Take note.

[Brad the Impala]

I am waiting with bated breath for the evidence that there is a credible threat that this can be done from components concealed in a laptop!

Somali airliner bombing suspect smuggled exploding laptop onto plane: official
DEBKAfile February 7, 2016, 9:49 PM (IDT)
The passenger who became the lone fatality in the February 2 bombing of a commercial flight from Somalia to Djibouti was handed a laptop by two people, suspected airport workers, in military uniforms at the airport in Mogadishu before boarding the flight, a Somali government spokesman said Saturday. The suspect was sucked out of Daallo Airlines Flight 159. He has now been identified as Abdullah Abdisalam Borleh, who knew exactly where to sit. Nevertheless the pilot managed to turn back and land the plane safely at Mogadishu.
The spokesman added that over 20 people, including the two airport workers, government officials and businessmen, have been arrested on suspicion of being linked to the attack. The FBI is said to be assisting the Somalian government in the investigation. http://www.debka.com/newsupdatepopup...lane-official-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daallo...nes_Flight_159

[Brad the Impala]

It all sounds suspicious. How would it, detonating in cargo, be any less impactful?
Surfcrest

It takes a significantly larger quantity of explosives to bring down an airliner if the explosion is in the hold. If you think that an explosion in the cabin at cruising speeds just needs to blow out a window to have a good chance of bringing down the plane. The hold is a more solid structure, and the greater quantity of explosives needed also mean that there is a greater chance of detection in taking them onto the plane.

I don't know if this has been put into use yet, but a while ago a bomb proof lining for the hold was developed in the UK that meant that even if there was an explosion there, it can be contained within the hold.

http://www.sciencealert.com/this-bom...ns-on-aircraft

[Surfcrest]

The problem with that theory though, is that you'd have to bag the needle in the haystack to save the day. So if you knew where the bomb was to bag it, why would you simply not allow it on board? With how infrequently bombs are blowing up in cargo holds, I'd seriously doubt any airliner would spend the money to reinforce the hold and because of the weight it would add to the plane. The next problem, inside the hold is all the other cargo...including the flammable stuff. If something blows up, it's the resulting fire that would be the catastrophic event.

I would think, from my perspective with our air cargo business that it is far more likely for something in the cargo hold to burst into flames far more so than blow up.There have been multiple incidents around the world in cargo holds involving lithium ion batteries and improper packaging.

Besides, if the real problem was all these issues...all airliners coming from specific destinations would be targeted, not just the ones identified.

Surfcrest

[cdnmatt]

Years ago, I had a good friend who worked at YYC (Calgary) in baggage handling in a foreman capacity. He always joked about how piss poor the security is. If someone wants to blow an airplane out of the sky, they'll just grab a job as a baggage handler for $10/hour, have full access to the runway, and throw a bomb on any plane they want.

Banning iPads from a few select countries doesn't help, and in my opinion, just makes things worse. In my eyes, it should either be no iPads for anyone in the world, or no ban on iPads at all. Putting bans like this on a few select countries doesn't work, because then we end up having a debate, wondering why others hate our freedoms, and why they became radicalized.

There's about 1.5 billion muslims on this planet, and we're blanketing entire nations with the same brush due to the actions of say 300,000 people. This is about as stupid as Trump's wall idea.

Not to mention, when was the last time a terrorist blew a plane out of the sky with explosives in their laptop? Oh right, never.

n
y

[fountainhall]

I believe the only airliner which reinforced anything - in this case the fuel tanks - was the Concorde after the horrific Paris crash. But after BA and Air France spent many millions, the passengers were not so keen and supersonic travel died.

[Oliver]

This isn't an attempt to stop terrorism; it is a naked attempt to keep us scared while pretending that the authorities can do anything at all to stop individual attacks by lunatics and fanatics. Close one door and another one will be opened.

As we in London found out yesterday - if we didn't already know. A determined guy can buy a knife (a knife! so high tech!) in Sainsbury's, rent a car from Avis and cause mayhem in the most heavily-patrolled part of London.. And there is nothing our government , nor others,can do about it. The UK and USA imposed this upon us when they decided to invade Iraq and-unwittingly- created ISIS. And, to be fair to the UK security services, Blair was warned about this, time and time again. but the vainglorious poodle went ahead and opened Pandora's Box.

No problem for this wealthy, blood-stained war-criminal- he travels by private jet amd has 24/7 security in all of his many properties. However, we Londoners (and I live six miles away from the attack and travel into Westminster twice a week on public transport), are at the mercy of these lunatics. And our only defence is to stay in our homes . Which I'm not prepared to do.

iSIS and Blair; blood-brothers in every sense. Bearing in mind the heavy price Syrians have paid and they weren't even the ones who invaded, we've got off lightly so far, if four dead and fifty injured can be so described.

[bkkguy]

And bkkguy, you have no idea at all what they can or can't do. Fact.

facts are marvelous things - you just have to be careful who/where you get them from - forgive me if I pass on getting mine from you based on your posts here

Somali airliner bombing suspect smuggled exploding laptop onto plane: official
DEBKAfile February 7, 2016, 9:49 PM (IDT)

careful or arsenal will be berating you for having "no idea" as well - did you investigate the details of this incident? It has been often mentioned recently in light of the recent ban but I have still seen nothing in the recent or original articles to support a claim that the significant issue in this attack is concealment in a laptop - the bomb was delivered to the attacker by airport staff in the departure hall just before he boarded the plane at an airport even the plane's pilot described as having "no security" so the bomb could just as easily been in an overnight bag, an umbrella or indeed the attacker's wheelchair frame

so I am still waiting, though the breath is a but less bated

bkkguy

[arsenal]

bkkguy: Either you have no idea what they can or can't do. Or, you are privy to information that the general public is not. And if you are you shouldnt be bragging about it here. So I'm sticking with my original suggestion of ignorance. Fantasize to yourself if you want to.

[scottish-guy]

I have to agree with Oliver - the "security measures" we are subjected to are mostly all kidology, and the war criminal Blair ought to be standing in the dock at The Hague rather than appearing on TV to give us the extremely dubious benefit of his opinions.

[christianpfc]

I have to take my laptop out of my bag every time I go through security, and in Istanbul I even had to switch it on so staff can see the screen is working.

Lithium batteries plus crazed but brilliant zealots plus seriously skilled electronics experts = not too hard to work out really.

I have no idea what you are talking about, can you elaborate? Anyway, there is little "brilliant" and "skilled" about most of the attacks, rather crude and simple.

The next problem, inside the hold is all the other cargo...including the flammable stuff. If something blows up, it's the resulting fire that would be the catastrophic event.

The hold is at the same pressure as the surrounding air, I don't think it can sustain a fire.

I think an explosion at the right place inside the passenger area (choosing a seat next to window over the wing?) needs much less explosive than in the luggage area to bring the plane down. And it can be done over a populated area to maximize damage.