A singed pair of underwear with a packet of powder sewn into the crotch, seen in government photos obtained exclusively by ABC News, is all that remains of al Qaeda’s attempt to down an American passenger plane over Detroit.
As seen in the photos, the alleged bomb consisted of a packet of powder sewn into the briefs of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian. Al Qaeda took credit Monday for the attempted bombing, boasted of its ability to overcome U.S. intelligence and airport security, and promised new attacks.
The first photo shows the slightly charred and singed underpants with the bomb packet still in place.
In the second photo, the packet of actual explosive powder has been removed from the underpants and displayed separately.
It is a six-inch long packet of the high explosive chemical called PETN, less than a half cup in volume, weighing about 80 grams.
A government test with 50 grams of PETN blew a hole in the side of an airliner. That was the amount in the bomb carried by the so-called shoe bomber Richard Reid over Christmas 2001.
The underpants bomb would have been one and a half times as powerful.
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19 Responses
I must say, photo is not that appetizing.
SHAME ON YESHIVA WORLD FOR DISPLAYING THIS BEGED PUBLICLY.
amb, At least it’s not an archived photo.
yenta, your choice of words really made me laugh!
Shame on posters 1 & 2 for totally missing the boat. It is now official. Any terrorist could be on any flight. What are they going to check everybody’s underware at security?
It doesn’t seem to be in line with the YW ‘taam’ to publish this photo. I would recommend that you remove it.
I don’t think that pair of underwear needed a bomb in it to cause destruction.
So, let’s see, after the shoe bomber, they made everyone take off their shoes for pre-flight security screening . . .
I think I’ll drive.
So, let’s see, after the shoe bomber, they made everyone take off their shoes for pre-flight security screening . . .
I think I’ll drive.
wow you really are a yenta, yenta!
raboisai, wake up! the terrorists must be getting brain transplants, look how creative they have become. ITS THE EIBISHTER sending us messages that only he can prevent terror! direct your pleas to him not yw! (by the way you can see these in EY too sometimes because many people dont have dryers and besides i dont know that halacha forbids THIS so what are you talking about? )
5, What’s this shame-on-you business?
Shame on you!
Telegrok, that was funny.
do you all have something against underwear? hmm? this is news. there is nothing pruste about it. it is a pair of underwear with a bomb in it. the part you should find offensive is the bomb…
First the Unabomber, now the Underbomber. Think I’ll get a ride with telegrok.
i find the bomb horrific as everybody obviously does – however i do find the discussion and imagery of underwear offensive and unnecessary for posting in this type of forum. We don’t have to lose our sensitivity to kedusha – and when we live in this world where any decency is prudish and archaic – i think we should be more careful with casual acceptance of the inappropriate.
Soon they’ll implant the bombs inside a wannabe kamekaze nut case’s body, and then what?
basmelech, they are already doing that. That’s why profiling is so important. That identifies possible terrorists based on their political and religious beliefs a much more reliable system.
I think this photo is a little unnecessary.. Could Yeshiva World please take it down?
#15, couldnt say it better myself