FBI: SEARCH FOR 'DIRTY BOMB' IN BOSTON
January 19, 2005 1:45 PM   Subscribe

FBI: SEARCH FOR 'DIRTY BOMB' IN BOSTON The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Placed On Standby Status...Developing...
posted by ZenMasterThis (79 comments total)
 
You couldn't wait until there was something substantial?

Tell you what-- I'll let you know if I feel nauseous or my hair and teeth fall out.
posted by Mayor Curley at 1:48 PM on January 19, 2005


Great. Just what I need tonight, the subway to be filled with thousands of paniced people fleeing the city.
posted by bondcliff at 1:50 PM on January 19, 2005


The links from Drudge are overwhelmed, but the story comes from a guy who ran some Chinese and Iraqis over the Mexican border and got some info from the iraqis on "material that would follow them from New York to Boston"

Yesterday in Berkeley there was a sign on San Pablo saying something about how Republicans should pray on Jan. 20th and something about how "sometimes God comes through!!!". There were two cops out taking pictures of the sign.
posted by Gankmore at 1:54 PM on January 19, 2005


Not much news but my cousin IM'ed me about the massive FBI presence in Boston right now. The threat is hopefully not real but the response is.

Here's a news story on it.
posted by fenriq at 1:55 PM on January 19, 2005


Try this link at boston.com.
posted by enrevanche at 1:56 PM on January 19, 2005


More here

Does "two Iraqis and four Chinese" beat a full house?
posted by bondcliff at 1:56 PM on January 19, 2005


Well be safe regardless Boston.
Love.
posted by Divine_Wino at 1:57 PM on January 19, 2005


For the GoogleNews-challenged, ABC news sez:


Law enforcement agencies warned of possible terror suspects
Jan 19, 14:51

BOSTON (AP) - The F-B-I has notified law enforcement agencies in Boston to be on the lookout for four people described as possible terror suspects who may be headed to the Boston area.

A federal law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity tells The Associated Press that the F-B-I's joint terrorism task force has not yet corroborated a tip that terror suspects may have entered the U-S through Mexico in recent days.

The official says the tip came from an unidentified individual and is similar to dozens received by law enforcement agencies each week.

A spokesman for Governor Romney says the governor is returning from Washington D-C this evening.

M-B-T-A Deputy Chief Paul MacMillan says they issued an "alert bulletin" to its officers. But he says there was no specific threat or target indicated and no indication it was transportation related.

F-B-I spokeswoman Gail Marcinkiewicz (MAR-sin'-KEV-ich) says the terror alert has NOT been raised in Boston.

posted by 40 Watt at 1:57 PM on January 19, 2005


The state Emergency Management Agency has partially activated its emergency response team, with representatives from the Department of Public Health, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the State Police now holed up in the emergency bunker in Framingham until the threat has passed.

Well, thank god they're safe!
posted by mudpuppie at 1:58 PM on January 19, 2005


The articles say its just one person saying there's a chance of a threat.

Makes me wonder if this is just a test run by the terrorists to see how quickly and how hysterical the response is.
posted by fenriq at 1:59 PM on January 19, 2005


Great. Just what I need tonight, the subway to be filled with thousands of paniced people fleeing the city.

Only to have it revealed that it was total bullshit.

Bondcliff- You might as well go get a beer after work, dude. I have a feeling that the trains and commuter rail will be more trouble than they're worth for a few hours. And I was just on Route 9 and it's packed.
posted by Mayor Curley at 1:59 PM on January 19, 2005


"Drudge Posts Alarmist Story, Will Take It Down And Never Mention It Again In Thirty Minutes"

"In Other News, Drudge Articles Blast Rather's Journalistic Integrity"
posted by dougunderscorenelso at 2:01 PM on January 19, 2005


no cheesy flashing police light gif? you're slipping drudge

ZenMasterThis clearly perceives MetaFilter's dire, urgent need for more single-DrugeReport-link FPPs.



Metafilter: we have our priorities in order, and some of us even know how to follow-up with supplementary links!
posted by ZenMasterThis at 2:02 PM on January 19, 2005


For the sake of argument, let's say this is a real terrorist plot. The reason for choosing tomorrow is reasonably obvious but why Boston?

In reality, I sure as shit hope this is either wrong or that the government can prevent it.
posted by billsaysthis at 2:03 PM on January 19, 2005




For a terrorist with a limited budget, a good attack would be to DoS the law enforcement with a lot of spurious leads.

Not saying that's what this is at all, but that the current incident response infrastructure can't readily deal with those sorts of attacks on it, afaik.
posted by sonofsamiam at 2:07 PM on January 19, 2005


Are we scared yet?
posted by rushmc at 2:07 PM on January 19, 2005


This is the worst thing to base a massive manhunt on EVAR.

That said, I entirely understand it, because if (one in a million chance) a bomb DOES go off, the American people will ask, as one with fists raised, "Why didn't you immediately raid every Boston home after hearing that anonymous, baseless tip???" Is there some word for vaccinating yourself against hindsight derision?
posted by dougunderscorenelso at 2:08 PM on January 19, 2005


For the sake of argument, let's say this is a real terrorist plot. The reason for choosing tomorrow is reasonably obvious but why Boston?

Are you saying we're not bomb-able? We are bomb-able, my friend.

Maybe the terrorists are Yankees fans.
posted by bondcliff at 2:11 PM on January 19, 2005


Doug: I think it's called a paranoid overreation.

My question is, if this tipster guy is even remotely for real, why on earth would he help these people over the border if he is genuinely concerned/convinced about this bomb? He's worried enough to call the feds, but not enough to not help these guys get into the country in the first place?
posted by orangskye at 2:12 PM on January 19, 2005


A few theories, orange: He was part of it but got screwed, he realized what was happening once he was mid-operation, he vaguely knew about it but just shut it out until he got paid, guilt's been gnawing at him, etc.

Maybe he doesn't want anything traced back to him if they get caught, maybe he wants to avoid a carpet-bombing of Mexico for his help?

None of these are THAT great, but some of them have been decent recents for anonymous tipsters in the past....
posted by dougunderscorenelso at 2:18 PM on January 19, 2005


make that "recents" into a "reasons."
posted by dougunderscorenelso at 2:19 PM on January 19, 2005


orangskye-- This way, he's getting cash money from the foreign dudes AND the feds!
posted by availablelight at 2:20 PM on January 19, 2005


I'm feeling safe at the moment, because I'm confident the people who might perpetrate such a deed will sure as sh*t not be dumb enough to discuss their plan with some mule.

If/when it happens, I don't expect a warning...
posted by jalexei at 2:21 PM on January 19, 2005


**sigh** I keep getting the plot of "24" confused with real life.
posted by milovoo at 2:28 PM on January 19, 2005


what happened to my comments?
posted by rocket_skates at 2:29 PM on January 19, 2005


But Boston is a blue city.

Terrorist: Do not bomb blue states/cities, we'll leave you alone as soon as we win the presidency!
posted by lacus at 2:34 PM on January 19, 2005


They always said the Red Sox winning the world series was a sign of the apocalypse, I didn't think that the horsemen would be smuggled over the border though.
posted by Arch Stanton at 2:36 PM on January 19, 2005


we'll leave you alone as soon as we win the presidency!

now there's a winning campaign platform!
posted by rocket_skates at 2:37 PM on January 19, 2005


It'd be a lot easier to be nonchalant and focus on the aforementioned unusualities -- the single informant, the fact that many similar calls are received yet this is the only one to merit a response, the inauguration coincidence -- if so many people I loved weren't in that city. Fuck. Love and prayers to them all.
posted by Coherence Panda at 2:40 PM on January 19, 2005


There's a guy in Boston who I'd like to see die of ass cancer, but I wouldn't wish a dirty bomb attack on anyone else there.

So the obvious solution is for the rest of you to move. Or to piss me off. I'm good with either.
posted by solid-one-love at 2:40 PM on January 19, 2005


It's all good people. Jack Bauer is working the case.
posted by brheavy at 2:46 PM on January 19, 2005


The Department of Homeland Security just released this computer-generated image of what an irradiated Johnny Damon might look like. Then they urged people not to panic:


posted by Mayor Curley at 2:51 PM on January 19, 2005


Damon looks much better with the Jesus thing going on. That is frightening.
posted by brheavy at 2:55 PM on January 19, 2005


Is it me or did the url in the FPP change from Drudge to Boston.com?

If it didn't change then I must apologize for posting the same news story in the comments.
posted by fenriq at 2:58 PM on January 19, 2005


It changed.
posted by sonofsamiam at 2:59 PM on January 19, 2005


does Johnny read DrudgeFilter, Mayor? you're gonna scare him if he does. Damon's Samson hair thing makes a lot of sense to me
posted by matteo at 3:00 PM on January 19, 2005


the thread's been touched up
posted by rocket_skates at 3:02 PM on January 19, 2005


The reason for choosing tomorrow is reasonably obvious but why Boston?

Wasn't Boston Logan the airport of choice for two of the 9/11 kamikaze planes because of perceptions of lax security -- the "Athens" of America? In truth, no place is altogether impenetrable (the big cities being especially vulnerable) but it is perceptions and successes that linger longest with terrorists.
posted by terrier319 at 3:04 PM on January 19, 2005


Ooh great. Lets completely focus on this obvious 'threat' in Boston, which we're basing on a single informant.

Hmm. Seems like someone's setting up a nice magic trick to me, here- while everyone's looking at the distraction in Boston, where is the real trick going to happen?
posted by id at 3:09 PM on January 19, 2005


I blame Bush.

If it was nothing, then I blame Bush for causing Drudge to over-react, without even changing the terror color.

If it is something then I blame Bush for under-reacting.

If it was nothing then I blame Bush for creating a culture of fear.

If it is something then I blame Bush for not creating enough security.

If it was nothing then I blame Bush for racial profiling.

If it's something then I blame Bush for not doing enough racial profiling.
posted by thedevildancedlightly at 3:14 PM on January 19, 2005


where is the real trick going to happen?
DC or here in NY, of course. I'd agree with terrier about Boston being perceived as being one of the most lax about security (although every city has enormous problems).
posted by amberglow at 3:14 PM on January 19, 2005


Someone call Curt Shilling. Let's get that mother fucker on the case.
posted by The God Complex at 3:17 PM on January 19, 2005


Before I scrolled down, I seriously thought thedevildancedlightly's post was by nofundy. And was sincere.
posted by jenleigh at 3:25 PM on January 19, 2005


Fear is control.
posted by Nelson at 3:25 PM on January 19, 2005


"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration."
posted by id at 3:41 PM on January 19, 2005


Well, I certainly feel this justifies in advance any seemingly excessive exercise of police muscle that may take place at a large public gathering sometime in the next 24 hours or so.
posted by gigawhat? at 3:44 PM on January 19, 2005


I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
posted by koeselitz at 3:46 PM on January 19, 2005


Well, I certainly feel this justifies in advance any seemingly excessive exercise of police muscle that may take place at a large public gathering sometime in the next 24 hours or so.

Maybe the story's been planted for that purpose? That would be clever.
posted by mudpuppie at 3:49 PM on January 19, 2005


gigawhat, good point and nicely foreshadowed too.
posted by fenriq at 4:07 PM on January 19, 2005


Maybe if the Feddle Gummint spent less time requiring airline passengers take their shoes off and more time watching who comes into this country from Mexico, this kind of thing would be less likely to happen.

If somebody wanted to INVADE us, they could just walk their army over the Mexican border and nobody would pay any attention.
posted by Enron Hubbard at 4:20 PM on January 19, 2005


It has to be a disgruntled Colts fan.
posted by euphorb at 4:25 PM on January 19, 2005


I didn't want to say this where they could read it, but I've had a feeling when I heard all the publicity about how much security there's going to be at the CoronInauguration, that it would be a golden opportunity for terrorists to strike anyplace esle...
posted by wendell at 4:33 PM on January 19, 2005


sounds like a diversionary tactic to me
posted by pyramid termite at 4:43 PM on January 19, 2005


Before I scrolled down, I seriously thought thedevildancedlightly's post was by nofundy. And was sincere.

Thanks for sharing.
posted by rushmc at 4:53 PM on January 19, 2005


For a terrorist with a limited budget, a good attack would be to DoS the law enforcement with a lot of spurious leads.

That's why we have the National Guard. Oh wait...they're busy guarding the nation...in Iraq.
posted by fatbobsmith at 5:46 PM on January 19, 2005


At least somebody got some good from this. Gov. Mitt Romney has ducked out on tomorrow's giant circle-jerk and headed back to Mass.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 5:59 PM on January 19, 2005


It has come to our attention that several foreign individuals from countries outside the United States may or may not have been seen with some type of material in or around the Metro area. The material may in fact be some form of substance, and officials have speculated that this substance (or material) could be used in some kind of harm-causing terror attack, causing harm and terror, and possibly damage. The foreign individuals in question are now being actively sought by officials, with a view to ascertaining the nature, if any, of this material (or substance) and what potential it may have (if any) to cause harm, terror, and damage.

Officals ask that anyone posessing pertinent information about foreign individuals, materials (or substances), or any potential harm- and terror-causing damage please contact them at your earliest opportunity.
posted by rusty at 6:04 PM on January 19, 2005


Update: the above information was obtained from a person. Pictures of foreign individuals were left at a location. The pictures at the location have been exhaustively analyzed, and analysts have conclusively determined them to be pictures of foreign individuals.

Pictures of the substance (or material) have not yet been obtained. Officials further ask that anyone in posession of pictures of a material or substance to please deposit these pictures at a location for immediate analysis.
posted by rusty at 6:09 PM on January 19, 2005


That Damon pic sure puts a face on the horror.
posted by humannature at 6:15 PM on January 19, 2005


If/when it happens, I don't expect a warning...

But you will get one (if you look hard enough.) Remember how once upon a time John Poindexter proposed (and got canned for) his suggestion that we create a "terror market"? Markets do have incredible predictive power, so Poindexter had half a good idea. Although his "terror market" wasn't realized, there actually is, right now, a functioning terror market that tipped off 9/11, the Spanish Train Bombings and even the Russian School attack. The one problem with this terror market is that it gives false positives. But , it always properly prices in (and hence predicts) the largest terror attacks early. Do you need to worry about the Govt. issued terror threats when this (terror market) is hitting highs? No way, nothing to sweat at all. So, what about this warning today: The market is pricing in extremely negative news right now. Could it be a false positive? Sure. But it could also be the real thing. I am happy I am not in a big "target" city right now I guess is all I'm saying. Oh Yeah, where can you find this terror market to look yourself? I'll give you a hint-- EBAY's earning really weren't that bad...
posted by wtfwjd? at 7:06 PM on January 19, 2005


...that should have read: "MANY false positives"
posted by wtfwjd? at 7:07 PM on January 19, 2005


I don't want to derail, but...

I wonder why America doesn't have decent organized crime networks. Really. I remember there was a joking comment in the hitman/bustout thread, and it hit me - we're trying to fight organized crime with police power, which isn't working that well. But since when were there ever Muslim terrorists in Shenzhen? The triads & commies would bust out some ninjafu and make martyrs indeed. How would Il Duce have dealt with Osama-ites on his turf, you know? How would the crips & bloods deal with Moroccan thugs pimpin' Indonesian sex-slave junkies on the strip? What would Tony Montana do with Pakistani opium suppliers? How would that dude with the one eye from Gangs of New York keep Al Queda weapon smuggling controlled in Queens?

In an instinctive way, it makes sense that gangs tend to protect their turf. Al Queda gets its money like any other gang and does operations like any other gang, and if they were going to dirty bomb Boston, it seems like that would piss off the criminal overlords of that city. I don't know of anyone except a few whacky domestic fanatics who have ever infiltrated the yakuza territory of Tokyo, where crime is kept at a sustainable minimum. I'm just guessing here, but wouldn't our own networks of fucked-up, interested criminals be a good deterrent against infiltration by other criminals? If Al-Queda operatives knew they'd get beaten and burned by KKK members or strung up and circular-sawed all boyz in tha hood style, it seems to me they'd be a little less inclined to try whatever it is they try (if they try at all - orange/yellow/whatever alert my ass, just tell me what's up already).

There are a lot of governments who seed and support their criminal organizations for their own devious purposes. The Chinese government uses triad gangs to nail down democracy activists in Hong Kong (it's hard to find good links on this because of the Great Celestial Nanny), the Burmese government basically is paid for and comprised of members of the drug-trafficking insurgent armies, and I think everyone here knows that the Kurdish factions are being used to save American soldiers a lot of work in northern Iraq. I understand that it could go wrong in a lot of ways, but if you just paid mob hitmen to kill off these six (IF this information is reliable) and kept the public calm, would all this clamor and police projection be necessary? It seems to me that if there was a secretly allowed organized crime element in Boston, then you could get your kingpin to protect his turf, tap into the criminal network when you really need it (which wouldn't be too often, because then the public would get suspicious), and we could avoid this whole business of bogus terror alerts altogether. Using so much police power seems like a waste for six people who anybody important in the criminal sphere would probably be informed about.

Unless this isn't about finding terrorists at all, which seems most likely to me. Anyway, it's just something to think about. Hope everyone's okay.
posted by saysthis at 8:11 PM on January 19, 2005


Couldn't happen to a nicer town.
posted by a3matrix at 8:15 PM on January 19, 2005


Just an excuse to increase security in DC and jail any protester.
posted by lacus at 8:23 PM on January 19, 2005


Well said, Saythis.


Was gonna write a big reply, then read it and it looked like crazed ranting..

You guys got lucky..... This Time!!
posted by Balisong at 9:13 PM on January 19, 2005


I think I'll be staying in for a while, or at the very least refrain from carrying any brown packages. Nothing more suspicious than an Asian man carrying a giant unmarked box.

I swear I can't tell those guys apart from some of my friends. And I'm Asian!
posted by superchicken at 10:12 PM on January 19, 2005


Couldn't happen to a nicer town.

Sure it could. Like the central Mass shit stain that you're stuck in.
posted by Mayor Curley at 1:30 AM on January 20, 2005


who'd a thought some mexican could pull off the best troll ever, with just a couple phone calls. hilarious.
posted by jimjam at 2:22 AM on January 20, 2005


Spoken like a true Masshole Mayor. Guess I should update my profile. I fled the peoples republic.
And for what its worth, central Mass is much nicer than anything east of 495.
posted by a3matrix at 5:32 AM on January 20, 2005


So I take it that this all turned out to be utter bullshit? Boston is still standing, no one has been arrested, etc?
posted by five fresh fish at 9:59 AM on January 20, 2005


Be ever vigilant, five fresh fish. Watchfulness is patriotism.
posted by Nelson at 10:42 AM on January 20, 2005


I spent most of my life in central Mass... It is a shitstain. I'd be east of the 495 anyday.
posted by davros42 at 3:16 PM on January 20, 2005


So I take it that this all turned out to be utter bullshit? Boston is still standing, no one has been arrested, etc?

Imagine that.
posted by rushmc at 10:42 PM on January 20, 2005


That's pretty weird how on the week of the inaugauration, the city of the man who challenged him for the election is hit with a "dirty bomb" scare. It's almost like someone is saying "Don't fuck with me". By someone I mean Al Qaeda, of course.
posted by cell divide at 10:46 PM on January 20, 2005


Oh, but it's not all over. Now there are 16 boogeymen scaring Boston. Er, except it's still uncorroborated and from a source of unknown reliability and motive. Feeling safer yet? No? Good! Mission accomplished.
posted by Nelson at 8:04 AM on January 21, 2005


Today's NYT says that "One of the Chinese citizens sought for questioning in connection with an unspecified, unconfirmed threat against the city of Boston has been in United States custody for more than two months."

hoax
posted by reflecked at 1:38 AM on January 23, 2005


And now it's confirmed, the whole thing was a hoax.
Baja California state prosecutors said the tip was made by People trafficker Jose Ernesto Beltran, who called a law enforcement agency in California while high on drink and drugs to warn that a group of Chinese migrants planned to launch an attack.

"He was going to take the Chinese overbut they didn't pay him,'' prosecutor's office spokesman, Moises Uribe, said by telephone from the city of Mexicali.

"He then took revenge by calling 911 in the United States and telling them that the group planned to carry out a terror attack on Boston,'' he added.
So who is the instrument of our terror?
posted by Nelson at 1:26 PM on January 26, 2005


"We have met the enemy, and he is us.
posted by five fresh fish at 1:55 PM on January 26, 2005


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