Bomb found under French railway

[zardoz]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=5&u=/ap/20040324/ap_on_re_eu/france_explosives_found

Here is the text, quoted from Yahoo.com:

By ELAINE GANLEY, Associated Press Writer

PARIS - A French railroad worker found an explosive device buried in the bed of a railway line heading from France to Switzerland on Wednesday, the Interior Ministry said.

Bomb disposal experts neutralized the device, which was half-buried under a track in the village of Montieramey, on a train line heading from Paris to Basel, Switzerland, the ministry said in a statement. It was discovered shortly after noon.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The Interior Ministry said the device did not resemble bombs described in threats by a previously unknown group calling itself AZF.

The group claimed to have planted nine bombs along the country's rail network and has threatened to explode them unless it is paid millions of dollars.

The device, found at 12:35 p.m, was in a clear plastic box measuring about 8 inches by 8 inches, the statement said.

The box contained nitrate fuel and a flat battery linked to seven detonators, the ministry said.

The device was being examined at the police laboratory, the statement said.

AZF's threats, first disclosed in early March, appeared in at least three letters sent to the offices of President Jacques Chirac and Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy on Dec. 10, Feb. 13 and Feb. 17.

The letters, demanding $5.2 million, threatened railway targets.

Information from the group led to the Feb. 21 recovery of a sophisticated explosive device buried in tracks near Limoges in central France.

[Anonymous]

Did Al Queata Do It.

DOGGY

[vsmith]

Al Quida wouldnt have buried it , too hard to bury a significant size device under tracks where they could be seen too easily. The device sounds too small to have done significant damage, more of an elaborate pipe bomb, the devices in Madrid were backpacks filled with explosives (maybe 40 lbs each) that were left behind and detonated by cell-phone. far more damaging cause they went off inside the cars.

[JoeKoh]

As always if I see anything suspicious Im calling the local cops.
always looking around
stay safe
Joe

[Train Guy 3]

It's people sticking bombs everywhere that ruin good railfaning for us and what a shame it is.

[Anonymous]

It makes you wonder just how "safe" is our RR's over here from terrorism