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Appendix F
Pages 198-214

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From page 198...
... VISIT TO SWISS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SERVICE Introduction From April 7 to 9, 1997, the delegated members of the Committee on Marking, Rendering Inert, and Licensing of Explosive Materials2 met with Swiss Sci 1For additional information on the Swiss taggant program, see Scharer (1995)
From page 199...
... There are four analytical chemists and two laboratories equipped with atomic absorption, liquid chromatography, optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray fluorescence, and high-performance liquid and ion chromatography instruments. The Swiss provided introductory briefings on their Federal Law on Explosive Materials and then responded, through roundtable discussion, to committee members' questions on detection taggants, identification taggants, rendering common chemicals inert, and imposing controls on precursor chemicals used to manufacture explosive materials.
From page 200...
... of commercial explosives annually, of which 20 percent is dynamite. (Note: The United States uses approximately 5,000 million pounds of AN and 100 million pounds of dynamite annually.)
From page 201...
... In Switzerland in the 1970s, a group protesting nuclear power used high explosives in an attack on a nuclear information center and on many power transmission poles. In one case the device used four sticks of dynamite and two alarm clock timers set up so that the timers would be destroyed.
From page 202...
... (approximately $135,611 to $339,0295~. Swiss Laws to Control Explosives On March 25,1977, the Swiss passed the Federal Law on Explosive Materials, and on March 26, 1980, they passed the enabling regulations, the Order Concerning Explosive Materials.
From page 203...
... Thus, smokeless powder, black powder for shooting, ammonium nitrate fertilizer, and AN-based explosives mixed on site are not tagged, nor are explosive precursors or pyrotechnics. However, a farmer using fertilizer-grade AN to blow up stumps is violating the law.
From page 204...
... Markers for Detection Military explosives are not tagged; the Swiss military was strongly against such a requirement, and criminal use of stolen military explosives has never been much of a problem in Switzerland. In 1991 the International Civil Aviation
From page 205...
... As part of an ICAO experiment, the Swiss used detection markers in emulsion explosives but detected explosives workers and people using heart medicine, not criminals. (Two individuals caught coming into Switzerland with unassembled plastic explosives strapped to their bodies were caught because they acted suspiciously, not because of a detection system.)
From page 206...
... Heavy materials like timer parts are ejected far away. The SRS personnel collect samples near the crater center (3- to 14The manufacturer of both the Microtrace and HF6 indicated that the price would not be lower if there were fewer colored layers.
From page 207...
... Analytical chemistry is done using thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, ion chromatography, spot tests, and atomic absorption, as well as capillary electrophore The Swiss SRS forensic staff are accustomed to using the Microtrace taggants and like the fact that reading the code is as simple as using a microscope. The Explotracer taggant requires more analysis: differential scanning calorimetry must be run to obtain the melting point of low- or high-density polyethylene (112 °C or 130 °C)
From page 208...
... The Swiss police are supportive of the use of taggants for forensic purposes. Taggant information is considered useful in the investigation of bombing incidents, particularly in identifying stolen explosives and connecting domestic, serial criminal bombing incidents that use commercial explosives.
From page 209...
... have colored threads woven in that, although they never survive the functioning of detonating cord, do help identify found and stolen material. The Swiss do not make shock tubes (hollow plastic tubes coated with HMX/A1)
From page 210...
... Controls on Precursor Chemicals In the period from 1985 to 1995, 75 cases in Switzerland involved the use of improvised explosives or pyrotechnics. The SRS has no direct control over explosive precursors, but the Chemical Toxins Act provides for control of poisons.
From page 211...
... Bombing Threat in England and Northern Ireland Bombings in England and in Northern Ireland are predominantly the work of the Irish Republican Army, which currently operates via a form of rules of war; for example, warnings are provided, accompanied by a code that verifies their legitimacy. The intent is not to kill large numbers of people but rather to disrupt the life of British citizens as much as possible.
From page 212...
... The Irish Republican Army is known to be a perpetrator of illegal bombings, and it can obtain large quantities of CAN from many sympathetic legal users for agricultural purposes in Northern Ireland. Thus, there is little incentive to initiate an expensive identification taggant program.
From page 213...
... Despite its degree of dilution, CAN is the favored material for bombs, even though pure ammonium nitrate can be obtained in Great Britain. Controls on Precursor Chemicals In Northern Ireland the sale of seven substances has been restricted (AN, sodium chlorate, sodium chlorite, nitrobenzene, potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, and sodium nitrite)
From page 214...
... Different crops need to be supplied with different nutrients, and fertilizer must be adjusted to match crop requirements to soil type. As a result, an increasing trend in the fertilizer industry is to tailor compound fertilizers to meet a farmer's specific needs.


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