US Experts Discover Evidence of Global Bombmaking Network

Voice of America News ^ | February 22, 2004 | VOA staff writer

[Fizzie]

Report: US Experts Discover Evidence of Global Bombmaking Network VOA News 22 Feb 2004, 14:34 UTC

A published report says U.S. forensic experts have discovered evidence of a global bombmaking network used by Islamic militants in terrorist attacks in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The New York Times says in its Sunday edition that U.S. government investigators have examined fragments from hundreds of improvised explosive devices used in attacks on the three continents and have found design similarities in many of them.

The newspaper quotes one forensic expert as saying many devices were made by the same bombmaker or by different people using the same bombmaking instructions.

The Times report says intelligence analysts suggest that the al Qaida terrorist network may be teaching bombmaking skills to militants who now are spread around the world.

Some counterterrorism experts believe efforts should be focused on capturing the relatively small number of master bombmakers responsible for building bombs used in most large-scale attacks.

According to the Times, the United States has established a new forensic intelligence unit to gather information related to the construction of improvised explosive devices.

The unit, known as the Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center, or TEDAC, says nearly all terrorist attacks against Americans in the last five years involved improvised bombs.

Tedac began operating in December, but The New York Times says Congress was made aware of its existence only last week.

The unit comprises experts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

[Thinkin' Gal]

Pray for global work accidents.

[Dog]

Would it be fair to say this is network is being run by a state?

Iran?

[alloysteel]

This whole bomb-making conspiracy is more widespread than anyone has imagined up to now. Everybody supposed it was isolated groups sort of experimenting in a back lot somewhere for a few days, then just getting into a van loaded with the necessary materials all set up, driving to an address, parking it, walking away and triggering the contents.

There is SO much we never learned about the Oklahoma City bombing. How come that sentence was carried out so fast?

[Carry_Okie]

The newspaper quotes one forensic expert as saying many devices were made by the same bombmaker or by different people using the same bombmaking instructions.

Would it be fair to say this is network is being run by a state?

It's too easy to spread the information over the Internet to make that conclusion. Even I could email instructions and a bill of materials without detection. Just use homophones in the spelling and the software won't pick it up.

Eye cud bee a far arm cellar end know body wood no id.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Time to take that State down?

[Poincare]

Not a state but a fanaticism masquerading as a religion and its all financed by Saudi Arabia.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[Fizzie]

Umm, that "state" would be the United States, not Iran. The VOA is funded by the US government (i.e. US taxpayers.)

[Dog]

I meant the bomb making network....

[buffyt]

Allegra just said on another FR page that the bomber terrorists in Iraq need to get a life...
or lose one!

[XHogPilot]

Eye cud bee a far arm cellar end know body wood no id.

Well, I can't pick it up either...

I could be a ___________and nobody would no it. Come on now, I know you're not a farm seller. Are you bigger than a breadbox? Is this some kind of sick "gay" joke?

[Fizzie]

Oh, I see now! LOL. Obviously, I thought you meant the radio network.

[demlosers]

Logical - that the terrorist playbook is being passed around.

[Carry_Okie]

Well, I can't pick it up either...

Translation: I could be a firearms seller and nobody would know it.

Is this some kind of sick "gay" joke?

Bizarro.

[Excuse_Me]

firearm

[Fizzie]

It seems as if we are doing something. We are forensically connecting the dots. I don't imagine this is for amusement purposes.

[Cboldt]

"far arm" -> firearm.

Be glad he isn't a bum maker.

[tubavil]

The unit comprises experts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

LOL. The US will be islamic before those 5 could agree to disagree.