Israel Matzav

Liquid explosives found

As any of you who have flown since this past summer know already, the airlines have been severely restricting your ability to carry liquids onto the plane since a threat to use liquid explosives on flights between London and the United States was uncovered. Those of us who fly know the routine (this is from American Airlines' web site):

Customers traveling from the U.S. and Canada may take with them in their cabin bag limited quantities of liquids, gels, and aerosols, including travel-size toiletries such as shampoo, suntan lotion, creams, toothpaste, hair gel and hair spray.

Liquids must be carried in individual containers no larger than 3.4 ounces/100 ml.

All liquid containers must be carried in a separate clear plastic, zip-top bag (see example at right) that does not exceed 8 inches x 8 inches (20 cm x 20 cm) or is quart size. Items must fit in the bag comfortably and the bag must be completely closed.

At the security checkpoint, the plastic bag must be removed from the cabin bag and x-ray screened separately.

Customers carrying liquids in their cabin bags may be subject to secondary searches before boarding.

To be honest, this policy never made sense to me. If the problem is liquid explosives, why only restrict carry-ons? And if the problem is people having liquids in flight, why you can buy whatever you want in the duty free area after security and carry it on the plane?

Those questions aren't really resolved by this report, but maybe this will be a start. The liquid explosives have been found (at least some of them have) "in the vicinity" of a 'Palestinian' 'refugee camp' in southern Lebanon.

Hat Tip: From Beirut to the Beltway

Nearly six months after feverish search by U.S. and European intelligence agencies for lethal "liquid explosives" Lebanese police confiscated the first batch of such deadly weapons, sources told Naharnet Tuesday.

One source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said each of the 31 confiscated explosive devices is made up of two tubes filled with blue liquid, fitted on a board and connected to a timer-detonator.

A police communiqué said a squad of its intelligence branch carried out a "swift operation during which it confiscated 31 explosive sets."

The communiqué said the confiscated sets included "sophisticated electro-chemical timers-detonators that can be timed to explode after as late as 124 days."

The sets were confiscated in an area "in the vicinity" of the Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, near the southern port city of Sidon, 45 kilometers from Beirut, the communiqué said.

The sets were to be "smuggled and used in terrorist acts," the communiqué added.

The source, however, told Naharnet the sets were busted nearly 12 days ago in the Sikkeh district of Ain el-Hilweh in a "daring, swift and clean raid."

The sets, according to the source, were "assembled and awaiting a squad to smuggle them to another location. Police, apparently, postponed issuing a communiqué on the bust in an effort to tail members of what is believed to be a major network of terrorists operating between various sectors of Lebanon."

He said material used in the sets is of an "eastern European origin." He refused to elaborate.

Just imagine if the 'Palestinians' spent as much time and effort and resources trying to improve their lot in life as they spend trying to kill people. Forget it. It will never happen.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:08 AM