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Boston terror threat probed
Boston Herald ^ | January 19, 2005 | Tom Farmer and Michele McPhee

Posted on 01/19/2005 1:44:33 PM PST by RWR8189

Federal and state authorities are investigating a nuclear terrorist threat against Boston after a man calling from Mexico told California police that he smuggled two Iraqis and four Chinese over the border, the Boston Herald has learned.

``They got a call from across the border in Mexico to the California Highway Patrol and he said he brought two Iraqis and four Chineses (individuals)across the border and according to him, they stated soon to follow behind them would be some sort of material,'' said a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation.

``He refers to some sort of nuclear material that will follow them through New York up into Boston.''

According to the source, the caller has not identified himself and did not show up for a meeting with federal investigators in California but he did leave pictures of four Chinese men and some names at a ``drop'' site at the Mexico-California border.

``They were dropped by the source at a location. He literally threw them over a fence from Mexico to the U.S. side,'' said the source. ``There are pictures of the four Chinese and some names but just how accurate they are remains a question''

Massachusetts law enforcement officials were notified of the threat at 5:30 a.m. today through the FBI and Boston Police Joint Terrorist Task Force.

The threat was serious enough that Mayor Menino ordered the Fire Commissioner and the state's Homeland Security Chief into his office at City Hall, where they met with officials from the CIA, FBI, and Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, a high-ranking city official told the Herald.

``They are desperately trying to piece it together,'' said the offial, who added that if the threat is real it is ``very scary.''

A company that trains explosive-sniffing dogs said it was alerted that the canines would be searching for a ``dirty bomb,'' a New York City law enforcement official said yesterday.

The Massachusetts investigator said much of the man's information sounds far-fetched and investigators have some doubts about the caller's validity because he has not identified himself.

``A lot of it doesn't make sense and some of it does,'' said the source. ``It's totally uncorroborated. This all began several days ago as a series of phone calls and they don't know who the caller is. There are some parts of it that just don't make sense and other little pieces of it that fall into place. The information is these people that came into the country are going to New eYork into Boston and the (nuclear) material will follow them.''

The source said there is speculation the caller may have been ripped off by illegal immigrants he helped over the border and is now trying to exact revenge.

``It's very weird. Even if (the Iraqis and Chinese) were going to do something why would they be blabbing to the yahoo smuggling them across the border? You have to wonder if they screwd him on a deal but you have to treat it seriously and the issue is how do you put it out to the public and not get everybody (in a panic)?''

The source said the information will soon ``come out over police channels and BOLOs (be on the lookout).''

The source added the FBI office in San Diego is leading the investigation. ``The FBI in San Diego is the originating office so they are driving the investigation. The FBI in Boston is in a tough position because they are waiting for information''

The caller has not given investigators any means to contact him.

``They tried to set up a meet with him but he didn't show up.''


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; US: Massachusetts; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: aliens; boston; bostonterriers; chinesenationals; fbi; immigrantlist; jttf; theskyisfalling; tinfoilhatbrigade
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To: presidio9

You're wrong. Chinese generally use cash to buy things. In the main, they abhor consumer debt.


161 posted on 01/19/2005 10:27:10 PM PST by GOP_1900AD (Stomping on "PC," destroying the Left, and smoking out faux "conservatives" - Take Back The GOP!)
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To: presidio9
To be honest with you, I'd prefer talking to adults on this issue. I used to work in the WTC. As long as you continue to try to interject your lame observations about Mexican carjackers into a terrorist thread, I'm not really that interested in taking you seriously.

You definately are a liberal troll on here. First you try to win the arguement by calling people names. Then you try to change the subject when you are called on a point. Finally, when no one is buying your argument, you pout off like a child, accusing everyone else of being children.

Once you are whereever it is you have gone, you will tell your friends, you can not believe how stupid they are. And you may fool them but really you are only fooling yourself.

And so I say again...


162 posted on 01/19/2005 10:50:57 PM PST by BJungNan (Cut government spending 3 percent, get the same job done.)
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To: BJungNan

O


163 posted on 01/19/2005 11:02:17 PM PST by 1_Inch_Group
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To: Happy2BMe

bttt


164 posted on 01/20/2005 12:00:56 AM PST by lainde
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To: bayourod
"Is that your idea of an intelligent comment?

No Bayourod, that's the truth. Even if this turns out to be nothing shouldn't it at least serve as a wake-up call that we need to take border security serious in this country? Instead of questioning my intelligence you'd be better served if you question the intelligence of this administration when it comes to border security and illegal immigration.

165 posted on 01/20/2005 5:07:00 AM PST by blaquebyrd
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To: RobRoy

The only thing i can think of is that some reporter got wind of this somehow so the Feds had to tell them something
how accurate it is who knows but the fact that the officials around Boston are running around says that something is making them nervous


166 posted on 01/20/2005 5:09:04 AM PST by DM1
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To: 1_Inch_Group
Never said it was. It was act of terrorism, and you said we hadn't had one.

You need to learn the difference between a terrorist act (which is geared to influence society in general) and a hate crime, which was what this was before you continue down this line of reasoning.

167 posted on 01/20/2005 6:17:02 AM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does)
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To: GOP_1900AD

China is a new member of the WTO and is experiencing unprecedented economic growth. The LAST thing they are going to do right now is rick getting caught sponsoring terrorist acts that would end up hurting them a whole lot more than they would hurt us.


168 posted on 01/20/2005 6:20:57 AM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does)
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To: GOP_1900AD
You're wrong. Chinese generally use cash to buy things. In the main, they abhor consumer debt.

You are thinking of the China of 10 years ago, the Chinese are modernizing fast in all things, including attitudes towards debt. They noe have credit cards for the first time. But that's beside the point. China's per capita income is $5000. Ours is $40000. Eight percent of China's imports come from the US.

169 posted on 01/20/2005 6:27:58 AM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does)
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To: BJungNan
You definately are a liberal troll on here. First you try to win the arguement by calling people names. Then you try to change the subject when you are called on a point. Finally, when no one is buying your argument, you pout off like a child, accusing everyone else of being children.

It's called "going to bed." You should try it sometime. And inserting Mexican carjackers into a conversation on terrorism was idiotic. God, I just love it when people shilling for union special interests accuse ME of being liberal.

And so I say again...

Please don't. It was lame the first time you used it. As a commedian, you make an excellent paranoid conspiracy theorist. Don't give up your day job.

170 posted on 01/20/2005 6:32:34 AM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does)
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To: RWR8189

How would you set up or transport an effective "dirty bomb'?

Let's say you had enough radioactive goop to contaminate an acre so badly that you'd get a lethal dose standing in the middle of it for one year.

Now scrape it all up into a box you can carry around- let's say a 1x1x1 foot box.

You'd get a lethal dose in 13 minutes!

Now consider that you have to grind or chop or powder your stuff first, then pack it in the casing. At 13 minutes per lethal dose, you will need lots of volunteers, or a government lab.

Even then, shielding would be very heavy if you wanted to store or move it. A 1.5' box made of lead a couple inches thick would weigh in at about a half ton.

As current as these news items are, this was considered and rejected in 1939-1942 by both the Manhattan Project scientists and the German bomb researchers. They both independently thought about using reactor waste (pile waste they called it then), and decided that there was no practical way to make an effective weapon. Guys like Teller, Oppenheimer, Feinman.

Now, as a fantasy threat, one that requires the US media to aid and abet the terrorists by going absolutely nuts over ANY amount of radioactivity, now that's a possibility.

I envision Dan Rather with a micro-R meter on a sidewalk in NY demanding that Bush DO SOMETHING about the 30 micro-R reading on the meter (sidewalks, granite buildings, and cinder blocks all emit radiation a little. A gas mantle lantern uses thorium to get a bright white light and the thorium will make a geiger sing). But people seeing Dan's act would fear the outdoors.

There is the real threat, our news people here at home. They can help the terrorists by magnifying a miniscule threat into a huge problem.



171 posted on 01/20/2005 7:11:19 AM PST by DBrow
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To: DBrow
There is the real threat, our news people here at home. They can help the terrorists by magnifying a miniscule threat into a huge problem.

Bingo.

172 posted on 01/20/2005 7:15:53 AM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does)
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To: hosepipe

Hhmmmm.... and Ted Kennedy wound up on the NO-FLY list...
coincidence ?... I think not !


173 posted on 01/20/2005 7:44:37 AM PST by RS (They'll get my warped sense of humor when they pry it out of my cold, dead neurons...)
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To: presidio9
You need to learn the difference between a terrorist act (which is geared to influence society in general) and a hate crime, which was what this was before you continue down this line of reasoning.

Hmmm. Did even you read the other article? These people's throats were slit because they were outspoken against Islam. Islamic fanatics terrorised this family to prevent further dissent in the future.

A hate crime would be spray painting a swastika or something on their garage door. Slitting their throats, Islamic Execution style....is terrorism. An act designed to influence the Coptic Christian society in general.

You must like the taste of feet.

174 posted on 01/20/2005 7:47:12 AM PST by 1_Inch_Group
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Comment #175 Removed by Moderator

To: 1_Inch_Group; presidio9

I tend to go with "hate crime" also on this - it would move into terrorism when the video tapes wind up on al-jazera.

Terrorists don't wait to make people guess what happened.


176 posted on 01/20/2005 7:54:43 AM PST by RS (They'll get my warped sense of humor when they pry it out of my cold, dead neurons...)
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To: ALIPAC

Truely a useful and well-thought out post. I use FACTS to show you you are wrong. You make baseless accusations. There can be no debat on this: We are FAR more valuable to the Chinese economically than they are to us. And the idea that China "threatens to nuke us on a yearly basis" is laughable. Perhaps you have them confused with the North Koreans? They DO look somewhat similiar. Most Chinese don't have the funds to immigrate, have better opportunities in their own country, and are probably not permitted to leave anyway. So Chinese immigration is -for the moment- a dead issue. But let's keep in mind that the issue here is not immigration, it is security against terrorism. In today's paper the person most vocal about calling this a credible threat is the Border Agents Union Rep. What does that tell you?

I don't have a problem spotting a security threat. You just have all your facts straight.


177 posted on 01/20/2005 8:00:59 AM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does)
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To: RS
Terrorists don't wait to make people guess what happened

I don't need to guess on this one, come on RS, neither do you. They spoke out against Islam...were threatened, then slaughtered in Islamic Tradition.

What's to guess? Hate Crime? I can respect your opinion, but no. I doubt someone with the sole motivation of hating Egyptians/Christians did this. Think they would have the stones to hogtie an 8 year old and slit her throat while she's pleading for her life? While her family is pleading for her life? They were killed to make a point to not speak out against Islam...typical terrorism to control the population. Same as in their home countries.

Your typical "racist" didn't commit this crime. But, we're getting way off point....

178 posted on 01/20/2005 8:01:28 AM PST by 1_Inch_Group
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To: presidio9; ALIPAC
I don't have a problem spotting a security threat

LMAO!

You just have all your facts straight.

Yes, he does...I'm goin' back to bed...this conversation is making my migraine come back.

ALIPAC, tag. ;)

179 posted on 01/20/2005 8:04:21 AM PST by 1_Inch_Group
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To: presidio9
The so-call "Chinese terrorists" are drug dealers, and nothing more.

Feel free to back up and prove that statement.

180 posted on 01/20/2005 8:05:44 AM PST by Marine Inspector (Customs & Border Protection Officer)
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