Apart from Inky99's diary on this yesterday, disturbingly little has been made about this.
To summarize what is likely to become a very complicated story: James Cummings, a known Nazi follower, alleged wife abuser, and reported Obama critic was murdered last December by his wife. Authorities investigating the case immediately found, in addition to lots and lots of Nazi stuff, materials needed to make a 'dirty bomb' as well as literature on how to do so.
But the statements coming out of the FBI are even more baffling in trying to downplay the whole matter. Follow me below the fold for more.
Now, I've had friends who were investigated by the FBI due to their interest in amateur model rocketry. How this person was able to buy four 1-gallon containers of 35 percent hydrogen peroxide, uranium, thorium, lithium metal, thermite, aluminum powder, beryllium, boron, black iron oxide and magnesium ribbon, while procuring information on how to build dirty bombs, all the while collecting Nazi stuff and applying for membership in the National Socialist Movement, is beyond me.
According to this article from "www.homeland1.com", a report dated 12/9/2008 was leaked from the FBI, stating "radiological dispersal device components and literature, and radioactive materials, were discovered at the Maine residence of an identified deceased [person] James Cummings". A spokesperson for the FBI, however, had this to say about the report:
"That's a document that was pulled a month ago when the investigation was still ongoing," and "We've since determined that there is nothing to it"
Now, I suppose one could say that there's 'nothing to it' because James Cummings is now dead. However, as Inky99 pointed out yesterday, if this was a story about a liberal person who was critical of a Republican president, this would be splashed all over the news, and I doubt the FBI would use an anonymous spokesperson to downplay the issue.
Regardless of the politics involved, why wasn't the FBI aware this person was buying these materials before they found them in his home? Surely the various mechanisms that are in place to catch just such activity are able to spot a pattern in this person buying these materials? Or are those methods so outdated they only catch people buying fertilizer?
Finally, I find it amazing this isn't making bigger headlines. Except for the Bangor newspaper, a small blip on huffpo yesterday, and the above-linked homeland1.com site, I can't find mention of this anywhere...