Tea Bagger Terrorism Strikes the Heartland

[Fate]

We should treat this as an act of war. All tea bag organizations are now on notice as enemy combatants.

Officials are investigating whether a small plane that crashed into an office building in Austin, Texas, Thursday morning was an intentional act, an NTSB official told Fox News.

An NTSB spokesman, however, told FoxNews.com that "we can't confirm any of that."

Authorities said they have identified the pilot as Joseph Andrew Stack, a 53-year-old software engineer who lived in Texas.

The small single-engine plane crashed into a seven-story office building in Austin around 10 a.m. local time Thursday.

The FAA said a Piper Cherokee took off from an airport in Georgetown, Texas, at 9:40 a.m. and crashed into the building in Austin shortly thereafter. Officials are investigating whether Stack owned the plane.

The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday it does not believe the crash was an act of terrorism.

"This is an isolated incident, there is no cause for alarm," a spokesman for the Austin Police Department said during a news conference.

The office fire is contained and police said the situation is "totally contained."

President Obama was briefed on the incident.

SLIDESHOW: Small Plane Crashes Into Austin Office Building

Stuart Newberg, who was in the area right before the crash, said the plane was flying low and fast, according to The Statesman.com.

"It was flying low and fast and I did a double take," Newberg said, according to the Web site.

"I thought it was a play remote control plane. Then I saw the smoke."

He told the paper he thought the plane seemed "very controlled."

Harry Evans, an assistant chief with the Austin Fire Department, said one person from the building was unaccounted for. He said two have been taken to a hospital.

"There may be other injuries, we are unsure at this time," Evans said during a news conference Thursday.

An Internal Revenue Service office is located inside the building.

IRS Agent William Winnie said he was on the third floor of the building when he saw a light-colored, single engine plane coming towards the building, TheStatesman.com reported.

"It looked like it was coming right in my window," Winnie said, according to the Web site.

Winnie said the plane veered down and smashed into the lower floors. "I didn't lose my footing, but it was enough to knock people who were sitting to the floor."

The Austin American-Statesman newspaper reported several "walking wounded" at the scene of the crash. Paramedics have set up a triage center at the scene.

Heavy smoke could be seen coming from the building at 9420 Research Boulevard. Several local witnesses on Twitter reported seeing flames coming out of the building and lots of broken glass.

Dozens of fire trucks were on scene and the building was evacuated.

Early reports that the building housed the FBI field office in Austin later turned out not to be true. An FBI spokesman told Fox News that the FBI office in Austin is near where the plane crashed, but not in the same building. There are some federal offices in the building, though authorities couldn't identify which ones.

The NTSB is sending staff out of Dallas and DC to the scene.

MyFoxAustin.com reported earlier Thursday that Austin firefighters responded to a house fire at a home believed to be Stack's. Firefighters reported that the entire house was engulfed in flames, including the fence, when they arrived on the scene.

An Internet user with the name "Joe Stack" posted a suicide note to a social media Web site, ranting against the IRS, according to TheStatesman.com.

"If you're reading this, you're no doubt asking yourself, "Why did this have to happen?'" the note reportedly read. "The simple truth is that it is complicated and has been coming for a long time."

[Valmy]

I used to work in the same building with the FBI in Austin.  It was sorta cool when you would be riding the elevator with a few agents and they would have some dude in custody.  Pity none of them looked anything like Yvonne Stahovski but I suppose that is the CIA.

I was always a bit worried that building would eventually be the target of some nut.  Fortunately he attacked the IRS instead.

The building is on my route home...sucks to be me this afternoon.

[Faeelin]

  We are all Texans now.

[Eddie Teach]

We are all Texans now.

[Caliga]

I had Texas chili with crackers for lunch today.  Coincidence?

[Fate]

Why does the State get to define what is and isn't terrorism ?

What are you talking about? The Republican party, FOX NEWS, and the Drudge Report define what is and isn't terrorism.

In this case it's a white dude, so clearly it's a criminal matter.

[Razgovory]

I used to work in the same building with the FBI in Austin.  It was sorta cool when you would be riding the elevator with a few agents and they would have some dude in custody.  Pity none of them looked anything like Yvonne Stahovski but I suppose that is the CIA.

I was always a bit worried that building would eventually be the target of some nut.  Fortunately he attacked the IRS instead.

The building is on my route home...sucks to be me this afternoon.

Well, I'm glad it wasn't you flying the plane.

[Caliga]

Why does the State get to define what is and isn't terrorism ?

WTFAY?

[Fate]

The tea bagger terrorist's ISP took down his website and his manifesto, but the smoking gun has preserved it for posterity.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2010/0218102stack1.html

[grumbler]

Why does the State get to define what is and isn't terrorism ?

WTFAY?

Leave that discussion to Fate. www.james and Fate can have their own thread, or even board, to discuss whatever they like.

[MadImmortalMan]

Tea baggers are supposed to throw the tea in the harbor, not themselves. 

[grumbler]

Tea baggers are supposed to throw the tea in the harbor, not themselves. 

"Tea baggers are supposed to  throw the tea in the harbor, not throw the tea in themselves," or

"Tea baggers are supposed to throw the tea in the harbor, not throw themselves in the harbor"?

The first is what is actually written, but the second is the only one that makes much sense.

[Fate]

Tea baggers are supposed to throw the tea in the harbor, not themselves. 

"Tea baggers are supposed to  throw the tea in the harbor, not throw the tea in themselves," or

"Tea baggers are supposed to throw the tea in the harbor, not throw themselves in the harbor"?

The first is what is actually written, but the second is the only one that makes much sense.

Do you suffer from some sort of low level autism?

[Caliga]

The tea bagger terrorist's ISP took down his website and his manifesto, but the smoking gun has preserved it for posterity.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2010/0218102stack1.html

Interesting.  If the manifesto gets wide circulation I think a fair number of people are going to relate to it.  I doubt it will have any meaningful impact or anything, but it's the least insane terrorist manifesto I've seen that I can recall.

Also, if his entire website looked like the first page, it's no wonder he had trouble finding work.  It's impossible to tell what the dude could actually do or what he'd done in the past from the nebulous fluff he had up there.

[Razgovory]

The tea bagger terrorist's ISP took down his website and his manifesto, but the smoking gun has preserved it for posterity.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2010/0218102stack1.html

Interesting.  If the manifesto gets wide circulation I think a fair number of people are going to relate to it.  I doubt it will have any meaningful impact or anything, but it's the least insane terrorist manifesto I've seen that I can recall.

Also, if his entire website looked like the first page, it's no wonder he had trouble finding work.  It's impossible to tell what the dude could actually do or what he'd done in the past from the nebulous fluff he had up there.

No, that's pretty loony.  Anyone who can relate to it is criminally insane and should be fired.  From a cannon.  Into the sun.