Q&A: Liquid explosives

BBC News ^ | 08/10/06 | BBC News

[newgeezer]

That was an episode of The Big Valley, IIRC....

Now that you mention it, I'm sure you're right.

I seem to remember the Cartwrights transporting nitroglycerin. It was the Barkleys who used the hearse, though.

[Lazamataz]

Hell, say goodbye to luggage.

Put this stuff into regular luggage, hook it to a remote-reciever and a detonator, change a cell phone so that it becomes a remote-sender, and boom.

[r9etb]

You are most probably right, but I am at a complete loss why having a two quarts of binary liquid explosive in the hold is any safer than having it in the cabin.

Checked baggage is easier to search, I think....

On that note, I recently came across the millimeter-wave chemical sensor which suggests exactly how such detection might be performed....

[Lou L]

Drats! There goes my hair gel, my bottle of water, my shampoo, my creams, my acne salve, etc. Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang!

Don't forget--no Diet Coke and Mentos, either!

[processing please hold]

Well, if a jihadist didn't know how to do it---they do now.

[wtc911]

For years we speculated on what kind of corrosive or explosives could be brought on board in shampoo or water bottles. We were always surprised that there was no ban in place yet,

[Beckwith]

They probably can make luggage containers that can contain a small blast.

Such devices are in service.

[Lou L]

Put this stuff into regular luggage, hook it to a remote-reciever and a detonator, change a cell phone so that it becomes a remote-sender, and boom.

Yes, but the Captain always says to turn your cell phones off while plane is in the air. I'm sure that'll thwart anything like you suggested.

[ReformedBeckite]

I can see stool checks before boarding next.

I could see them using some sort of x ray machine for all passengers or selected passengers, The x ray machines would probably catch something like that. My guess is they could probably take x rays of individuals secretly when they walk through the metal detectors or maybe newer redesigned metal detectors with x ray capabilities that some one would be looking at on the other side of the wall.

[tacticalogic]

Astrolite.

[Santa Fe_Conservative]

Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. If they eliminated carry on luggage(except for purses maybe), not only wouldn't there be a big hassle, they'd have to cut down on all those TSA workers standing around.

The cons for this are you don't know what's happening to your stuff with the workers down below, and you're pretty much restricted to what the airline has to offer...ugh...

[ketelone]

Yes... or the urinary catheter youre sporting... nice try, grampa... but nothing gets past us.

And absolutely NO adult diapers.

These terrorists.. Im so sick of them. There oughtta be a law. Theyre impinging on the rights of all free peoples with their shizzazz.

[Chena]

I have a question that I haven't heard anyone else ask yet. One of the things that are coming under scrutiny are baby bottles. Mothers, or some other member of their family, must taste the milk in front of security personnel before being allowed to bring the milk onboard the plane. This requirement tells us that they believe that liquid explosives may be smuggled on to airplanes in baby bottles. So, if that is the concern, this suggests that a terrorist would be bringing a BABY on board too. Why else would someone be carrying a baby bottle with milk in it unless a baby was traveling with them.

[bikerman]

next maybe naked flights.

[ketelone]

Yes, yes, but then itll get out that they were doing this, and therell be a million lawsuits, what with people claiming they got cancer from em, and whatnot

[Sax]

baby bottles

So what about a thin glass capsule with the nasty stuff suspended in the baby bottle, like the little glass capsule you break in a Cylume light stick.

[KJC1]

Who says one person must carry all the components? A number of separate individuals could carry one piece that could later be used in conjuction with the other ingredients.

They wouldn't even have to be booked on the same flight, just on a flight too so they can all get through security, and make the exchange inside the secured area.

[hadrian]

No gels on airlines anymore?

[Old Professer]

In most homes the bleach and the ammonia share the same contiguous space but are never mixed together.

[slowhandluke]

The talk about hard-to-get explosives misses the point; liquid that can be made explosives are all over the place. Just put a pint of gasoline into something that can quickly spray it into the cabin, light a match. The worries about TATP, or nitroglycerine are misplaced, and just serve to calm people with a fakse sense of security about this being a hard-to-setup bomb attempt.