Why such a crudely made device though? That alone has me saying....hmmm.
Maybe it was the best this group could do. Wasn't the failed Christmas Day plane bombing by Abdulmutallab "crude," in the sense that it didn't work according to design?
This attack is reasonably similar to one of my first speculations of how AQ--although apparently not AQ in this case, but they're all Islamic jihadists, although not on this board--might carry out another attack. I thought AQ might get its hands on pressurized tanks of chlorine gas, still used commonly enough for wate treatment, as far as I know. Build a bomb, encircle the bomb with propane tanks as here to increase the blast, then encircle
that with chlorine gas cylinders...
http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/gas-cylinders-chlorine.htmlDoesn't look like it ought to be too hard for them to do. Here they opted just for propane and a blast. I saw some speculation elsewhere as to the possibility that Viacom might have been picked because of the South Park/Mohammed deal.
Cutting throats and piloting airplanes into buildings wasn't all that sophisticated, either. Just really effective. They do seem to be having problems with building bombs here in the US or at long range from their places of greatest security. I've read also that they're not really awash in quality "operatives," if these rabble deserve to be called anything so crisp and latinate sounding.
Now...hmmm...where is there another lawless zone VERY NEAR the US, where enough money could easily buy sanctuary and the time needed to build and deploy some successful weapons? Begins with an M...just on the tip of my tongue...
Islamic terrorists need a "Gaza" for the US, as they now have the actual one for Israel--and even there, fairly crude Quassams ate the best they can usually do--better weapons--missiles--are imported.