I am a fish - 22-12-2005 at 10:26
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1953024,00.html
http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,5500,1672602...
A teenager in Lanacashire has been arrested for possessing "a cache of bomb-making chemicals". The third article quotes a neighbour as saying "when
you don't know the facts, you don't know what to think", which seems pretty apt given the quality of the journalism surrounding this incident.
No information is given on the crucial issue of what chemicals the teenager possessed and the quantities involved. Whilst it is probable that the
police have not released this information, no article mentions any attempt by the writer to probe beyond the press statements. It seems that mention
of the dreaded "C" word is enough for a story.
None of the articles draw the slightest distinction between merely making a small quantity of an explosive compound and constructing a weapon. Whilst
the word "device" is mentioned in the second and third articles, it is not at all clear what this means.
Four controlled explosions are referred to, but the results are completely ignored. There is no mention of whether or not the charges placed by the
bomb-squad caused the substances in question to detonate.
Can anyone find any better information on this incident?
The_Davster - 22-12-2005 at 13:24
That is interesting, but we will likely no know all the facts surrounding this. At least they have ruled out terrorist. The first article definatly
portrays this guy in the best light, it focuses more on the 'eccentric chem student' unlike the third, they use so many words there that encite the
public.
quicksilver - 25-12-2005 at 11:57
It's painful in a certain manner. If the chemicals were acetone, hair bleach, and swimming-pool acid. If the chemicals were drain cleaner,
stump-remover, & Beauty-shop glycerine. - All manner of crap....you would have a different item altogether. But because they were clearly marked
lab grade chemicals it's high drama.
The public would be better served if facts were reported but the damn media has to sell air-time and ad space so every event is pumped to get any
"journalistic blood" available. That thing shouldn't have even been a story. The authorities should have kept it quite until they knew what they
had.....but there you have civil servants looking for publicity as well.
The only thing I could possably think that the police would need to destroy in place would be an explosive peroxide. But yet it seems that a chemistry
student wouldn't waste his time with such a thing. You're right....there are too many missing pieces.