Surrender your Coca-Cola and Chapstick!

The story broke last August that an alleged terror plot on British airliners was foiled, raising both conspiracy theories and sceptics alike. Authorities claimed that certain evil-doers were plotting to carry out their schemes using explosive concotions made from eveyday household liquids.

Eyebrows were raised along with security levels, questioning whether or not it was even feasible for the would-be terrorists to extract the chemicals needed for their explosive mixtures from everday liquids. And even if this highly unlikely process was acheived, how could the terrorists possibly maintain the chemicals' surrounding environment to the specifications needed in order for the concoction to be used as a successful weapon of mass destruction while on a plane?

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of potential travelers are lined up and ordered to throw away their shampoo bottles, Starbucks beverages, Coca-Colas, finger nail polish, and Chapsticks. After all, we know now that caffiene + petroleum jelly + SPF 15 = the potential detonation of mass Cherry flavored chaos blowing planes out of the skies and into the churning ocean waves below. Thank you, Central Intelligence.

While none of us want to be subjected to the fruit-flavored carnage that the British airliners were "days away" from witnessing, one can't help but draw parallels between the U.S's involvement and push for the arrests of these terrorist masterminds and the upcoming November elections. Furthermore, I have yet to hear any more news about this devious plot since the elections took place.

When looking over an article by Geov Parrish of workingforchange.com he brings up exactly these points as he questions the plot, calling the ordeal a "load of crap". He quotes directly from The Register, citing authorities as saying the suspects were thought to be planning to use TATP (triacetone triperoxide) made from ingredients found within household goods to bring down the planes. The article continues on to point out exactly how complicated that process would be, how unlikely the possibilities of anyone being able to successfully pull off a massive science experiment in the plane's restroom undetected were, and how ridiculous the whole situation was once one steps back to look at the big picture, minus the fear-tactics used by the media to excite the public.