Overpowered: How Rashid Rauf Got Away

Rashid Rauf just slipped out of his handcuffs and overpowered the policemen who were escorting him back to jail after his court appearance on Saturday, or so we were told in a stream of breathless and speculative reports, as documented here over the weekend.

Rashid Rauf has been called "a key person" in the so-called "Liquid Bombers" plot, and alternately named as either "the mastermind", or "the messenger" connecting the plotters to al Qaeda leadership supposedly overseeing the alleged plot to down a dozen trans-Atlantic airliners more or less simultaneously. [Rashid Rauf is seen in this photo, taken after his court appearance December 5.]

Rashid Rauf's arrest in Pakistan in August of 2006 was the trigger for the arrest of 25 people in Britain on the 9th and 10th of the month. Ten of those arrested (including Rashid Rauf's brother, Tayib Rauf) were released without charge, but fifteen others still face charges, including "conspiracy to murder" for eleven of them. Their trial is slated to begin in the spring; Great Britain has been trying to extradite Rauf from Pakistan in connection with that trial.

The Pakistani charges against Rashid Rauf himself have been dropped -- twice. But they have been quietly reinstated both times.

The alleged plot -- if successful -- would have killed more people than 9/11, "a senior intelligence" source told The Observer, and Michael Chertoff, DHS-meister at the time, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that the plot could have killed "hundreds of thousands of people".

The alleged plotters were supposedly planning to mix bombs from liquid explosives which they would have smuggled aboard the aircraft disguised as sports drinks. We're told they were planning to step into the washrooms with their bottles of Lucozade and emerge with bombs capable of knocking jumbo jets out of the sky.

From a chemical and logistical point of view, the plot (alleged or otherwise) was impossible, regardless of whether the plotters were intending to make TATP (as suggested by the Guardian), or HMTD (as suggested by the New York Times), or MEKP (as hinted on a few message boards). All of the reactions in question take much longer to complete than any terrorist would possibly be allowed to spend in the washroom aboard a flight, intercontinental or not, as we have documented here (and here, and especially here).

So -- chemically, at least -- this alleged plot could never be done on one plane, let alone a dozen, let alone a dozen planes at the same time -- but that doesn't matter, because this case is not about knocking down airplanes; it's about knocking down democracies!

Thus we had flashing terror alerts and the virtual lockdown of Heathrow, with the cancellation of thousands of flights, and the airlines losing millions. And to this day we have much more restrictive airport security -- none of which makes us any safer than we were last August, when we were in absolutely no danger.

But it's not about explosives; it's about propaganda. And from a propaganda point of view, the alleged plot was -- and remains -- almost perfect, especially since the timeline is so shaggy, and the use of classified national security information for political purposes is so obvious, as documented P. O'Neill at the excellent Best of Both Worlds (starting here, then here, later here, and finally here).

It would have been completely perfect had it ended in a blaze of glory with Rashid Rauf's miraculous disappearance, in which he somehow opened his own handcuffs and overpowered his escorts to vanish inexplicably into the mist of Islamabad.

But instead we now have a detailed account of Rashid Rauf's escape, as told by Shakeel Anjum in Pakistan's The News, who has sources inside the team investigating the incident. Shakeel Anjum's story begins last week:

A warning letter was sent to the capital police by the superintendent [of the] district jail to tighten security of the high profile British national of Pakistani origin, as he was a hardened criminal, Adiala jail sources told The News.

The letter, dispatched in the second week of December, was addressed to SP [superintendent of police] (Headquarters) as well as a DSP [deputy superintendent] of the police headquarters responsible for deploying duties...

Apparently the letter wasn't enough.

Sources said ... the authorities, taking it as a routine letter, marked it to the higher authorities without taking any measures to beef up Rauf’s security.

And so ... Rashid Rauf's police escort consisted of two policemen, Constables Wazirzada and Muhammad Tufail, who told the investigating team that they were traveling with Rashid Rauf, who was handcuffed, in a private taxi.

Great Britain has been asking for Rashid Rauf to be extradited, even though Pakistan has no extradition treaty with the UK.

Pakistan has requested a certain builder in exchange for Rashid Rauf, but the UK has apparently declined. Two Balochi nationalists were arrested in London last week in what appears to be an attempt to set up a counter-offer.

Rashid Rauf and his police escort had been in Islamabad for an extradition hearing on Saturday, and at about 3:00 in the afternoon, as they were going back to the jail, they passed a mosque (on Adiala Road, near Gulshan-e-Abad).

Rashid Rauf asked if he could go in and pray.

Constables Wazirzada and Tufail said he could.

He asked them to wait in the car.

And they did.

About twenty minutes later, Muhammad Tufail went into the mosque to find that Rashid Rauf had slipped out the back door -- handcuffs and all!

The news took its sweet time finding its way up the chain of command, according to Shakeel Anjum, who quotes an officer inside the investigation as saying:

“The authorities took the transportation of the suspect so non-seriously that only two cops were deputed to move him and that too in a private cab instead of a police mobile van.”

The officer also said:

“Apparently, Inspector (Hawalaat) is responsible for his escape because he is supposed to take the ... inmates from jail and send them back escorted by heavily guarded police vehicles.”

But this time everything was done differently:

“Reserve Inspector (RI) headquarters sent the ‘special team’ comprising two constables to fetch the high profile suspect from jail by a private car instead of police van and to take him back to jail in the same way.”

“The police high-ups were informed about his escape about two-and-a-half hours after the incident,” the officer said.

To cap off our story, The News reports that no "missing persons" bulletin was ever issued over the police wireless network.

So there you have it. It may be perfect after all.

Perfectly miraculous? Not exactly.

Perfectly ridiculous? Now you're cookin'!

~~~

twenty-seventh in a series

Uninformed Nonsense: Juan Cole, Rashid Rauf, Liquid Bombs and Whole Cloth

Today's reading is from "Combating Muslim Extremism" by Professor Juan Cole, of the highly respected blog "Informed Comment", as published in the November 19, 2007, edition of The Nation. The piece reached me via George Mason University's History News Network.

Professor Cole's essay includes a short passage about the one "terrorism" case with which I am most familiar, that of Rashid Rauf [photo] and the so-called "Liquid Bombers". I am very unhappy to report that this passage contains a significant amount of fiction.

The rest of Professor Cole's essay may make perfect sense, or it may not. I don't know. For the purposes of this essay, I have set myself a much smaller task: to look at a single paragraph in depth, and to separate what is false from what is true.

For ease of discussion, I have broken the passage in question into four smaller sections, as follows:

The Administration clearly is not very interested in doing the hard work of dealing effectively with small fringe terrorist networks. That is why Osama bin Laden is at large and the CIA unit tracking him disbanded.

This is a highly contentious subject and the assertion is not only unsubstantiated but also absurd. How, pray tell, does the good professor know why Osama bin Laden is at large? Does he really expect us to believe that the administration talks about al Qaeda all the time because it considers al Qaeda a "fringe terrorist network" which is not worth dealing with?

Does he really believe that the administration hasn't made a serious effort to catch Osama bin Laden, a CIA asset whose family does business with the Bush family, because the administration is not very interested in doing the hard work?

Do we really spend $500 billion a year trying to do something the administration is not very interested in doing? I'm sorry to say so, but this explanation cuts no ice with me. So let us move on.

Next, Professor Cole says:

Successful counterterrorism involves good diplomacy and good police work.

And here I agree. I wish Professor Cole had thought to use a better illustration, though:

A case in point is the plot last summer by young Muslim men in London to bomb several airliners simultaneously using liquid explosives in innocent-looking bottles and detonators hidden in disposable cameras. Contrary to the allegations of skeptics, the techniques they envisaged were perfectly workable.

... because here I most emphatically disagree. The techniques envisaged by the plotters were utterly impossible, and if you're willing to spend a few more minutes reading, I will tell you why this is so. But first, let's deal with the rest of the passage.

Professor Cole continues:

The plotters were determined enough to make chilling martyrdom videos.

But determination is no substitute for technical ability. And if they couldn't do it, then it really doesn't matter how badly they wanted to do it! I wish I could flap my arms and fly. I really, really, wish I could do that! But I can't. So I won't.

And the alleged plotters could not have done what they were allegedly plotting to do.

How Do I Know This?

If I dare to speak with a voice of authority about this case, it is because I have done the research.

On the night of August 9, 2006, pro-Bush "Democrat" Joe Lieberman lost the Democratic Senatorial primary in Connecticut to the anti-war candidate, Ned Lamont. As soon as the result became clear, the Republican noise machine suddenly shifted into high gear, calling Democrats all over the country "Defeatocrats" and "soft on terror" because the Democratic primary voters of Connecticut had chosen Lamont over the faux-Democrat Lieberman. At the time I was guest-hosting a high-traffic blog, and I figured this was a newsworthy story. So I started digging. And since I would be writing for a larger than normal audience, I started digging hard. I've been digging hard at this story for the past 15 months.

While I was composing the piece, which came to be known as "An Avalanche Of Bullshit", breaking news arrived from the UK, telling us about two dozen Muslims who had been arrested for allegedly plotting to attack a dozen intercontinental airlines simultaneously. The synchronicity -- Democrats soft on terror while British allies foil a horrifying plot -- seemed too good to be true, and I kept digging.

Within a few days the British press had obtained the names of those who had been arrested (or so they thought: they wound up paying dearly for a couple of minor errors, but that's another story). The papers printed the names, and I set up Google alerts for all of them. (It was because of my Google alert for Rashid Rauf that I found Professor Cole's article at the History News Network.)

For the past 15 months, I have received email whenever any of those names appeared in any news or blog item, and I have read everything about all of them. In addition, I have done more reporting -- and more detailed reporting -- on this story than anyone else, anywhere.

I don't mean to be immodest here -- just truthful. Since August of 2006, I have spent hundreds of hours reading about this case. I've written an extensive series (of which this is the 21st installment) which links to hundreds of source articles. And at my other blog, "Winter Parking", I have posted copies of more than 160 news articles concerning the alleged mastermind and al Qaeda connection, Rashid Rauf.

Because of the nature of the alleged plot, I also did considerable research into the chemistry behind the alleged method of attack, and I acknowledge and thank my science adviser, Bruce, who has that rare combination -- a PhD and good common sense. Bruce's help has been most valuable, as has the assistance of a former Army explosives expert with whom I consulted while I was working on the Ronald Swerlein story.

A Simple Chemistry Lesson

According to the reports which scared us silly in August of 2006, the "Liquid Bombers" were allegedly plotting to take down as many as a dozen airliners en route to the USA from the UK, using bombs made from common household liquids. They were allegedly going to smuggle their ingredients onto the airplanes in soft-drink bottles, then create and detonate the bombs while the planes were in flight. Let's do a little chemistry and see how credible these allegations are.

There are three commonly-known explosives which can be made from hydrogen peroxide and other household ingredients. Hydrogen peroxide is a key ingredient because it has been mentioned in all technical accounts of the bomb-making aspect of the alleged plot, and also because the alleged al Qaeda connection, Rashid Rauf, faces trial in Pakistan for possession of articles for the purpose of terroism, in which the articles in question are bottles of hydrogen peroxide.

The three peroxide-based explosives which have been discussed in conjunction with this case are TATP, HMTD, and MEKP. For legal reasons, I won't link to the recipes for any of these compounds, and for security reasons I won't give enough detail for anyone to make them. I will, however, give you enough detail so that you can understand why the alleged plotters simply couldn't make any of these three explosives, not in sufficient quantity, and not on intercontinental flights.

TATP

Let's start with the first peroxide-based explosive mentioned in the press in connection with this case. Triacetone triperoxide, aka TATP, aka Acetone Peroxide, is reportedly called "the Mother of Satan" by the terrorists who try to make it, because it is so unstable. In other words, it tends to detonate prematurely.

But according to the official story of 7/7, TATP was the explosive used by the four notoriously uninvestigated London Bombers, each of whom supposedly wandered around with 10 kilograms of TATP in their backpacks before the "bombs" detonated, miraculously blowing the undercarriages of the trains upwards into the passenger compartments. It's quite a magical explosive, and according to an article published in the UK by the Guardian, TATP may have been the explosive the alleged plotters were allegedly plotting to make.

In a post called "To Mix The Impossible Bomb", I examined the process by which TATP is made. Here's a short and deliberately vague outline:

Start by mixing the acetone and the hydrogen peroxide together, in the right proportions, using lab-quality glassware (otherwise the impurities will destroy you). And be very diligent about chilling the mixture. You'll need to keep it cold throughout the entire process, otherwise you may get a weak and premature explosion. Add the third liquid, very gradually, stirring constantly and checking the temperature frequently. The addition of the third liquid starts the reaction, and the reaction gives off a lot of heat.

This will be inconvenient for you because the liquid ingredients are highly concentrated and the fumes are extremely noxious. But you need to keep the mixture very close to the freezing point, so you must add the third liquid as slowly as necessary to avoid overheating. When you've added enough of the third liquid, you can stop stirring. But you have to keep the mixture cold, and you have to wait.

The reaction is a slow one and it produces a white crystal. After six or eight hours (some sources say two or three days!), you can pour the result through a fine paper filter, to separate the crystals from the liquid. You can discard the liquid, but you should keep the crystals. They must be rinsed and dried before they can be used.

These explosive crystals formed by this reaction are very unstable and relatively powerful. But airplane fuselages are not cigar tubes. They are built to withstand a significant pressure differential, otherwise they couldn't fly at high altitudes. So it takes a significant quantity of these explosive crystals -- roughly 250 grams (half a pound) in a properly shaped charge, to blow a hole in the fuselage of a modern passenger airplane, according to one demolition expert whose work I read while researching the original series.

If all goes well, you can get as much as 8 grams (a quarter-ounce) of TATP crystals per liter (quart) of liquid. And you need about 250 grams (half a pound) of TATP, so you'll need roughly 32 litres (8 gallons) of liquid ingredients. Now: How are you going to mix that? If you do it all in one batch, you'll need a 40-liter (10-gallon) beaker, which will be difficult to smuggle onto the plane without attracting attention. Of course you can make the TATP in small batches, but then you will need multiple teams, and that means you'll need multiple restrooms.

How many restrooms on an intercontinental flight do you suppose could be occupied by Muslim men bearing glassware and large bags of ice, without attracting attention? It hardly seems possible to fit a 2-liter (half-gallon) flask in an airplane sink full of ice, but if you can do that, you'll only need sixteen teams (and sixteen washrooms). And of course if you make it in smaller batches, you'll need even more teams.

In summary, you will have big problems -- insurmountable problems! -- if you decide to blow up the planes using TATP. So what are your other options?

HMTD and MEKP

An article published by the New York Times on August 30, 2006 (which British subscribers were not allowed to read!), suggested that the alleged plotters may have been thinking of making Hexamethylene triperoxide diamine, or HMTD. And a bit of research revealed that while HMTD is made from a different combination of liquids than TATP, the processes by which they are produced are virtually identical. Crucially, you can't make HMTD any faster than you can make TATP. Again you'll have to chill the mixture and wait for crystals to form, then filter them out, wash them and dry them before they can be used.

If you try to make HMTD on a plane, you'll run into all the logistical problems inherent in trying to make TATP. In other words, it's impossible, unless you get all the passengers and crew to help you.

So what's left? Methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, or MEKP.

The idea that the alleged plotters were planning on making MEKP has been floated on a few internet discussion boards, although to the best of my knowledge it has never been suggested in any mainstream news report. It does represent a third possibility, however, so the chemistry behind the synthesis of MEKP deserves some study.

MEKP differs from TATP and HMTD in that the reaction produces an explosive liquid, rather than crystals. So instead of filtering the result, the MEKP must be decanted -- never an easy task on a moving plane. And again, the plotters will need either an enormous piece of glassware and a way to keep it cold, or else uninterrupted access to more than a dozen washrooms for several hours at a time.

In other words, forget it. It can't be done, not without an enormous number of accomplices, not without the active cooperation of the flight crew, not unless the Atlantic crossing takes an inordinately long time.

To envisage one attack succeeding using this method is an excercise in fantasy. To envisage a dozen such attacks succeeding simultaneously is madness.

I do not say that the alleged plotters were not plotting along these lines. I have no way to know whether they were plotting or not; assuming they were, I have no way to know whether they were mad or simply clueless. But I do know, beyond any doubt whatsoever, that the alleged plot as described was absolutely impossible.

And to make a statement such as

Contrary to the allegations of skeptics, the techniques they envisaged were perfectly workable.

without offering any supporting evidence, or any indication of having done any research, is ... well ... I was about to say "unfathomable", but let's just say a statement like that doesn't bring any credit to its author.

And considering what's at stake -- ridiculous airport security, enhanced police powers, and further legitimization of the GWOT -- Professor Cole's very superficial treatment of this apparently bogus case strikes me as not only "uninformed nonsense" but much, much worse. And here's the reason:

None of this uninformed nonsense would have been necessary if Professor Cole had merely wished to establish the point on which I noted our agreement, namely that "successful counterterrorism involves good diplomacy and good police work". If that was the point he was trying to make, there were a thousand ways he could have illustrated it. And so ...

One cannot help but wonder why Professor Cole would tell a tale made of whole cloth, as it were. Could he be so woefully uninformed? Or could he be trying to prop up the phony war on phony terror? The questions are not pleasant, but then again, none of this is pleasant.

~~~

For my best estimate of what may have driven the alleged plotters, please see "Inadequate Deception: The Impossible Plots Of The Terror War".

~~~



In recent "Liquid Bomber" news, Rashid Rauf's petition for a bail hearing was accepted by a judge in Lahore last week after being rejected in Rawalpindi last month. He is scheduled to return to court in Lahore on November 6th.

As the Frontier Post reported:

On the orders of Judge Sakhi Muhammad Kahut, the kids and wife of the accused Rashid Rauf were allowed to meet him at the premises of the courtyard of the ATC [Anti-Terror Court] here.

When accused Rashid Rauf met his family he began to cry as the environment became sentimental and emotional [scenes] were witnessed.

The meeting continued for 20 minutes.

~~~

NEW! IMPROVED!
A previously posted version of this piece was longer and somewhat speculative in spots. It also contained some crucial spelling mistakes. I have removed passages that may have been extraneous and/or misleading, and fixed the spelling, too. I apologize for any confusion caused by this deviation from the normal procedure of editing articles before posting them.

~~~

twenty-first in a series

Ronald Swerlein Charged: Ten Counts Of Illegal Explosives, One Count Of Drug Possession

The continuing saga of Ronald Swerlein continues to unfold and the media splash remains confined within Colorado state lines. Ronald Swerlein appeared in court on Friday and was charged with ten counts of illegal possession of explosives and one count of illegal drug possession. In this post, excerpts and links to the newest handful of reports, all from news sources in Colorado, as well as a few comments about aspects of this story that make you go "Hmmmm...."

The snazziest graphic of the day comes (with a peacock) from Chris Vanderveen at 9 News dot com in Colorado whose headline reads:

Man charged after explosives pulled out of home

Boulder County prosecutors have charged a man with 10 counts of illegal explosives possession on Friday.

Ronald Swerlein, 50, offered no comment as he, his wife, and his attorney walked into a Boulder County courtroom Friday afternoon.

His attorney, Jeffrey Larson, did say in court that he believes Swerlein "has no intention of harming anybody or frightening anybody."

Over the weekend, Longmont Police say they pulled out from Swerlein's home more than 200 chemicals, numerous guns, and even a few magazines connected with eco-terrorist organizations. In court documents Swerlein has reportedly told police he was interested in model rocketry.

Police have not said if they think Swerlein posed a threat to anyone other than himself.

Police first searched Swerlein's home on June 15 after a neighbor reported hearing three explosions at the house three days earlier.

Swerlein will be back in court next month.

Technically it is true that police searched Swerlein's home after receiving a report three days earlier. It is also technically true that police searched Swerlein's home after 9/11, or that police searched Swerlein's home after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, for that matter. Personally, when I think of this case in its proper historical context, I believe it's important to note that police searched Ronald Swerlein's home after Lincoln was assassinated.

If you get my drift.

This short report gives no hint that police had received 15 reports of explosions in Swerlein's neighborhood dating back to January of 2006. Regular readers of this frozen page know that already, of course, because they've already read "Ronald Swerlein's Out On Bail And Going Home But The Neighborhood Is Safe Because The Cops Have All His Explosives, Weapons, Glassware, Magazines ...".

It also doesn't mention the one drug-related charge. Ahem. Next up in our roundup of the Colorado regional media Swerlein extravaganza is a report from the AP via KJCT-8 (ABC, Grand Junction / Montrose):

Longmont man charged with possessing illegal explosives

A Longmont man accused of keeping explosive chemicals and handguns in his home was charged today with ten counts of possessing illegal explosives and one count of drug possession.

Fifty-year-old Ronald Swerlein, a retired electrical engineer, was arrested last Sunday after local and federal agencies spent the weekend searching his home. Neighbors had reported hearing three explosions at the house three days earlier.

Authorities says they found more than 400 chemicals in Swerlein's house, including homemade nitroglycerin. Officers say they also found model rockets, rocket kits and engines, a launching pad for model rockets and books on homemade explosives.

They also reported finding magazines from the Animal Liberation Front, which the FBI considers to be a terrorist group.

Swerlein told police he was developing fuel for model rockets.

Homemade nitroglycerin?

That's the first indication I've seen that Swerlein's nitroglycerin was homemade.

Why would you make nitroglycerin?

Because it's not too difficult to make and you can't legally buy it.

How much of it would you need? Police reportedly found half a pound of it. Would that be enough for a model rocket hobby?

It would, and it would also be enough to make a good-sized car bomb!

If you want to fuel a rocket, you need a fuel stable enough not to explode on the way to the launch pad, no? Police detonated Swerlein's nitroglycerin -- half a pound of it -- in his driveway last Saturday, because it's so unstable they couldn't risk moving it! How could something this flaky serve as a rocket fuel?

It may not be all that simple!

I asked my science advisor several questions along these lines and here's what I learned:

First of all you have to understand how much difference there is between a rocket and a bomb. Think of fireworks: a rocket with a bomb on it. The rocket has to fly. It has to have a long powerful steady thrust in order to go up in the air. If the fuel burns too fast -- if it explodes -- it ruins the rocket and it doesn't fly anywhere. In effect it becomes a bomb. Heck, it already is a bomb; it becomes more dangerous because it's going to explode on the ground rather than up in the air.

OOOhhh! Science! ... Seriously, though: my chemistry background is not too bad and my science advisor has a PhD so having him around helps a lot.

Meanwhile back in media-land, FOX 31 has the most detailed coverage of the three television reports that came in late last night:

Longmont Man Charged With Possessing Illegal Explosives

A Longmont man accused of keeping explosive chemicals and handguns in his home was charged Friday with 10 counts of possessing illegal explosives and one count of drug possession.

Ronald Swerlein, 50, a retired electrical engineer, was arrested June 17 after local and federal agencies spent the weekend searching his home. Neighbors had reported hearing three explosions at the house three days earlier.

Authorities said they found more than 400 chemicals in Swerlein's house, including homemade nitroglycerin and MEKP, a volatile chemical that had been stabilized and hidden in the basement.

Officers said they also found model rockets, rocket kits and engines, a launching pad for model rockets, books on homemade explosives, expensive chemistry glassware, a handwritten "to-do" list and warning note, flare guns, a Taser weapon and three metal grenade shells.

They also reported finding magazines from the Animal Liberation Front, which the FBI considers to be a terrorist group.

Swerlein told police he was developing fuel for model rockets. He and his lawyer, Jeffrey Larson, declined to comment when they walked into a Boulder County courtroom Friday.

Larson has said he believes Swerlein's neighborhood is safe.

This is the first report I've seen that mentioned

model rockets, rocket kits and engines, a launching pad for model rockets

... and it's not surprising when little bits of evidence dribble out here and there; in fact it's interesting to watch.

Speaking of interesting, most of the detail so far has come from Pierrette J. Shields of The Daily Times-Call who filed this report prior to Swerlein's court appearance:

‘I am not sure I feel all that safe’: Explosives arrest rattles neighbors

Longmont detectives are trying to make sense of evidence seized from the home, Lewis told residents. None of it so far indicates Swerlein had any plans to use the explosives outside of his own yard, he said.

“Truly, we have that he was doing this as one of his hobbies and his projects,” Lewis said.

Police have cleared the house and Swerlein and his wife may move back in and begin cleaning the mess left behind by searches and tear gas if they choose. That left some neighbors uneasy.

“What if he wants to get revenge on the neighbors who turned him in?” neighborhood resident Dennis Bruns asked.

Butler said he empathizes with neighbors, but said the police do not have the authority to keep him out the the neighborhood or his home.

“We do not believe he will be able to do what he has been doing in the past,” Butler said. “We will be doing extra patrols in the area.”

Lewis noted that Swerlein’s bond conditions require that he not possess chemicals or weapons. Swerlein has not been charged or tried and has a right to be presumed innocent, Lewis noted. He will not be under police surveillance and control.

I'm anxious to see what Pierrette Shields will have next. I'm especially hoping for an answer to the question lingering in my mind at the moment:

Nobody so far who has reported anything about Swerlein having been remanded or anything to that effect; presumably he is still out on $50,000 bail and still free to clean up the damage from the tear gas and resume his normal peaceful life as it was ... or as it would have been without any chemicals or weapons or magazines ... is Ronald Swerlein still free on $50,000 bond?

In the Rocky Mountain News, Vanessa Miller reports:

Longmont man in court today in explosives raid

Longmont police Sgt. Tim Lewis said he expects Swerlein will be charged with more than two counts of possession and use of explosives — felony charges carrying a prison sentence of two to 12 years.

Swerlein was in fact charged with ten counts of explosives violations and one count of drug possession.

Swerlein paid the required 10 percent of his $50,000 bond to leave the Boulder County Jail on Tuesday.

Is that right? Did he really pay only 10% of the $50,000 bond the judge set? If I'm reading this right, that's $5000 bail, and remember that even after being charged he may still be free on until his next court appearance, as far as we know ...

Now my poor frozen brain comes screeching to a halt and says:

Now just hang on a minute!! Let's speculate just this once, shall we?

What if -- instead of Ronald Swerlein -- this man's name was Abdul Muhammed?

How long do you suppose it would take before he was living on a tropical island, enjoying some lemon chicken sweetened by a choice of two desserts?

How can I ever recover? Oooh. Perhaps I can't!! ;-( Because Vanessa Miller also says:

Among the chemical brews found in the tri-level house, police reported, were nitroglycerin, the main ingredient in dynamite, and M.E.K.P., the explosive linked to the liquid ban on air travel.

Ahem. If I may...

Not to blow my own nose or anything like that, but I happen to have written a sixteen-part series on the so-called "liquid bombers", whose alleged plot was reportedly foiled in August, 2006 and which led to the current so-called 3-1-1 carry-on restrictions.

The alleged plot was supposedly foiled after the arrest of Rashid Rauf, the so-called "ringleader" or "mastermind" or "messenger" but certainly a "key person" and almost always fingered as "the al-Q'aeda connection" to the alleged plot.

Rashid Rauf is currently in a Pakistani prison charged with possession of 29 bottles of hydrogen peroxide for the purposes of terrorism. One of the questions that repeatedly surfaces in my mind with respect to this case runs: How could 29 bottles of hydrogen peroxide in Pakistan blow up 10 or 12 airplanes headed to the USA from Britain?

So it's a great big mystery and a fascinating (though sickening) one, and to make a long story shorter, I have read and squirreled away hundreds of articles about Rashid Rauf and the so-called "Liquid Bombers" and this is the first time I have ever seen MEKP mentioned in connection with this alleged plot ... so just before my chilled and tiny brain went completely hypothermic, I asked The Google:

"Did I miss a connection somewhere? Do you know anything about Rashid Rauf and MEKP?"

And The Google said:

"Yes! those names appear together on two pages!"

I was shocked!! Shocked, I tell you!!

"Two whole pages?"

I exclaimed!

"What on Earth do they say?"

The Google replied:

One says "If it was a peroxide based liquid explosive I would have thought they would have been using MEKP" ...

and the other says "Liquid Bomber exposed as ISI agent / plot was used to renew fledging support for WOT"

Well as you must have guessed I could go on and on, but that's my story for today -- a story of Ronald Swerlein, who would surely be looking at the world through a narrow slot if he were fortunate enough to be born under a different name, or in a different skin ... and a story of a nearly frozen blogger and The Google. working together to catapult the propaganda -- right back over the fence.

And now if you'll excuse me, I need to go get colder...

~~~

[ related posts ]

Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Police Seize Huge Cache Of Explosives From Colorado Home, But Say It's Not Enough For An Act Of Terrorism

Friday, June 22, 2007
Ronald Swerlein's Out On Bail And Going Home But The Neighborhood Is Safe Because The Cops Have All His Explosives, Weapons, Glassware, Magazines ...