Skip to content or view mobile version

Home | Mobile | Editorial | Mission | Privacy | About | Contact | Help | Security | Support

A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

21/7 suicide bombers had no bombs or desire to commit suicide

HenPecker_IV | 18.08.2005 13:36 | Analysis | London

Bits of information in an arrest warrant show that the 21/7 bombs were, by design, not capable of damage. They are a mix of flour and hair gel! Only the detonators had explosives in. Probably as powerful as a french banger firework. Original article linked.

Originally from here I think?  http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5892105&postID=112430015899410203


21st July bombers had no bombs

This is about as much information as I have seen regarding the "BOMBS" from the 21st July events. I have not seen this information posted or discussed anywhere else yet so you consider yourself honoured Mr Antagonist.

As Mr Issac's Italian lawyer had stated shortly after his arrest in Italy that the "BOMBS" were not capable of destruction and were in fact only detonators in an inert substrate; as indeed was orginally reported by the BBC in the first hour or two after the events.

Looking at the statements below we can deduce:

a) the "BOMB" substrate, i.e. the primary explosive consisted of:
- Flour
- Hair Lotion
- Nails
- Nuts
- Bolts
b) the "BOMB" featured a battery with wires attached to the detonator substrate.
c) the detonator substrate consisted of TATP, a homemade explosive.

Whilst having no formal qualifications in explosives chemistry or demolitions, my 'scientifc intuition' tells me that flour and hair lotion are not suitable for use in bombs as they do not feature any explosive properties at all, ever.

So as was orignally reported, briefly by the BBC, these were not bombs as such, merely detonantors embedded in a mix of flour and a tub of Stu-Stu-Studio Line.

The only people who could possibly have been hurt are the "SUICIDE BOMBERS" themselves, and then only if they got caught in the tube doors when they were closing or perhaps gave themselves a papercut when reading the metro. MAybe if they were wearing flowing robes they could have got caught in the escalator, whichever way - the "bombs" would not have hurt them.

THESE WERE NOT SUICIDE BOMBERS, THEY COULD NEVER HAVE BEEN.


HAMDI ISSAC, JUDGES: WAS INVOLVED IN PREPARATION OF BOMBS
(AGI) - Rome, Italy, Aug.17 - Hamdi Issac's support to the setting up of the - failed - London bombings of 21 July was "significant", reports the ruling of the judges panel which authorised today his extradition to the UK. "The arrested - points out the Court - not only attended meetings aimed at planning the event, and was also involved in the preparation of the actual bombs, following Muktar's orders, placing the detonator". Besides, Issac "chose the place and the means of public transport where the explosion was supposed to occur". Regarding the bomb preparation method, the Ethiopian - wrote the judges - said that it consisted in "using plastic containers, putting flour, hair lotion, nails, nuts and bolts and attach everything to a primitive device featuring a battery, which included a powder to act as a detonator once it had been manually attached to some electric wires". Issac has always said the bombs were not made to injur people, but to be a "demonstrative act". The European arrest warrant, reports the Court, "includes a preliminary appraisal of the bombs found in the four places chosen for the explosions of 21 July, which states that TATP or HMTD explosive material was used for the detonation mechanism. Both these materials are peroxide-based". The requesting judge pointed out that "the contained material has explosive properties. A sample of the white powder found on the detonator of the non-exploded bombs, found in the gardens of Little Wormwood Scrubs, was identified as TATP, which, as HMTD, is often used for bombings, since they are easy to prepare, using widely marketed products". (AGI) -

HenPecker_IV

Comments

Hide the following 16 comments

Why?

18.08.2005 14:32

Why would these people carry dummy bombs onto a tube only for the dets to go off? Or why did their handler supply them with dummy charges knowing that it would end in a few pops and no real effect apart from the disruption? Are bombers a credible threat to 'national security' if half of them have to resort to hoaxes?

Alastair


All made up by the British

18.08.2005 14:39

The 21/7 bombers were CIA agents, if British police did not work for Mossad they would discover millions pounds in their bank accounts in Switzerland

Salim


So...

18.08.2005 15:00

...are you suggesting that they were hoaxers?

Paranoid Pete


So...

18.08.2005 15:00

...are you suggesting that they were hoaxers?

Paranoid Pete


Flour explosions

18.08.2005 15:38

HenPecker_IV's 'scientific intuition' is wrong to think that flour does not feature any explosive properties at all, ever.

A search engine will soon pull up articles about flour explosions, such as  http://www.fireworld.com/magazine/grainperil.html which starts off with, "It is almost a joke to think that the main ingredient in something as wholesome and ordinary as bread can be a deadly explosive. But after the tragedy that struck Wichita, KS, on June 8, 1998, no one is laughing."

That is not to say that the "bombs" on 21/7/05 were actually bombs. Making a working flour bomb is difficult, though not impossible. It would need to work like a fuel-air bomb. The British worked on flour (and coal dust) bombs during the 1939-45 war.


Someone who knows a little


Demonstrative nails?

18.08.2005 15:41

Absolute bollocks. As you yourself admit and the pictures leaked show, these bombs were packed with nails, designed to cause maximum mutilation and death to anyone unfortunate to be in the vicinity. Perhaps they should have used flowers instead. The death penalty should be reinstated for terorist offences like this and applied retrospectively.

vor


oh flour o' scotland!

18.08.2005 19:44

We were shown in bloody high school how to make explosions with flour and pollen using a coffee can, a candle and rubber hooter... a tiny amount makes a hell of a bang and tears the can apart.

Explosions are based on quick energy release a tube carriage filling with the rapid burning of dense carbohydrate could be devestating.

Again, no expert. But like I said, we did it at school.

magoo


ohhhhh...posh!

18.08.2005 20:44

..at my school we just used custard! But it worked the same.

Back to debunking the nuts, however. What reliable sources do we have for the flour bomb rubbish?

Paranoid Pete


Links and comment

19.08.2005 00:46

 http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=655314

 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10339124

 http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16157242%255E2703,00.html

 http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=47162&version=1&template_id=38&parent_id=20



In relation to various comments:

The flour bomb you made at school didn't exactly devastate the classroom did it? You might have had a safety screen just in case.

Explosions with flour, custard and cocoa powder have occured in warehouses where it is suspended in the air.

To use flour as an effective bomb you would have to stand in the carriage and chuck it about. Even then to get it to explode would be pretty difficult (I think there would be a few irrate passengers).

A Linker


switch and bait

19.08.2005 21:41

is the name for this type op. 21/7 diverted attention from the real crime of 7/7 and reinforced fear of, and of course subconscious suspicion or even hatred of, the 'tribe' who breeds the 'suicide' bomber. It allowed the bathtub bomb theory to gain ground via the 'orgy of evidence' left behind, wiping from the public short term memory the statement from Cristophe Chaboud, the French expert who was the one who confirmed that military grade explosives had been used. "very worrying" he said. Quite.

magoo


Ain't British Justice Great?

19.08.2005 22:46

Jean Charles De Menezes, a "look-a-like" of one of these non-bombers who ignited flour at Shepherd's Bush, was shot eight times in the head the next day at Stockwell, for a crime that never happened with no casualties.

RIP Mo Mowlam


FAO: switch and bait

20.08.2005 07:52

All you are doing is making a joke of this place. If any dissent happens here it is pounced on; people are accused of being witches, people are threatened with violence; people have their online idemtities undermined.

Is this what IM is all about? Sad people who shit the bed if their dogmatic world view is challenged?

What makes you different to some BNP twat? You have the same MO and degree of reasoning.

No fundamental debate can take place here because the Imams'll stone you for dare saying that perhaps the scripture isn't correct.

Like some Born Again zealot you throw a fit when anyone dares suggest that the usual scapegoats might not be responsible for all the ills in your world.

Till you fix that little problem *your* revolution will remain a banger locked in a garage declared SORN.


The Continuity Magoo


RIP Mo Mowlam

20.08.2005 08:27

Unfortunately, the polie in London have a long history of these fuck ups... the Thatcher years were also riddled with unsafe convictions of inocent Irish just so that the HMG could be seen to be doing something.

The Magoo Liberation Army


If there's one thing

20.08.2005 11:16

I find difficult, it is to actually stick to the point when replying to a post. I do try, but I get off better by attacking the posters and frightening them off with uber-bluster.I don't know why my sanctimonius and unctuous tones don't seem to be winning you over to my point of view. All my friends like me, why oh why can't you?

yours imploringly

magoo

magoo


If there's one thing

20.08.2005 13:15

Cos yer cantankerous old soak with nothing to contribute?

bonafide Magoo


flour reported

21.08.2005 21:44

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Tube bomb only had flour in it, says suspect
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


By Bruce Johnston in Rome and John Steele (Filed: 04/08/2005)

Hamdi Issac, the July 21 London bomb suspect held in custody in Rome, reportedly claimed yesterday that his backpack contained only flour and was designed merely to frighten. Issac, known in Britain as Hussain Osman, was said to have "morally repented" for his alleged involvement in the abortive terrorist attacks.

"I was wrong," Issac, 27, a Briton of Ethiopian origin, told his lawyer, Maria Antonietta Sonnessa. She has confirmed that he admitted taking part in the attacks. The suspect in the failed Shepherd's Bush Underground bombing was also quoted as saying: "If I could, I'd turn the clock back and I wouldn't do it again." According to Italian newspapers, he claimed not to have planned to kill anybody in the attack, "let alone myself". "I value life too highly," he said. "I've never thought of dying. Just the thought of it terrifies me. It was a demonstrative action. In that backpack there was a detonator, but the rest was flour. It was only supposed to go bang, and frighten people."

His claims came as a 23-year-old man, believed to be an associate of Issac, last night became the first person to be charged in connection with either the July 7 or the July 21 attacks on the London transport system. Ismael Abdurahman, of Newport Street, Kennington, south London, will appear in court today charged with withholding information about Issac, one of four alleged would-be suicide bombers on July 21.

In Rome, a judge who has the British extradition request for Issac indicated yesterday that there could be a decision this month. Crown prosecutors issued a European arrest warrant after Issac was arrested at his brother Remzi's home in Rome last Friday.

"Tomorrow or the day after, a date for the hearing will be fixed," said Judge Domenico Massimo Miceli. "I believe that the debate could unfold by the end of August."

Miss Sonnessa rejected as "offensive" suggestions that she was seeking a deal with authorities to give her client "supergrass" status in return for his co-operation. The British embassy in Rome denied suggestions that the Crown Prosecution Service and Metropolitan Police were unhappy with co-operation from the Italians. Many claims being reported were incorrect, a spokesman said.

Scotland Yard did not despatch a number of officers within 24 hours of the arrest in Italy; one senior investigating officer was following the proceedings and liaising with the Italians. All requests made by the prosecuting authorities had been dealt with promptly by the Italians, and documentation provided by the British was full and complete.

The Italian authorities had requested clarification on an administrative aspect. "This has not delayed extradition proceedings," said the spokesman.

The Italian authorities had arrested Osman and his arrest had been validated by a judge, but this did not amount to a formal charge. - Telegraph
 http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/08/04/nbomb04.xml

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
London bomb suspect tells British police his device wouldn't have killed anyone
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

08.09.2005, 12:10 PM

ROME (AFX) - Hamdi Issac, a suspect in the failed July 21 bomb attacks in London, said his improvised explosive was made from an agricultural substance, a defoliant and flour and would not have killed anyone even if it had detonated properly, a Italian judge Domenico Miceli said.

He told reporters that the 27-year-old Briton of Ethiopian origin was cooperating with three British police investigators who travelled to Rome to question him, the ANSA news agency reported.

Speaking after the questioning session at Regina Coeli prison where Issac is being held, Miceli said the suspect replied calmly and without hesitation for two hours.

'The cooperation with the English officials is very good. The first part of the interrogation was mine, followed by Scotland Yard's questions,' said Miceli, a Rome appeal court judge, referring to the British police.

Issac, also known as Osman Hussein, also said he had only wanted to make a 'bang' with his device as a protest against the war in Iraq, where Britain is the staunchest ally of the US, the judge said.

'We knew from the start that we wouldn't hurt anyone. You can see that just by looking at the bombs that were recovered. Our action was a demonstration against the massacres committed every day in Iraq,' Issac was quoted as saying.

Issac, who was arrested in Italy on July 29 three days after fleeing Britain, has been charged with 'international terrorism' and holding false identity papers.

British police asked to be allowed to question Issac about the attacks, a near-carbon copy of the July 7 bombings on London's transport system in which 56 people died, including four suicide bombers.

Britain has requested his extradition, and a hearing has been scheduled for Aug 17.


 http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/afx/2005/08/09/afx2176319.html

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

so this is why Menezes was killed because they thought he was Osman Hussein???


do me a favour!

he was silenced





pc


Upcoming Coverage
View and post events
Upcoming Events UK
24th October, London: 2015 London Anarchist Bookfair
2nd - 8th November: Wrexham, Wales, UK & Everywhere: Week of Action Against the North Wales Prison & the Prison Industrial Complex. Cymraeg: Wythnos o Weithredu yn Erbyn Carchar Gogledd Cymru

Ongoing UK
Every Tuesday 6pm-8pm, Yorkshire: Demo/vigil at NSA/NRO Menwith Hill US Spy Base More info: CAAB.

Every Tuesday, UK & worldwide: Counter Terror Tuesdays. Call the US Embassy nearest to you to protest Obama's Terror Tuesdays. More info here

Every day, London: Vigil for Julian Assange outside Ecuadorian Embassy

Parliament Sq Protest: see topic page
Ongoing Global
Rossport, Ireland: see topic page
Israel-Palestine: Israel Indymedia | Palestine Indymedia
Oaxaca: Chiapas Indymedia
Regions
All Regions
Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World
Other Local IMCs
Bristol/South West
Nottingham
Scotland
Social Media
You can follow @ukindymedia on indy.im and Twitter. We are working on a Twitter policy. We do not use Facebook, and advise you not to either.
Support Us
We need help paying the bills for hosting this site, please consider supporting us financially.
Other Media Projects
Schnews
Dissident Island Radio
Corporate Watch
Media Lens
VisionOnTV
Earth First! Action Update
Earth First! Action Reports
Topics
All Topics
Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista
Major Reports
NATO 2014
G8 2013
Workfare
2011 Census Resistance
Occupy Everywhere
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands
G20 London Summit
University Occupations for Gaza
Guantanamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
COP15 Climate Summit 2009
Carmel Agrexco
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Stop Sequani
Stop RWB
Climate Camp 2008
Oaxaca Uprising
Rossport Solidarity
Smash EDO
SOCPA
Past Major Reports
Encrypted Page
You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.
If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

Global IMC Network


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech