So what are these liquid bombs likely to be then?

Plekhanov · Post by **Plekhanov** » 2006-08-10 08:06pm

The British security services have apparently stopped some kind of a bomb plot involving (presumably relatively innocuous) liquids carried onto planes in hand luggage, I assume two or more of these liquids would be mixed together (possibly in the toilet) to create an explosive.

Does anybody have any idea what these liquids were likely to be and how they would be detonated?

Post by **Broomstick** » 2006-08-10 08:24pm

Last I heard over the radio someone on the Brit side was saying "a peroxide based substance" or some such.

Although most people are familar with hydrogen peroxide in the 2% solutions sold over the counter for disinfecting cuts and the like, a high concentration is quite volatile. In fact, during WWII the Me 263 Komet program was using it as a major component in rocket fuel. They had some major problems with making sure it didn't blow up until they wanted it to.

Hydrogen peroxide looks like water.

What else could it be mixed with? I dunno... but there are a lot of common substances that, when combined can become dangerous or lethal.

nickolay1 · Post by **nickolay1** » 2006-08-10 09:25pm

Acetone Peroxide?

nickolay1 · Post by **nickolay1** » 2006-08-10 09:27pm

Shit, meant to post Methyl ethyl ketone peroxide.

Mark S · Post by **Mark S** » 2006-08-10 11:29pm

And to answer the other question; I heard on the radio that they were going to use the flash from a desposable camera to detonate it.

nickolay1 · Post by **nickolay1** » 2006-08-11 12:15am

Something as sensitive as an organic peroxide would indeed be extremely easy to detonate with a modified camera flash circuit. Using it as the detonator seems quite amateur though, unless the intent was to coneal its true function.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2006-08-11 04:36am

nickolay1 wrote:Something as sensitive as an organic peroxide would indeed be extremely easy to detonate with a modified camera flash circuit. Using it as the detonator seems quite amateur though, unless the intent was to coneal its true function.

That's probably EXACTLY why they went with the flashbulb. A modified walkman or discman could be detected, but a camera flash is alot smaller.

Sriad · Post by **Sriad** » 2006-08-11 08:33am

CaptainChewbacca wrote:
nickolay1 wrote:Something as sensitive as an organic peroxide would indeed be extremely easy to detonate with a modified camera flash circuit. Using it as the detonator seems quite amateur though, unless the intent was to coneal its true function.
That's probably EXACTLY why they went with the flashbulb. A modified walkman or discman could be detected, but a camera flash is alot smaller.

Precisely. The point is to be innocuous while trying to smuggle explosives onto planes: Hydrogen Peroxide - looks like water; Disposable Camera flashbulb - ingeniously consealed within a disposable camera, etc.

Julhelm · Post by **Julhelm** » 2006-08-11 09:17am

When Ramzi Yusef bombed the Phillipine Airlines flight in preparation for Bojinka he used nitroglycerine and cotton with a wristwatch timer device. Of course, when you're not planning on surviving the flight (He got off at mid-stops) complex designs that require timers are not needed at all.

Walsh · Post by **Walsh** » 2006-08-11 09:32am

From what I know, liquid explosives are generally quite unstable, even to the point of not needing blasting caps to set them off, so detonation wouldn't be a problem, especially if you were on a suicide mission.

I agree that MEKP is probably the culprit here, since I think most airports are equipped with nitrate detectors these days, and MEKP can be detonated with a lighter.