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East Oregonian Page 7A NATION/WORLD Texas incident fuels concern about lone-wolf attacks Thursday, May 7, 2015 Associated Press Curt Bemson via AP This photo provided by Curt Benson shows smoke and fire coming from an oil train that derailed Wednesday in Heimdal, North Dakota. Oil train crashes, catches fire in North Dakota BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A train that derailed and FDXJKW ¿UH HDUO\ :HGQHVGD\ in rural North Dakota was hauling crude from the state’s oil patch, raising questions about whether new state stan- dards intended to reduce the volatility of such shipments DUHVXI¿FLHQW The six tank cars that H[SORGHG LQWR ÀDPHV ZHUH D model slated to be phased out RU UHWUR¿WWHG E\ XQGHU a federal rule announced last week. ,W¶VWKH¿IWK¿HU\DFFLGHQW since February involving that type of tank car, and industry critics responded to the latest with calls for them to be taken off the tracks immediately to SUHYHQWIXUWKHU¿UHV No injuries were reported in the derailment of the 109-car BNSF railway train at around 7:30 a.m. That prompted the evacuation of the 20-resident town of Heimdal, about 115 miles northeast of Bismarck. The Health Department was monitoring air quality and advising people not to breathe in the smoke. The danger from the smoke is mainly the particles it contains such as ash, not toxic chemicals, Glatt said. Rain might have helped wash some of the particles out of the smoke, though it might also keep the plume closer to the ground and more likely to be encountered by people, he said. In the immediate after- math of the accident, BNSF vice president Mike Trevino said the intensity of the EOD]H SUHYHQWHG ¿UH¿JKWHUV from directly attacking the ÀDPHV%XWFUHZVSRVLWLRQHG ¿UH¿JKWLQJ IRDP DQG RWKHU resources nearby and planned WRWU\WRSXWRXWWKH¿UHEHJLQ- QLQJ :HGQHVGD\ HYHQLQJ Trevino said. 6WDWH RI¿FLDOV LQLWLDOO\ UHSRUWHG FDUV RQ ¿UH EXW later revised that to six. They were hauling Bakken oil loaded in the Tioga area, said Jeff Zent, spokesman for Gov. Jack Dalrymple. Curt Benson, a 68-year-old retired sheriff who alerted authorities, said he was getting ready for the day when the explosion outside town UDWWOHG KLV KRXVH :LWK WKH large number of oil trains that come through the community HDFKGD\KH¿JXUHGWKDWZDV the cause. “I got in my car, still in my underwear, had shaving cream on my face, and drove down there,” he said. There was no immediate word on the cause. Industry representatives DQG VWDWH RI¿FLDOV VDLG oil companies have been complying with a standard that went into effect April 1 requiring them to remove propane, butane and other gases that occur in North Dakota crude to reduce the chance of tank cars catching ¿UH 7KHUH ZDV QRWKLQJ to immediately indicate a violation of that rule with the WUDLQLQYROYHGLQ:HGQHVGD\¶V accident. 1RUWK'DNRWDRI¿FLDOVVDLG the new standard makes the volatility of treated oil compa- rable to unleaded gasoline. Members of Congress, who have called for a stricter standard to be imposed at the IHGHUDO OHYHO VDLG :HGQHV- day’s accident underscored that more needs to be done WR SUHYHQW RLO WUDLQ ¿UHV WKDW could cause a major disaster in an urban area. Tessa Sandstrom with the North Dakota Petroleum Council said safety efforts should instead focus on preventing accidents through enhanced inspections of tracks and railroad equipment. The EPA planned to gauge any contamination to water- ways near the spill. 1(: <25. ² 7KH attempted attack on a provocative cartoon contest LQ7H[DVDSSHDUVWRUHÀHFWD scenario that has long trou- EOHG QDWLRQDO VHFXULW\ RI¿- cials: A do-it-yourself terror plot, inspired by the Islamic State extremist group and facilitated through the ease of social media. Trying to gauge which individuals in the United States pose such threats — and how vigorously they should be monitored — is a daunting challenge for counterterrorism agencies. Some experts caution that a limited number of small- scale attacks are likely to continue. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said federal authorities are aware of “thousands” of potential extremists living in the U.S., only a small portion of whom are under active surveillance. Concerns have been intensifying since the rise of Islamic State group and were heightened this week after two gunmen were shot dead while trying to attack the event in Garland, Texas, that featured cartoon images of the Prophet Muhammad. One of the men, 31-year-old Elton Simpson of Phoenix, was arrested in 2010 after being the focus of a four- year terror investigation; investigators are trying to determine the extent of any terror-related ties involving him or his accomplice, 1DGLU6RR¿ $W WKH :KLWH +RXVH Press Secretary Josh Earnest VDLG:HGQHVGD\WKDWLQWHOOL- JHQFH RI¿FLDOV ZRXOG EH investigating Islamic State’s claim of responsibility for the incident. “This is consistent with what has previously been described as a lone wolf attack,” Earnest said. “Essentially you have two as they sift through count- less online communications. ³:KHUH LV WKH WKUHVKROG of saying this is more than just an avid consumer RI SURSDJDQGD"´ DVNHG :LOOLDP %UDQLII H[HFXWLYH director of a terrorism research center at the University of Maryland and a former instructor at the U.S. Military Academy’s Combating Terrorism Center. “It’s exceptionally GLI¿FXOW WR HVWLPDWH RI WKH number of people who’ve considered becoming IRUHLJQ ¿JKWHUV´ KH VDLG “Often you’re not dealing ZLWKVSHFL¿FEHKDYLRUVEXW with expressions of belief, which are constitutionally protected.” 86 RI¿FLDOV VD\ WKDW more than 3,400 people Les Stukenberg/The Daily Courier via AP In this 2003 photo, Elton Simpson goes uncontested IURP :HVWHUQ FRXQWULHV ² for a layup during a Yavapai College basketball game including nearly 180 from in Prescott, Ariz. Simpson was one of the two gun- the U.S. — have gone to men who was shot and killed by authorities outside Syria or Iraq, or attempted a suburban Dallas venue Sunday that was hosting WR GR VR WR ¿JKW RQ EHKDOI a contest for Muslim Prophet Muhammad cartoons. of Islamic State or other individuals that don’t appear the Center for Middle East extremists groups. Although there is concern to be part of a broader Policy at the Brookings conspiracy, and identifying ,QVWLWXWLRQ LQ :DVKLQJWRQ WKDW¿JKWHUVUHWXUQLQJWRWKH those individuals and “It’s attractive because it U.S. might pose a terrorism some national keeping tabs on them is gets just as much attention threat, GLI¿FXOWZRUN´ as a small- to mid-size security experts say a more immediate danger is posed Terrorism experts say bomb.” the spread of social media A public forum like by individuals in America — and savvy use of it by Twitter, with its millions of who are inspired by these extremist groups — has followers, means those who extremist groups yet have facilitated a new wave of might otherwise have had no direct ties to them. Such individuals “can relatively small-scale plots limited exposure to terrorist that are potentially easy to ideologies now have ample be motivated to action, carry out and harder for law access to what FBI Director with little to no warning,” enforcement to anticipate. James Comey has described National Counterterrorism :KLOH SORWV RUFKHV- as the “siren song” of the Center director Nicholas trated by al-Qaida have Islamic State group. Social Rasmussen told the House historically involved grand media provides a venue Committee on Homeland in February. plans designed to yield for agitators to exhort each Security mass carnage — airline other to action, recruit “Many of these so-called bombings, for instance, or followers for violence and homegrown violent extrem- attacks on transportation scout locations for potential ists are lone actors, who can potentially operate unde- systems — the Islamic attacks. State group has endorsed “The speed with which tected and plan and execute less ambitious efforts that VRPHRQHFDQ¿QGDQDFWLYH a simple attack.” He predicted that the its leaders say can have the jihadist and connect with same terrorizing effect on them over Twitter, let’s say, threat posed by these indi- :HVWHUQVRFLHW\ and start direct messaging viduals will remain stable, “If you can get your with them — that speed “resulting in fewer than 10 hands on a weapon, how is happens much faster now,” uncoordinated and unso- phisticated plots annually the state security apparatus McCants said. VXSSRVHGWR¿QG\RX"´VDLG This phenomenon poses from a pool of up to a few :LOO 0F&DQWV D IHOORZ IRU a challenge for investigators hundred individuals.” In reversal, Baltimore mayor asks for federal police probe BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore’s mayor was emphatic last week: She did not want federal oversight of her police department. “Nobody wants the Department of Justice to come in here and take over our city,” Stephanie Rawl- ings-Blake declared as the National Guard enforced a 10 p.m. curfew. %XW LW ZDV KDUG WR ¿QG DQ\ RSSRVLWLRQ :HGQHVGD\ after she changed course and asked the U.S. Justice Department to launch a broad civil rights investiga- tion that could eventually force the city to make changes under the oversight of an outside monitor. The Democratic mayor now says she’ll accept outside intervention to rebuild public trust in a city torn by riots over the death of Freddie Gray, a black man who suffered a fatal spinal injury in police custody. “I am determined not to allow a small handful of bad actors to tarnish the reputa- tion of the overwhelming PDMRULW\ RI SROLFH RI¿FHUV who are acting with honor and distinction,” she wrote in a letter to the new U.S. attorney general, Loretta Lynch. The mayor’s announce- ment came the day after her closed-door meeting at City Hall with Lynch, who pledged to improve the police department and told faith and community leaders that “we’re here to hold your hands and provide support.” Lynch has received the mayor’s request and is considering it, Justice Department spokes- woman Dena Iverson said :HGQHVGD\ “I think that’s probably a step in the right direction,” Republican Gov. Larry Hogan said. The city’s police union and City Council president also welcomed the develop- ment. $ NH\ ¿JXUH ZKR GLGQ¶W immediately respond was Police Commissioner Anthony Batts, brought in from Oakland, California, by the mayor 2 1/2 years ago to reform the department. The mayor’s request could put Batts’ leadership under a microscope. A police spokesman had no immediate response to requests for the commis- sioner’s reaction. An email and a text message were not immediately returned. BRIEFLY Tornadoes touch down in both Oklahoma and Nebraska OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A storm that produced tornadoes across parts of southwestern Oklahoma bore down on suburban Oklahoma City during the evening rush hour :HGQHVGD\DQGIRUHFDVWHUV declared a tornado emergency for suburban Moore, which was hit hard two years ago. Forecasters had warned that severe storms could hit much of Tornado Alley. Twisters were also reported in Kansas and Nebraska. No injuries were reported LQ:HGQHVGD\¶VZHDWKHU Local television stations reported that some storm spotters had seen signs of damage southwest of the Oklahoma capital. 1DWLRQDO:HDWKHU6HUYLFH meteorologist Angela Pfannkuch said the rural town of Roseland, Nebraska, near Grand Island, was hit DWSP:HGQHVGD\1R injuries were immediately reported to emergency management personnel and it wasn’t yet known whether homes and buildings were damaged. A weak storm formed in southeastern Oklahoma shortly after 3 p.m., according to weather service meteorologist Michael Scotten, and the supercell thunderstorm that created it held together until it reached Oklahoma City. Israel’s Netanyahu completes formation of government JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu completed the formation of a new coalition late :HGQHVGD\SXWWLQJKLP at the helm of a hard-line government that appears to be on a collision course with the U.S. and other allies. Netanyahu reached a deal with the nationalist Jewish Home party shortly before a midnight deadline, clinching a slim parliamentary majority and averting an embarrassing scenario that would have forced KLPIURPRI¿FH%XWZLWK a government dominated by hard-liners that support LQFUHDVHG:HVW%DQN settlement construction and oppose peace moves with the Palestinians, he could have a hard time rallying international support. Controlling just 61 of 120 parliamentary seats, the narrow coalition could also struggle to press forward with a domestic agenda. Netanyahu’s Likud Party won March 17 elections with 30 seats, securing a fourth term as prime minister. P SIGN U ! NOW 5K RUN, 5K WALK, 10K RUN, KID'S BUTTE SCOOT All races begin & end at Hermiston's Butte Park DRAWINGS • FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY Online registration & race information at WWW.BUTTECHALLENGE.COM All proceeds benefit THE HERMISTON CROSS COUNTRY PROGRAM Thank you for your support!
