Briefcase Bomb at Airport Called a Dud

Briefcase Bomb at Airport Called a Dud
By Lee Revis Editor, Valdez Star
PIONEER FIELD- A bottle of Advil and a tube of toothpaste wrapped in plastic set off a chain of events in Valdez which closed the airport and saw the evacuation of nearby buildings, the deployment of the local bomb squad, the Civilian Air Patrol and the dispatch of a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and a full scale emergency response from as far away as Cordova.
The scenario began late Thursday morning when Lt. Bill Comer of the Valdez Police Department says that within seconds of getting off the phone with the FBI with a warning to be extra vigilant after the tragic news of the bombings in London, the call came in to emergency dispatch that a briefcase had been left unattended on a bench outside of the airport. Prudence dictated a full scale emergency response, according to Comer, as after an hour and a half after the morning Era flight, no one had called lost and found looking for a lost briefcase and they had the area under surveillance for some time, in the hopes someone would come looking for the lost item.
So after notifying Alyeska Security and consulting with the ATF and FBI in Anchorage, a full fledged emergency response ensued, and an EOD, Emergency Ordnance Disposal team, set the perimeters for a worst case scenario. "We evacuated with the idea to take the briefcase," said Comer.
The bomb team, consisting of Officers Greg Hayden and Bart Hinkle, suited up to x-ray the errant briefcase. "Strangely enough, there were some wires," said Comer. There was also what he described as a "pliable type substance inside a plastic bag."
So while the x-ray did not discount the possibility of a bomb, the team decided to use their Disruptive Device, described as a type of water cannon that can render explosives inoperative. "They can do that remotely and safely," said Comer.
"There was no explosive device in there," said Valdez City Clerk Sheri Pierce. Instead, the squad found the Advil and toothpaste, along with some of the usual items typically found in the possessions of a traveler. Rather than call the operation overkill, Ms. Pierce described the scene being prudent rather than complacent. "It was a good test of the local resources," she said.
While the red faced traveler was later located, the name and location of the forgetful owner has not been identified as there was no crime committed.
While the Terror Threat Level in Alaska was not elevated after terrorists bombs exploded during the early morning commute in London that day, Lt. Comer says the feds in Anchorage had warned the local police to be extra vigilant in the area.