NEWS FROM ISRAEL & AROUND THE WORLD n It Looks Like a Pen But It


Can Foil a Bomb APRIL 15, 2010—A new weapon in the


arsenal shared by airport security personnel and police resembles a pen but can detect bomb detonators in powder form at as little as five micrograms. It’s a white crystalline powder with


a distinctive acrid odor. TATP is a peroxide bomb detonator and an explosive of choice for airport bombers. If it had been detected at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the un- derwear bomber en route to Detroit several months ago would have been foiled much sooner. Would-be bombers have managed to


smuggle TATP on board before. In 2001, Richard Reid of al-Qaeda targeted American Airlines Flight 63 with a TATP trigger for a bomb concealed in his shoe. But underwear and shoe bombers beware: A technology developed by Israelis and Americans is now your nightmare. Collaboration between an American


researcher and Prof. Ehud Keinan of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology has culminated in a new way to foil terrorists carrying TATP-based explosives. Resem- bling a pen - although you can’t write with it - the device is a new weapon in the ar- senal shared by airport security personnel, police and environmentalists. Keinan and Prof. Philip Dawson from the Scripps Re- search Institute, La Jolla, California, recently developed and commercialized the ACRO- P.E.T. (Peroxide Explosives Tester) - a simple and cost-effective device for detecting TATP. Operated by touch, the sensitivity of


the device is quite high, as it can identify as little as five micrograms of TATP, an amount that can’t be seen by the human eye. An operator touches the tip of the device to the surface of the suspicious material. The tip is then removed and the operator replaces it on the “pen” and presses three levers, each of which releases 300 micro liters of solu- tion. A color change indicates the presence of TATP. If it’s there, that’s the time to make arrests. “It’s a next generation tool,” Keinan tells


ISRAEL21c, “most airports are not equipped with any devices [like this].”


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Pinpointing terrorists before it’s too late At a cost of about $25 per unit, the


explosives tester is being sold through Acro Security Technologies. Founded and based in Israel, Acro Security sells the ACRO-P.E.T. and other products to pinpoint terrorists before it’s too late. The pen-like device is a disposable item


that can be used by non-experts, like US troops in the Middle East, customs police, regular police and even environmentalists. “Sometimes we face environmental


hazards that use peroxide-based chemi- cals,” Keinan relates. “But it’s especially use- ful at airports for reducing false positives any time peroxides or suspected peroxide materials are found. The main thing is the war against terror.” Keinan hopes that the ACRO-P.E.T. de-


vice will be made available on all flights, giving airline hosts a quick and accurate


The ACRO-P.E.T resembles a pen and can detect TATP, a peroxide bomb detonator used in many major terror attacks worldwide. n IDF Launched Five Day Home Front Drill Amid Rising Tensions on Lebanon Border


Hezbollah’s deputy head says the Shi’ite organiza- tion has stepped up its alert status ahead of the ‘war game’ conducted in Israel


23 MAY 2010 ISRAEL—Israel’s annual national home front


exercise began Sunday, May 23, 2010, as Hezbollah played up fears in Lebanon that the drill meant a conflict might loom with its southern neighbor. The exercise, “Turning Point 4,” was planned for five days and


all parts of the country. During the first three days the drill involved the Israel Defense Forces’ various command centers, the police, emergency services, ministries and other government offices. The exercise, which is held annually in May, was broadened


to include civilians, with a siren sounding at 11 A.M. throughout the country. Civilians were instructed to to seek cover in shelters or other secure areas. Hundreds of police officers were scheduled to take


part in the exercise, to practice their three main tasks in the event of missile attacks: routine security, guiding traffic and maintaining order. The main scenario for the police was a strike on


Be’er Sheva by missiles fitted with chemical warheads. Another aspect of the drill was surprise strikes at


home front targets. Many different elements of defense and rescue


were practiced. For the first time, for example, Israel tested its response to a blow to its computer and


JULY/AUGUST 2010 Jewish Voice Today | 21


electronic-communications infrastructure after a cyber attack. The authorities also examined their ability to evacuate


hundreds of thousands of civilians from areas hit by missile barrages or strikes by unconventional weapons. The distribution of gas masks, something already underway


since March, was expedited during the drill to include other parts of the country. Home Front Command was tested on its ability to shift to emergency distribution on a national level. Extensive participation by volunteers, nongovernment


organizations and youth movements was part of the drill-- helping local authorities reach people and communities in distress or needing special assistance. SOURCE: WWW.HAARETZ.COM BY ANSHEL PFEFFER, LIEL KYZER AND AVI ISSACHAROFF


way to test suspicious materials they may discover. This will help ground authorities to prepare better and respond more rapidly if a suspected terrorist manages to make his or her way on board. Working on the science behind it for about 10 years, it took several years for the researchers to find the right in- vestors to take their idea to the commercial phase. The Israeli contribution escorted the product through development, and through the first, second and third prototypes. The final product is now in use around the world in South Africa, Australia and China,


and also in the US where the company is now focusing its marketing efforts. Aside from his work on ACRO-P.E.T.,


Keinan is still working on research at the Technion and is an associate professor at Scripps. He would gladly tell ISRAEL21c about his latest project, but “it’s security- related and highly classified,” he admits.


HTTP://ISRAEL21C.ORG/201004157858/TECHNOLOGY/IT-LOOKS- LIKE-A-PEN-BUT-IT-CAN-FOIL-A-BOMB


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