|
Acetone Peroxide - "Mother of Satan" used in London Bombing
Edited for details on the bomb:An Egyptian scientist suspected of being involved in making explosives for the London suicide bombers has been arrested in Cairo. Magdy Elnashar, who studied for a PhD at Leeds University, is thought to have links to a flat in Leeds being searched by anti-terrorist officers. The flat has been described as a bomb-making factory where explosives were made using ingredients available from high street chemists. Detectives investigating the London bombings have discovered home-made explosive materials using ingredients that can be found in high street chemists. The highly volatile explosive acetone peroxide was found in the house in Leeds connected to Elnashar. The discovery has raised fears of other British fanatics making their own explosives and following the example of the London suicide bombers. The home-made explosives are similar to those used in other al-Qaida-linked attacks. Instructions for making acetone peroxide are readily available on the internet. A security source said: "The explosive that has been recovered at the house in Leeds - some of it is still in there - is in fact acetone peroxide. It's the same kind of explosive Richard Reid had in his shoes when he tried to blow up a trans-Atlantic flight in 2001. "This is a shocking development in the sense that earlier ideas about commercial or military grade explosive being used in the bombs themselves would therefore seem to be wrong." He said the explosive's "extremely volatile" nature had prompted the police to widen a cordon around the house in the Beeston area of Leeds even further yesterday, as well as set up a no-fly zone. Anti-terrorist agencies are worried other "educated amateurs" could try to make more of the explosive. ACETONE peroxide, also known as Mother of Satan because of its instability and lethal potential, can be made from common household items. Drain cleaner (sulphuric acid), hair bleach (hydrogen peroxide), and acetone (used in some nail varnish removers) can be mixed together to start the process of making home-made explosives. Sometimes used by bombers in the West Bank, the compound was also used by shoe bomber Richard Reid, who packed his shoe with more than 100 grams of plasticised triacetone triperoxide (TATP) - another name for acetone peroxide. The TATP would have been used to light other powerful plastic explosives in his shoe. The British-born bomber boarded an American Airlines Paris to Miami flight in 2001 but was overpowered by passengers and staff. Acetone peroxide is highly sensitive to heat, friction, and shock. Professional chemists have been injured attempting to use it and dozens of Palestinians have been killed manufacturing or handling it. Recipes for making home-made explosives using acetone peroxide are readily available on the internet. Posted by: Steve 2005-07-15 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=124121 |