Pillow Bombs Feared on Planes. Al Qaeda Explosives Could Also Be Stuffed Into Coats, Toys

Washington Post ^ | Oct. 13, 2003 | John Mintz and Sara Kehaulani Goo

[FairOpinion]

Airport screeners in this country and overseas are on the lookout for suspicious pillows, coats and even stuffed animals after U.S. intelligence concluded that al Qaeda operatives are being trained to apply special chemicals to the material inside to transform them into bombs.

American intelligence officials have picked up several indications that al Qaeda is attempting to create a chemical called nitrocellulose to fashion explosive devices that could be smuggled aboard jetliners, according to a warning the Department of Homeland Security sent in August to airlines and airport security officials around the world.

U.S. officials said that while airport X-ray machines cannot detect nitrocellulose, another type of technology called a trace-detection machine can. Screeners rub the inside of, say, a briefcase or jacket with a specially treated cotton swab or piece of gauze and then insert the swab into the machine. The machine heats the swab and can detect from the vapors whether explosive chemicals or narcotics are present.

[FairOpinion]

Of course we could pay more attention to the passengers, and use, gasp P-R-O-F-I-L-I-N-G.

[jammer]

The insanity intensifies. Actually, it's only insanity on our part--the feds are achieving their goals. That is, hiring and paying thousands of otherwise marginally employable people to do no good at all.

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[lelio]

Reading the article they say it requires someone "that knows what they are doing" to make the explosive substance. Could that mean that they know how to read a manual?

[sandpit]

Fabulous, I have to fly to Atlanta this weekend for a wedding. If I see any mooseslime even so much as twitch, I'm pointing him out to security.

[11B3]

The manufacture of guncotton or nitrocellulose is not simple - it is 'touchy' to say the least. Sugar chlorate would be another chemical to look out for (self igniting Molotov cocktails), and nitrogen triiodide as well. As far as that all goes, why don't they just use RDX or Semtex modified into a gel foam?

If they are going to plant pillows on aircraft, these pillows won't be walking through security to start with - their planted employees would just put them on the planes during cleaning and maintenance operations. There's no way in Hell that TSA screens all of the consumables for every passenger aircraft - they don't even get all of the passengers that need attention - like those of obvious middle eastern origins. (Profile? Nah.)

[Pro-Bush]

So many shoes...so little time: with so many choices, would-be shoe bomber Richard Reid bordered on confusion and failure, pining for pumps but grudgingly deciding on men's sneakers as carrier for c-4 explosives.

[Major_Risktaker]

"As far as that all goes, why don't they just use RDX or Semtex modified into a gel foam?"

Your right and the terrorist could pack this gel into their body cavity creating the opportunity for them to squeeze their cheeks together to set off their bum bombs. The fed's could then call for strip searching all passengers in the future before each flight.

[backhoe]

 

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996063/posts

Al-Qaeda Preparing 'Teddy Bear Bomb - Report
IOL ^ | 10-6-2003

[11B3]

But you know they'd only search little old ladies, and blonde/blue types - never someone from 'over there'.

I know it takes a lot longer, but why don't they do airline screening like they do in Egypt or Israel? At Cairo, you line up on the tarmac with your luggage, and then the police/security run the dogs past everyone to check for explosives. This way the authorities have a way to be sure whose luggage is whose, and that no luggage goes on the plane without a person. I'd bet that properly trained K9s are more accurate than the machines they are trying to deploy, and this method checks EVERY bag, not just some of them. (Plus the fact that when you're standing there with your bags and the guy stops in front of you with the dog and a submachine gun at the ready, if you're nervous it will definitely show.)

[11B3]

"The machine heats the swab and can detect from the vapors whether explosive chemicals or narcotics are present."

Now you know the REAL reason they are pushing this. It's actually for the WOsD, not the WOT.

[Aaron0617]

Hey...how about a warning before you post that guys' face, sheesh. I actually forgot what his sentece was.

What irritated me the most about that moron was his mother in different interviews speaking in French. Saying, it wasn't her son, he was set up by the govt. He didn't do a thing....yadda yadda yadda.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Exchange between Reid, judge follows life sentence

Tuesday, February 4, 2003 Posted: 11:18 AM EST (1618 GMT)BOSTON (CNN) -- The man who admitted to trying to blow up a U.S. jetliner with explosives in his shoes was wrestled out of a courtroom by federal marshals Thursday after a federal judge sentenced him to life in prison.

[pitinkie]

I am flying today into Newark..lovely. At least I am in first class to guard the cockpit!