 metric tons of the explosive - a quantity larger than McVeigh used to bomb the Oklahoma City federal building in April 1995 but smaller than amounts companies typically might buy in bulk for construction, explosives or farm work.

"ATF has recently been made aware of a suspicious attempt by an individual to purchase mass quantities of ammonium nitrate, specifically between 500 to 1,000 metric tons," the alert said. "This individual, who uses a Middle Eastern name, purports to be a representative of a construction corporation. However, indications are that this is most likely false.

"The individual has previously made contact with other industry members via e-mail seeking the large amounts of 'fertilizer grade' ammonium nitrate," the alert said.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

There has been several incidents over the past year in which ammonium nitrate has either turned up missing or stolen from various locations. It is obviously a tool that can be used by terrorists to create havoc on American soil. The news of an individual seeking such large amounts is concerning to many.

FredT

posted on Jan, 5 2005 @ 01:59 PM

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Scary, good catch WW, It is really surprisingly easy to aquire the material needed to make a McVeigh type bomb. Anybody with a farm can easily aquire the material and put it togehter.

Scary...

Crakeur

posted on Jan, 5 2005 @ 02:09 PM

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investigation is centered in Phoenix? isn't there a big nuclear facility in the area?

FredT

posted on Jan, 5 2005 @ 02:17 PM

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Originally posted by Crakeur
investigation is centered in Phoenix? isn't there a big nuclear facility in the area?

I don't know if they have a reactor out there, but maybe you mean the Rocky Flats plant in Colorado?

Edit: The Palo Verde Nuclear Generating station 50 miles est of Pheonix

phreak_of_nature

posted on Jan, 5 2005 @ 02:25 PM

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There are plenty of operations that produce ammonium nitrate fertilizer. Some of them are actually quite small, and located in rural america near dairies, (the source of the raw material). We even have a plenty not far from here that produces fertilzer. Scary thing is, it is unguarded, unfenced, and completely away from everything. If someone wanted to steal large quantities of ammonium nitrate from there it would be no problem. And it's just 10 miles or so from a pretty big refinery.

Countermeasures

posted on Jan, 5 2005 @ 03:13 PM

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Thx for the info, I tell Mr. Abdul to visit unfenced rural Amerca, still, it bugs me why he uses a middle eastern name, would look much better if he used some white strawmen from rural states and have them buy multiple smaller quantities.

It looks somewhat too obvious. The guy either hugely underestimates the authorities, or this might be another Fed sting operation to Put the Phear in the People to Push the Patriot Acts , there is something about this story that reminds me of the stories of lasers all over the country shining at airplanes.....

But anyway, it's a good thing that at least the companies selling the nitrates took notice, whether its terrorists or feds playing mindgames...

[edit on 5-1-2005 by Countermeasures]

mattison0922

posted on Jan, 5 2005 @ 03:49 PM

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I am wondering if there is some significance with respect to the investigation being centered in Phoenix. I am sure most are aware of the large influx of illegal aliens coming into AZ. Most are obviously Mexicans, but there are lots of reports of large numbers of OTM (other than mexicans) being apprehended here. I needn't point out that for every border crosser caught n border crossers make it through. Seems like Phoenix is too spread out to be the ideal place to launch a terror attack. It seems like you would want to hit areas where the populations are relatively dense and that have some cultural significance. There is nothing culturally significant about Phoenix

.

phreak_of_nature

posted on Jan, 5 2005 @ 04:41 PM

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Phoenix was also where the FBI agent who put out the memo about middle eastern men taking flight lessons was based. If I remember correctly, a few of the 9-11 hijackers trained for a while in Phoenix.

astral_ice

posted on Jan, 5 2005 @ 07:21 PM

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Maybe Arizona feels kinda like home to them, it's hot has lots of sand and the average person here is raving fu--ing insane

Uh yeah, between this and the lasers I'd say we've got some psyops going on to push patriot. I mean come on "hello my name is abdul I wish to buy the ammonium Nitrate and a ryder truck"

Terrorists may be dumb but not that dumb.

dgtempe

posted on Jan, 5 2005 @ 07:25 PM

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We have the nuclear facility at Palo Verde here in Arizona. Its just a matter of time with our wide open borders before we're history.

Astral, you're right..i've never seen so many lunatics in one place

[edit on 5-1-2005 by dgtempe]

Nygdan

posted on Jan, 5 2005 @ 07:27 PM

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Intruiging. Especially that its the same stuff used in the OK bombing. I am under the impression that terrorists tend to not change their tactics, at least not until they don't work any more (more or less of course). So this leads my to wonder if this isn't perhaps domestic terrorists plotting something, perhaps, even trying to commit an act of domestic terrorism under the guise of middle easterners, to make things even more difficult for everyone in the US.

mattison0922

posted on Jan, 5 2005 @ 07:55 PM

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Astral, you're right..i've never seen so many lunatics in one place

Agreed... and they all drive on the 101 and the 60!!

phreak_of_nature

posted on Jan, 6 2005 @ 11:26 AM

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I would tend to agree with Nygdan on this one. I think that we have been very focused on International Terrorism and forgotten that one of the worst attacks on the US was from a natively born American who served in the US Army.

There are several groups that have anti-government agendas, and while the increased vigilence may make it more difficult for them, the simple fact that they aren't middle easterners would play into their favor.

I think that the next big strike on America will have a more caucasian look to it then the last. Osama used Saudi's on 9-11 for a reason, to attempt to strain relatinos between the US and SA. If he were to decide to use Americans for the next strike it could be in an effort to further cause us to look accusingly at each other.

Let's not for get Adam Gadhan a.k.a. Azzam al Amerikki

sandge

posted on Jan, 6 2005 @ 11:31 AM

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Originally posted by phreak_of_nature
I would tend to agree with Nygdan on this one. I think that we have been very focused on International Terrorism and forgotten that one of the worst attacks on the US was from a natively born American who served in the US Army.

IIRC, there were eyewitness reports of a "Middle Eastern looking man" with McVeigh before the OKC bombing. Remember John Doe #2?

Just stirring the ol' conspiracy pot a bit....

jsobecky

posted on Jan, 6 2005 @ 11:41 AM

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astral_ice, you are hilarious.

Thanks for the belly laugh.

I don't know how tight security is at the Palo Verde facility, but if it is similar to nuclear facilities elsewhere in the US, you could have a convoy of trucks loaded with fertilizer and kerosene and not get close enough to cause any harm to the facility.

File this one under U for Uh-huh.

FredT

posted on Jan, 6 2005 @ 12:27 PM

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I have to agree with you there. Unless they have an insiders acess, they would not be able to get a fertilizer bomb near enough to crack the containment dome. I wonder how the dome would fare from an up close blast? Its a pretty stout srtucture (the reinforced concrete)and rounded, so no real flat edge for the force to hit dead on.

phreak_of_nature

posted on Jan, 6 2005 @ 02:33 PM

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Originally posted by sandge

IIRC, there were eyewitness reports of a "Middle Eastern looking man" with McVeigh before the OKC bombing. Remember John Doe #2?

Just stirring the ol' conspiracy pot a bit....

Yes, I am familiar with John Doe #2, and the reports that he was a middle eastern looking male. I am familar with the claims that Saddam Hussein ordered and financed the OKC bombing.
All of that goes back to my point that perhaps Osama would want to use caucasian men in an massive new attack. It does have precedent.
I can't find it again... I read an article awhile back that talked about al qaeda possibly aligning themselves with disenfranchised domestic terror groups.