Guardsman Charged in Five Bomb Threats.

September 19, 2001 5:13 AM

Guardsman Charged in Five Bomb Threats. A Tennessee Army National Guard sergeant from Smyrna was arrested yesterday on charges he made five threats of terrorist bombings against two National Guard facilities in Nashville in the past week.

(What was someone saying about "friends like these"?)
posted by tpoh.org (6 comments total)

I'm not from the US so hearing there's a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is something of a surprise. Alcohol and tobacco I can conceivably see being tarred with the same brush but firearms too? What's the common thread?
posted by vbfg at 5:42 AM on September 19, 2001

Legal but easily abused?
posted by whatnotever at 5:43 AM on September 19, 2001

This is the (in)famous "ATF" you heard mentioned so many times in relation to the Branch Davidian debacle in Waco, TX.
posted by tpoh.org at 7:48 AM on September 19, 2001

hey, a firing squad does wonders for military morale.
posted by newnameintown at 8:17 AM on September 19, 2001

They're actually part of the IRS (tax collectors)
Alcohol, tobacco and firearms (and explosives, although that didn't make their title) are all:
--Federally licensed (Distilleries, Tobacco Production, Firearm Production, etc.).
--Federally taxed, including taxes on interstate commerce.
The ATF was originally just the IRS police force, but has carved out this regulation-heavy section of law (technically regulation) enforcement from the US Marshals and FBI.
There's a pretty good history on their website.
It's amazing how many other folks have been doing bomb threats.. Here's my favorite jerk these days -- Amazing what people are doing to get out of work.
posted by JoshBerman at 9:52 AM on September 19, 2001

Thanks, it makes sense now. I had visions of one hell of a weekend.
posted by vbfg at 2:06 PM on September 19, 2001