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On December 29, 2010, the Al-Qaeda-affiliated media center Global Islamic Media Front and the Dar Al-Jabha publishing house electronically published an English-language book titled The Explosives Course. Links to download the book were posted on jihadi forums such as Shumukh Al-Islam and the Ansar Al-Mujahideen English forum, with jihadist sympathizers also posting links on Facebook.

In its introduction, the book states that it was compiled and written by students of Abu Khabab Al-Masri, the nom de guerre of Midhat Mursi Al-Sayid 'Umar, the Al-Qaeda chemistry and explosives expert who was killed in a drone attack in Pakistan in 2008. The book was approved for publication by Sheikh Ahmed Salim Sweidan, a senior Al-Qaeda operative killed in a 2009 drone attack in Pakistan.

The book is essentially a detailed, step-by-step guide to bomb manufacturing processes, replete with charts, illustrations, and diagrams. In the introduction, the authors state that their goal in writing the book was to provide: "(1) step by step guidance [in the] purification of common commercial chemicals – which are available in [local] markets and (2) the detailed practical observations/notes [of experts] in the preparation of these explosives." Regarding their target audience, the authors wrote: "This book is [intended] for brothers [i.e., fellow mujahideen] who have a sufficient understanding of the risks [involved] in this [i.e. the manufacture of homemade bombs] – both [of] the actual sensitive task of making explosives and of its security risks [i.e. the risk of being caught and imprisoned]. It is said that in explosives 'your first mistake is your last mistake' – and this is true for both situations."

Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, aka Abu Khabab Al-Masri

The authors add that anyone who is considering carrying out an operation using the book as a guide should first obtain religious approval from an Islamic scholar and should ensure that the operation will serve the general interests of the mujahideen: "Note: ...Any operation based on this book should be based upon [shari'a] approval and maslahah [interest] of the mujahideen."

Illustration from the book

The 102-page book is divided into three main sections:

1. Laboratory: This section deals with the logistics, safety precautions, and administrative procedures of working in the explosives laboratory.

2. Chemistry: This section is essentially a 12-page crash course in chemistry, covering basic topics such as the composition of atoms, the periodic table, etc.

3. Manufacturing: The last section comprises the core of the book and is an extensive guide to the manufacture of homemade bombs. It contains explanations of the following topics: primary charges (including detonators and fuses), main charges, launching charges, and high temperature explosives (including burning, light, and smoke bombs). The introduction to this chapter lists the various types of explosives and explains the basic principle behind building a bomb.

Diagram from the book

This section also discusses where bomb ingredients can be purchased locally, or how to produce them in the laboratory. Numerous diagrams and sketches illustrate how to make various homemade explosive devices, such as Molotov cocktails, napalm bombs, thermite bombs, and smoke bombs, using readily available materials.

Diagram of a homemade thermite bomb

The book, translated from Arabic, is in fairly readable English and has undergone extensive editing and design. Abu Khabab Al-Masri is known to have written Al-Qaeda's explosives manual, and it is possible that the book is a direct translation of this manual.

The book's authors claim to have carried out tests in order to verify the accuracy of the information they provide. They add that they have already developed further methods of bomb manufacture, which they intend to release in other, more detailed books in the future.

Illustration of a homemade napalm bomb

The publication of such a book in English has important ramifications. First, it is another example of the use of the Internet to disseminate terrorist methods to individuals and cells throughout the world. More significantly, the publication of this book in English marks an escalation in Al-Qaeda's efforts to encourage jihadists living in Western countries to carry out attacks there, and to provide them with the know-how needed to do so. The recent suicide-attack attempt by Swedish citizen Taimour Abdulwahab Al-Abdaly in Stockholm[1] and the wave of arrests of suspected terrorists in Britain and the Netherlands are all evidence of the gravity of this threat.

[1] See Jihadist Website Publishes Photo of Stockholm Suicide Bomber; Hails Success of "Lone Wolf" Tactic, December 13, 2010.

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