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Bomb designed for most carnage [Bali]
News.com ^ | November 2, 2002 | Keith Moor

Posted on 11/01/2002 10:02:09 AM PST by spald

Bomb designed for most carnage
By Keith Moor
November 02, 2002

THE Bali terrorists callously chose a rare type of bomb designed specifically to cause maximum carnage.

A ferocious fireball created by the low-velocity bomb swept through the Sari Club and Paddy's Bar, killing at least 191 people.

The Australian head of the joint investigation yesterday revealed the bomb was almost certainly made using about 150kg of chlorate.

Australian Federal Police agent Graham Ashton also said 400kg of chlorate was stolen on the Indonesian island of Java in September this year.

He and Australian Federal Police chief Mick Keelty yesterday provided details of what they knew about the bombings.

Federal agent Ashton said investigators were trying to track down the missing chlorate, which could be used to make more devastating bombs. They were also checking to see if chlorate had been used in any other bombing incidents in Indonesia or elsewhere.

Chlorate is used in the manufacture of fireworks, matches, bleaches and disinfectants. But federal agent Ashton said there were a few documented instances of it having been used in bombs.

He said traces of chlorate were found at the Sari Club bomb site and tests were being done in Australia and overseas to determine if this was the main chemical in the monster bomb that did most of the damage at Kuta Beach.

But he said indications were that it was chlorate.

Federal agent Ashton said the three bombs used in the October 12 Bali incidents would have required a high degree of explosives knowledge both to make and detonate safely.

"The level of expertise is of someone who is skilled in the manufacture of explosive devices," he said.

He said he believed the decision to use a low-velocity bomb, which a chlorate bomb typically is, was made because of the fireball such bombs create.

"It assisted in creating a fireball, which then swept into the club," federal agent Ashton said.

"From the scene at the Sari Club it can be seen that it was the most effective type of explosive to use to achieve maximum casualties.

"It may be some reassurance to the families of victims to know most people who lost their lives in the Sari Club did so very, very quickly."

AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty yesterday said he was not prepared to speculate about al-Qaeda or Jemaah Islamiyah involvement in the Bali bombings.

ASIO director-general Dennis Richardson this week said the Bali bombings had the fingerprints of al-Qaeda all over them.

"The intelligence agencies can speculate and hypothesise on the information that is available to them," Mr Keelty said.

"Most of that information would not be admissible in a court of law.

"One of the difficulties for us as police officers is that we have to obtain evidence from the crime scene and build up a picture of who is responsible as opposed to hypotheses put forward by the intelligence community."

Herald Sun


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: bali; chlorate; thebalihorror
400kg minus 150kg leaves 250kg chlorate left.
1 posted on 11/01/2002 10:02:09 AM PST by spald
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To: spald
As opposed to "Bomb designed for least carnage"?
2 posted on 11/01/2002 10:19:38 AM PST by AngryAmerican
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To: AngryAmerican
Well, the translation might be a bit off but the writer wishes to inform that the explosive content (chlorate) is fundamentally a frightful flame blast that incinerated the victims by fire rather than a quick shock wave, thus people agonizingly burning up is 'carnage'.
3 posted on 11/01/2002 10:23:34 AM PST by spald
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To: spald
Does allah separatge the innocent souls who lost their lives by the hand of these terrorists from the righteous dead "patriots" who die in the name of allah?
4 posted on 11/01/2002 10:47:31 AM PST by Thebaddog
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To: spald
Quite so. These people burned alive in a most painful and horrifying death. Conscious to the end. Now can someone explain why Islam should not be extinguished from the Earth?
5 posted on 11/01/2002 10:58:59 AM PST by eno_
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To: spald
Gosh, I hope those Balinese don't blow up the mosque up on the corner of my street! Ar any Australians either.

I'd prefer to see it bulldozed. During the height of Ramadan, when it's full.

6 posted on 11/01/2002 11:11:29 AM PST by Kenton
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To: spald
400kg minus 150kg leaves 250kg chlorate left.

That's 2 more Balis to go, somewhere!

7 posted on 11/01/2002 11:35:19 AM PST by mikeIII
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To: Thebaddog
"Does allah separatge the innocent souls who lost their lives by the hand of these terrorists from the righteous dead "patriots" who die in the name of allah?"

Yes, God does.

8 posted on 11/01/2002 2:18:17 PM PST by spald
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To: spald
the bomb was almost certainly made using about 150kg of chlorate

SPECULATION and Bull She'ite! This looks like dis-information so that no one will suspect the OKC bomb was made by the same people as the BALI bomb!

The Australian authorities have already announced the composition of the bomb was NITRITE, virtually the same in size and construction as the OKC BOMB Nitrate used in Indonesian bomb
theaustralian.news.com.au

9 posted on 11/01/2002 5:45:20 PM PST by Future Useless Eater
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