Wednesday, January 31, 2007
[For updates, scroll down. Bottom Line: Blame Ted Turner.]
Suspicious objects found throughout Boston after morning bomb scare
Like the item found at the Sullivan Square station, the BU package was attached to the underpinnings of the bridge.
"It was not an explosive device," she said of the suspicious item found on the BU Bridge.
[VIDEO: Suspicious package detonated in Boston]
Mieth said State Police bomb experts are now examining a another suspicious item -- similar in construction to the items found at Sullivan station and on the BU Bridge -- that has been discovered attached to the Longfellow Bridge, which spans the Charles River from Boston to Cambridge.
Boston police are separately investigating suspicious items at Columbus and Stuart streets and near the New England Medical Center, Boston police said.
Storrow drive has been is closed, and traffic on the Longfellow Bridge has been cut down to one lane, according to Boston police. Charles Street in downtown Boston is also closed while several agencies investigate suspicious packages discovered there this afternoon.
Storrow drive was closed at 2 p.m., according to State Police. Thirty minutes later police opened one eastbound lane to traffic.
According to Boston police, Charles Street is also closed while several agencies investigate suspicious packages discovered there this afternoon.
Also here: Suspicious Devices Found In Four Areas In Boston (with video)
Update: So far, it's being reported that there have been as many as ten devices found, five of which, so far, have been labeled as hoaxes.
Update2: Hearing it may all have been part of some public relations publicity stunt. Holy crap. 
Update3: Has to do with Aqua Teen Hunger Force. CBS4 has updated their story with more pictures and video.
Update4: Just heard on the radio that Turner Broadcasting has released a statement that the "devices" were indeed part of some sort of promotion for the show, and not meant to be harmful.
Update5: Michael Graham is less than impressed with official Boston's handling of the situation: Boston: Our Headlines Are America's Punchlines, Part XXXVII
I don't fault the responders or the City. You just don't know what the object is, and you have to assume the worst, especially given their location under major bridges. After all, Hafiz Saeed's LeT terorists have planted bombs inside toy ducks. Anyone looking at a toy duck wouldn't know it was filled with explosives. It's a different world. That prank probably gave terorists ideas about planting both real and phony explosive devices, so next time people might think it was a false alarm again.
Dumb move by Turner and the morons who placed them there. I hope they get the book thrown at them, all the way to the top.