Unexpected New Years SMS From Mobile Operator May Have Killed Would Be Suicide Bomber

from the happy-new-year! dept

Fri, Jan 28th 2011 7:48am — Mike Masnick

This is just classic. We've heard plenty of stories about bombs that are designed to go off when an SMS text message is received... and we know all too well about annoying and unwanted text messages from your mobile operator. But how about combining the two. Apparently, a planned suicide bombing in Russia was "averted" when the bomb went off early due to an unexpected "happy new years" SMS from the carrier, blowing up the bomb and the would-be suicide bomber at a safe house, far away from Red Square (or anything else) that was the intended target. As Wired notes:

If true, the SMS might be the only time that a wireless carrier�s SMS message has ever been useful.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: russia, sms, suicide bomb

44 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

LeBazz (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 7:54am

WOW some people are dumb !
I can't understand why someone would use such an unsecure channel to detonate a bomb ! Once armed, one can not even approach his device, with no way to deactivate it !! Russian Roulette with a bigger BOOM I guess !! :)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Spaceman Spiff (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 8:15am

Preventative medicine
Perhaps a global short sms message from ISP's to all their customers every five minutes or so would eliminate using cell phones + sms messaging as triggers for bombs. It would be irritating for sure as your phone would beep every 5 minutes, 24 hours a day! But it would make us "safer"... :-)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Hephaestus (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 8:32am
  
  Re: Preventative medicine
  Just make it a random SMS every so often.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Jason, 28 Jan 2011 @ 8:45am
  
  Re: Preventative medicine
  Just make it a random time frame after a phone has been opened and then turned back on.
  
  "You are back online - unless you're a bomber"
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Seth (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 9:23am
  
  Re: Preventative medicine
  Don't give them any ideas.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Terranaut, 28 Jan 2011 @ 9:38am
  
  Re: Preventative medicine
  Then the recipients could be billed for excess messages. Hmmm, good idea.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- CommentCritic (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 10:23am
  
  Re: Preventative medicine
  Have you lost your mind? Yea, ok lets just annoy a couple of billion people 12 times an hour just to deny a handful of terrorist cheap bomb triggers......GOOD PLAN! p.s. I registered at this site today for the sole reason to comment on your dumbass comment :-)
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 28 Jan 2011 @ 10:30am
    
    Re: Re: Preventative medicine
    sar�casm
    /ˈsɑrk�zəm/ [sahr-kaz-uhm]
    �noun
    1.
    harsh or bitter derision or irony.
    2.
    a sharply ironical taunt; sneering or cutting remark: a review full of sarcasms.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Boob, 29 Jan 2011 @ 6:32am
    
    Re: Re: Preventative medicine
    What if you created Random SMS zones around airports, stadiums?
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Richard (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 4:47pm
  
  Re: Preventative medicine
  Perhaps a global short sms message from ISP's to all their customers every five minutes or so would eliminate using cell phones
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
John Doe, 28 Jan 2011 @ 8:23am

There will be an app for that
If SMS becomes to unsafe for terrorists, we can expect to see apps for triggering bombs. Wonder if Apple would approve of that?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- MrWilson, 28 Jan 2011 @ 8:41am
  
  Re: There will be an app for that
  As long as it's not a porn app or competes with an app Apple is already working on...
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - TheStupidOne, 28 Jan 2011 @ 9:57am
    
    Re: Re: There will be an app for that
    I think apple has a detonator app they they are building into the next release of iOS. Of course it only detonates the tiny charge in the phone that will destroy the phone and scare the user. It apparently goes off in response to jailbreaking attempts.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- xs (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 11:21am
  
  Re: There will be an app for that
  It will be on Cydia.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Jan 2011 @ 8:32am

Wasn't there just an episode of "Bones" that was similar to that?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
fogbugzd (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 8:36am

Add to checklist
Suicide bombers should add this to their checklist:
___ Leave phone turned off until bomb is in place.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Michael, 28 Jan 2011 @ 8:39am

Suicide Bomber
Why would a suicide bomber need a remote trigger?
Wouldn't a button have been a more reliable solution?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- :Lobo Santo (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 8:41am
  
  Re: Suicide Bomber
  Usually, the person wearing the bomb is not the one to detonate it.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 28 Jan 2011 @ 8:52am
  
  Re: Suicide Bomber
  Why? Because they couldn't trust the bomber to detonate it herself. Maybe she wasn't fully cooperative with the idea of blowing herself up.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Michael, 28 Jan 2011 @ 9:09am
    
    Re: Re: Suicide Bomber
    Bomber: I will not blow myself up!
    
    Handler: Ok, I understand. Would you wear this backpack and go find a spot in this crowded train station with cellular reception?
    
    Bomber: Ok, that I will do.
    
    Handler: Great! Hold on, I just need to adjust this antenna.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous, 28 Jan 2011 @ 10:02am
  
  Re: Suicide Bomber
  There is a button that the suicide bomber has, it's called a dead man's switch. Normally a remote trigger is also attached in case the suicide bomber changes his mind at the last second, the bomb can still be detonated.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- roland985 (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 4:46pm
  
  Re: Suicide Bomber
  Or, if one HAD to use a mobile phone, at least use some long twine to pull a wire out from range to deactivate the thing...
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
:Lobo Santo (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 8:41am

!!
That'll teach them to build in a safety-engage circuit to avoid false positives prior to the intended trigger period.

Hmmph. Amateurs.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Darryl, 28 Jan 2011 @ 8:46am
  
  Re: !!
  yea, safety-engage circuit, like the freaking OFF switch !!.
  
  how hard is that !
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Darryl, 28 Jan 2011 @ 8:44am

Yea right, like that really happened !!
sorry, but WHO would be SPUPID enough to have a mobile phone wired to a bomb and will go off if you receive a SMS message.

And LEAVE THE FREAKING THING TURNED ON !!!!.

BTW: suicide bombers do not need remote triggers, they just push a button.

What is he intending to SMS himself ?

Something smells here, and I think its the truth !!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Berenerd (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 8:55am
  
  Re: Yea right, like that really happened !!
  People can get second thoughts about killing themselves...much more reliable to have someone else blow the bomb that is attached to someone else, though yes, you would think they would leave it off until they got to the site atleast.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Yogi, 28 Jan 2011 @ 9:16am
  
  Re: Yea right, like that really happened !!
  Who would be stupid enough? Why, the same person stupid enough (and cruel enough and twisted enough) to commit mass murder.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- mrtraver (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 12:37pm
  
  Re: Yea right, like that really happened !!
  If it isn't true, it should be.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
AR (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 9:14am

Not rocket scientists
Keep in mind these arent the brightest bulbs in the box. When they get a working model its not like their gong to go back and tell someone it worked properly. Just keep sending SMS messages eventually they might get the hint. Kind of like when they throw grenades, you just pull the pin and throw it back and you surely dont tell their friends about it.
/sarc
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- AR (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 9:32am
  
  Re: Not rocket scientists
  OH, I forgot. Their idea of a munitions expert is the 3 fingered deaf guy assembling the thing.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Ron (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 9:37am

Darwin
Serves the f*cker right!

We should expect to see this guy near the top of the 2011 Darwin Awards
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
ExceptionHandler, 28 Jan 2011 @ 9:49am

A smarter way to use SMS
Only detonate when a properly formed SMS is sent... ie a passcode trigger sent via SMS...

Oh well.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- fogbugzd (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 10:04am
  
  Re: A smarter way to use SMS
  >>Only detonate when a properly formed SMS is sent... ie a passcode trigger sent via SMS...
  
  Their method is usually much cruder than this. What they used to do was just open the phone and wire across the speaker terminals. When the phone rings, the bomb goes off. I am guessing they are not much more sophisticated than that now. They are probably using cheap phones that can be purchased anywhere; they are not likely to be using an iPhone or other sophisticated smart phone.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Jaqenn, 28 Jan 2011 @ 10:00am

When I got my first cellphone (I was a late adopter, because I was cheap), I was pretty happy with it.

I then went with a friend to try flying two-string kites, which are lots of fun and extremely hard to keep from crashing into the ground when you don't know what you're doing. Keeping it airborne requires careful use of both hands.

So I'm struggling to not wreck my friends kite when my phone starts ringing, and I do this elaborate contortion to try to de-pocket my phone and see what's up with it while keeping the kite in check, and it was...

...an SMS spam.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- mr derp, 28 Jan 2011 @ 10:09am
  
  Re:
  comment spam
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
AR (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 10:02am

New idea for H.S.
Keep the suspects on speed dial. If you think ther getting close, give then a call or send them a text that says "Whatcha doin?"
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Qritiqal (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 10:24am

sms filter?
Perhaps carriers should filter out any SMS messages that say "BOOM"
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
BBT, 28 Jan 2011 @ 10:26am

As a slashdot commenter said:
"In Soviet Russia, spam deletes YOU."

Now we can all look forward to our government banning anti-spam measures because spam is now a terrorism-fighting tool which must be protected at all costs.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Darryl, 28 Jan 2011 @ 7:31pm
  
  Re: As a slashdot commenter said:
  except there is no such thing as "Soviet Russia".
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Darryl, 28 Jan 2011 @ 7:16pm

I dont buy it
if they just wire across the speaker, then why bother having the phone even connected to a provider ?

You could

1) Set the alarm clock to go off at a certain time.

2) press a button on the phone to make it go "beep".

3) throw away the phone, and press and 20cent push button.

4) install a "safety" switch in series with the speaker line, until that switch is closed the bomb is safe.

Do you really believe that someone who is capable of making a bomb would be that stuped to leave it "ARMED" all the time, with NO safety system.

What, he had the bulk explosives, there, he had the detinator installed into it, he had the Det wired up to the phone, AND the battery, he had the phone ON, and connected to a service provider ???

And you believe this crap ????????????

REALLY !!!!!

More than likely what happened was the explosives became unstable all by themselves, or they made an error during MANUFACTURE, but I just CANNOT see that it would have been caused by a rouge SMS message...

It's just untrue, plainly..
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Proffer (profile), 29 Jan 2011 @ 5:18am

i dont think so
how exactly would they know it went off due to a sms message?
if it's attached to a bomb, it's going to be destroyed.

if they just found fragments of a phone among the damage.. I mean, come on.. everyone has a cellphone these days. He could have simply put it on top of the bomb and somehow triggered the actual detonator. Or he was talking on the phone when it went off..

I think this is entirely pure speculation.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Obama, 31 Jan 2011 @ 9:37am

I use twitter based bomb detonators for my needs, you should too (tm)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
curiosities, 1 Feb 2011 @ 6:22am

curiosities
just going out on limb here..
Wouldn't it be more logical to conclude that most suicide bombers are not even aware that they have a bomb on their person?
Is more logical to assume they all 'hate our freedoms' so much as to kill themselves and others?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
toodous, 8 Jan 2012 @ 8:16am

lucky i havenot got bombs, it's terrble.

toodous
[ link to this | view in chronology ]