MORE DOOM! Terrorist cell makes explosive clothing linked to the embassy withdrawls!

You gotta be kidding me. Is this what we will see for our next FF?

Just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

How does something just "explode"?

What a load of shit. They shut the embassies down, something to do with banks and closing accounts.

Where there's a will there's a way.

explosions only happen when expanding pressure is kept from expanding

I really don't think this is even possible

That makes sense, but then how does something like plastic or what the underwear guy was trying work?

Is Michael Chertoff back in the clothing industry?

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

US special operations forces have been taught methods for making such timeless classics as explosive newspapers and explosive cotton items which look and feel just like the original newspaper or article of clothing. This training has been going on since the latter stages of WWII and was particularly popular during the mid to late 1960s.

There are two basic types of explosives...

1. low-order explosives such as gunpowder. These will not explode unless kept under strong confinement. The explosion in these cases is actually deflagration, which s a fancy name for burning/combustion/fire. When these particular items set alight under strong confinement, they expand violently and the gasses produced burst the confining tube or canister, thus causing explosive effects.

2. high-order explosives such as C4 plastic explosives. These do NOT need any type of confinement to explode. The explosion in this case is a true detonation, which is a fancy term meaning the gasses expand so rapidly and violently that they produce explosive effects such as a blast, heat and overpressure without any confinement.

This explosive clothing meme in the media is a scare tactic. It's been around for decades and you can read all about it in old US army manuals. Don't get sucked in by the fear-mongering. Educate yourself on the issue like I did.

And another thing - an explosive bra or pair of socks WILL NOT detonate by itself. It needs an initiation train (detonator/firing device/fuse/lead wires/etc.) which is very detectable by airport security. If you're travelling overseas this week, the Hadji in the seat next to you ISN'T going to suddenly explode due to the PETN content in his undies.