Mailbox bombs injure 6

Associated Press

URBANDALE, Iowa — Pipe bombs accompanied by anti-government propaganda exploded Friday in six mailboxes in rural parts of Illinois and Iowa, injuring six people in an attack authorities called domestic terrorism.

Two other bombs were found but did not detonate, and a note found with them said more "attention getters" were on the way. It was signed "someone who cares."

Authorities did not immediately announce any suspects. The U.S. Postal Service suspended deliveries through Saturday in the agricultural region that straddles the Mississippi River and urged residents not to remove any devices they might find in their mailboxes.

"We are reviewing this as a domestic terrorism incident," said James Bogner, an FBI spokesman. "We don’t know if all the devices have been found or there are devices remaining. … We probably won’t know for a while."

In all, eight devices were found and seven exploded. The bombs were not sent by mail but were placed in the mailboxes and set to detonate when the boxes were opened, investigators said.

John Peterson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said late Friday that the investigation was progressing well and officials from an FBI multiagency terrorism task force and the U.S. attorney’s office in Iowa’s northern district had a number of leads.

"We are working with our profilers," he said.

None of the injuries was considered life threatening, but Carroll County, Ill., Sheriff Rod Herrick warned residents against opening their mailboxes. "Don’t touch your mailbox until further notice," he said.

A Postal Service vice president, Azeezaly Jaffer, said the bombs were accompanied by a typewritten note that began: "Mailboxes are exploding! Why, you ask?"

Then it said, in part:

"If the government controls what you want to do, they control what you can do. … I’m obtaining your attention in the only way I can. More info is on its way. More ‘attention getters’ are on the way."

The letter also said: "If I could, I would change only one person, unfortunately, the resources are not accessible. It seems killing a single famous person would get the same media attention as killing numerous unfamous humans."

The bombs appeared to be triggered by being touched or moved. Officials described the devices as three-quarter-inch steel pipes with a 9-volt battery attached. Accompanying the bomb was a clear plastic bag containing the note.