Posted on 08/14/2006 2:37:44 AM PDT by Man50D
LONDON – MI5, Britain's national security service is checking all of the nation's universities and technical schools for Middle Eastern students with a qualification in thermo-chemistry – the science that includes creating liquid explosives.
A senior intelligence officer confirms that the intelligence service fears a student has been recruited by al-Qaida to prepare the explosives at the center of the biggest terrorist alert in Britain. The hunt also extends to all firms in the chemical industry.
Liquid oxygen explosives, or LOX, are considered to have been the weapon of choice for the alleged planned attacks on transatlantic planes.
One possibility being urgently investigated by scientists at Britain's chemical/biological defense establishment at Porton Down is that the terrorists could have perfected not only hiding the explosive in carbonated drink bottles, but also by placing it in perfume bottles or after-shave sprays.
"The pipe which allows the liquid to be dispersed through the spray nozzle acts as the timer. It would be activated by pressing the spray nozzle to cause an instant explosion," a Porton Down source told WorldNetDaily.
He confirmed a perfume bottle sold in any downtown store could be filled with liquid explosive sufficient to blow a sizeable hole in the side of a jumbo jet.
"Inside the cabin the explosion would create an air vacuum, killing those in the vicinity by crushing their lungs. Other passengers would be sucked out of the hole. The impact of the explosion would also cause the aircraft to break up," explained the source. Known as the "Lockerbie Effect," for the terrorist bomb that destroyed a PanAm flight over the Scottish town, it has been studied by explosive experts, who have concluded liquid explosive would achieve the same carnage.
However, they have challenged the "only essentials in a plastic bag” order for all passengers, pointing out that stopping a mother from taking on board her baby's bottle before she drinks a quantity in front of an airport security officer is "plain silly. If the bottle contained liquid explosive, it would curdle the milk and make it obvious to anyone," an MI5 source said.
It has emerged that the original tip which led to last week's arrests came from two Pakistani terror suspects – Zeeshan Hyder Siddiqui and Naeem Noor Khan. On MI5 computers they are listed as members of a Pakistani group affiliated with al-Qaida, the Movement for Islamic Jihad. Both fled from London after last year's July bombings, but were arrested in Lahore by Pakistani security officers.
MI5 officers interrogated the men in a high-security prison in Islamabad. They insisted they had no part to play in the London bombings and revealed they had been ordered to take place in an aborted attack on London's subway system. Both also admitted being close associates of two other young British Muslims who had launched a bomb attack on a Tel Aviv nightclub two years ago.
An MI5 document reveals the pair had also provided details about the extent of the al-Qaida network throughout Britain's Muslim community.
"The names included some of those who have now been arrested," said an intelligence source.
Timer? or Trigger?
Unless layered. But liquid oxygen if that is what is literally used (one of the things I question about this article), is so cold it would freeze the contents and cover the bottle with thick frost.
Little Boys and their dramatic visions of things that go boom... (A non-informed bystander beeing asked by some 3rd class newspaper)
there's 2 million ways to manufacture an IED suitable to sneek it by the aircraft securities.
It COULD certainly be used in a perfume flask and one COULD certainly use the spray-head to hide a trigger (timer, sensor whatever)
Or one could do 2 million -1 other things making this version a dramatic thing that hasn't happened.
Sprengel explosives?
What moron wrote this?
Were they struggling to describe hydrogen peroxide?
Good luck carrying a cryogenic liquid in a soda bottle. We joke about Islam being Fourth Century, but it looks like our General Science courses are headed there, also.
(Sadness and Disgust)
A cursory google (LOX explosive oxygen) seems to show that this does refer to cryogenic oxygen. No way that this would keep without a thermos bottle or dewar flask.
LOX explosives have been used in mining. Their benefit is that if not detonated, they just "Go Away" harmlessly. LOX and activated charcoal is one such.
But anyone who has handled liquid nitrogen or liquid argon or LOX would simply stare in disbelief at this article's leap.
There is a difference between a journalist and a technical writer, and it appears we have a journalist here.
In other words, a nun writing a sex manual..
More evidence in support of the wide spread belief that journalism majors are among the dimmest on any campus.
One would expect the WorldNetDaily to be more accurate. Now this article would be suitable if it came from the NYT / LA Times / Wash Post.
Crush lungs? Not likely. Rupture lungs from internal overexpansion - definitely.
LOX?? NFW - not in a container of that size or containers as described.
Whoever wrote this piece is an F'n idiot.
Never heard of "thermo-chemistry" How is it differenct from plain old "chemistry"? Heard of Thermodynamiscs, but thermodynamics isn't primarily about how to synthesize organic compounds. I would have though organic chemistry would be the field.
What a giant crock of shiite.
A vacuum would not crush the lungs, it would have the opposite effects.
One spray of ANY liquid explosive could not blow a hole in an airplaine.
Geeze.
The chemicals they were going to use were acetone (nail polish remover) and Hydrogen peroxide (used for cuts).
Mix the two, and let it sit. Crystals form, and the dried crystals are very explosive. Filter them with a coffee filter, and away you go.
Moos have been using them for years.
No big secret.
Sadly, no. Yellow journalism is their modus operendi. They're liked around here because their sympathies are the same as ours.
What was probably intended was "oxydizers". The Mainstream Media Morons have no clue as to the difference.
When liquid oxygen comes in contact with ANY organic it IMMEDIATELY violently explodes. The formation of the liquid form of oxygen is always to be guarded against. There are lots of impromptu ways to do this in a chem lab.
One does not carry LOX anywhere in a plastic bottle. LOX is dangerous and does not agree with transport.
ABC News just dismissed the possibility that the clowns with 1000 cellphones in Michigan were bombers. They were just dismantling blister packs to harvest parts for resale. They turn out to be sales tax scofflaws.
There are lots of ways to ruin the lives of innocents. I suppose the speculators on FR will eventually hit on a workable scheme. In the meantime, feel free to smear an entire class based on religion. And yes, I realize most but not all recent terrorists are Islamic.
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