Chapter 7 Contemporary Terrorism

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Terrorist weapon of choice Why???
• (50 in 2001 63 77-01)
• Lethal indiscriminate
• Explosives bomb technology cheap easily
  accessible
• One-person process
• Less risk to terrorist (suicide exception)
• Internet instructions how-to
• Media coverage is normally extensive

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Brief history of explosives
• Black powder
• Nitroglycerine Nobel made it safer
• Dynamite Nobel also invented the blasting cap
  Used by earlier anarchists still a popular high
  explosive for todays terrorists
• Next Military Explosives

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Military Explosives
• Greater shattering effect
• High rates of detonation
• Relatively insensitive to impact, heat, shock
  friction
• Usable underwater
• Convenient size, shape weight
• TNT (trinitrotoluene) most widely used
• Cant be detonated by heat, shock or friction

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Also popular -- Composition 4 (C-4)
• notorious plastic explosive
• Yellow/puttylike, modeling clay
• Easy safe to handle multiple shapes
• No odor, more shattering than TNT
• Detonates at much higher rate than TNT
• Resistant to heat, shock friction

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• 3rd well-known explosive is PETN
• Pentaerythritoltetranitrate
• High explosive in linear form
• Military some commercial use
• Resembles clothesline nicknamed
• Datachord, primex or primacord
• Resistant to heat, shock, friction

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• After first WTC attack
• Ammonium nitrate (AN-FO) fertilizer
• PIRA, Tamil Tigers Jemaah Islamiyya
• McVeigh in OKC
• 3, 55-gallon drums of liquid nitromethane 108,
  50-pound bags of AN-FO a high explosive
  datachord
• Worst terrorist attack (168 dead) until 9/11

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Wide range of explosive options
• Commercial explosives, black powder, dynamite
  or AN-FO Buy or steal
• Military explosives from rogue nations
• Delayed fuses also readily available
• Easily concealed in letters, parcels, shopping
  bags, suitcases or vehicles
• Shock wave of worldwide bombings

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Threat of nuclear terrorist attacks
• Technology to construct a fission-type bomb is
  available
• Contamination with nuclear waste so-called
  dirty bomb Mid-air detonation and let
  radiation drift on wind
• Dirty bomb is a conventional explosive salted
  with radioactive isotopes much easier than real
  nuke

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Consequences of a dirty bomb
• Kill large number of people
• Resulting panic and long-range affects
• Jose Padilla accused of plotting a dirty bomb
  attack on behalf of al Qaeda
• Another nightmare scenerio
• Attack nuclear facility cause a meltdown
  resulting explosion radiation - Chernobyl

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Bomb ingredients technology
• If manufactured explosive not available
• Use improvised explosives
• Internet cookbook common ingredients like
  starch, flour, sugar, and ammonia-nitrate
  fertilizers
• The most popular main charge explosive is black
  power black powder pipe bomb is most popular
  clandestine explosive in U.S.

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Major Effects of an Explosion
• Fragmentation
• Blast Pressure
• Secondary Effects (Fire)

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Fragmentation
• Pieces of bomb itself whatever may have been
  packed inside (glass, nails, razor blades,
  staples)
• To increase fragmentation or shrapnel, tape 1-2
  inches of nail on outside of pipe bomb- known as
  the IRA nail bomb
• Most deadly is the vehicle bomb vehicle parts
  loaded with other material (nails) dynamite,
  TNT, or plastic

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Blast Pressure
• Detonation hot expanding gases high pressure
  high speed
• Mass of gases travels outward in
• Destroys all in its path Tsunami wave
• Blast pressure effect
• Positive pressure shock front positive
  pressure wave One-Two punch
• Negative pressure vacuum effect

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Secondary fires effects thermal effect or
  secondary fires
• At instant of detonation bright flash, or
  fireball if combustible materials are near,
  secondary fires occur
• Usually least destructive of 3 major effects

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Velocity Explosives
• Low velocity black powder used as propellant
  very hazardous
• Easily ignited black powder bomb most widely
  used in U.S.
• High velocity dynamite nitro, oxidizers,
  absorbent material
• Others TNT, C-4, PETN - military

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Vehicle Bombings
• Preferred by IRA Middle-East groups
• Targets in the car or passing nearby
• Used as mobile mortar launch platform
• Delivery trucks access
• Residential or business areas
• Bombs on trains or buses
• London, Spain, and India for example

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Letter Bombs or parcels
• Unabomber case
• Injured 10 and killed 3, 3 in Sacto
• Hatred for high technology
• Things to look for in suspect letter
• Usually larger, outsized envelopes
• Unbalanced or heavier on one side
• May have wires or springs in wrapping
• Greasy film, unusual almond odor
• Taped-down envelope on all sides
• Stiffness of contents - Feel

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Aircraft Bombings
• Must penetrate security
• Technology advances
• Hard to gather evidence after the fact
• Fortunately, they are rare
• Text has review of major attacks if you are
  interested

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Chapter 7Contemporary Terrorism Bombing

• Questions