A warning of things to come?Chemical Bomb Plot in UK

[John Nayduk]

Chemical bomb plot foiled in the U.K.: BBC
CTV.ca News Staff
British and American intelligence have reportedly foiled an alleged chemical bomb plot in the UK.
A plot to detonate a combination of explosives and a chemical called osmium tetroxide in an attack on civilians was foiled when intelligence agents intercepted communications, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported Tuesday.
Believed to be sympathetic to al Qaeda, the plotters had not managed to obtain any of the chemical, the BBC said citing security sources. They had a potential target, however, likely a confined space with a large concentration of people.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1081256201407_32/?hub=TopStories

 

[Tyrnagog]

And here is the WHMIS MSDS for Osmium Tetroxide...

http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/o5704.htm

 

[MG34]

Wow so the affected area would have to be....ventilated,big deal maybe an effective nusance weapon but definately not one to cause casualties depending of course on the size of the blast used to dispurse it. Amatuers at work thank goodness for that.

 

[casing]

Originally posted by MG34:
[qb] Wow so the affected area would have to be....ventilated,big deal...[/qb]

Yes, well fertilizer isn‘t a very big danger either--by itself. Here is another quote from that MSDS sheet: "Contact with oxidizable substances may cause extremely violent combustion..."

Sounds to me like this stuff has potential to do a great deal of harm. It is a very good thing that this plot was put down.

 

[Korus]

Keep in mind that it doesn‘t have to kill everyone to have an effect.. If a strange, yet only iritating substance is discovered inside an important office building, would they press on for the day trying ti ignore it, or would everyone be evacuated, causing a great disturbance?

 

[rdschultz]

MG34: Besides what Casing said, you have to read more into the MSDS. If its spilled, yeah, you have to ventilate the area. But I‘m guessing they weren‘t planning on using the explosion to cause it to spill.

"Hazardous Decomposition Products:
When heated to decomposition, emits highly toxic fumes of osmium. "

 

[MG34]

Highly toxic with prolonged exposure,unless the exits were sealed there wouldn‘t be many if any at all deaths caused other than by the effects of the blast.Thank the lucky stars these clowns didn‘t go for Ricin or someother easily obtained or manufactured bio/chem agent that is far more leathal.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I hope the guys behind this are being put to death.

 

[clasper]

Originally posted by Casing:
[qb]Here is another quote from that MSDS sheet: "Contact with oxidizable substances may cause extremely violent combustion..."
[/qb]

Another thing to note- this stuff is a lot heavier than air. If it were released in a tube station (a poorly ventilated area with lots of people) it would stay in low lying areas and linger for a long time. Ventilating it out would be very difficult. If it was released in a big station with several lines running through it, the London Underground could be seriously disrupted for a long time afterwards.

 

[Spr.Earl]

Originally posted by clasper:
[qb]

Originally posted by Casing:
[qb]Here is another quote from that MSDS sheet: "Contact with oxidizable substances may cause extremely violent combustion..."
[/qb]

Another thing to note- this stuff is a lot heavier than air. If it were released in a tube station (a poorly ventilated area with lots of people) it would stay in low lying areas and linger for a long time. Ventilating it out would be very difficult. If it was released in a big station with several lines running through it, the London Underground could be seriously disrupted for a long time afterwards. [/qb]

The London underground is very well ventilated but the movement of the trains would keep it from sinking to ground level there by being the threat.