Improvised Detonators

One of the newer additions to the terrorist s lexicon is the ability to produce reliable improvised initiators. Only a decade ago the blasting cap was one of the most difficult to procure items necessary to produce an IED. This hurdle has been almost totally eliminated. Not surprisingly this change was precipitated by the discovery of TATP and HMTD. Both the millennium bomber Ahmed Ressam and the shoe bomber Richard Reid provide examples of terrorists utilizing this new technology.  

Jordanian officials discovered in their investigation that the bomb-making factory also served as a training facility for those involved in the terrorist cell. The detonators recovered were filled with either TATP or HMTD and were manufactured by members of the cell learning how to produce such improvised initiators. The paper detonators matched those produced by known Al-Qaeda-trained terrorists. Similar detonators were seen in the Gaza Strip, Uzbekistan, and Turkey by the author. 

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Spread the points of the cotter pin safety to prevent accidental dislodging and then unscrew the fuse assembly of the frag grenade with pliers. The fuse may be saved for use as an improvised firing device or the blasting cap may be removed for other uses (see section on improvised detonators). ... 

The simplest and probably the most reliable improvised detonator is an M-80 firecracker. It very easily detonates liquid nitro, and is also strong enough to cause freshly prepared blasting... 

Since good priming often means the difference between a successful shot and a misfire, or between a low order and a high order detonation, a brief summary of the precautions to take and the pitfalls to avoid might be useful before proceeding to actual improvisations. 

One of the more difficult things to improvise in the field is a substitute for a blasting cap. This section will discuss two feasible techniques one, the fabrication of a detonator by using a rifle, and two, cannibalizing the detonator from a fragmentation grenade. 

Because this improvised explosive is extremely insensitive, a booster is required to initiate it. A half pound charge of any high explosive in the bottom of the hole will be sufficient to insure detonation. 

Good incendiaries can be improvised more easily than explosives and the materials are more easily obtained. On a pound for pound basis, incendiaries can do more damage than explosives against many type targets if properly used. There is a time lag, however, between the start of a fire and the destruction of the target. During this period the fire may be discovered and controlled or put out. An explosive once detonated has done its work. 

To illustrate how improvised explosives are often related to historically rejected formulations a sampling of the anarchist literature will be utilized. The small cross section examined will consist of Guerrilla s Arsenal (GA) [8], Improvised Munitions Black Book Vol. 1 (BB1) [9], Ragnar s Homemade Detonators (RHD) [10], and FMX The Revised Black Book (FMX) [11], It should be stressed that this small cross section examined represents only a fraction of the readily available information accessible through the Internet. These examples are utilized solely to show the overlap of historical explosive formulations and current terrorist recipes. More examples of current-day usage of these improvised materials will be included in the next sections of this chapter. 

Both TATP and HMTD have been applied by terrorist groups worldwide in the production of homemade detonators. TATP is, however, seen in more instances. Examples of improvised caps can be seen in Figure 3.10. The photograph gives an illustration of the standard paper detonators (in this case produced from yellow lined paper and Christmas tree bulbs) and also shows a variety produced from syringes. The detonators in the photograph were recovered in Amman, Jordan. 

Improvised Land Mine consisted of a rectangular tin box with a cover fastened by friction tape. Two holes were roughly punctured in the cover thru which a grenade fuze or detonator projected. Contained in the box were one Type... 

Improvised Antitank Land Mine consisted of a wooden board serving as a base of Mod 99 Armor-Piercing Mine on top of which was placed 2 lbs prepd chge of PA. Two Hand Grenades were placed at both sides of AP Mine and the ensemble was covered with a board. Pressure on the board fired fuzes in grenades and this fired by sympathetic detonation AP Mine and prepd charge of PA (p 220, Fig 166, lower half) Type JE Antiboat Land Mine consisted of a hemispherical steel body 20.24" in diam ... 

Electrical contacts required to complete detonation circuits need not be klutzy affairs characterized by 16-gauge wire. Tinfoil and light 28-gauge wire can be made to perform quite adequately as improvised triggers, as shown in Figurc8. 

If safe or improvised fuse is used Instead of the detonator, place the fuse Into the packaged propellant through a hole drilled In the center of the pipe. Light free end of fuse when ready to fire. Allow for normal delay time. 

Detonation of an improvised or stolen nnclear weapon by terrorists is the worst-case radiological attack scenario (5). Althongh difficnlt to construct, due to requirements for sophisticated engineering and expertise, an improvised nuclear device could produce a yield similar to the Hiroshima bomb, with release or radiation, blast, thermal pulses, and radioactive fallout (1). At a minimum, a small nuclear detonation could cause damage equal or exceeding the September 11 attacks in New York City. Even if the nuclear detonation were unsuccessful, the conventional explosion associated with the device could cause significant environmental contamination with the nuclear weapons material, such as plutonium or uranium (1). 

Nonradiation Hazards from Improvised Nuclear Devices and Nuclear Detonations... 

The chemicals and processes described in this book are all extremely dangerous. Manufacturing Semtex from improvised materials or removing RDX and PETN from commercial detonating cord and booster charges is extremely hazardous and should not be attempted. Any attempt to handle these chemicals or perform these operations, except by highly trained and experienced personnel operating in a professional environment, more likely than not will lead to ipjury or death. 

At rush-hour on a Friday evening in January, a half-dozen improvised chemical devices (ICD) detonate in subway stations in Washington, DC. They produce a hazardous of cyanogen chloride, which dissipates very quickly and affects only a few riders. Nonetheless, placement in crowds with limited egress results In a worried well syndrome of those exposed and over 5,000 citizens demand treatment. A nanoparticle-based cream is distributed that serves as a non-toxic topical decontaminant. The devices, easily constructed from commercially-available materials, are readily-concealable and blend in with their surroundings. This takes place in the world of 1.000 Points of Gravness. 

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