[FoRK] DHS: Bombers may use 'pregnancy prosthetics'

[Stephen D. Williams]

Oh brother... No taste at all.

http://deepbackground.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/02/11/656670.aspx

DHS: Bombers may use 'pregnancy prosthetics'
Posted on Monday, February 11, 2008 4:17 PM PT
Filed Under: Terrorism

By James Popkin, NBC News Senior Investigative Correspondent
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is reminding law-enforcement 
officials of the increased use of female suicide bombers worldwide, and 
warning that women terrorists might hide explosives in devices “that 
mimic the look of a pregnant woman.”

The unclassified DHS threat assessment, released Monday and obtained by 
NBC News, shows photographs of “pregnancy prosthetics,” hollowed-out 
devices that could hold explosive devices. The report says “female 
suicide bombers have used devices that make them appear pregnant to hide 
explosive devices.”

The DHS report states that terrorists are using female bombers more 
frequently, in part because these attacks generate “more widespread 
media exposure.” It adds: “Continued use of female suicide bombers-the 
most recent example being a 3 February 2008 attack at the main railway 
station in Colombo, Sri Lanka-indicates that terrorists judge this 
tactic as effective in increasing defenses and thwarting security measures.”

The report, marked “For Official Use Only,” is one of dozens of threat 
assessments issued jointly throughout the year by DHS and the FBI. The 
authors are quick to mention that there’s no immediate threat to the U.S.

“DHS and the FBI have no specific, credible intelligence indicating that 
terrorist organizations intend to utilize female suicide bombers against 
targets in the Homeland,” they write.

The report ticks off several recent attacks by women bombers in Iraq and 
Sri Lanka, and the recruitment of female suicide bombers in Chechnya, 
India, Pakistan, the Palestinian territories and Turkey.

Why the increase in women bombers? “DHS and the FBI assess that female 
suicide bombers may have an advantage over their male counterparts in 
accessing targets. The means to conduct a suicide attack vary widely, 
but a key element in maximizing the lethality of a suicide bombing is 
the bomber’s ability to get close to the target,” the report states. 
“Female suicide bombers may carry explosives devices in a backpack, 
briefcase, or purse, or hidden in an article of clothing worn close to 
the body, such as a vest, belt, long socks, or jacket.”