Holley Roberts, Charger Staff
On the night of August 16, a motorist discovered a suspicious looking briefcase on Highway 111 in Overton County. The item was initially believed to be some type of bomb, but according to the FBI, this is not true. Inside the briefcase was a series of tubing, which connected five canisters to a central computer.
Apparently, someone invested a lot of money in the device. Sheriff Kelly Hull described it as something he had seen "only in James Bond movies."
The FBI sent the briefcase to the Hazardous Material Response Unit in Virginia, where it was found to contain no trace elements or illegal components. At least, that is what FBI agent Doug Riggin said. He also said, "The briefcase looked very wicked, like something that could be used for evil purposes."
Agent Riggin admitted, "We (the FBI) were a little scared until we found there was no danger." Then he made a somewhat suspicious comment: "If the FBI knows of anything specifically dangerous, the public will be informed." The FBI has yet to disclose the test results to local law enforcement. In a story possibly related to the above incident, Satam Al Suqami and Marwan Al-Shehhi, two of the suspected September 11 hijackers, stayed at a Cookeville hotel here months ago. The hotel manager reportedly gave the two men directions to Highway 111, where the briefcase was found.
Unfortunately, the hotel's records are not on computer, so finding the precise dates the two suspected terrorists stayed here would mean wading through months of files
No one in this area would possess such a sophisticated device as the one found on 111.
The motive of terrorism is to invoke terror into the minds of its victims. Whether those victims are physically harmed or simply preoccupied by fear, its motive is a success. So, the briefcase could have been a message, warning that big cities are not the only targets. Or, it could have been a hoax.
Web page prepared by Alicia Mayberry