Police find bag of explosives at Martha's Vineyard airport

MARTHA'S VINEYARD, Massachusetts (Reuters) -- Massachusetts police closed the airport on Martha's Vineyard Monday night when a suspicious bag that later proved to contain high explosives was left on the tarmac, authorities said.

After X-raying the bag, police on the popular resort island off Cape Cod called for the state police bomb squad, which determined the luggage contained two bricks of C-4, a high-intensity plastic explosive, a police official said.

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Police sent for two bomb-defusing robots that were being ferried in overnight from mainland Massachusetts, police said.

Airport officials had closed the facility after becoming suspicious of the unclaimed luggage, forcing the many private jets used by celebrities and regularly scheduled prop planes to divert to Boston's Logan International Airport. Outbound traffic was halted.

President Clinton and his family stayed on the island two weeks ago, an example of the glitterati and power brokers who have homes or visit during the August peak season.

According to local media, the Washington Post's Katharine Graham was entertaining former CIA head Richard Helms over the weekend. Actor Bruce Willis, singer-song writer Carly Simon and television newsman Mike Wallace were vacationing here.

One of those stuck on the ground as police worked to defuse the device was former U.S. Senate Majority Leader and Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole, who was on the island for a fund-raiser.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Martha's Vineyard
Chilmark Police - Martha's Vineyard Island, MA
C-4 Explosive

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