Jihadi Rocketry Club?
More and more detail is coming out about the arrest of two Egyptian men arrested in South Carolina, and subsequently indicted on terrorism-related charges. And it really does not look good. At all.
TAMPA – A laptop computer deputies found when they pulled over two University of South Florida students in South Carolina contained a video made by one of the men showing how to use a toy to detonate a bomb remotely, a federal prosecutor said Friday.
On that video, the student, Ahmed Mohamed, said the detonator could 'save one who wants to be a martyr for another day, another battle,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hoffer said.
The prosecutor said that video was posted by Mohamed on YouTube, a popular Web site.
Also on the laptop were 'jihadi' images and footage of rockets used by Hamas, Hoffer said.
Although a judge granted bail for the other student, Youssef Megahed, prosecutors immediately appealed, delaying his release until at least next week. Mohamed waived his right to a bail hearing.
Hoffer disclosed the computer evidence Friday as he laid out the prosecution's case that Megahed should be denied bail because he is a danger to the community and a flight risk.
U.S. Magistrate Elizabeth Jenkins ruled Megahed could be released on $200,000 bail if he meets a number of strict conditions, including what amounts to house arrest. 'I do agree he poses a danger, no question about that, based on what was found in the car,' Jenkins said. She also said the government failed to demonstrate a specific danger to the community, as required by law.
Hoffer acknowledged under questioning from the judge that he had no specific evidence of Megahed's intentions. Hoffer said that under the current charge, Megahed likely faces less than three years in prison if convicted.
A lot of folks commented back when I first posted about this that the things they had in the car could have been used for amateur rocketry. Its beginning to look like they were right, they just didn't identify the type of rocket.
Thanks to Quilly Mammoth for tipping me about this news.
By Quilly Mammoth, September 15, 2007 @ 3:30 pm
I think these guys had the material they thought would allow them to go into the woods and experiment with propellant int eh hopes of making their own version of the Quassam rocket. Too bad the details keep changing.
Part of the problem is that either the Assistant US Attorney is an idiot or he is lying to us.
“In the trunk, deputies found four small sections of PVC pipe, at least three of which were stuffed with a ‘potassium nitrate explosive mixture’ of potassium nitrate, Karo syrup and kitty litter, Hoffer said. He said the kitty litter served as a binder to keep the substance from coming out of the pipes, which were not capped.”
Kitty litter is often used to model nozzles. Or even _be_ nozzles of lower thrust motors. You use a form and tamp the clay (aka kitty litter) around it to make the cones.
Moreover, I seriously doubt that a mixture of Karo an Potassium Nitrate could be made to explode, much less ignite.
OTOH, the members of the Jihadi Rocket Club are morons as well. They seemed to be using Karo as a replacement for regular sugar.
I do think they were up to no good. The video of the Quassam, which is alleged to use gasoline as one of its components, is proof enough.
By Quilly Mammoth, September 15, 2007 @ 3:57 pm
Correction: There are people using Karo and Potaasium Nitrate to make rocket motors:
http://www.jamesyawn.com/syrup/index.html
My goodness.