A Deceptive Killer

Few things so deadly have ever looked so innocent. They have the appearance and consistency of soft taffy and can be molded, stretched or cut into any shape. They burn so safely that American G.I.s in Viet Nam used them as emergency cooking fuel. Yet plastic explosives pack roughly twice the force of an equivalent amount of dynamite. Many nations, including the U.S., produce them for military purposes. But large amounts have made their way into the hands of terrorist groups around the world, posing a fiendishly difficult problem for airline security. Because the explosives can be so easily formed into...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!