27 January 2014

Terrorism for the day


JohnThomas Didymus has an AllVoices article about a Russian kid in trouble:
Police authorities in Altoona, Pennsylvania said they have arrested a nineteen-year-old Russian national and charged him with possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
The Altoona Police Department said in a news release that officers arrested Vladislav Miftakhov, after finding suspected bomb and bomb-making materials inside his suitcase.
Mayor Matthew Pacifico, who said that Altoona had "quite a scare," identified the suspect as a student at Penn State University Altoona, with about 3,645 students, according to CNN. "This is something you hear about in big cities or movies, but not something you would think would happen in a place like Altoona," Mayor Pacifico said.
Police officers were investigating a report that Miftakhov was growing marijuana at his residence 118 North 9th Avenue when they discovered the suspected bomb and bomb-making materials including a pound of atomized magnesium, Chinese potassium perchlorate, potassium nitrate powder, containers of compressed air and fuses, CNN reports. Authorities said they also found marijuana seedlings.
Police charged the suspect with possession of a weapon of mass destruction, risking a catastrophe, possession of instruments of crime, prohibited offensive weapons, recklessly endangering another person, possession of incendiary devices, and drug-related offenses.
Police have not disclosed the suspect's motives and planned targets, but when asked why he was keeping a bomb and bomb-making devices, Miftakhov said "he was going to blow things up". But he later said he did not mean to hurt anyone and that he was going to set off the bomb in a field. The suspect also said he had conducted experiments with homemade explosives in California.
A roommate, Andrew Leff, described him as "weird". Another, Steven Taylor, said he was quiet. Leff said Miftakhov had previously set off three small explosive devices outside his apartment, but did not think he was dangerous.
Blair County corrections officer James McMahon said that Miftakhov was arraigned Friday. According to the Altoona Mirror, Magisterial District Judge Craig Ormsby set bail at half a million dollars. The suspect will appear in court on 5 February 2014.
Bomb experts from the Pennsylvania State Police Bomb Squad "safely deconstructed" the device.
Miftakhov told police that he purchased the bomb-making materials on the Internet.
The Altoona Police Department said Federal authorities have joined the investigation.
Rico says he went through a 'blowing things up' phase when he was young, but times were different then, and the Feds didn't get involved...

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