EXPLOSIVES
as the main charge as well such as the bus station bombing in Hadera, Israel, where a suicide-homicide bomber detonated 2 kg of TATP strapped to his body. What does this all mean? It means all of us must have our
awareness raised when it comes to these types of explosives. It becomes important to recognize not only how easily these materials can be made but also that the vast majority of explosives can be made from common, easily obtainable chemicals. These chemicals are not tracked or controlled for the most
part. How can they be? They are simple ordinary chemicals such as acetone (painting supplies), hydrogen peroxide (used in hairdressing and cleaning), acids (automotive supplies), or ammonium nitrate (farming fertilizer). It is nearly impossible to control these materials because they are so ordinary and ubiquitous. It is possible to track them, but then we have to ask – how much is the ‘trigger’ amount we will begin with?
Nitroglycerin extracted from double based smokeless powder being dried.
each group would be unique. For example, the general public, such as wholesalers and retailers – and including online retailers, where many purchases are made nowadays – needs to know what materials they should look for that are being purchased, and be alert to unusual acquisitions and orders. What sort of individual would need to purchase 4 or 5 quarts or more of hydrogen peroxide hair bleach? Would someone living in an apartment without a garden or have an urban occupation need 91 kg (200 lb) of ammonium nitrate? These are simple indicators that most people overlook but would be useful investiga- tive leads to be followed up on before an incident occurs.
Military and police training For the military or law enforcement the needs are diff erent. They would benefi t from attending a class where either they or the instructors actually make examples of the more common improvised explosive mixtures. Although some say this is too dangerous, it is no more dangerous than the practice of having narcotics offi cers manufacture various types of drugs which is done on a regular basis throughout the US in training courses set up specifi cally for that. This would give the responding
Raising awareness One way to address these issues is to raise awareness of what is used to make these materials at the civilian or retail level as well as in law enforcement. Use the resources that we have available instead of trying to create more. Education and awareness – for law enforcement, the military, and the citizenry — is the key to addressing this problem. If education was provided at several diff erent levels, it could help immensely in identifying the individuals who are attempting to make improvised explosives and what they are making. Currently the only training available is for the military and law enforcement agencies. These classes are conducted on an irregular basis at the request of the participants. There is no education as described above for the general population. There needs to be a coordinated eff ort made to set-up some type of training programme that would be specifi c for each type of target group. I say this because the training requirements for
military and law enforcement personnel the fi rst-hand knowledge they need to recognize what was occurring and how to safely neutralize the ongoing processes. There needs to be education, not fear in this training process. Many times now these personnel are told that these materials are far too dangerous for anyone other than a chemist to deal with. While this may be true in some instances, proper training can dispel these issues. Education, not ignorance, is the way to combat IME. Knowing what can be used to make these materials, allow us to identify, investigate, and stop their use. We must put into place procedures and policies that are proactive, not reactive. We have to strive to take the imitative away from the terrorist and give to those on the front lines of our defence. We cannot outlaw the materials that are used to make these improvised explosives because they are so common, but we can shine the light on those creeping though the shadows to attack civilized society with IME mixtures. ❚❙
James Crippin, an internationally recognized expert in explosives, is currently trainer with J3 International Consulting Services in Pueblo West, Colorado. He has been providing IME classes to the military and law enforcement since 2008.
52 CBNW 2013/02
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