“
...the TATP did not who is known for reconstructing and stated by Prof. Oxley, “a bit more
testing devices involved in terrorist complicated than just putting a
ignite as planned, as trials, was quoted by CNN as saying flame to the powder.” If the syringe
that Abdulmutallab probably used a contained nitric acid or other liquid
the chemicals injected liquid contained in a syringe to mix with explosive it would be expected to
a chemical he was carrying in order to detonate the PETN - but this type of
into the explosives start a fire - itself intended as a means chemical initiation requires careful
to ignite the TATP, which, in turn, would and repeated experimentation and
didn’t produce enough have detonated the PETN. But the testing before the actual act.” Any
TATP did not ignite as planned, as the homemade mix or combination of
heat...” chemicals injected into the explosives components would be unpredictable.
didn’t produce enough heat. Jimmie While it is often said that ‘sixth-form
reported to have contained nitric acid, C. Oxley, a Professor of Chemistry at chemistry students’ are able to cobble
with the aim being that the TATP would the University of Rhode Island, said in together such devices, if untested
react with the acid and burn to detona- the New York Times on 27 December, the bombs are not guaranteed to go
tion, thereby triggering the PETN. “It sounds like he was trying to cause a off in exactly the way intended.
The syringe was said in a passenger chemical reaction that would initiate it,
statement within the indictment and that didn’t work out so well.” Explosives in Vogue
against Abdulmutallab to have The best way to set off PETN is Just over a month before the
become partially melted, and was through a shock wave from a blasting Christmas Day incident a Somali was
smoking. The passenger took the cap or an exploding wire detonator. arrested in Mogadishu for allegedly
syringe from him, shook it to stop However, such a commercial trying to carry a similar combination
it from smoking and threw it to the detonator is likely to show up on a of chemicals, liquid and a syringe onto
floor of the aircraft. Other published standard airport scanner. That the a flight bound for Djibouti and Dubai.
photographs of the Detroit-bound ‘underpants bomber’ did not use such Whether or not the attempt was con-
device show the charred remains of a method has led to a suggestion by nected to the Christmas Day bomber
the syringe the would-be bomber Professor Oxley and other security or not, the seizure of an intact device
used and which was discovered on experts that security, which failed to will be of great value for US inves-
the floor of the aircraft after landing. spot the device, actually worked in tigators investigating links between
The syringe method obviously did not terms of its attempted detonation. In the two attempted attacks and the
work in this instance. The FBI 2002 test possibly trying to avoid detection of al Qaeda command structure in both
mentioned above involved powdered a commercial detonator, the suspect Somalia and Yemen, the stated origin
TATP as a booster instead of the acid may have chosen to use a less reliable of the Detroit-bound device.
allegedly used by Abdulmutallab. liquid chemical detonation method. An ingenious mix of TATP and
Explosives expert Sydney Alford, Using chemical initiation is, as another peroxide-based explosive,
This image otained and provided by ABC News shows the package of the PETN explosive powder used on
the failed plot to blow up a Northwest airliner over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009. (AP Photo/ABC News)
42 Register now for FREE instant access to ASI online by visiting
www.asi-mag.com February 2010 Aviationsecurityinternational
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