Bomb-Maker Caught? Bombers Duped?

Egyptian police have arrested Magdy Elnashar, 33, an Egyptian chemistry student formerly residing at a houses in Leeds. The house was one of several raided by police on Tuesday. Police discovered large amounts of suspected explosives.

He’s wanted for questioning over the London bomb attacks. Apparently he had left Britain a fortnight ago before the bombings.

Elnashar was working on a project for a regional development agency in Yorkshire. An acquaintance said that Elnashar has been known as an extremely charming man, very intelligent, with perfect manners and a brilliant chemist. But he added that there was nothing sinister about Elnashar's work which involved making something like 'margarine' - commercial explosives?

However, what is far more interesting has been British police admittance that they have been puzzled by the behaviour of Hasib Hussain, one of the bombers. The CCTV images revealed that at Luton station, north of London, he was seen joking with the three other bombers who then went on to target the underground trains. But Hussain went on to Bus No 30.

Would suicide bombers joke before their mission? I would expect some solemnity or perhaps a few farewell embraces and hugs. But joking?

I am still very much taken up by the suspicion that the bombers were duped into believing they were on a mission that did not pose any danger to themselves, perhaps, just as an example, placing the bomb somewhere before disappearing. Instead someone, the mastermind, had primed the “timers” to go off while the idiots were still carrying the rucksack around.

We need to remember that one was a father of just a 14-month baby, and another a young bloke who loves cricket. Hardly typical suicidal material. Then there were the sophisticated "timers" discovered by police at the scenes of the explosions. This had led police initially to believe the explosions were timed - perhaps they indeed were!

Very strange set of, admittedly, circumstantial evidence.