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Homeland Security warns of 'pillow bombs'

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emad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 06:53 AM
Original message
Homeland Security warns of 'pillow bombs'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday confirmed terrorists have discussed using stuffed animals, pillows and clothing to smuggle explosives aboard commercial airliners. The explosive -- nitrocellulose -- is a propellant for ammunition and some rockets and is extremely flammable when packed in a sturdy container.

<snip>

The department issued a warning about the possible use of nitrocellulose on August 8 to airport managers, state and local law enforcement and border agents after receiving "actionable intelligence" that al Qaeda or other terrorist groups were trying to exploit this explosive method.

<snip>
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/US/10/14/pillow.bomb/index.html

Hope they include soft furnishings as well - my neighbour's just bought a new sofa and matching armchairs with a Che Guevara motif on the upholstery, imported all the way from Bali!


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CWebster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 06:59 AM
Response to Original message
1. ratcheting up the fear factor
again.
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Atman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 07:06 AM
Response to Original message
2. Is that anything like the lethal "dutch oven?" n/t
.
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SpiralHawk Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 07:28 AM
Response to Original message
3. Survey: Pillow bombs Vs. Shoe bombs
Edited on Wed Oct-15-03 07:29 AM by SpiralHawk
How would you prefer to end it all is Bush gets re-elected?


Me, I'm kinda partial to the bitter irony of a pillow bomb. But then again, a shoe bomb also has a certain quirky flair.
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liberalmuse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 07:51 AM
Response to Reply #3
4. A nice, fluffy pillow bomb...
it just sounds like a pleasant way to go. The asthetics would be better than those other bombs. Blood and guts look so much more surreal with feathers floating all around. Anyway, if Bush is re-ejected, I'm going to live in the woods like a wild animal, eating tree bark and those red and white polka-dotted mushrooms.
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emad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 08:01 AM
Response to Reply #4
8. Polka-dotted mushrooms?
Amanita muscari? Try living off them anyway, regardless of who's in charge at the W H. Just so long as you're 'living in the woods' and not 'living by the bushes' hem hem...

Tree bark is also good for you: aspirin comes from the bark of the silver birch, I think, and will help with those post-mushroom headaches!
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Media_Lies_Daily Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 07:55 AM
Response to Original message
5. Next thing you know, they'll be warning us about vegetable bombs...
BOO!!! BOOGA-BOOGA!!!
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papau Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 07:57 AM
Response to Original message
6. nitrocellulose was a 7th grade science assignment back in the 50's
After you made some - you "popped" it - and noted how poorly your attempt at a vacuum production had gone.

I may be off a bit - it might have been high school freshmen year.

But now we have terrorist doing some home chemistry ? - or are they buying commercial stuff for which we need a gun like control system?

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Ellen Forradalom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 08:00 AM
Response to Original message
7. How does security intend to detect nitrocellulose?
Would the explosive turn up in xrayed stuffed animals and pillows? Would someone wear clothing packed with the stuff? How is it detonated?

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emad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 08:05 AM
Response to Reply #7
9. Sniffer dogs.
Spot and Barney will lead the trials to train Dumbo's new squad of all-purpose anti-terrorism canines, and will get a new $billion budget to go round sniffing people's pillows in the war against terra.
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MrPrax Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 10:48 AM
Response to Reply #9
20. Spot and Barney? McGruff
Hell no...McGruff!! would train them to find pillows, exploding veggies, Maxwell Smart explodo-shoephones, killer drones, ghost ships, WMDs and a *ucking clue to how ridiculous they are!!!


Hey Kids!! McGruff wants you to pull his finger!!!
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demdave Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 09:17 AM
Response to Reply #7
17. I once ignited an entire car glove compartment of nitrocellulose
A friend and I bought a firecracker how-to book and he made about 1 cubic foot of nitrocellulose. He had it in the glove compartment of his car when he showed it to me. I was smoking......big flash, some heat, damn near no ash or anything. No damage to the glove compartment or us.

It has no odor before or after, it looks just like cotton.

It needs to be in a container to create enough pressure for an explosion. However, the container doesn't have to be hard, it merely needs to be strong. We have made "soft" pipe bombs out of strapping tape and black powder. They make one hell of a loud noise and left a smoking hole in the ground, about the same size and effect as the old M-80s or Silver Salutes ( I dated myself with that reference :)).

I have no idea what shows up on the airport scanners, but I thought all explosives were highlighted. I certainly hope the Feds have thought about this.
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emad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 09:30 AM
Response to Reply #17
18. Thanks Demdave,
I have mailed your post to my 16yr old, who relies on the Anarchists' Cookbook for his incendiary device recipies and combustion experiments that he and his chums regularly conduct in our back yard (Guy Fawkes Day is coming up soon in the UK)>

Perhaps this will help wean him off weed killer (sodium chlorate?) recipies, which nearly always smell foul and leave the neighbours effing and blinding about our 'unusual barbecue fuel'.....
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jburton Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 09:54 AM
Response to Reply #7
19. Harass all brown people
That's how.
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snippy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 08:13 AM
Response to Original message
10. I thought this was about the First Lump in the Bed.
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emad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 08:16 AM
Response to Reply #10
11. Lump in the Bed - sounds like lumpen - a term usually
mentioned in the same breath as 'proletariat' in Social Science classes...

I think Dubya is the Lump in the Bed
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rocktivity Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 08:20 AM
Response to Original message
12. DUCT AND COVER! (But not with a pillow)
Sounds like the perfect time for a rousing rendition of Take Back The Media's Duct Tape Theater!


rocknation
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tlcandie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 08:23 AM
Response to Reply #12
14. Pillow fights anyone? Seriously, August 8th and we are JUST
now being WARNED?! :spank:
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short bus president Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 09:16 AM
Response to Reply #14
16. No, we were warned about the Teddy Bears of Death
long ago - shortly after "the shoe bomber" was caught. This article is a fearmongering retread. Hope Tom fucking Ridge is proud of himself.

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pansypoo53219 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 08:22 AM
Response to Original message
13. all the more reason
to stick to fluffy down/feather pillows.
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MiddleRiverRefugee Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 09:11 AM
Response to Original message
15. Guess my Fender bass will never be allowed on a plane again...
Nitrocellulose is a component of the lacquer finish.

Not that I'd trust it to airline baggage handlers without opposable thumbs.
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Lisa Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 02:05 PM
Response to Original message
21. hey, maybe we should arrest Bush ...
He's always carrying that "pilly" around with him. Darned suspicious, if you ask me.
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PurityOfEssence Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-15-03 02:12 PM
Response to Original message
22. What's next? Milk and cookie bombs? Cuddly kitten bombs?
What's the matter with you, aren't you scared yet?
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