"I am about 5 hrs from the Twin Cities at the point where Iowa/Minnesota/Wisconsin come together. 3 weeks ago, the local Walmart was bought out of Tracphones and a specific brand of hairdryer. The 2 Middle Eastern men, one older, one a teen, who bought them wanted more "before we go back to Michigan". The helpful store manager then called another Walmart to check if they had more phones/hairdryers and they did, so the men were given directions there. A few days earlier, the Onalaska Walmart was also bought out of the phones.
I was told this by an associate who observed part of this transaction, including the manager checking the inventory list for the hair dryers. This was reported to the FBI within days of the event."
Why the hair dryers? I understand why they would purchase the phones, if not used to have a communication tool that is barely traceable, could be used to detonate an ordinance of some kind. But why hair dryers?
Were they battery-operated hair dryers? TATP, for one, is extremely sensitive to heat.
Or maybe they were just the gun-shaped dryers.
Come to think of it, I have a little curling iron I carry in my purse that works on butane refills like a cigarette lighter. Hmmmm.
See my reply on this same question in #259 the ones of ReformedBeckite in #243.