Object

Galvanized Steel Pipes Seized in Iowa Raid

FBI agents seize galvanized steel pipes during the Iowa raid on terror suspects, classifying them as bomb components alongside explosives and fuses. Agent Mike Casper lays out the haul in the Oval Office, where President Bartlet absorbs the news with Leo, Jerry, and Morris. The pipes anchor the briefing's relief over one dead suspect, one wounded, and the hostage boy stable, before Jerry's report on a missing Israeli plane darkens the room.

2 appearances

Purpose

Component for improvised explosive devices in foiled Iowa bombing plot

Significance

Physical proof of neutralized domestic terror threat; sparks Oval Office relief undercut by Ben Yosef's vanishing plane, shifting focus from victory to crisis

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S4E4 · The Red Mass

Iowa Raid Debrief — A Moment of Relief, Then a Missing Plane

Galvanized steel pipes are named among the confiscated bomb components; their mention makes the intended improvised explosive construction visually and tangibly real for the Oval Office listeners.

Before: In suspects' possession at the Johnson County house, intended for use as bomb casings.

After: Removed from suspects and now in law enforcement custody as evidence.

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S4E4 · The Red Mass

From Domestic Victory to Diplomatic Emergency — Ben Yosef's Missing Plane

Galvanized steel pipes are cited among the bomb components seized; their presence confirms construction of an improvised explosive device and informs the administration's sense of threat.

Before: Stored at the suspects' rural house in Johnson County, Iowa.

After: In federal custody and cataloged as evidence.

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