Adam Stuart Busby (born 1948) is a terrorist,Trib Live. 16 August 2012. Pitt threat suspect Adam Stuart Busby a 'serial hoaxer,' wannabe terrorist by Margaret Harding
/ref>

Scottish Nationalist Scottish nationalism promotes the idea that the Scottish people form a cohesive nation and national identity. Scottish nationalism began to shape from 1853 with the National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights, progressing into t ...

and claims to be the founder of the

Scottish National Liberation Army The Scottish National Liberation Army (SNLA), nicknamed the ''Tartan Terrorists'', is a militant group which aims to bring about Scottish independence from the United Kingdom. The SNLA has been condemned by the UK government.31 BBC News - Scotland. July 2013. Scottish separatist group leader Adam Busby to be extradited.
/ref> In 1983 after a hoax letter-bombing campaign against high-profile public figures he organised attacks from Dublin involving anthrax hoaxes, bomb threats, and genuine parcel bombs. In 1997 he was jailed in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

for two hoax phone threats against Scottish media organisations.

Early life

Busby was associated with the separatist group called the ''Scottish Liberation Army''. He joined the British army and trained briefly in the

Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...

Career

In 1983 letter bombs were sent to the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

, oil companies and public figures including

Lady Diana Spencer Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

and the

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...

. The device sent to Thatcher was active and was opened by parliamentarian Robert Key but there was no explosion. Busby fled to

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

after the letter-bombing campaign. He reportedly tried to join forces with the

Provisional Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reun ...

, but the offer is said to have been refused. He organised attacks from Dublin involving anthrax hoaxes, bomb threats, and genuine parcel bombs. In 1997, Busby was jailed in

for two hoax phone threats against Scottish media organisations. In May 2006 he sent threats by email from Charleville Mall public library to BAA at

London Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the Airports of London, London airport sys ...

claiming bombs were on two New York flights. BAA did not take the threats seriously. Busby denied making the threats. In September 2006, the ''

Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...

'' reported that Busby might be targeted for extradition to the United States to face terror charges. Police in Ireland were said to have agreed to help the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

, MI5 and

Special Branch Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security and Intelligence (information gathering), intelligence in Policing in the United Kingdom, British, Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, ...

to investigate a series of e-mails to the US about how to contaminate US water supplies. In July 2010 he was sentenced by a Dublin court to four years in jail for the May 2006 threats by email to BAA at

claiming bombs were on two New York flights. Two of the years were suspended due to his age and health, as he has

multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...

and uses a wheelchair. In 2010, Busby was alleged to have made threats against then-

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern pr ...

Gordon Brown James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He previously served as Chance ...

.Brown threat accused leaves prison
''

Belfast Telegraph The ''Belfast Telegraph'' is a daily newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Independent News & Media. Its editor is Eoin Brannigan. Reflecting its unionist tradition, the paper has historically been "favoured by the Protestant po ...

'', 1 April 2014 On 15 August 2012, a United States federal

grand jury A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...

returned two indictments charging Busby, a resident of Ballymun,

, with emailing bomb threats targeting the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

, three federal courthouses and a federal officer. A separate four-count indictment charges Mr. Busby with, on 20 and 21 June, maliciously conveying false information through the Internet claiming bombs had been placed at federal courthouses in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, Erie, and Johnstown in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. Busby was released from an Irish prison on 21 March 2014 and was reported to be living in a Dublin hostel, banned from internet access, awaiting verdicts about his extradition to Scotland and the US. University of Pittsburgh bomb threat suspect released from jail in Ireland

CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 48 H ...

, 1 April 2014Accused emailer of bomb threats to Pitt released from jail in Ireland
Rich Lord, ''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...

'', 1 April 2014 In February 2015, Busby was extradited to Scotland.Scottish man charged in 2012 Pitt bomb threats avoids extradition
Michael Fuoco, ''

'', 8 November 2017 In October of that year, however, a

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

court ruled that he was medically unfit to be tried over multiple bomb threats.Scottish separatist leader not fit to stand trial on terror charges
15 October 2015 In 2017, the Sheriff Court of Lothian and Borders in Edinburgh ruled that Busby, by then 69, was too ill to be sent to the US, as multiple sclerosis was at an advanced stage.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Busby, Adam 1948 births Living people Scottish nationalists People convicted on terrorism charges People from Paisley, Renfrewshire Scottish expatriates in Ireland