Oh no, they were going to use Peroxide!

[DoYouEverWonder]

The F.B.I. and homeland security memo said the plotters expected to use peroxide-based explosives that are “sensitive to heat, shock and friction and can be initiated simply with fire or an electrical charge and can also be used to produce improvised detonators.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/10/world/europe/10cnd-pl...

What were they going to do, turn us all into bleached blonds before we die?

[WilliamPitt]

1. Highly concentrated peroxide

can be used to ill effect.

Before we all roll our eyes at this stuff, don't forget that an asshole named Timothy McVeigh took down a whole building using a bomb made from cow shit and diesel fuel.

Chemistry is remarkably flexible.

[slackmaster]

4. Pure hudrogen peroxide is used as a rocket propellant

e.g. in the thrusters used on some manned space vehicles.

...Timothy McVeigh took down a whole building using a bomb made from cow shit and diesel fuel....

Fertilizer and diesel fuel.

[Jacobin]

5. Yep

The plane plot deniars are remarkable.

Its all a big joke. Its not a big joke. There are muslims who would like to do us harm

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. That is what they want us all to believe

They all want to kill us. Be afraid. Be afraid of everyone who is not just like us.

Of course, there will always be sickos who want to do bad things to people. At the moment, I'm much more worried about the sickos in charge of the US Government then I am of some asshole terrorist wannabe.

[Jacobin]

15. ?

One of the main themes on DU, and one to which I subscribe, is that the insane foreign policy of the U.S., the invasion and occupation of Iraq and the unquestioned support of Israel, without working on a peace process with Palestinians, is creating a group of people in the world who are willing to retaliate with violence of their own. Since they don't for the most part, have armies, they use guerilla tactics, including suicide bombers.

For some to suggest that this threat does not exist, or that it has not been greatly increased as a result of neo-con policies, seems very odd to me.

I'm not suggesting that anyone run around and panic. To the contrary. I think we need to develope a sane foreign policy by getting rid of the PNACing freakazoids in congress and electing a democrat who's not a PNACer to the WH. Even still, given the carnage we have created in the world, doubtless there will be those who will exact retribution in the form of the attempted plane explosions.

This is NOT some RW stance. This is a position that I would think DUers would embrace as being sensible.

Denying that there are hugely pissed off muslims willing to kill us seems to me to be utterly silly and would suggest that somehow Bush's foreign policy is working....that is that those people no longer exist.

[novalib]

16. THOSE WHO WOULD HARM US!!!

"There are muslims who would like to do us harm"

Muslims who would like to do us harm??!!

MUSLIMS who would like to do us harm????!!!!!

I'll tell you who would REALLy like to do us all INCREDIBLE HARM!!!!!

It's a group of "born again", right-wing Christians!!

With names like Bush and Cheney and Rice and Rumsfield!!!!!

I fear the Bush cabal/regime thugs and boot-lickers MUCH MORE than I fear "muslims"!!!!!

[Jacobin]

18. I have a suggestion

Why not take a trip over to Iraq and walk around a bit and feel the love.

How do you think Bush has done such a good job getting muslim extremists to love us? That is the import of your tirade.

WTF are you fucking talking about?

[novalib]

23. WHAT THE FUCK??!!

"How do you think Bush has done such a good job getting muslim extremists to love us? That is the import of your tirade."

My "tirade" -- as you call it -- said ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about Bush doing a good job getting the muslime extremists to love us!!!!

How anyone could come to such a conclusion after reading what I wrote merely demonstrates the severe short-comings of the American education system!! Readin comprehension must not be taught anymore!!!!

YOU were the one who libeled and ENTIRE relgion by saying there are muslims who would do us harm!!!

I said -- and I REPEAT -- I feel less threatened by "muslims" than I do by some "born agains" with names like BUSH, RICE, and CHENEY!

[DoYouEverWonder]

21. Funny thing

Every muslim and/or arabs that I have known have been some of the nicest and kindest people that I have ever met.

[uppityperson]

6. yup. Just because we are paranoid doesn't mean they are not out to get us

[htuttle]

22. I know where to obtain cow shit and diesel fuel

Where would one obtain concentrated peroxide rocket fuel. In Britain.

?

[Sinti]

2. Bleached blonds - LOL :) I needed that n/t

[slackmaster]

3. Peroxides can be used in some very powerful mixtures

Peroxides are powerful oxidizers. The information isn't hard to find.

The hydrogen peroxide solution sold as a disinfectant is only 3%, the rest being water. Hair bleach is about 10% hydrogen peroxide.

[DoYouEverWonder]

12. So can lots of other things.

Heck most people have enough stuff under their kitchens sinks and gardening sheds to take out a small building.

[karlrschneider]

7. Haha, funny, but seriously, concentrated H2O2 ain't something

you'd want anywhere near your hair. The stuff you buy at the drug store is 3 or 4 percent. Full strength is a VERY powerful oxidizer (it's rocket fuel, literally)

[Jara sang]

8. Acetone peroxide

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetone_peroxide

[Odin2005]

9. The stuff they use to bleach your hair is 97% water, 3% peroxide.

Concentrated Hydrogen Peroxide is dangerous shit.

[MadHound]

11. Yup, they were going to employ TATP

Tri acetone tri peroxide. And even more stupid is that these so called terrorists were going to carry this shit around with them, or worse yet, try to mix it up in the bathroom sink once on board

Yeah, right, whatever. That shit is even more unstable than nitroglycerine. One wrong move, one innocent bump, BOOM, off it blows, all at the wrong time.

There are much easier, less volatile, more dependable explosives available. Somehow I doubt that they would choose this one. Even if they're suicide bombers, they still want their package to go off at the right time, not in the airport terminal bathroom.

[DoYouEverWonder]

13. It must suck to blow yourself up

before you even get to your target.

[AngryAmish]

14. If mixed on the plane

As long as it is at altitude it don't matter if it blows prematurely.

[MadHound]

17. You're probably right,

However I would think that one would want to place the bomb to get maximum effect. Witness that incident in '94. They blew a hole in the plane, but it still managed to land. Blowing out the bottom of the bathroom would deal a serious blow to a plane, but it could be overcome and the plane landed

Beside, what if you had mixed up just a little, and the stuff goes POP, without doing any real damage. All it would take is a little turbulence

[AngryAmish]

19. You may be right

I have to admit the proper placement of explosives on airliners is not a subject I have studied.

[npincus]

20. only their hairdresser knows for sure.