In a report from the Miami Herald Thomas Butler carried a metal container to the Miami airport that sparked a bomb scare in Miami. The incident closed down several terminals and about 150 people were evacuated due to this bomb scare in Miami. The metal container wound up being empty but when Thomas Butler went through security, staff was alerted to the fact that Thomas Butler was convicted in 2003 on charges of improperly shipping plague bacteria. This bomb scare in Miami is a reminder of how we need to always remain aware and alert.
Although this bomb scare in Miami was only just a scare, it was a sure sign that the security system that the Miami airport has in place is working. It does make some people wonder why Thomas Butler would need to go all the way to Saudi Arabia and then to England to buy a canister for his research. Not transporting vials or metal containers to begin with would have prevented a bomb scare in Miami.
Following the bomb scare in Miami, we ask questions like: “What are Mr. Butler’s ties with Saudi Arabia? Was his 2003 transport of plague bacteria just an honest mistake or is Thomas Butler a terrorist? This recent bomb scare in Miami does not help Mr. Butler’s defense.
After this bomb scare in Miami, a look into Mr. Butler’s past is needed. When Thomas Butler was convicted in 2004 he surrendered his medical license for the state of Texas. So where is Thomas Butler doing his research now and who is funding it? The bomb scare in Miami brings up lots of questions.
According to NBC Miami Thomas Butler is a faculty member in Saudi Arabia at the Alfaisal University and before the bomb scare in Miami, he was returning home to Texas. A renowned scientist, Thomas Butler teaches in Saudi Arabia but lives in Texas. The man that created the bomb scare in Miami, Thomas Butler, is known for his work in trying to create a new antidote for the bubonic plague.
According to an interview on 60 Minutes, Thomas Butler’s problems began before this bomb scare in Miami when he reported 30 vials of the plague missing back in 2003. Thomas Butler thought he was doing the right thing by reporting it but an FBI investigation turned ugly when he was coaxed into signing a statement that the vials had been “accidentally destroyed (60 Minutes).” After this incident you would think Thomas Butler would not transport any vial at all on an airplane, which would have prevented the bomb scare in Miami.
According to Thomas Butler, the FBI wanted to quickly reassure the public that all was well and that the deadly plague had not fallen into the hands of terrorists. At the time, Thomas Butler was working on an antibiotic that would treat the deadly bubonic plague. Thomas Butler appeared to be working to help prevent bio-terrorism and events such as the bomb scare in Miami. So why did he create this bomb scare in Miami?
Before the bomb scare in Miami, Thomas Butler had claimed that he was not aware that he could not transport vials of deadly pathogens on his body. How could he not know this especially after 9/11? Why would Thomas Butler even try to carry an empty vial onto an airplane after all this drama and then not expect trouble like a bomb scare in Miami or a bomb scare anywhere?
No airport wants to deal with a bomb scare, especially around a holiday or especially a bomb scare around 9/11. Airports around 9/11 and holidays are more on the lookout for a bomb and a metal container like the one Thomas Butler tried to carry on would surely spark a bomb scare anywhere. The jury is still out for me with Thomas Butler, especially following the recent bomb scare in Miami.
For other topics by this contributor please see http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/743371/teresa_erwin.html
Authors’ Disclaimer: While every caution has been taken to provide my readers with the most accurate information, please use your discretion before making any decisions based on the information in this article.
Sources
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/03/1806508/police-question-scientist-in-miami.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/10/17/60minutes/main578660.shtml
http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local-beat/Convicted-Disease-Doc-Questioned-in-MIA-Scare-102151329.html
