US soldier caught boarding flight with explosive

[RamboLiberal]

Source: MSNBC

Police in Arizona have arrested a U.S. soldier after he attempted to board a flight to Los Angeles with a small amount of high-velocity plastic explosive in his baggage, authorities said on Thursday.

United States Army Private First Class Christopher Eric Wey, 19, was arrested after he tried to board a United Airlines flight to Los Angeles from Yuma, Ariz., on Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney's office for Arizona said.

Transportation Security Administration officers detected explosives in his baggage during security screening at Yuma International Airport. A subsequent search found a half ounce of C4 explosive hidden in a tobacco can inside one of the bags. Wey was detained for investigation and interviewed by FBI agents.

The complaint says that Wey stole the C4 while attending an explosive training course. Authorities found no evidence that he intended any harm with the small amount of explosives in his possession.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43759903/ns/travel-news/

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Hmmm. Feeling him up wouldn't have helped -- or didn't help -- detect this.

"Authorities found no evidence that he intended any harm with the small amount of explosives in his possession"

I wonder how many of us would get the same consideration...

[boppers]

8. That's because the contraband has a distinctive odor.

As compared to, oh, a ceramic knife.

[formercia]

27. It's the plastisizer that has the odor.

The RDX (the explosive)is essentially odorless, unless it's old and has begun to degrade. I carried a bag through TSA security that I knew was contaminated with powder residue from the Shooting Range. The odor was strong enough that I could smell it, yet TSA didn't pick it up.

TSA is like a Polygraph. The experts know that it really doesn't work, but they use it anyway, hoping it acts as a deterrent to the masses. Real Terrorists will find ways to get around the Security.

[damntexdem]

2. I guess he just wanted something more from his smokes.

;-)

[formercia]

32. Goldbricks would eat it to get on sick call.

A dangerous game, but it works.

[No Elephants]

33. Are you implying this theiving attempted smuggler is lazy?

[formercia]

34. No.

I wasn't referring to him at all. I think it was just a souvenir. I was just providing a little Historical reference to unofficial use of the item in question.

The man is an idiot, no doubt, but lazy people don't get selected for demolition training. Lazy people tend to take shortcuts,not something you want to see in a person handling explosives.

[Poll_Blind]

3. First, it IS good that they can actually catch people with explosives. Second...

...what a fucking idiot..

PB

[ArcticFox]

4. He could have driven

What an idiot.

[WatsonT]

14. Well at least he didn't have over 3 ounces of shampoo

that would be a serious infraction.

[hedgehog]

17. Once again, shampoo is not the problem. The 3 oz limit is

someone's best guess as to a compromise between banning all liquids completely and insuring that no one smuggles enough hazardous material on board to bring down a plane. In addition, by limiting the amount of "chaff", the hope is that it improves the odds of spotting something bad.

And yes, I'm sure there are dozens of ways around this procedure, but the goal is to at least make things harder for terrorists.

[SoapBox]

5. Dumbass...

and that is that.

[sulphurdunn]

6. Without a blasting cap

C4 will only burn. Half an ounce would boil a cup of water in about 30 seconds. :nuke:

[pasto76]

7. a giant firecracker will also work.

[sulphurdunn]

11. You'd think so.

An M80 generates a shock wave powerful enough to do it. The article doesn't note that the guy had any type of detonator. Also, an M80 may be more powerful than 1/2 ounce of C4.

[vanbean]

28. It takes 500 psi. Maybe he was thinking of prill.

[formercia]

30. Not so.

RDX is not that sensitive. I've done a lot of demolition work with C-4, and it takes quite an impact to set it off. The new style C-4 that comes in a bulk package is even less sensitive than the old-style blocks. The RDX crystals are much bigger and the plasticizer has a different odor. I've seen unconfined charges leave bits of C-4 undetonated because the charge was not properly constructed. The only reliable way to set it off is with a Military type Blasting Cap. A commercial cap may not have enough energy to do the job.

No, a half ounce of C-4 is a lot more powerful than an M-80.

Don't try to bullshit here. Urban legends don't last long on DU.

[sulphurdunn]

46. Pardon me.

I just made some comments. I was wrong about the M80. It doesn't have enough poop to detonate C4 and a half ounce of it is more powerful than an M80. My mistake, but I thought we were having a friendly discussion. I just wrote what came off the top of my head. I forgot how many rude jerk-offs there are here. As for using C4, I've probably burned more of it heating water than you've ever detonated, and that's no bullshit.

[RSillsbee]

10. I bet an M 80 would get it going

Not that 1/2 an ounce is all that much

[formercia]

31. No it won't.

That is all...Out.

[RSillsbee]

39. You don't think so?

the blasting caps I put into Claymores werent as big as an M80 and they did the trick. You haven't by chance tried this have you?

[formercia]

40. The Blasting Cap used in a Claymore has a booster charge.

It is much more powerful than a Commercial Blasting Cap or an M-80, which has a low-velocity filler. Apples and oranges.

The M-80 filler is mostly Aluminum Powder with an Oxidizer. It's made to make a lot of noise and flash. It will not detonate RDX. I'm not trying to imply that an M-80 isn't dangerous. I know someone who lost part of their hand with one, but it's not the same animal as a Military Blasting Cap.

[RSillsbee]

41. Live and learn

About they only exposure I got to C4 was in a claymore mine. the H.E. filler on all our artillery rounds was T.N.T.

[formercia]

42. Did the artillery rounds give off Black Smoke or White Smoke

when they impacted?
If it was Black, it's probably TNT.
If it's White, Likely Comp B.

[RSillsbee]

43. They impacted 29,000 meters away

I never saw the smoke.

according to the FM the H.E. rounds were packed w/ T.N.T as were the supplemental charges the powder charges were Nitro Cellulose. This was the same on M109s, M 198s, M102's and M110A2's

[formercia]

44. I thought you might have been at a Fire Base

like Khe Sanh, where things got a little more close and personal.

[RSillsbee]

45. I was like three when the siege of Khe Sanh occurred

I joined the Army in 1988 as a 13 Bang Bang. I actually did see a few M110 rounds impact in Graf. But the smoke cloud that I saw was dust brown. I blew up an old M60 on the direct fire range there once too.

FWIW I also got to fire the last M110 round ever fired by any U.S. Army Field Artillery unit (B 2/157th FA Co NG) I wasn't picked for the honor or anything that's just how it worked out. I still have the lanyard in my garage somewhere

[hedgehog]

16. Yeah - and no terrorist would ever team up with a buddy so

each carries part of the bomb on board......

The kid did a stupid thing. Maybe the absence of a blasting cap will be presented as mitigating evidence, but I'm glad they spotted the C4

[buckrogers1965]

9. Lucky he didn't just mail it to himself before he flew.

But thankfully he was a complete idiot.

[JAnthony]

12. I'm gonna guess he's not going to be in the Army any longer

but that's just a guess.

[WatsonT]

13. He probably just thought it'd be cool to show to the guys back home

idiot.

I wonder what hysterical overreaction this will create? Every must now subject themselves to rectal exams before boarding. That wouldn't have helped in this case but you know, we have to do something. For the children.

[formercia]

36. A souvenir

I agree with your assessment.

[hedgehog]

15. So someone was caught with an illicit substance and that proves

that airport security is ineffective and/or unneeded?

:eyes:

If he'd carried it on board, and then the story came out, we'd be reading the mandatory thread that this is all Kabucki theater.

[alp227]

18. Army private arrested after C4 allegedly found in luggage

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- A 19-year-old Army private was arrested Thursday, one day after airport screeners allegedly found a small amount of C4 explosive in his checked luggage at Yuma, Arizona's International Airport.

Officials said they found no evidence to suggesting he intended any harm with the explosives.

According to an account from the U.S. attorney's office, Pfc. Christopher Eric Wey was attempting to board a United Airlines flight to Los Angeles on Wednesday when Transportation Security Administration screeners detected the presence of explosives in Wey's luggage. TSA personnel subsequently found one-half ounce of C4 explosive hidden in a tobacco can inside one of Wey's bags, officials said.

Wey was detained and interviewed by FBI agents. He has been charged with attempting to carry an explosive on an aircraft and transportation of a stolen explosive. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/07/14/arizona.soldier.explosives/index.html

---

It was in his checked luggage, not in any body cavities...so what's the point of the pat-downs/full-body scanners again?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

19. I thought the checked luggage was supposed to be xrayed.

:shrug:

[MADem]

24. They use explosive dogs, sniffer tech, and that goofy test they sometimes do on your luggage

They x-ray too.


I'll bet a dog got that bag.

[Old Troop]

29. PETA will want to hear more about the explosive dogs!!

:rofl:

[MADem]

38. Nyuck, nyuck! nt

[No Elephants]

35. They flat out open and search your luggage, too.

A number of years ago--don't remember how many, I had an ordinary lock on my luggage as I had not yet heard about TSA approved locks.

When I picked up my luggage from the carousel at my destination, the lock was gone.

[MADem]

37. Yes, I didn't mention that--they leave a note inside your bag saying

Kilroy was here!

Of course, if something is missing and there is no note, odds are good that was a baggage handler supplementing his income....

[Drale]

20. Well heres the question

Were did he get the C4, did he steal it from the Army?

[boppers]

22. Yes, he stole it from explosives training. eom

[Politicalboi]

21. It creates jobs!

:sarcasm:

"Officials said they found no evidence to suggesting he intended any harm with the explosives".
Isn't that nice. I bet if he was of Muslim descent, that line would never be there, and the airport would have been evacuated. So explosives in a can, not such a big deal, but shampoo in a 16oz bottle, look out.

[MADem]

23. They found it, didn't they?

There's a bright spot to those pat-downs, ya know:

http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/14/7085320-rumsfeld-gets-tsa-pat-down-at-ohare-airport

[Javaman]

25. Jeez, don't you know the point of the pat downs?

so the TSA can get their jollies.

[lunatica]

26. All snark aside, I'm glad they caught it

As to the soldier's intent that's a separate issue. I don't think too many nineteen year olds are mature enough or experienced enough to use their intelligence as wisely as they will in the future. There's a reason why the military recruits that age group. In my experience with raising two males it's a very susceptible age when they desperately want to find their avocation and prove themselves to be grown ups.

Still I'm glad he was caught because it means at least some of our security measures are working. It would be horrible if another airplane had exploded or crashed due to a terrorist act.

We may not like the security measures but unfortunately the times are what they are.