unfortunately, it wasn't in iraq. it was in tyler, texas:
Federal authorities this year mounted one of the most extensive investigations of domestic terrorism since the Oklahoma City bombing, CBS 11 has learned.Three people linked to white supremacist and anti-government groups are in custody. At least one weapon of mass destruction - a sodium cyanide bomb capable of delivering a deadly gas cloud - has been seized in the Tyler area.
Investigators have seized at least 100 other bombs, bomb components, machine guns, 500,000 rounds of ammunition and chemical agents. But the government also found some chilling personal documents indicating that unknown co-conspirators may still be free to carry out what appeared to be an advanced plot. And, authorities familiar with the case say more potentially deadly cyanide bombs may be in circulation.
this story is from the 26th, and these folks were arrested back in may. i'm in austin, and i certainly don't remember hearing anything about this. i'm guessing it's because they weren't evil brown men, and besides, john doe #2 from the oklahoma city bombing was probably al-qaeda, so it's always them, anyway. right? blah. but at least we got them all.
All three have steadfastly maintained their silence, even though talking could reduce their prison sentences, and the investigation has stalled for now. Evidence seized and the fact that none of the defendants will talk has given rise to speculation that unknown conspirators may be still be involved in a broader plot to use Krar’s home-built chemical weapons, government officials say.“One would certainly have to question why an individual would feel compelled to stockpile sodium cyanide, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid, unless they had some bad intent,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Wes Rivers, who is prosecuting the case. “They certainly had the capacity to be extremely dangerous.”
thank you, captain obvious. doesn't that make you feel good? but at least the department of homeland security is on top of matters, right?
Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, counter-terrorism agencies have been consumed by national efforts to ferret out U.S.-based foreign terrorist cells whose members hail from the Middle East. Federal investigators were not looking for white supremacist groups when they stumbled across Krar by accident.
now, maybe i just happened to miss this story, but you would think this would be big, big news. it was a thwarted terror attack, after all. but i guess that militias and white supremicists are so last century. we're fighting a new enemy now. let's just forget about the old enemy, because they never did anything spectacular like 9/11. okc was peanuts compared to that. the atlanta olympics bombing, pshaw. killing abortion doctors and blowing up clinics, big deal.
i guess when bush came into office, everybody thought that they would just go away since the evil pagan demon spectre of clinton had been vanquished from the white house, and we were once again safe from the new world order. sooner or later one of these groups is going to pull another okc, and for all of the government's talk about pre-emptive defense, maybe it's time to start looking in our own backyard. especially since it seems they've got more wmds than iraq.
when a diner waitress in florida overheard three muslim men talking earlier this year, the whole pullover was broadcast on national tv for hours while we all waited with baited breath to learn if we had found some terrorists. i guess that's a good thing, though. can't have people going to the malls worried that they might have to deal with a poison gas cloud.
Posted by kilgore at December 3, 2003 08:59 PM | TrackBack