'Intimidated and scared' - pipe bomb fears as Midwest mail carriers resume

SEWARD, Neb. - Letter carriers nervously resumed their rounds in the Midwest yesterday as investigators tried to figure out who left 15 pipe bombs with anti-government messages in roadside mailboxes in Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois.

Jim Pelzer wore safety goggles and earplugs as he delivered mail in Tipton, Iowa, where one of the bombs exploded Friday. The protective gear was a gift from his wife.

"My feeling was when we had 9-11 and the anthrax scare; I was a little concerned about my job safety," Pelzer said. "But now I'm intimidated and scared."

The bombs wounded six people in Illinois and Iowa on Friday, while two other bombs found in Iowa did not explode. The next day, seven bombs were found 350 miles away in Nebraska, but they were detonated harmlessly by authorities.

The FBI said yesterday that the bombs and the accompanying notes were nearly identical and clearly came from the same source. The FBI considers the attacks a case of domestic terrorism, and profiling experts have said whoever wrote the note is probably an older American man.

Authorities have not said whether they think the bombings were the work of an individual or a group.

FBI agent Larry Holmquist said the only differences in the bombs were slight variations in the detonating mechanisms. He refused to elaborate.

"There is no question that these were planted by the same person or persons," Holmquist said.

Officials described the bombs as three-quarter-inch  steel pipes attached to 9-volt batteries, and said they appeared to be triggered by being touched or moved.