Swiss police foil plot to bomb IBM atomic/nanotech research facility

Police in Switzerland have arrested two men and a woman accused of planning to bomb an IBM research facility near Zurich. Two suspects were Italian, one Swiss. A spokesperson said the arrests occured on April 15 in a town roughly 6 miles south of Zurich. IBM has a lab in the area that conducts research into atomic and nano-scale structures for enhancing electronic products. During a traffic stop, the suspects were found to be in possession of explosives and a letter detailing a planned attack on an international company. NYT, MSNBC, WRS.

• [Virus]

  Looks like that those bombers know something horrible about our future and try to prevent it. Like in 2nd Terminator ;-)

• [misterfricative]

  Boy, this story sure seems to grow with the re-telling.

  In the original reports, the letter is ‘referring to’ or ‘indicating’ a planned attack. In the OP, this has become ‘detailing a planned attack’, which apart from anything else, makes these alleged would-be bombers sound like they’re borderline retarded.

  Now I’m kind of half expecting to learn that the ‘explosives’ were firecrackers…

• [Gamera]

  Note to self – when en route to destroy Skynet, drive the speed limit.

  • [querent]

    Maybe in Switzerland. In the US, it’s established that the police may use strict adherence to traffic law as one factor in establishing a profile of suspected criminal behavior, and pull you over for it.

    You’re better off looking a little careless. :)

• [Anonymous]

  That’s some pretty overt industrial espionage…e

• [Anonymous]

  Anybody have any more details as to why?

  • [loonquawl]

    According to ‘BaslerZeitung’, a Swiss newspaper, the three suspects have ties to an italian anarchist/ecoterrorist group. One had already been jailed in 2006 for calling for violence against bio- nano- and nuclear tech.

    • [Anonymous]

      Makes me wonder what these ecoterrorists have against nanotech.
      Nuclear and biotech I understand but so far I don’t see any ecological problems with nanotec.

      Maybe they have been reading too much SF? :p

    • [Stooge]

      Actually, one of the three, Silvia Guerini, has already spent time in jail for a similar stunt (blowing up a TV/telephone transmitter) in 2001, while Costantino Ragusa (also arrested in Switzerland) was indicted for the same crime, although not convicted, if memory serves.