Lethal Backpack Bomb Found Along MLK Day Parade Route
- Posted on January 18, 2011 at 9:34pm by
Meredith Jessup
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SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The FBI offered a reward Tuesday for information about a potentially lethal bomb found in a backpack along the downtown route of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade.
Image: KREM-TV
The discovery before Monday’s parade for the slain civil rights leader raised the possibility of a racial motive in a region that has been home to the white supremacist Aryan Nations.
“The confluence of the holiday, the march and the device is inescapable,” said Frank Harrill, special agent in charge of the Spokane FBI office. “But we are not at the point where we can draw any particular motive.”
He called the planting of the bomb an act of domestic terrorism that was clearly designed to advance a political or social agenda.
The suspicious backpack was spotted by three city employees about an hour before the parade was to start, Harrill said. They looked inside, saw wires and immediately alerted law enforcement.
The parade route was changed to avoid the device. A bomb disposal unit disabled it without incident, he said.
Harrill declined to release details of the device, other than to call it a functional bomb that could have caused multiple casualties.
“The potential for injury and death were clearly present,” Harrill said.
The FBI received no warnings in advance and did not have a suspect, Harrill said. No one has claimed credit for planting the bomb.
The agency decided to appeal to the public for information and offered the $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
“Subject should be considered armed and dangerous,” the agency said in its announcement.
The agency released photos of the backpack and two shirts found inside.
Another explosive device was found March 23 beside the Thomas S. Foley U.S. Courthouse in downtown Spokane. No arrests have been made in that investigation, Harrill said, and agents didn’t know if the two incidents were related.
The Spokane region and adjacent northern Idaho have had numerous incidents of anti-government and white supremacist activity during the past three decades.
The most visible was by Aryan Nations, whose leader Richard Butler gathered racists and anti-Semites at his compound for two decades. Butler was bankrupted and lost the compound in a civil lawsuit in 2000 and died in 2004.
In December, a man in Hayden, Idaho, built a snowman on his front lawn shaped like a member of the Ku Klux Klan holding a noose. The man knocked the pointy-headed snowman down after getting a visit from sheriff’s deputies.
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Comments (87)
gramma b
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 8:14amI read on another site that whomever made the bomb stuck a pro-life T-shirt in the backpack, to make sure the Right got blamed, apparently.
Report Post »338lapua
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 4:06pmWhich means this thing was mean’t to be FOUND…..not detonated. How very interesting. Very easy to reverse locate just about anything! They should be able to embarass someone real fast if they are on the spot!
Report Post »B4B
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 8:09amThank God it was spotted and nobody was injured.
Report Post »I hope they find the A-hole responsible and lock them up forever.
Bluefish49
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 8:05amI’m sorry but if I was going to plant a backpack bomb I would have made an attenpt to hide it. Something smells really fishy here. I’m sure Fat Head Ed will go on a Tea Party rant today and somehow tie it back To Sara.
Report Post »Hefsmaster
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 8:26amLike, ahh, maybe , like ahh the garbage can?
Report Post »youmustread
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 8:03amWhite Supremacy groups are here for a reason! The govenment forces the laws and the blacks get all the free largesse. “FORCED INTEGRATION LAWS” are a big problem.And they always have been even before the cilvil war. Stand your ground!!! PS When you use your indoor plumming,refrigerater.ect. remember WHITEY
Report Post »SND97
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 7:16amSomebody please check on where William Ayers was that day
Report Post »N37BU6
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 6:39amMake bombs illegal!
Stuff like this would never happen anymore…
Report Post »blanco
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 6:38amI bet it was planted there by the left—-wouldn’t put it past them!
Report Post »jackkemo
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 6:32amRev. Sharpton to the rescue!!! Isn’t it nothing more than “ speculation ” at this point to identify any one ? I wouldn’t be suprised to find out that this was a failed jihadist… Just speculating
Report Post »Scrubmaster
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 5:59amWE must outlaw these bombs,that will stop it.
Report Post »Cuthalu
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 5:08amThis story seems a bit shady.
Report Post »Rights of Man
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 4:38amI plant it, and blame you for it. How convenient.
How many white supremacists do you know? I know exactly zero. The government says they exist, somewhere, but I have never seen them.
I’ve seen any number of black supremacists lately, however. They put some of them on TV talk shows a few times a month so they can call white people “devils”, and other such names. It’s all in defense of black people and the common good, of course.
Report Post »DonaldH
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 5:39amA better question– How many BLACK supremacists do you know?? If you can answer that question honestly, than you may find the answer to your question.
Report Post »If I work for the “Advancement of white people” I’m a“white supremacist” but if I work for the “Advancement of Colored People” then I’m a civil rights leader… 9% of the worlds population is white…. So who’s is the REAL minority?
Wishsong4
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 3:48amThis is unusual for our town. I’m guessing the person who is responsible is not from here…
Report Post »staythecourse
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 3:13ammmmm.,,, standing at a window looking out…. I remember back in the early 80′s (1980′s) I used to live in NYC. For some reason there were a lot of bomb threats going on at the time. One day a group of us were standing at the window looking out as a bomb squad with their big truck showed up along the street. We were fascinated as the bomb robot was positioned and activated to go over to the suspicious package to pick it up and place it in the “bomb van”. My boss, a Nam vet, casually walked into the room, asked what we were doing and then very casually suggested that “perhaps that’s not the best place to stand…next to the window…particularly if the bomb were to go off.” We quickly moved away.
So for future reference guys (and gals)…if a bomb squad does show up… don’t stand at the windows and look out…it might be better to “duck and cover”.
Report Post »jdawg
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 2:42amHopefully they won’t turn this into another Tucson.
http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-spokane/bomb-found-along-spokane-mlk-day-parade-route
Report Post »tbb
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 9:38amDon’t worry the “lamestream media” won’t let a crisis go to waste.
Report Post »Jeff
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 2:38amHa! They are already trying! It is called “gun control”. The only people affected by gun control are the ones who are law-abiding citizens. Is it a wonder with all of their wonderful “gun control”, New Jersey has one of the highest gun-related crime rates? Hmmm, could it be that the criminals know nobody is packing, therefore they can mug anyone they want…? Naaa…..couldn’t be….has to be something else…(extreme sarcasm)
Report Post »DLG1956
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 2:06amWhat, you mean a bomb was built, I thought that was illegal? You mean criminals (and progressives) don’t obey the law? I am truely shocked! I know, lets pass a law that punishes all law abiding citizens and let the criminals (and progressives) go free!
Report Post »TotallyBelievableGuy
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 1:52amCOMMENCE: the blame game!
Report Post »mndjohnson
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 1:51amWow, the next time I am in Spokane I will make sure there is no parade planned.
Report Post »mndjohnson
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 1:48amHe called the planting of the bomb an act of domestic terrorism that was clearly designed to advance a political or social agenda.
Is that what the FBI said about the progressive thug who bit off the finger of a conservative? Is that what the FBI said about the Union thugs who beat up the black man selling little America Flags? Is that what the FBI said about the Muslim (combatant wink wink) who killed all those soldiers on the American military base here in the United Republic of America? Just wondering..
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 1:52amHe called the planting of the bomb an act of domestic terrorism that was clearly designed to advance a political or social agenda.
_______
…aaaaaaand FBI knows that HOW exactly ?
Report Post »CatB
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 1:59amYes and they could be on the left looking to start a domestic war. … They need to be very careful .. one more blaming the wrong people and they could lose what little creditbilty is left.
I do wonder if they found out that was the case .. would we ever learn the truth?
Report Post »CatB
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 2:05amMNDJOHNSON…. don’t forget the Little Rock, AK Recuiting Office Shooting….they pretty much KNEW the motive when they found the guy .. but they CONTINUED to look — perhaps for something anything else.
“While authorities continued to investigate a motive, Thomas said Muhammad is a Muslim convert and, based on preliminary interviews with him, investigators believe there were “political and religious motives” in the shooting.”
http://articles.cnn.com/2009-06-01/justice/arkansas.recruiter.shooting_1_abdulhakim-mujahid-muhammad-soldier-recruiting?_s=PM:CRIME
Report Post »Damocracy
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 1:45amAdd your comments
Report Post »Damocracy
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 1:45amToo many things dont add up here,,,sounds like a plant by the libs so they have more to blame on the right,,,dont believe it,,,its a setup.
Report Post »AwakenedGiant
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 8:56amThat is EXACTLY what I was thinking! This is BS. Read rules for radicals under TACTICS. See this link http://www.crossroad.to/Quotes/communism/alinsky.htm
Also, notice how Obama is speaking about COMPROMISE today regarding the HealthCare reform discussion? See this at the above link “In the Beginning: The Process of Power [Notice the compromise needed to build the power base. Yet, since pragmatism has eroded all values, it’s simply a matter of ends justifying means. It‘s not unlike churches that attract members through the world’s entertainment — then continue to soften or hide Truth in order to keep them happy and lure more”
They are controlling the message, they have us second guessing our speech two weeks after Tucson. Its time to understand what we are dealing with, and react properly!!!!
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 11:40amNo question about it.
This has the fingerprints of Woodrow Wilson, George Soros, Edward Bernays, Saul Alinsky and Frances Fox Piven all over it.
Those bastards!
Report Post »Tyr
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 2:21pmDrako, stop wih the stupid comments. O.K.? Anyone here will be more than happy to debate with you, no problem. But if you insist on writting stupid little cutting comments I am only left to conclude that yo are some Socialist/Marxist scum. If you are one of those communist-loving pieces of living breathing excrement you are not welcome here. And we will all make it a point to let you know that whenever possible. Know this little man, you are not “getting to us” or changing our opinions regardless of what you write. We know what you are, what you and your ilk stand for and want to do to “fundamentally transform America”. We also know we outnumber the lefitist Socialist/Marxists at a ratio of about 5:1 in this country. If I were you I would pick my side carefully or go someplace else were you matter. Because you LESS than matter here!
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on January 22, 2011 at 10:59am@TYR
Obviously I did not mean to be taken literally.
But if you look at some of the comments here you will find “left wing, liberal socialists,“ people ”on the left looking to start a domestic war,“ ”a plant by the libs“ ”a government sponsored and orchestrated fairy tale presentation,” the FBI, the TSA and even Bill Ayers suggested as culprits.(Probably think the suggestion of Ayers as the culprit was meant to be sarcastic, but the others have the ring of sincerity about them.)
Sorry not to have replied sooner, but I do have a life, which does not in any way involve advancing socialism or communism or seeking to “fundamentally transform America.” In fact, I am quite satisfied with America as it is.
Report Post »home_of_the_brave
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 1:43amWhy am I not suppressed to hear of this. Gov’t saves people from yet another potential threat. Next TSA can pat people down on the streets.
Report Post »Highland
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 7:49amMetal detectors on every street corner! Woo hoo, we feel so much safer now.
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 1:42amIt doesn’t surprise me. I suspect that it was left to point a finger at the white race and imply that we are still racist. It gives sharpton and all the others more to rant about. If that were the case and that was true, it would have been used against the people in the parade, and it was not. I think it was purposely placed to cause further division between the races.
Report Post »GOTT-EM-MAUSER
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 10:50amCongratulations you are the WINNER!!
You can rest assured that the $20,000 Reward is coming from the same “Agency Budget” as the paychecks for those that dropped the pack on the bench. It was INTENDED to be “Discovered” at just the right time for maximum effect, and MINIMUM RISK. This reeks of Classic Federal Law Enforcement “Rope-A-Dope” operations, intended to further the Regime’s Agenda by PR/MEDIA Manipulation.
If the Aryan Brotherhood(Or ANY OTHER REAL THREAT) had been involved, the “Bomb” wouldn’t have been in place hours ahead of the event, to be “Discovered” by other govt. workers. The “Bomb” wouldn’t have been placed on a bench in a backpack in plain sight. The “Bomb” would have gone BOOM, right on schedule!!!
This is NOTHING but another Government Sponsored and Orchestrated Fairy Tale Presentation, intended to achieve the “Atmosphere” they want and need right now. When Rham Rhambo “Deadfish” Emmanual said, “Never let a crisis go to waste!” he just left off the second part of that Government Directive. “And, if you have no crisis, get busy and CREATE ONE”!!
Report Post »Tyr
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 11:33ammauser, you hit the nail on the head. I don’t understand why more people on this site still seem unable to see through this propaganda. If the bomb squad thought it was really dangerous they would have blown it in place to avoid accidental detonation and possible injury to their personnel. If they have the device, as it sounds, they should be able to trace the componets to the perpetrators. Smells fishy to me. I think it was MS-13 myself.
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 11:41amSeems more likely it was left by actual white racists to intimate black people.
But, of course, until there’s some actual evidence, it’s probably premature to point the finger at anybody.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 1:42amThank God that it was discovered and no one was injured or killed. Until they catch the person responsible I will reserve judgement. There are people out there who would love to start a war and I hope they catch the person and are able to put them away. Terrorism is always wrong.
Report Post »1TrueOne55
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 2:16amIt’s obvious to any one in the area that Hayden Lake Home of the Aryan Nations White Supremacist Ignorance movement. They would be the ones I would point my finger at. Since Spokane, WA is the largest town in the area it would only be a natural point of hatred. It was Spokane that they targeted when they were trying to intimidate Federal Judges presiding over trials of the groups activities in the late 70‘s and 80’s (need more research since this is from memory).
Report Post »Patrick in AZ
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 11:06amHmmm – funny. I recall several incidents in the area involving islamic terrorists. But hey, any chance to blame whitey (and the right by inference)
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 1:39amAwwwww…another chance for marxists and NAACP types to blame TEA Partiers and Sarah-Rush-Glenn-Sean-FOX
Report Post »as well as act as victims at the same time
.So whodunnit ?
rojotx
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 2:04ammy thoughts exactly!!!
Report Post »streetrodder
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 7:11amYou forgot Bush.
Report Post »Jackers
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 7:16amWe endure so many black on white crimes where race isn’t even discussed; yet, the minute a white on black threat is discovered, discussions of “racism” are all over the map…
Report Post »PubliusPencilman
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 7:29amAwww… poor Jackers. So oppressed…
A bomb at a civil rights event on Martin Luther King Day, and you are made because there is the suggestion that it was racially motivated? That seems pretty stupid to me.
old white guy
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 8:06amwhodunit? probably a left wing, liberal socialist with an axe to grind.
Report Post »mikem1969
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 8:52amThey have already stated they are investigating race as a motive. If it happens to blacks, it is automaticaly racist. It could have been a black person that left it, or a muslim as well. You freaking race baiters need to get off of this crap.
Report Post »Jackers
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 9:44am@ PubliusPencilman…
How can stating the obvious be considered “stupid”? Oh, and I believe you meant to say “mad”…
Oppressed? Yes? How? By a massive double standard when it comes to race in this country today… Furthermore, “suggestions” should be avoided until the facts come out! Have you already forgotten the unfortunate shooting tragedy in Arizona? Far too many “suggestions” were made before any facts came out…
Report Post »@leftfighter
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 10:05amI can’t WAIT for people to claim race was a factor here.
This is the same spot in the nation that radical Muslims targeted Christmas parades, remember?
The target here is most likely Americans for being American, rather than blacks for being black.
Report Post »@leftfighter
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 10:12am@ PubliusPencilman
See my last post. Same part of the nation as previous radical Muslim attempts.
Race isn’t always the motive for violence against blacks, moron. I’d bet my house a majority of those blacks are also Americans, and Americans tend to be a target of radical Islam.
…but I’d HATE to jump to any conclusions, like race or religion. Oh wait, the FBI and you have already jumped to half of that conclusion. Hell- why not then? SMH
Report Post »middleclassprophet
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 10:24amYet more vitriolic commentary coming from The Blaze. A bomb is found on a public street that could have potentially injured several people and all you bozos can think about is party politics. Absolutely pathetic.
Report Post »encinom
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 10:29amI will, more than liekly it a racist member of the Tea-Bagging party, then again from the signs and banners they carry most Tea-Baggers are violent racists.
Report Post »Patriot12
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 10:51amThis is clearly an attempt by the left wing media :-)
Report Post »PubliusPencilman
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 1:41pmPoor Jackers, always the victim.
So it is racist for the FBI to pursue the suggestion that perhaps a white supremacist group left a bomb at a civil rights march on Martin Luther King Day?
And yet, Jackers, you have absolutely no problem with the suggestion that it might have been planted by Muslims. Hmmmm….
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 2:05pm“The Spokane region and adjacent northern Idaho have had numerous incidents of anti-government and white supremacist activity during the past three decades.”
Meh, I knew they’d do this. Just heard it on the radio, in these exact words. They will NEVER stop demonizing anybody who questions the government. This is outrageous. First we were complicit in murder which turned out to be a lie, now we’re aligned with Aryan Nation, which is also a lie.
These people, I know of no word except “twisted” or “evil” to describe them.
Report Post »Butter-Pants
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 7:44pmDid a White Man do it? Who knows, but it is apparent that the White man has had just about enough of the NAACP, Jessie & Al & the rest of the Racist Blacks in this country. We did not start this fight White America, remember that……….
Report Post »Butter-Pants
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 7:47pmIt didn’t go off, was this a plant from a Liberal or Black, or both……..More fuel to the fire. I wouldn’t be surprised!
Report Post »AngryMobOfOne
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 10:36pmplant
Report Post »Jackers
Posted on January 20, 2011 at 8:29am@ PubliusPencilman…
I suggest you take a reading course… Please feel free to read both of my posts again. You’ll see that I never even mentioned the word, “Muslim”…
What I DID say was that people should not jump to conclusions! Facts should come before “suggestions”…
Oh and by the way, I am not a victim; I and many others like me will become the victors!
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