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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (March 9, 2011)
news/classifieds Advertising deadlines 12:00 Noon Monday Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. To place your ad, email advertising@theskanner.com Spokane Bomb Bail Hearing waived Suspect in MLK Day Bomb Case Waives Bail Hearing SpOKane, Wash. (AP) — Investigators have arrested a man they say planted a sophisticated bomb along a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade route in Spokane — a failed attack but one that raised concern, because he has ties to a white supremacist organization. A federal complaint provided no details of the investigation or what led to the arrest of Kevin William Harpham nearly two months after city workers found the bomb, which had been left in a backpack Jan. 17 on a bench. The city workers alerted authorities, and the device was defused without inci- dent. Harpham, 36, of northeastern Washington, waived his right to a bail hear- ing as he made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Spokane Wednesday. He has been charged with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruc- tion and one count of possessing an unreg- istered explosive device in a case the FBI has called an act of domestic terrorism. A national organization that tracks hate groups says he is an avid poster on a white supremacist Internet forum. The Southern Poverty Law Center says Harpham made more than 1,000 postings on the Vanguard News Network site, many of them under the pseudonym ``Joe Snuffy.’’ In 2008, a Kevin Harpham complained on the website that he couldn’t access his ``Joe Snuffy’’ account. device, it was planted A 2010 posting mentioned with the aim of hurting the radioactive element tho- or killing people,’’ rium was useless in making Holder said. bombs. Another, from 2006, Harpham was arrested said, ``I can’t wait till the at a rural home near the day I snap.’’ town of Addy, about 20 A federal law enforcement miles south of Colville. official confirms investiga- There was no telephone tors are reviewing online listing for a Kevin postings attributed to Harpham in the general Harpham as part of their area. probe. A neighbor who told The official spoke on con- dition of anonymity because white supremacist bomber KHQ-TV of Spokane that he saw Harpham the case is ongoing. Harpham, who was shackled at the ankles being taken into custody Wednesday morn- in court, will remain in the Spokane County ing said a vehicle was put on a trailer and Jail unless he changes his mind and asks for removed by federal agents. Kevin Coy described Harpham’s home as bail. A grand jury will meet March 22 and a trailer with lots of dogs around. could issue an indictment. A federal law enforcement official, speak- Wearing a black sweatshirt with a Wells Fargo logo, and blue jeans, the unshaven ing on condition of anonymity and declin- Harpham gave yes and no answers to a ing to provide additional details because the series of questions from U.S. Magistrate case is ongoing, said Harpham was a white supremacist. Cynthia Imbrogno. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which An FBI affidavit made in support of the charges remained under seal, and a federal tracks hate groups across the nation, also public defender assigned to represent said they have a record of him being a mem- Harpham said he did not know if the gov- ber of the white supremacist National ernment was pursuing other suspects in the Alliance in 2004. But the neo-Nazi group has fallen on hard times since the death of case. ``The safety of our city has been of grave its founder William Pierce in 2002, Potok concern ever since Jan. 17,’’ said Spokane said. ``We don’t know when he joined or if he Mayor Mary Verner, who expressed relief that an arrest had been made. ``We are not remains a member,’’ said Mark Potok of the going to let this incident define our commu- Alabama-based SPLC. Pierce was author of ``The Turner nity.’’ Attorney General Eric Holder, at a news Diaries,’’ a novel about a future race war conference on a different subject in that was influential in the white supremacist Washing ton, movement. Erich Gliebe, chairman of the National D.C., said the bomb Alliance, based in Hillsboro, W.Va., told was opera- The Spokesman-Review newspaper of Spokane that Harpham is not a member of tional. ``It was a his organization, which he said believes all v i a b l e races are entitled to their own living spaces. Mental Health & Addiction Services ACUTE CARE COORDINATOR Full-time, part-time, on- call Recruitment #6365-74 Visit our website at: www.multcojobs.org or call (503) 988-5035. 2-23-11 AGENCY RELATIONS COORDINATOR (STATEWIDE SERVICES) Outstanding non-profit seeks individual to pro- vide consultation to agencies, departments, and others. Complete posting, job description and application available at www.oregonfood- bank.org. Submit appli- cation to Oregon Food Bank, PO Box 55370, Portland, OR 97238- 5370. Deadline 3/18/11. EOE. 3-9-11 page 8 The Portland Skanner March 9, 2011 Read the rest online at www.theskanner.com
