Hullabaloo

Thursday, April 08, 2010

 
Your Daily Domestic Terrorist

by digby

Larry Eugene North

A man accused of dropping more than 30 explosive devices into mailboxes and other locations across east Texas did so out of anger toward the government and was acting alone, federal authorities said Thursday.

Larry Eugene North was indicted Wednesday on charges of possessing an illegal firearm or destructive device. Authorities said they would evaluate whether to pursue more charges.

Authorities believe North is responsible for planting 36 devices between Feb. 5 and Wednesday, said Robert R. Champion, an agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Authorities previously said they had found at least 16 explosive devices, including five pipe bombs.

"These devices, over 30 in number, have caused fear in this community nothing short of domestic terrorism," prosecutor Brit Featherston said. "Today that fear stops."

[...]

No injuries or explosions resulted from the devices. At least half were found in mailboxes, while others were in assorted locations such as the front yard of a business and a cemetery, officials said. The spate of discoveries kept people on edge for weeks in east Texas, a region recently hit by a series of church arsons...

Champion said North's apparent anger with the government stems from a court dispute, but he didn't have any details.

"We know he did not particularly care for the U.S. government," the ATF agent said.

The indictment accuses North of possessing a pipe bomb on or about March 23 — the same day one was found in a mailbox near a woman's home in the small community of Laird Hill, about 115 miles east of Dallas.

Of the 36 devices planted, the final 10 were pipe bombs, Champion said.

"The ones yesterday we felt were ready to go at any time," he said, noting they had a fuse but no timer...

The first reports of incendiary devices in mailboxes involved bottles containing flammable liquids and wicks, authorities said. Devices resembling pipe bombs then started turning up, which raised the sense of danger felt by 27-year-old Longview resident Robert Ziemba. One pipe bomb was found in a mailbox on a busy street in Longview.

"With pipe bombs, you never know," Ziemba said. "It could be in your backyard. It could be in your neighbor's backyard. You don't know where it's going to be."

Imagine if he were Muslim...

Update: He is disabled and in a wheel chair. No word on whether or not he received disability from the despised federal government, but it's fairly likely. He also has some emotional problems, according to his lawyer, and is going to be given a mental evaluation to determine whether or not he can help with his own defense.

I'm not surprised that mentally unstable people are trying to blow things ups. They've always been around. It's just that right now, all they have to do is turn on Fox or the radio to hear a whole lot of angry voices egging them on, so it's becoming more common.


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digby 4/08/2010 06:30:00 PM |