Stemming The Tide

A Swedish anti-terrorism expert, Magnus Ranstorp, who consults with the British government believes that there is a huge wave or terror strikes about to engulf Britain. That little bit of news is way down the second page of the Washington Post coverage of yesterdays attack on the Glasgow airport. There is also some detail about what the terrorists were attempting to do with the two unexploded bombs found in London: create a fuel-air bomb.

Chris Driver-Williams, a retired British army major who is a consultant to the U.S. and British governments on bombs manufactured by terrorist groups, said the two car bombs may have appeared crude but their explosive firepower could have been "catastrophic."

According to some reports, the valves on the gas cylinders were left open, which Driver-Williams said was a strong indication that the bombers intended to create a "fuel-air" explosion. "What you're effectively creating is a thermobaric device," he said, referring to an explosion that relies on oxygen in the atmosphere to ignite a blast wave more powerful than many conventional explosives.

Fuel-air explosives are difficult to ignite, and the timing is especially tricky, Driver-Williams said. A mistake might result in two separate but minor explosions — such as a burning car — if the fuel-air mixture does not ignite properly. If it does, however, the result would be a "fireball the size of a house."

Magnus Ranstorp, a Swedish terrorism expert who consults closely with British officials, said the threat in the United Kingdom is the gravest in Europe.

"Without luck and without the public's help, there's no way they will be able to stem the tide that is coming toward them," said Ranstorp, research director of the Center for Asymmetric Threat Studies at the Swedish National Defense College in Stockholm. "There is no question that the United Kingdom is still facing an onslaught of [terrorist] cells that are ready and willing to launch attacks like this."

Britain is a target, he said, in part because it is seen as the closest ally of the United States and its biggest military partner in Iraq.

Which is actually meaningless. The islamist terrorists may use things like Iraq as an excuse, but that is as much a front as their use of religious trappings to justify their actions. They are out for power, pure and simple and if Iraq didn't exist at all, there would be other excuses trumped up for their actions. Like some cartoons or a knighthood for a relatively obscure author. Oh, wait, they already have used those for excuses.

Incidentally, if you are not aware of how deadly a fuel-air explosion can be, try reading this or look up grain elevator explosions on Google. 

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  By Chris, Sunday, 1 July , 2007 @ 7:02 am

  No matter how much sophistication and animosity the enemy displays, there are still too many people who refuse to admit the danger.

  Frogs in the pot.

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  By JP, Sunday, 1 July , 2007 @ 4:08 pm

  I’m surprised I haven’t seen the term BLEVE used in the various discussions this weekend.

  Of course, I was sightseeing all weekend, so I could have missed it.

Other Links to this Post

1. Resurgemus dot com — Sunday, 1 July , 2007 @ 4:06 pm