Feds Probe Attempted Explosive Purchase

[CottonBear]

Feds Probe Attempted Explosive Purchase

Wednesday January 5, 2005 6:01 PM

By JOHN SOLOMON

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal authorities searched Wednesday for a man using a Middle Eastern name and possible bogus construction credentials to try to purchase large quantities of the same explosive used by Timothy McVeigh to blow up the Oklahoma City federal building.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said there is no indication yet that terrorism is involved, but the agency is still checking information that came from a company in Canada that reported the attempted purchase as suspicious.

ATF is asking the fertilizer and explosives industries to help locate the man and to report any suspicious inquiries for the fertilizer chemical ammonium nitrate, which is used to make so-called fertilizer bombs.

snip

``ATF has recently been made aware of a suspicious attempt by an individual to purchase mass quantities of ammonium nitrate, specifically between 500 to 1,000 metric tons,'' the alert said. ``This individual, who uses a Middle Eastern name, purports to be a representative of a construction corporation. However, indications are that this is most likely false.

more...
link:
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-4712927,00.html>

[unpossibles]

1. they got his picture this time too!

[CottonBear]

2. He could go undercover as a special op in Iraq! n/t

[ET Awful]

3. Tim McVeigh didn't buy explosives, he bought fuel oil and

ammonium nitrate. Why are they trying to mislead in this article? I can understand investigating the situation, but for shits sake, they should at least get their facts straight.

It was an ANFO bomb, which is a fertilizer and fuel oil mixture. The substance has been used in other domestic terror attacks in the past (anyone remember the bombing of the Army Math building at the University of Wisconsin?

The fact remains that ammonium nitrate itself is not an explosive, and thus someone attempting to buy ammonium nitrate can not be said to have attempted to purchase explosives. That's like saying someone who attempted to purchase sugar was attempting to purchase chocolate chip cookies.