Page 143 - JSOM Summer 2019

Body Cavity Bombers: The New Martyrs

A Terrorism Research Center Book

Bunker RJ, Flaherty CJ. Body Cavity Bombers: The New Martyrs: A Terrorism Research Center Book. Bloomington, IN:
iUniverse LLC, 2013. Paperback: 350 pages. ISBN 978-1-4917-0310-3.
Review by COL (Ret) Warner “Rocky” D. Farr, MD, MPH

pon first seeing a copy of this book, one immediately medical/surgical procedures by trained surgical personnel in a
thinks of several different science fiction movies like sophisticated medical facility with medical logistical support,
UDenzel Washington’s 2004 Man on Fire, the 2008 extended postoperative recuperation periods, surgical compli-
Batman movie The Dark Knight, or the Star Trek television cations including death, and postoperative breach of the ex-
episode Reunion. Someone is just exercising a hyperactive plosive container resulting in toxicity. Another difficulty was a
imagination. But not so fast! Turn to page 46. reliable triggering device, usually chemical in nature.
There you will find the August 2009 ac- All these SIIED preparation and use diffi-
count of a BCB (“Body Cavity Bomb”) used culties seem to have led the terrorists to the
against Prince Mohammed bin Nayef of usually smaller BCBs, as a simpler path to
Saudi Arabia who is now famous because success. Detonation could be via a radio
of his involvement in the more recent Saudi frequency device that is much simpler than
Embassy journalist murder in Jordan. In the firing devices required for surgically im-
2009, a Yemeni Al Qaeda operative with planted devices.
a rectally carried BCB attacked him. The
bomber, the brother of Al Qaeda and the Detection issues with both types of bombs
Arabian Peninsula’s chief bomb maker, was are a large topic of interest in the counterter-
killed. The Saudi prince was only slightly rorism community. Some of the existent air-
wounded. Clearly, this is a weapon for high- port security scanning methods may detect
value targets. BCBs but not SIIEDs (such as metal detec-
tors), while others will not. Future detection
Terrorists are inserting BCBs into body cavi- strategies may be able to detect BCB firing
ties, such as the rectum, stomach, vagina, or devices. Nothing seems to detect SIIEDs
possibly uterus. These BCBs must be differ- accurately.
entiated from SIIEDs (“surgically implanted
improvised explosive devices”), which are This book is the only resource for data on
surgically implanted into a body cavity, usu- BCB and SIIED construction, deployment,
ally the abdominal cavity, or into breast augmentations. Also, and detection. It is very well referenced. It extensively dis-
do not rule out the use of animals as a BCB and/or SIIED host. cusses current research on detection strategies and does not
rule out chemical or radiological BCBs or SIIEDs. It also dis-
It appears that Al Qaeda was first interested in SIIEDs, not cusses shoe bombers, suicide underwear, bra bombers, gel bra
BCBs, due to higher explosive load capability but encountered bombers, dog bombs, corpse bombs, and other “clandestine
many “design issues.” These included the need for complicated weapons.”

141