Women facing terrorism charges for white powder incident
January 5, 2007, 1:05 PM EST
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Two sisters face terrorism charges after a white powder believed to be salt fell out of one of their pockets in the booking area of Bridgeport Police headquarters. A Fairfield woman and her sister, who is from Jordan, were arrested Thursday after triggering a hazardous materials emergency, police said. The building and the surrounding streets were closed most of the afternoon and into the evening. No one was injured, but 14 people _ civilian detention officers, police officers and six prisoners _ had to take showers in the Fire Department's decontamination trailer. Their clothing was also bagged.
The women, Cari Altayeb of Fairfield and Anaahn Altayeb of Jordan, were charged with acts of terrorism in connection with that incident. They also face charges of first-degree breach of peace and threatening stemming from a child custody dispute in front of the state Department of Children and Families' city office earlier in the day. The DCF incident had led to their arrest and the powder incident in the booking area. The women were being held in lieu of $1 million bond. The women's lawyer, Robert Berke, who said he had not talked to his clients, blasted police Thursday night. "They overreacted. The (terrorism) charge is extreme. The bond is extreme," Berke said.
On Thursday, the women were acting suspiciously and dropped white powder, possibly salt, outside of the DCF office, police said. After they were arrested by city police and brought to the booking area on the second floor, some of the powder fell from one of the women's pockets, Lt. James Viadero said. Police called the Fire Department. The Fairfield County Hazardous Materials Team, the FBI, state police and Scott Appleby, the city's emergency management director, responded. "We don't take anything lightly," Viadero said.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. Authorities say a Minnesota truck driver stopped east of Sioux Falls on Interstate 90 had a journal that made references to damaging a bridge in California and sinking an aircraft carrier. The F-B-I was called to investigate.
The journal also made a reference to shutting down the Minnesota Capitol. The 40-year-old driver was detained, but he was not arrested.
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Police find more explosives in Vizcaya
Friday, January 05, 2007
A metal drum containing 70 kilos of explosives has been discovered next to a parked vehicle in Atxondo, near Durango in Vizcaya. The Ertaintza (the Basque police) believe that the terrorists who used a hideout in Amorebieta which was found on 23rd December might have used the vehicle. A member of the Basque Government believes that the explosives were destined for immediate use. Furthermore, the news agency ‘La SER’ has found out that the mobile phone used to give the bomb warning in Madrid was activated on the 23rd December.
The information on the mobile telephone reinforces the theory that the car found in Atxondo was abandoned following the discovery of the terrorist's hidout in Amorebieta. It is believed that this also forced the ETA cell to change their plans and to detain a mountaineer from Oñate whose van, a Renault Traffic, was then used for the bomb in Barajas airport.
Excerpted
http://www.euroresidentes.com/Blogs/2007/01/police-find-more-explosives-in-vizcaya.html