CNN: suspicious man with 2 suitcases at Capitol - UPDATE: man taken away

[DeepModem Mom]

Tourists re-routed. People told to stay away from windows. Large police presence. Could be protest, or disgruntled employee.


ON EDIT: See maddezmom's post #13 for link --

Man With Suitcases in Standoff at Capitol

WASHINGTON - Police ordered an evacuation of the west side of the U.S. Capitol on Monday after a man dressed in black and carrying two black suitcases stationed himself on a plaza leading to an entrance.

Police, some armed with assault rifles, gathered at the top of the Capitol steps but did not try to get closer to the man, who faced the Capitol from a plaza below its west entrance....

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050411/ap_on_go_ot/capitol_suitcases_1


ON EDIT: CNN reporting 1:45 p.m. Eastern that man has been taken away.


ON EDIT: starmaker reports in post #21 that MSNBC reporting that suitcases are still there. Tape being shown on CNN of man, dressed in black, with two suitcases. He appears to be outside on something that looks like a fountain. Tape then shows police decking man, and dragging him away from suitcases.

[Richardo]

1. Too much to hope for that it's DeLay packed up to go home I 'spose.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. LOL!!!

[inflection]

77. was he trying to prove something? because if so he's a failure...

With that much media attention, if that guy had any purpose whatsoever to do what he did, why didn't he do it?

what was the point? this article is a waste of energy.

[DeepModem Mom]

78. We're still trying to figure out what happened here, if anything...

and the MSM and/or the authorities are giving scant information, apparently contradictory, judging from posts in this thread. You're right, it all could be a waste of energy. But the first reports of a man "in" the Capitol (turned out he was outside) dressed in black and standing stock still for an extended time, with two suitcases, seemed to warrant attention.

ON EDIT: CNN just reported the man is from China, and wanted to talk to "the President."

[inflection]

86. maybe a tourist with a gift for the pres? perhaps some muffins? nt

[AuntiBush]

100. Or a Pie! LOL

Wasted act, as well.

[Straight Shooter]

101. He wanted to talk to "the President"?

Was John Kerry in the Capitol at the time?

[HardElection]

29. Uhhh he could have just been a tourist. :)

you know how bush gets those mixed up but kudos to those police officers SLOWLY taking down a potential suicide bomber. :S

[DeepModem Mom]

31. Indeed -- welcome to DU, HardElection!

[HardElection]

34. Thank You!

[Pachamama]

67. Great Devious minds think alike! Same thought I had when I read the post!

I was going to say the same thing and started reading through the posts...

Hee hee :hi:

[NNN0LHI]

3. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is on CNN talking about silicone implants now

:shrug:

[DeepModem Mom]

6. They aren't sticking with the story -- could be nothing. nt

[NNN0LHI]

8. They have moved on to Micheal Jackson now n/t

[BR_Parkway]

4. hmmm, Shrub has lowest poll numbers, now TERRA, TERRA

why am I not surprised?

[kliljedahl]

7. MIHOP?

You think?


http://www.kliljedahl.net

[Roland99]

66. There ya go

[barbaraann]

5. Oh, this might distract from the Bolton hearing.

What a coinkydink.

[northzax]

9. how do you get suitcases into the Capitol?

not easy.

[DeepModem Mom]

12. Puzzling -- said man was well dressed, and just standing. nt

[The Magistrate]

10. Who Is He Suspicious Of, Ma'am?

[DeepModem Mom]

15. Mr. Magistrate, you are clever, and bright! "Suspicious man"...

was as reported on CNN.

[DS1]

11. A guy showed up actually ready to get some work done. D.C. residents

baffled. Reads like The Onion :eyes:

[maddezmom]

13. link: Man With Suitcases in Standoff at Capitol

3 minutes ago U.S. Government - AP



WASHINGTON - Police ordered an evacuation of the west side of the U.S. Capitol on Monday after a man dressed in black and carrying two black suitcases stationed himself on a plaza leading to an entrance.



Police, some armed with assault rifles, gathered at the top of the Capitol steps but did not try to get closer to the man, who faced the Capitol from a plaza below its west entrance.


Among the officials whose offices are on the west side of the Capitol looking out upon the National Mall are House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.




http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050411/ap_on_go_ot/capitol_suitcases_1

[DeepModem Mom]

17. Thank you!

[Oreo]

14. update from Mpls Strib

Last update: April 11, 2005 at 12:27 PM
Capitol alert issued
Star Tribune
April 11, 2005 CAPITOL0412

WASHINGTON -— Police ordered an evacuation of the west side of the U.S. Capitol today after a man dressed in black and carrying two black suitcases stationed himself on a plaza leading to an entrance.

Police, some armed with assault rifles, gathered at the top of the Capitol steps but did not try to get closer to the man, who faced the Capitol from a plaza below its west entrance.

Among the officials whose offices are on the west side of the Capitol looking out upon the National Mall are House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.


One for Hastert and one for Frist?

[Teaser]

16. "In the Capitol..."

building? Or just walking around in the general area?

[Pallas180]

20. Looks to me like he's wearing a black ski mask-just standing

long time with the 2 suitcases...bomber???

they have just taken him away -

can you imagine if it was a bomber - the capitol would be gone.

Great homeland security... such total bushit...just another way to
raid the treasury

[NNN0LHI]

26. There was no black ski mask. That was the back of his head you saw n/t

[Freddie Stubbs]

22. Apperently he is outside the West Front of the building

[fob]

18. Boy when it rains it pours, looks like DeLay picked a bad day for one

of his bagmen to show up with this months "donations".

[maddezmom]

19. CNN reporting the man has been taken away by Capitol police

and evacuation has not been confirmed.

[Pallas180]

24. Jesus, this could have been suicide by cop. wow

(:

[starmaker]

21. Tackled and drug off

Suitcases still standing MSNBC

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. Wait for it, the bomb squad will move in

and dispose of them in a safe manner, they are assuming those are bombs... and it makes for good Terra TV

[jmatthan]

25. Delay tactic

eom

http://jmpolitics.blogspot.com
Jacob Matthan
Oulu, Finland

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DeepModem Mom]

28. Live shot shows bags still there -- shouldn't bomb squad be moving...

in by now?

[0007]

33. Bring in the dogs!

[4MoreYearsOfHell]

30. Probably a payoff for Cheney and dimWit

from Chalabi...

[justsomegirl]

32. Maybe..

...he was confused about all this talk of a "nuclear option".

[Selteri]

35. Wouldn't it be ironic

if he really was just holding his clthing and waiting to meet someone for a simple rendesvous and that really is his luggage.

Who knows though, I doubt we'll ever hear anything more about this 'terrorist'.

[Selteri]

94. Alright, it wasn't that Ironic to be kinda close to the truth.

Clothing, ratty shoes and a CD-Player...

And here I thought I was joking.


If you're not scared, you didn't see the video of this man being dragged off.

[mittenlandgirl]

36. maybe...

Maybe he is from China and the suitcases are full of IOU's

heh heh

[DeepModem Mom]

37. Could be, mittenlandgirl -- welcome to DU!

[mittenlandgirl]

40. thanks

for the welcome DeepModem Mom!

:hi:

lurker for over a year now, member since last october I think.

[Voltaire99]

76. Hee hee. Nice line. :-)

[Catchawave]

85. That's soooo funny.....!

Welcome to DU mittenlandgirl :hi:

[paineinthearse]

38. Are these the same police who let women in pink into the SFRC hearing?

And disrupted the Bolton proceedings?

Give me a break. Women dressed in pink should set off someone guarding the capitol!

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1385912&mesg_id=1385912

Code Pink :yourock:

[Lilith Velkor]

80. They know us.

We only get away with it because we're cute.

[AntiCoup2K4]

39. This whole thing reeks of a staged media incident.

Gotta get the "terranoia" factor up again to prepare for the upcoming Iran invasion.

[woodsprite]

42. Wasn't there something during one of the other hearings also? n/t

[Stinky The Clown]

41. I don't fault anyone in all of this, and don't see it as too funny

Suspicious characters of any sort, in this day and age, need to be checked in that neighborhood.

I have frequent business in the DC area and often at government buildings. Not long ago - maybe a year or so - I was meeting an associate for business very near the Treasury Building. I was waiting on 15th St at (what was) Pennsylvania Ave, on the unsecured side of the barricades. On (what was) the street in front of the Treasury there was an unattended black bag ... kinda like a backpack. Just sitting there about 20 feet from the guard hut. I watched and no one came out of the guard hut. Two uniformed guys ... just yakking. A few civilians milling about - obviously tourists. Finally, after maybe 10 minutes I couldn't stand it anymore. I walked the 10 feet or so over to the guard hut and told them about the bag. They literally jumped up and almost through the ceiling!

As they started for the bag a man walked over to it and bent over it. Turns out he was a tourist and that was his camera bag. No harm, but a big foul! They gave him a lecture about the bag, checked him over as a bunch of really mean looking guys in various forms of paramilitary looking stuff came racing over on foot and in SUVs. It was all over in about 5 minutes, the guy and his bag were allowed to leave and all ended okay.

So .... we feelin' safer yet?

[DeepModem Mom]

43. 2:55 p.m. Eastern -- CNN live shot, bags still sitting there. nt

[elehhhhna]

44. If only he'd had a LIBRUL bumper sticker, this NEVER would have happened.

[DeepModem Mom]

45. CNN reporting bags X-rayed; Senate Majority and Minority offices...

and House Speaker's office still evacuated; tourists kept back. Also reporting bags will be blown up, possibly in the next five minutes.

[hippiechick]

46. It's a delivery from Jeb ... snort snort ...

:evilgrin:

[4MoreYearsOfHell]

47. video at (barf) foxnews.com

[DeepModem Mom]

48. One bag blasted, now lying on its side...blew over the other bag.

CNN.

[progressivebydesign]

50. So... if there were explosives.. wouldn't it have exploded?

Not just knocked over another bag? And.. weren't they afraid that it has some sort of agent in it that could be spread by blowing up?

Was this guy a hapless tourist who happen to look middle-eastern? Or was he a bad guy? Think we'll ever know?

[DeepModem Mom]

53. In slo-mo, the bag appeared to blow, but not to bits -- it lifted off...

the ground. Maybe the X-ray indicates something about toxic agents, but don't know how.

[gkhouston]

56. an X-ray would be far more likely to tell you something about

explosives or a timing device than toxins. Unless the friggin' thing was actually ticking, I can't see why they'd risk blowing it up in situ although it does make for good theater. The simulations of what happens when you disperse a toxic cloud near the DC area are scary enough; potentially setting off an toxic explosion right in the heart of DC... jeez, how stupid can you be.

[oneighty]

69. Normal EOD RSP

Sand bag and blow in situ.

Very strange what the did. Sounds phony.

180

[progressivebydesign]

49. I just looked at his photo. he looked like a tourist.

It was wierd.. he had a fanny pack thing on, and was standing with the suitcases.. looking like he was waiting for someone taking a tour. So.. do you all think this will turn out to be nothing? He made the mistake of having black hair and dark skin.. sadly THAT is what made him suspicious. People applauded as he was decked and led away. Great.

If he was a bad guy, I'm glad they got him.. but this just had the stink of overzealousness.

[HardElection]

51. He looked asian to me

Perhaps it could have been my TV but from what I could see he did not have dark skin like you suggested.

[intheflow]

75. Not white, at any rate.

Some people think that's an indication of guilt no matter if black, red, or yellow. :(

Welcome to DU, HardElection. :hi:

[daleo]

52. The takedown was extremely violent

It seemed like clear police brutality to me - like being hit by an NFL lineman from the back, blindsided. Then they dragged him away like a sandbag. Even the CNN commentator seemed shocked for a moment. I am sure there will be no shortage of people defending this action, but it seemed excessive to me.

[TahitiNut]

54. We're a culture gone mad. Insane. Psychotic.

We hear voices. We see monsters under the bed. Nothing is safe. Terra! Terra! When a person standing in a public space with suitcases causes such extreme panic, the "terrorists" have achieved their primary objective. Nothing destroys civil, productive, and cooperative human behavior than the infection of unreasoning fear. It required the cooperation of our "leaders" for terrorism to succeed. Absolutely no normal human behavior is immune from being seen as "terrorism" when viewed through the lens of fear.

[daleo]

57. I couldn't agree more.

At one time the CNN guy referred to him as a protester. I don't know what exactly gave him that idea. I suppose the violent takedown will also send a message to peaceful protesters to watch their mouths and stay in their free speech zones. A real terrorist wouldn't be affected, though. If you are willing to blow yourself up, the possibility of a football style tackle wouldn't change your mind.

[underthedome]

59. They may have had a tip that something was going to happen

So you need to go in and make sure you knock the guy down, if he is innocent he will get paid.

[gkhouston]

60. I had a tip that it was going to happen...

when I heard Santorum making noises that Delay needed to address his ethics situation, it sure sounded like some sort of diversionary tactic would be needed, and soon. :tinfoilhat:

[underthedome]

61. Delay can delay what's coming to him but none-the-less...

it's coming. (I apologize for the word play.)

[Blue Diadem]

64. I caught a clip with them dragging him

which I thought was extremely cruel, dragging him by his arms, front side down, with raised head and bent backwards at the waist. I missed the football type hit.

[daleo]

74. I think it was live when I saw it.

There is a pretty good chance that clip won't be shown in its entirety, even though it is quite sensational (visual impact I mean). I imagine the White House will let the media know that they expect "responsible reporting" and the football hit will go into the memory hole. I wouldn't be surprised if he was knocked unconscious or got whiplash from the hit. If it was a football game, the commentators would call it a "brutal hit", I am sure.

[NYC]

81. Did anybody talk to the man before tackling him?

Did anyone ask what he was doing there?

Re the "brutal hit" method of arresting him, if he had a pre-existing injury, this could cause quite a bit of harm.

I would hate to think this was a tourist with 2 suitcases waiting for a friend, or just resting.

Thanks in advance.

[daleo]

82. I couldn't tell if anyone was trying to talk to him.

CNN is now saying that he was from China, and wanted "to talk to the president", according to another post. If this is true he was probably a somewhat crazy tourist, or at least terribly naive. He may not have understood English very well either.

I agree, the hit could do a lot of harm, even without a pre-existing injury.

[NYC]

83. I have a bad feeling about this incident.

Since I don't know much, I won't form conclusions, but it would be a terrible thing if this is how we treat tourists and travellers.

[Catchawave]

87. The rough take down was because they may have

suspected "bomb detonating by remote". I think later they discussed another option was blow his head off. I'm glad they didn't.

[daleo]

92. I thought about this justification too.

The trouble with it, is that it could become a justification to assault almost anyone, anytime, anywhere in the paranoid atmosphere of the times.

[DeepModem Mom]

55. HAZMAT agent opens second bag, and goes through contents --

Kind of unclear, but CNN seems to indicate that first bag contained some wired stuff, but probably just electronics, and second bag contained clothing.

[sabra]

58. pic here

[Roland99]

65. pic of a red 'x'

;)

[sabra]

62. video here

http://video.msn.com/video/p.htm?t=1&p=News_NBC%20News&i=030ed09c-627e-4fdb-81e2-a280df48e70f&rf=

[DeepModem Mom]

63. Thanks, sabra!

[DistressedAmerican]

68. There Is An MSM Disconnect On This Story...

MSNBC was reporting that the x-ray of the bags revealed a timing device, wires and "3 sticks of something".

CNN says the x-ray revealed clothes and stuff with possible electronics.

Has anyone heard anything more definitive?

[paineinthearse]

70. MSM certainly is disconnected

Probably wired in some offshore country.

What I really want to know is how security let the Code Pink women into the SFRC hearing room?

[progressivebydesign]

72. Actually.. CNN is now ignoring the story on their website.

They just still have up that they dragged him away. I just heard that they blew up one bag (which obviously had no explosives cuz it just fell over), and the other was full of... clothing.

[Catchawave]

88. I was watching MSNBC

what looked like a "bomb" in the xray turned out to be a cd player?

Welcome to Bush's Amerika young man!

[progressivebydesign]

71. So basically.. the story has died in the MSM.

Am I to believe the government got a little overexcited about a man standing near a tourist spot with suitcases?

[DeepModem Mom]

73. See post #68 -- I'm not sure what the story is at this point ...

nothing at all, a threat, or still a mystery.

[DeepModem Mom]

79. CNN now reporting man is from China, wanted to talk to "the President" nt

[GoddessOfGuinness]

97. He probably just wanted to sell George some Amway

[Zerex71]

84. Perhaps it was a Halliburton lobbyist with suitcases of money?

Nah, on second thought, there's nothing strange about that at all...

[daleo]

93. Only two suitcases.

A Halliburton lobbyist would have a wheelbarrow.

[leftofthedial]

102. correction

A halliburton lobbyist would have an armored car, perhaps several armored cars.

[Blue Diadem]

89. Our local news said the man threatened to blow himself up

but yet when they showed the clips from national news there was no mention of any threat..only that he wanted to speak to the President and that they found wires in his suitcase that was destroyed.

Has anyone else heard that he threatened to blow himself up?

[DeepModem Mom]

90. Very puzzling, contradictory reports -- makes you wonder...

:shrug:

[VegasWolf]

91. CBS stated tonight that the poor man was an Asian with little to

no English ability. He wanted to see the pretzeldent but couldn't
say it correctly. The police dragged him 20 yards, bruising his face
and body. They then proceeded to blow up his two bags which contained some scruffy shoes and an old CD player. Kill first
ask questions later. What a paranoid world.

[underthedome]

95. What should have they done?

?

[laundry_queen]

98. Find a translator? n/t

[Voltaire99]

99. Um...not drag his face on the ground?

Sure, arrest him. But no, don't abuse him.

[progressivebydesign]

105. I don't know... are all tourists subject to police attack there now? n/t

[Chico Man]

106. What did he do wrong?

[dArKeR]

103. Reid was saying that the police did an excellent job even before any

info was released. Not Good!

[DeepModem Mom]

96. SAD SPECULATION in GD: was the man non-English-speaking asylum-seeker?

(I believe we've confirmed that he is Chinese, and speaks no English.) If so, poor guy!

[dArKeR]

104. I don't believe he had no ID or that he wanted to speak to aWol. Made

up by Capital Police so they didn't look like fat fools.



Man With Suitcases Captured at Capitol
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=ap/capitol_suitcases