7/28/2005: X-rayed London bomb

Undertoad • Jul 28, 2005 8:33 am
Image

It says ABC News exclusive, but sometimes IotD reinforces the concept that once it's on the Internet, it's no longer really exclusive. And sometimes it's important that it not be so exclusive.

It turns out that the 7/7 London attack could have been much larger. An additional 12 bombs and four improvised detonators were found in the trunk of a car believed to be rented by one of the bombers. This is an x-ray of one of the unexploded bombs. Note that it's packed with nails so that it causes the maximum amount of injury. The bomb is exploded and the superheated metal flies out like bullets in all directions.
Bullitt • Jul 28, 2005 8:59 am
I think these guys watched Swordfish too many times.. -ballbearings +nails anyone?
Happy Monkey • Jul 28, 2005 9:02 am
Undertoad wrote:
Note that it's packed with nails so that it causes the maximum amount of injury. The bomb is exploded and the superheated metal flies out like bullets in all directions.
Plus glass shards. Nasty.
Anton • Jul 28, 2005 11:22 am
Don't forget that paperclip. Thats gonna hurt. :eek:
plthijinx • Jul 28, 2005 11:51 am
that's just plain creepy.
Trilby • Jul 28, 2005 12:22 pm
tw could most probably explain why this sort of thing is necessary. Unless he's out getting wasted and doing 'ho's.
Happy Monkey • Jul 28, 2005 12:28 pm
Anything you want to tell us, Undertoad?
barefoot serpent • Jul 28, 2005 12:28 pm
what's up with the tampon? eww...
Undertoad • Jul 28, 2005 12:36 pm
That's the fuse and detonator serpent!

HM, haha, great memory on you! I still have that item... I fought to keep it in the divorce. Thanks to you I will have a different take on it from now on though!
Happy Monkey • Jul 28, 2005 12:45 pm
Just don't use it to hold your cherry bomb collection, and you should be OK.
Trilby • Jul 28, 2005 1:00 pm
Happy Monkey wrote:
Just don't use it to hold your cherry bomb collection, and you should be OK.


The RUNAWAYS--"hello daddy, hello, mom; I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb!"
Happy Monkey • Jul 28, 2005 1:05 pm
Actually, now that I think of it, that bowl full of cherry bombs would make an intriguing, if disturbing, still life photo.
xoxoxoBruce • Jul 28, 2005 3:25 pm
That could be arranged. ;)

I guess that x-ray removes any doubt their intent was to maim as many as possible and not just disrupt the transportation system and put London on notice they were unhappy with Blair's policy.
Bullitt • Jul 28, 2005 4:01 pm
oh i dunno, i think they were just trying to spread thumbtacks around with little "Al-Queada" advertizements on the tops! Quite an ingenious marketing campaign if you ask me
capnhowdy • Jul 28, 2005 6:00 pm
small bombs from small minds.
I bet when they get big they wanna be terrorists.
GruntDoc • Jul 29, 2005 2:20 am
Roofing nails. They're used to hold tarpaper and shingles to roofs. Weird choice for a projectile, as they have very very little individual mass (the Swordfish ball bearings would have been more lethal, I agree with a prior poster).

It'll be interesting to see if any of the soon-to-be arrested and arriagned conspirators were roofers.

Just a guess.
wolf • Jul 30, 2005 2:06 am
They probably sent Aswhad's pretty, blonde, clueless, infidel girlfriend to the shop to get the nails.

These were probably on sale.
zippyt • Jul 30, 2005 2:39 am
the nails don't have much mass , but LOTS of surface , sharp points and thin heads , LOTS of cutting surface ,

Most of these improvised explosives arn't verry well thought out ,
Elspode • Jul 30, 2005 2:46 pm
Roofers would have used beer bottlecaps and unopened subpoenas.
capnhowdy • Jul 30, 2005 11:42 pm
I'm surprised someone hasn't called this "art" already. :lol:
wolf • Jul 31, 2005 12:05 am
There's no religious icon, no body fluids, and no exposed genetalia.

Not art.
xoxoxoBruce • Jul 31, 2005 1:00 am
wolf wrote:
There's no religious icon, no body fluids, and no exposed genetalia.

I was lamenting that myself. :(
Griff • Jul 31, 2005 7:14 am
wolf wrote:
There's no religious icon, no body fluids, and no exposed genetalia.

Not art.


It's performance art, we get all those things immediately after. :(