Suicide bomber prematurely killed by text message from cellular provider

[thewayne]

I love irony. She was setting up at a safe house, apparently to detonate a bomb belt at a New Year's celebration, with her cell phone connected to the bomb belt when her cell provider sent out a text message to everyone wishing them a happy new year and it detonated the bomb, killing the woman, and I haven't heard that anyone else was killed. She was believed "to be part of the same group that struck Moscow's Domodedovo airport on Monday."

Further, "Islamist terrorists in Russia often use mobile phones as detonators. The bomber's handler, who is usually watching their charge, sends the bomber a text message in order to set off his or her explosive belt at the moment when it is thought they can inflict maximum casualties."

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/01/sms-suicide-bomber/

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/killer-text-a-russian-suicide-bomber-blows-up-by-accident/8015?tag=mantle_skin;content

http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Text+message+blows+suicide+bomber+accident/4172966/story.html

http://idle.slashdot.org/story/11/01/28/1228241/Spam-Text-Prematurely-Blows-Up-Suicide-Bomber

Comments

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how this would qualify as a Darwin. Ignoring the stupidity of blowing yourself up to kill others and make a political point, in her case it was plain bad luck that her cell was called.

I can picture new suicide bomber training class lectures: "For your own safety, until you are at your target location, keep your battery out of your cell phone!"

[apostate-96.livejournal.com]

Or at least keep the darn thing turned OFF until you're ready for it to be activated? Really, how hard is that? That's why I think it'd qualify as a Darwin. Not taking that simple of a precaution against turning into a fine mist would qualify as anti-evolution stupidity, at least in my book.