Is buying the Anarchist's Cookbook an offense these days?

[Whiternoise]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/m...er/8248977.stm

The jury was told Matthew Swift, 18, bought a book over the internet - The Anarchist's Cookbook - which had details of how to make home-made bombs.

Whilst available all over the internet anyway, it does surprise me that they seriously consider it as a useful book discussing how to make bombs. It's regularly quoted as having unreliable if not downright dangerous information on how to produce various explosive compounds amongst some generally harmless "phreaking" and other olden day pranks. I think it's a little over the top and actually unfair on the two lads to bring it up in front of a Jury who in all likelihood will go for the "Bloody hell they've got an Al Quaida manual" option rather than "Heh, everyone's read the cookbook at least once".

On the other hand, it became pretty clear that these guys are the definition of "TERRORIST FAIL".

The story continues to say:

When it became apparent that they had a couple of Ray Mears' on their hands, with plenty of experience in the Outback and had plans to "live off the land" in Alaska:

Mr Carus asked him if he ever went to Alaska or "got anywhere near" the US state.

Matthew Swift said 'no' and said the only equipment they had were walking boots.

Clearly a dangerous pair then, trained to the highest order in a secret base in the Highlands by a group of militant Scots:

Mr Carus asked him about his chemistry knowledge and plans to make explosives.

Matthew Swift told the jury he achieved a double D in chemistry.

But surely they had a fully equipped laboratory with dangerous chemicals, loose wiring and packages in stained brown paper?

When Mr Carus asked what tools and materials the teenager had in his shed for making a firearm, Mr Swift said all he had was a lawn mower.

The trial continues.

Quite.

[Main]

Only 3 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Not the only place either.

So I guess it isn't banned, although they probably monitor who buys it.

Unless they have something potent they haven't disclosed yet (like evidence of serious preparation and/or other information relating to planning all this) it looks like a complete fantasy (albeit a rather sick one).

[DDY]

[Lanky123]

It's regularly quoted as having unreliable if not downright dangerous information on how to produce various explosive compounds

You seem to know an awful lot about this.

[Whiternoise]

It's something of a "classic" text on the internet, for more information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Anarchist_Cookbook

As an Amazon reviewer says, google "anarchist cookbook error" for an idea of what kinds of mistakes. One of the more amusing articles concerns the extraction of "bananadine" - a non-existent hallucinogen from bananas, apparently included when the author took an April fools day gag seriously...

[Main]

Bananadine

So there have been people pulling stuff like this for decades and probably longer then......

[MadduckUK]

well i read it, probably 10 or more years ago now - they talk about bombs and stuff but it was only partially about that kind of thing, i remember how to get freephone calls from US style payphones (but then again, wargames did that) and looping paper to create an endless fax. and possibly something to do with baking soda and viingar to make people thing they were covered in acid :/

edit: ohhh yeah the bananas

[Mblaster]

I got this off the net ages ago, when I was about 12, as I remember is was mainly pranks in there, some 'explosive' stuff, but nothing large scale. Never did have the balls to try out the killer floppy disk

[Virtual Monkey]

I remember reading a couple of the chapters of the Anarchist's Cookbook out of curiosity. This was yeeears ago, and it seemed quite out of date then. I'm sure there are easier, or certainly better ways of making bombs now, for anyone that genuinely wanted to blow something up.

Despite the media being beset on portraying the duo as completely evil, I can't help but feel slightly sorry for them. They're clearly not-too-bright, and it sounds like they're pathetically bad at being homicidal misunderstood teenagers too.

Obviously not playing enough computer games

In all seriousness though, this is what happens when high-school massacres get as much media attention, and arguably even glorification as they do. Reminded me of this Charlie Brooker piece -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PezlFNTGWv4.

[MadduckUK]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PezlFNTGWv4.

you fail at links but yeah i know what you meant and yes, it does

[alsenior]

the anarchist cookbook is more dangerous to the reader than to society. it's mostly pranks of some sort or another. most of the explosives recipes in it are trash and more likely to blow up in your own face rather than anyone else's there are a few fun things in there like the pranks sections most of the stuff in there is wildly out of date. the most dangerous thing in there is the fertiliser bomb which are very similar to what the IRA used in Ireland during the 80's but you can find that out from any GCSE chemistry teacher

[Mike Fishcake]

Who thinks the anarchists' cookbook was created by the government to eliminate potential anarchists by causing them to damage themselves? ;-)

On a more serious note, this whole story sent a bit of a shiver up my spine, because I lived in Denton for 11 years, the Crown Point North shopping centre that they've been accused of planning to bomb is less than 10 minutes drive away from my house, and is somewhere we usually end up going a couple of times a month. I know it didn't happen, I know it may have been stopped anyway, and I know that the couple of hours a month I'm there wasn't statistically likely to be detonation time anyway, but it would still probably freak most people out when something like this happens so close to home (literally as well as figuratively).

[GheeTsar]

I remember seeing the cookbook about 18 years ago as a schoolboy and I think a few of us tried some of it to very limited success. The only thing that half worked was the tennis ball "bomb" which finally ended up catching on fire after several attempts.

[mmh]

I remember seeing the cookbook about 18 years ago as a schoolboy and I think a few of us tried some of it to very limited success. The only thing that half worked was the tennis ball "bomb" which finally ended up catching on fire after several attempts.

was that the one with the match phospher in it? I'm sure me and my mates tried that with no success

[GheeTsar]

was that the one with the match phospher in it? I'm sure me and my mates tried that with no success

If memory serves, yup, that was the one. The first attempt we tried was a failure as we used safety matches!

[mmh]

If memory serves, yup, that was the one. The first attempt we tried was a failure as we used safety matches!