Remember Al-Qaeda? They used to scare us a bit by hijacking planes and blowing themselves up. With their nasty activities, they have caused us quite some trouble.
But nobody knew it was THAT bad.
Recently however, they seem to have experienced some problems of their own. Recruits have mostly not even managed to blow themselves up, let alone others. Instead, they have earned rather pathetic nicknames like the “shoe bomber” or – and this must be really embarrassing for a wannabe big-shot terrorist – the “underwear bomber“. Both managed to get burnt a bit, but that’s not enough to get you into paradise. The wannabe “Times Square bomber” not only managed to leave his car behind, but also enough information to reveal his identity which led to his arrest just minutes before leaving the country.
Apparently this has led to a new strategy: Al-Qaeda 2.0, realising that they cannot count on their followers, are now sending explosives to their intended destinations by air mail. We don’t know yet if these devices were destined to explode in mid-air (of course all government officials involved are stressing this possibility now, because a scared public will tolerate more restrictions of air travel) or if their idea was to explode once they had reached their intended recipient. The parcels were addressed to Jewish organisations in Chicago. I seriously doubt by the way, that a synagogue in Chicago would simply open a large parcel that will clearly indicate that it was mailed off in Yemen.
As Al-Qaeda seems to run out of suicide terrorists and/or has to operate on a seriously trimmed down budget, I wouldn’t be surprised to see “Do it Yourself Terror” as the next stage: Targets of Al-Qaeda’s hate will receive a parcel with explosives, a box of matches and instructions on how to detonate the package. I am wondering when I’ll receive mine in the mail…
The Happy Hermit 
There was some commentary that these “printer bombs” were a form of reconnaissance. A few informed sources floated the idea that Al-Qaeda sent these packages to test western response to them, in order to gauge our counter measures. Since the devices contained no barometric equipment, they weren’t meant to blow up the planes they were on, and the few details I’ve heard suggested the ignition wiring was, shall we say, very amateurish (that being the kindest description I’ve seen). If these devices represent Al-Qaeda 2.0, they need a serious reboot. If they really are reconnaissance devices, then I’d recommend staying out of tall buildings and subway tubes!
I guess I take a bit more of a conspiratorial view here. I actually doubt the government reports that the materials found in the toner cartridges were explosive. I am not even sure if I believe they were mailed by a terrorist group. Your government and mine are well known for their historic use of false flag operations in order to justify further restriction of individual rights as well as wars.
I do not trust government. I also do not trust intelligence sources. They have, again historically, proven unreliable. We now know that all the cold war fears about the former USSR were overblown. They were broke and most of the “nuclear” missiles they were purported to have were nothing but duds installed as a smoke and mirror effort to cause the West to believe they had more than they actually did. We bought it.
The same thing happened about the weapons of mass destruction that Saddam Hussein supposedly had and were never found. Governments must lie in order to convince the masses of the need for them. If people would ever realize the extent to which their governments lie, steal and murder they would rise up and overthrow the ba****ds.
So the governments must use propaganda to discredit anyone who criticizes and exposes them as conspiratorial nutters. Just because it is a conspiratorial theory does not mean that the theory is not true.
The only reason I give these reports any credibility is the consistency of reporting. Every source I’ve read, from military sources in the US and UK, to news sources from America, Europe, and even South America, all say (generally) the same thing without using the exact same phrasing. That suggests the reports are legit. I’ve found that, when performing a cover-up or spreading false information, one of two things happen – the various reporting agencies get small details wrong, or everybody reports the EXACT same thing, letter for letter, typos included. Besides, Yemen has been a barely functional country for years now, with the ongoing rebellion against the government. Perfect cover for Al-Qaeda, or whoever it might be. (I’m not saying this could NOT be another “Hussein’s WMDs” story, it just doesn’t seem as likely as an honest-to-goodness radical group bombing attempt.)
John,
I do see your point. I am always suspicious but that is not to say I am unwilling to believe. My greatest concern is how the governments might use it as in the TSA now banning all toner cartridges on domestic and inbound flights to the US.
What if terrorists use a laptop or cellphone or a prosthesis will they then ban all from bringing those on flights as well?
“Sir, I’m sorry but you cannot wear your artificial leg onboard as you might be carrying a bomb in it.”
It is the fear tactics they use to further restrict our freedoms that concern me. Whether they are legit is, for me, beside the point. I know you have addressed this somewhat yourself in your posts including alluding to it in this one. I suspect we agree here more than disagree.
@ephraiyim: I’m very much the same opinion like you and I wished we could build our own lives apart from the governmental standards, which are so destructive. Human beings don’t need governments to tell them how to live their lives, and they are not dumb to make a difference between good or bad. Governments like to generalize, and this is a huge mistake. Good and bad people will be everywhere all the time. The US has them, Europe has them, Asia has them, the whole world has them. It’s human nature, and therefore it’s our own high task to single out the bad ones out of our own society. If the whole world would do the same, we can rotten them out.
But will this ever happen ?
Ephraiyim – Indeed, we are very much in sync! Remember how, every time George W. Bush’s approval rating would drop, or some domestic situation would turn attention to some screw-up by his administration, “authorities” would uncover some new plot? Either the Republican National Committee was running Al-Qaeda, or…. And that is exactly why I check such diverse news sites as The Buenos Aires Herald, Netherlands News Network, Pravda/Russia Today, and the usual “BC”s (Australian, British, and Canadian Broadcasting Corp.), in addition to military news sites inside and outside the government. Just like a science investigation – the more samples you take, the better the conclusion! :)
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