To State Trooper Robert Cieplensky, the motorist at a rest area along the New Jersey Turnpike acted strangely. He circled his car several times, peered under it and into several trash cans. Then, apparently sighting the police car, he sped recklessly away. The officer flashed his warning lights, and the driver stopped. Looking into the auto, Cieplensky spotted six canisters protruding from a nylon flight bag on the back seat. Some were labeled BLACK POWDER. The trooper was even more astonished at what he found on the floor: three high-power pipe bombs contained in red fire-extinguisher cases.
The officer's alertness led...