White Powder Threatens Courthouses in Different States

Not just one, but three incidents involving "white powder" have suddenly popped up to remind us the unsolved "Anthrax" attacks and to terrorize us on a more local level.

White powder found at two South Florida courthousesAuthorities found mysterious powders in two South Florida courthouses -- one in Broward, the other in Palm Beach -- Thursday but no one was injured.

Fort Lauderdale officials received a call at around 4:30 p.m. of an unknown powder in the mailroom of the courthouse, said Assistant Fire Chief Stephen McInerny.

Also

Wh ite powder found in Pennsylvania courthouse
NEW YORK, Jan 12 (Reuters) - A suspicious white powder was found in a county courthouse in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Friday, a local sheriff said.

The Lehigh County Courthouse was not evacuated and there were no injuries reported, Lehigh County Sheriff Ronald Rossi said.

Rossi said a letter had arrived in the courthouse mail room on Friday morning and an assistant had found white powder inside the envelope.

Actually it looks like there are two separate incidents one yesterday and one today at the same Palm Beach Courthouse.
White Powder Prompts Evacuation

Now my questions....
Is this a scare tactic? Who's responsible.. homegrown terrorists, Al-Qaeda or the government? Is it a distraction to occupy first responders and other resources??

It still bothers me that years later we still have not solved the Anthrax attacks which started this whole "white powder" scare. I feel that the reason why we haven't solved that mystery yet, is that the "white powder" scare tactic is a very effective one to keep the fear of terrorism on a local and personal level.

And while the above cases are more high profiled because they are targetted to local level governments, there is a constant supply of white powder scares happening that don't get attention because they turn out to be nothing.



[edit on 1-12-2007 by worldwatcher]

Frankly I was shocked you didn't post this yesterday since its your neck of the woods WW. You must have been busy. :-)

Kinda strange this type of thing popped up again. Even stranger, I read that there wont be any federal investigation. Can you imagine?

It would be interesting to find out what trials are being held in these courthouses at the moment. I think it could be a scare tactic.

Originally posted by makeitso
I read that there wont be any federal investigation. Can you imagine?

No investigation? Can you source that please before I jump to my usual conspiracy conclusions. Thanks.

sometimes I like to give you guys a chance to post it before I do

but really I dismissed it yesterday because I thought it was another random white powder scare, however today's incident in PA, caught my interest and so further speculation and discussion is now warranted.

as for stuff happening in my neck of the woods it's like I'm surrounded by it, first Miami, then Palm Beach, I just hope South Florida isn't on anyone's target for an attack....

just found another courthouse, but this time in Maryland was the target of a "white powdery substance" scare.

Frederick Co. Courthouse Reopens After Mysterious Package ProbeFREDERICK, MD - A package containing a mysterious white powder addressed specifically to the Frederick County State's Attorney Charlie Smith appeared at the Frederick County Courthouse Tuesday.


Now if we still had the Padilla Case going on in Florida, I would think Al-Qaeda is trying to scare, disrupt the trial.... but I'm not familiar with any other Al-Qaeda courtcases going on in any of the states being targeted...so I'm leaning towards maybe a mob/mafia/gang cases...if it turns out to be a local level scare to disrupt a particular case??? I don't know I'm speculating nonsense right now...I'll stop.


[edit on 1-12-2007 by worldwatcher]

10 cities? Five Mayors? Jeez, what is up?

The mayor of Ft. Lauderdale received an envelope of the powder and apparently the other 4 were sent to mayors as well.

Evacuations took place at several city halls across Broward County today after officials, in at least 10 cities, received envelopes containing a white substance in the mail.

www.diggersrealm.com...

Sorry Griff, I thought this was an isolated incedent and yesterdays news, so I did not save the links. I'll try to find it, though now that there has been more, they may change their mind about the investigation.

I think I picked that up on the Palm Beach Post but it looks like that article has been updated and changed. Sorry.

[edit on 1/12/07 by makeitso]

hmmmm....two separate back to back incidents in Washington DC last week too....

Suspicious Envelope Containing White Powder Sent To FBI

WASHINGTON -- A suspicious envelope at the FBI headquarters building turned out to be harmless, officials said on Thursday.
This is the second incident in the District in two days at a federal building.

There was an incident at the Ronald Reagan Building on Wednesday when the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office received a suspicious letter that, officials said, had the word "anthrax" written on the outside.

How random are these acts or are they connected?

Your onto something WW.

Yesterday it seemed just a fluke in Florida.
Today though, jeez, theres so many!

Somebody needs to start a list.

Looks like Lincoln NE got hit with one also.

Suspicious Envelope Shuts Down Federal Building

I'm sorry, but I would think that if it was terrorists that did the first anthrax attack, they would do something different this time. They know that we're all looking out for "white powder" substances. So if they wanted to do it again, I would assume that they would add some food coloring to it to make it less suspicious. I mean, if it's black powder or brownish, people are so much more likely to think it's just dirt picked up around the post office while it's being shipped.
I think that any of these powder issues that we run into from here on out will just be a bunch of "teenage" pranks.
However, there is always that one saying...."it's better to be safe than sorry."

Here's a start of a list. I'm sure there is more to add.

1/3/2007
Washington D.C. - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office

1/4/2007
Washington D.C. - FBI Headquarters

1/6/2007
Lincoln NE - Federal Building

1/10/2007
Frederick MD - State's Attorney's Office

1/11/2007
Palm Beach FL - County Courthouse

1/11/2007
Broward County FL - Courthouse

1/12/2007
Palm Beach FL - City Courthouse?

1/12/2007
Allentown PA - County Courthouse

I'm more inclined to believe that it is a 'white' American, whom is mailing these letters. I believe it was so, the first time as well.

Didn't the first attacks get traced to a American Military Complex? Then dropped from the news? That's what I thought anyway.

Originally posted by nextguyinline
Didn't the first attacks get traced to a American Military Complex? Then dropped from the news? That's what I thought anyway.

I've heard that but have never seen a source of this. It could be correct, just that I haven't seen the source of this claim.

Kind of coincidental this happens so soon after the recent approved opening of mail.

Not that I'm say the two are linked to show the validity of such an act. Are they linked? I can't say for sure but it does make me wonder.

What a strange week it has been...........I can't wait to see what happens next week and in the coming months.

Raist

You can add these towns to your list makeitso:

www.diggersrealm.com...
The cities that received the envelopes include Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, Davie, Weston, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Tamarac, Sea Ranch Lakes, Oakland Park, Sunrise, Lauderdale Lakes. There may be others.

I think these are all in Broward County. Who wants to bet there'll be 20 or 30 more by this time tomorrow? I think this is just the tip of the iceberg and there'll be a flood of these letters that will probably turn out to have harmless powder inside. Then when we're all fed up with it and stop evacuating the buildings, the real stuff will get mailed out...

I almost missed that connection Raist, you made an excellent point. Thanks.

could it be that simple...it makes sense though, especially if these type of attacks are meant to keep promoting the sense of terror on a local and personal level.

Originally posted by worldwatcher

I almost missed that connection Raist, you made an excellent point. Thanks.

could it be that simple...it makes sense though, especially if these type of attacks are meant to keep promoting the sense of terror on a local and personal level.

Heh to me it seemed kinda a hand in hand thing. I mean what better way to say "see I told ya this was for your own good". Maybe I'm way off though and it's some thing else far more complex than that. But then again those in the government lately have not shown huge amounts of complex thought.

The only other option I see is the one that mythatsabigprobe offered up.

Raist

WW
Now if we still had the Padilla Case going on in Florida, I would think Al-Qaeda is trying to scare, disrupt the trial...

You mean this?

Miami judge delays terror trial for 'dirty-bomb suspect' Padilla

Posted January 12 2007, 1:20 PM EST


MIAMI --A federal judge on Friday delayed the trial of terror suspect Jose Padilla and two co-defendants from Jan. 22 until April 16.

ahh good find makeitso

I thought all of that over and the last I heard Padilla was in a lock up somewhere out of state...guess the trial isn't over...but would al-qaeda really show that much interest in disrupting "his" trial..he is probably useless to them.. unless someone wants to make it seem that, that is their motive...

WOnder what cases or files might be at some of the other areas this white powder has shown up?

makeitso and WW you might have some thing here.

How about slow down some trials make those involed vanish or get their story right. Or close the buildings down to get rid of certain papers leading to the right ppl? Also to boot you get the thought in every ones mind that it's a good thing they can now search your mail.

Or maybe the caffeine and sitting home with my boy all week has gotten to me.

Raist