Neighbor Drops The "T" Word On SC Suspects

I'm not completely sure what to make of this, but following up on a post by Debbie Schlussel, I viewed a video news report from Tampa's Channel 10 here and edited it down to the most pertinent bits. I have a hard time believing the FBI used the word "terrorist" when interviewing the neighbor the way she claims. However, her description of events surrounding the location where one was living don't give a lot of comfort. See here and scroll here for my posting history.

Comments

[JLawson]

Oxygen tanks? Beer kegs I could understand - but unless they had someone living with them who needed supplemental oxygen, I don't see the point. Maybe they were trying to boost their brainpower by sucking down more oxygen... but they should see about getting a refund in that case.

[Purple Avenger]

I'm sure they were just going to open one of those Japanese style Oxygen bars.

[Dan Riehl]

Well, here's something - though in reality, NOTHING I am aware of as fact supports it - take potassium chlorate, especially known for water resistance - make some PVC pipe bombs - add a scuba tank ten miles away from two docked nuclear subs and you got one hell of a fourth of July. BUT - seriously, unless I heard there was diving equip. in that trunk, it's beyond speculation at this point. Just having some far-out thinking cap fun! : )

[Phoenix]

Have to admit it seems odd the FBI would use the word 'terrorist', but that woman was quite believable. Instant impression - she was telling the truth.

Dan. When you were little, did you play with fireworks? We did, and we always did bad things. :) I love the way your mind works.

[Dan Riehl]

"bad things with fireworks"

Well, there are a few incidents I'd rather forget. LOL

[Lightnin' Hopkins]

Nothing is too far out to imagine with a story that smells this bad. You would hope, even EXPECT the authorities to consider even the wildest possible scenario. Lord knows, the enemy has nothing but time to dream up new methods of mayhem. Who needs a piddly dirty bomb, or a (unrealistic?) suitcase nuke, with its attendant logistical complications, when the fuel for the fire is just floating there in the water? Still, it seems like it should take a lot more than a pipe bomb or two to turn a highly sophisticated warship into a nuclear roman candle, but then I'm no expert in the field. It may yet turn out that it's all just a big coincidence (crazy kids!). More likely it was either hatched by the suspects independently, or was cooked up overseas as part of the wider jihad. Either way, with every one of these seemingly clumsy misses (Fort Dix, etc;) comes the sense that one will eventually slip past....and soon. It's palpable.

[Pol Mordreth]

Mr. Hopkins;
i was stationed at that facility, and I was an instructor on the Rayburn. (one of the modified training platforms there) There is absolutely no way that a pipe bomb or 2 would cause a nuclear explosion. It simply doesn't work that way. The worst case scenario for that would be a significant hull rupture causing the core to fall out the bottom, and that would take more explosives than they could have put in that car. Even military grade explosives would have to be measured in tens of pounds to achieve enough damage to both breach the hull and breach reactor compartment containment in a size large enough to damage the reactor vessel. My worry would be an attack on base housing and the resultant morale hit as well as the loss of trainees in the pipeline. All the Nuclear Power program trainees are at that facility. A successful attack could seriously reduce replenishment to the fleet as well as reduce enlistment due to the perception that we would be unable to protect our sailors' families.

Respectfully,
Pol

[Phoenix]

"It's palpable."

Lightnin' - you said it well. And just think of the ones that go by unnoticed in the planning stages. ugh.

[mensablonde]

Is there anything else which might be mistaken for an oxygen tank? Just wondering.

The oxygen tanks and the materials with which the men were caught could have been for completely different purposes. Meaning, the explosive components could be intended for use in one place, and the oxygen might have been a part of an entirely different plan in a different area. Possibly for use by someone other that our two "naive boys." The neighbor mentioned much activity in and out of the apartment. Highly unlikely that these two are in on this alone(whatever "this" is).