Feds search for Middle Eastern man who tried to buy same explosive McVeigh used

BostonGlobe ^

[Happy2BMe]

WASHINGTON (AP) Federal authorities searched Wednesday for a man using a Middle Eastern name and possible bogus construction credentials to try to purchase large quantities of the same explosive used by Timothy McVeigh to blow up the Oklahoma City federal building.

[B4Ranch]

Ammonium nitrate is a fertilizer. Construction companies don't use it.

[Happy2BMe]

Misinformation?

[nightdriver]

"I feel like we are suspect, having done nothing wrong," said Laila al-Marayati, board member of charity KinderUSA. "People just assume that by definition if you're Muslim, you're going to have something to do with terrorism ...

That's only true if you moose-limbs are obedient to your own scriptures, Laila.

According to your scriptures, there's nothing wrong with killing non-moslems.

[Oorang]

Thanks for the ping. Yours was an excellent rant. I agree completely.

[ExSoldier]

30 years? You're the guy I want to speak to about this then. A number of my buddies are SpecOps type explosives experts and they are frankly doubtful as to the effectiveness of ANFO being the primary explosive in the OKC bombing. This is because (according to the SF guys) although ANFO can produce tremendous amounts of explosive pressure at the point of detonation, it drops off very rapidly as the pressure wave expands outward.

The Ryder truck at OKC was parked against a curb but about 20-25 yards from the wall of the building. My sources say that within 25 yards of detonation point, the blast would no longer be capable of cutting the hardened load bearing beams of a federal building which remember is usually designated as a "Disaster Shelter." They also point to some reports (tinfoil time) that residue of fulminate of mercury was scraped off buildings surrounding the blast site.

ANFO is pretty easy to create, but as you said it requires a substantial accelerant for reliable detonation. C4 would be perfect, but if you had either C4 or CEMTEX why fool with ANFO? But, I guess even a smaller ANFO device would do considerable damage if designed for a target other than toppling a building.

[astounded]

I still am surprised with the prompt execution of McVeigh. Seems possible that someone, somewhere, wanted him gone permanently so he would not talk. Perhaps a couple prominent democrats, say a "husband" and "wife" who were up to their ears in scandal and dirt? Given the many illicit activities of this "couple" in other areas relevant to US national security; their predilection to sell out the country for election "contributions"; and the link between a prominent "pardonee" in 2000 and Saddam, Oil-for-Food, and the UN, perhaps there are some dots to be connected. John Doe #2 looks like he may still be operating here, and perhaps the "couple" in question knows him...or at least knows of him.

[Happy2BMe]

Your 'surprise' is shared by many people. There was however a great throng who wanted him dead ASAP.

Perhaps if he were still around to answer a few more questions . .

[Happy2BMe]

Was #43 supposed to be for me?

[nightdriver]

"Was #43 supposed to be for me?"

Not to you, directly.

I was commenting on a line you quoted in Post #10.

[Happy2BMe]

Got it. Thank you.

[LayoutGuru2]

Ruh-roh, No, I haven't, thanks for the PING...

[UCANSEE2]

IMHO, the explosives in use in car bombs, and IED's (IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICES) in IRAQ. Saw one the other day. BERRY SMALL BOMBBBBB,BERRY BIG EXPLOSION.

Gee, maybe what was used to bring down OKC was originally from .... IRAQ???????

Naw...... had to be 300 rednecks sitting around unwrapping Black Cat firecrackers.

BETTER EXPLANATIONS:

( TWA800. Plane disaster caused by center-wing fuel tank igniting (cause of ignition, A BIG FREAKING ROCKET.

OKC building. Disaster caused by rental truck filled with fertilizer and diesel fuel (ignited by a hundred pounds of C-4 or hydrazine)

[GOPJ]

Thanks for the ping.

[Rumplemeyer]

The explosive velocity of ANFO is about 13,000 LF./Second, the power comes from the tremendous volume of gas produced by ANFO. This volume is much greater than the powder needed to initiate it, say 40% gel which has a velocity of 16 to 18,000 LF./Second, but only produces 30% of the gas.
Remember, all that is necessary to cause the damage in Oklahoma City was to put the structure in motion, gravity does the rest, that is why the center collapsed.

I suggest you Google the Texas City disaster in the late 1940's, 2 ships carrying AN exploded at dock, the devastation was remnant of Hiroshima, it gave du Ponte the idea this might be a good commercial explosive.

The no. 2 fuel oil adds carbon to the chemical reaction, coal, oil sludge etc.. have been used for this purpose, but fuel oil is the easiest to handle and mix.