Officials concerned about al-Qaida use of exotic explosive powder | Seattle Times Newspaper

Travel | Officials concerned about al-Qaida use of exotic explosive powder | Seattle Times Newspaper: "WASHINGTON — New airport security procedures that have stirred the emotions of air travelers — full-body scans and aggressive pat-downs — were largely designed to detect an exotic explosive powder called PETN, which has been a staple of al-Qaida bomb makers for nearly a decade.

It was PETN that was molded into the sole of Richard Reid's sneaker when he walked onto American Airlines Flight 63 bound for Miami in December 2001.

It was PETN that was sewn into the underwear of Umar Abdulmutallab when he boarded Northwest Airlines Flight 253 for Detroit on Christmas Day 2009.

And it was PETN that al-Qaida operatives in Yemen packed inside printer cartridges that were shipped on Oct. 28, intending to blow up planes en route to Chicago."