"America's New Bomb Threat" - Eli Lake, July 13, 2012

This article was written in 2012. Please read and let's have an open discussion about it, and the future implications.

According to Lt. Gen. Michael Barbero, head of the military’s Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, some of the same terrorists who amassed the know-how on building IEDs are setting their sights on the U.S.

“Today’s IEDs are relatively simple, low-tech devices, which routinely use command wire, pressure plates, or radio-controlled triggers,” Barbero wrote in written testimony released Thursday ahead of a closed hearing of a subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee. “Many readily available components such as cellphones, agricultural fertilizers and simple electronic transmitters and receivers have legitimate commercial uses, but are easily and increasingly adapted for illicit purposes in manufacturing IEDs.”

Barbero cited the case of an Iraqi named Waad Ramadan Alwan who moved to Kentucky in 2009 after winning a visa as a political refugee. According to a December 16, 2011, plea agreement, Alwan was an Iraqi insurgent working between 2003 and 2006 to plant IEDs on roads traveled by U.S. troops. In 2010, in Bowling Green, Ken., Alwan began to train another man in how to make them, making diagrams of the bombs and giving oral instructions on how to assemble the devices, according to the document.

In his testimony, Barbero said the military provided key intelligence to the FBI in the Alwan case. He said their cooperation was an example of weapons technical intelligence, a process of identifying the markings of signatures of explosives and matching with other kinds of data, working to neutralize a threat.

The Daily Beast (July 13, 2012)

Nonetheless, al Qaeda has adapted, according to congressional testimony from the Director of National Intelligence. Instead of relying on seasoned veterans to plan elaborate attacks, the group’s new tactics emphasize recruiting Americans and Westerners and planning lower-tech attacks, say experts. Today, al Qaeda shares best practices for terrorism through online chat rooms and an Internet publication known as Inspire.

Here is a photo from Al Qaida's "Inspire Magazine" article showing how to make one of these pressure-cooker homemade bombs:

Link

It gave the types of explosive, timers and other ingredients needed – along with, it said, a pressure cooker.

That article was from the first edition of the magazine. Written in perfect but slightly hysterical English, some thought it was a hoax or satire along the lines of the film “Four Lions”.

In fact, most analysts remain convinced it was the brainchild of Anwar al-Awlaki, the Yemeni-American propagandist for Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and was edited by Samir Khan, another American citizen who had travelled to Yemen to join the group.

It was clear in its market – the disaffected young men in their mid-twenties, whether converts or of Muslim origin, who studies show are by far and away the biggest source of recruits to the jihadist cause

This is something I feel everyone should read and everyone needs to be aware of.
Thank you for posting.

S&F

Originally posted by kimish
This is something I feel everyone should read and everyone needs to be aware of.
Thank you for posting.

S&F

I thought so too, I just found it about an hour or so ago. This was less than a year ago, and the Al Qaida online "Inspire Magazine" article is from three years ago.

reply to post by NOTurTypical


Some of the news stories I glanced at this afternoon, before logging in here, are actually comparing the Boston devices to IEDs used in the Middle East. So, a connection is highly probable. The only thing that bugs me is that a large group, like al Qaeda, would most likely succeed in setting off every device they planted (according to soldier hubby, who's deployed multiple times, and also has some knowledge of the topic). That this was discussed in the past, in some official capacity, makes it even more likel to be some Islamic thing, even if "domestic".

Thanks for the timely post: My wife has been wanting a pressure cooker for roast so maybe I should go ahead and get it now before they ban them!! S&F

Quick we have to regulate gun powder and loading equipment...

I want some proof that the bombs were indeed planted by Al CIAda......
This terrorisn scam is getting old hat and few of the people totally trust the government line anymore....
Like other terror plots turned out to be FBI instigated... id bet this will too.....

Originally posted by stirling
I want some proof that the bombs were indeed planted by Al CIAda......
This terrorisn scam is getting old hat and few of the people totally trust the government line anymore....
Like other terror plots turned out to be FBI instigated... id bet this will too.....

So nothing I posted is compelling whatsoever? Are you implying "Inspire Magazine" is a FBI front?

Originally posted by benrl
Quick we have to regulate gun powder and loading equipment...

And if it was triggered by cell phone then we'll need a background check for all cell phone purchases.

If we can save just one life with enhanced background checks for cell phones it will be worth it.