Updating The Ivanov Case

Today, we finally get to hear from Michael Clatts, the medical researcher who is roommates with Ivaylo Ivanov. He's all apologetic and doesn't know anything about what his roommate had done:

"He said that he was disturbed about the news he was getting," Mr. Robinson said. "He was very apologetic, and said that he had absolutely no idea about all of this."

Mr. Ivanov, known as Ivo to his neighbors, has alternately explained the arsenal by saying he needed it for protection and that he was planning to use the bombs for fishing. He has also claimed to be Jewish.

Several neighbors in the building said they believed that Mr. Clatts would have been unaware of his roommate's alleged involvement in the crimes. Mr. Clatts travels often for his work, his neighbors have said, and he was not believed to be in the apartment this week when the arsenal was found.

The e-mail from Mr. Clatts also said that he was in a "remote country" and would be coming back soon, according to Mr. Robinson, who said he notified police about the e-mail message.

As noted yesterday, he was in Vietnam as part of a conference at the time of the arrest. I'm still not quite convinced that Clatts wouldn't know anything about what his roommate is doing in their shared apartment, but if he's always out of town, it is conceivable. Investigators will want to determine this for themselves.