Al Qaeda Suspects "Making Detonators Out Of Sega Cartridges"

[wraggster]

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/9/2008/11/thumb160x_softpack.jpg

So it's true - there really is a link between violence and video games. In an otherwise run of the mill article on how the next US President will have to deal with the issue of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, the New York Times printed this little nugget:


One detainee is said to have been schooled in making detonators out of SEGA game cartridges.

Nobody at Kotaku (especially those who frequently travel overseas) has any idea if that is even possible, or why SEGA specifically, but the story seems to originate from the case of Hassan Bin Attash - a seventeen year old (at time of capture) detainee that several human rights organisations claim was tortured in Jordan before being held in Gitmo. Possibly, after a few months of waterboarding a weaponized copy of Toe Jam & Earl: Panic on Funkotron might seem more credible.

http://kotaku.com/5075231/al-qaeda-suspects-making-detonators-out-of-sega-cartridges

[alanparker05]

Where do these stories come from??? I remember a story once about the ps2 processor being so powerfull that sadam was going to link them together to create a scud launch control system

[jaws365]

I suspect those are cheap promo-tricks.

[goshogun1]

When people are tortured they will say anything, so its probably BS. I am guessing he was just someone innocent caught up in a sweep of "supposed" terrorists. Wrong place at the wrong time. He probably was innocent considering how many people in Gitmo are actually proven "Al-Quaeda". Don't get me started...

[pibs]

Where do these stories come from??? I remember a story once about the ps2 processor being so powerfull that sadam was going to link them together to create a scud launch control system

Ahaha I remember that story.

"Makind Detonators Out Of Sega Cartridges" sounds like Al Qaeda are frequent visitors of hackaday.com or something lol

[paul3100]

Originally Posted by alanparker05 View Post
Where do these stories come from??? I remember a story once about the ps2 processor being so powerfull that sadam was going to link them together to create a scud launch control system
Ahaha I remember that story.

"Makind Detonators Out Of Sega Cartridges" sounds like Al Qaeda are frequent visitors of hackaday.com or something lol

I also heard this story at the time the ps2 came out but it was supposed to be that one (1) chip was enough for the missile and not linking a load of them together!

paul

[bah]

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/stories/s119754.htm

Supposedly the Japanese Government slapped some trade controls on the PS2 at first.

If Sony's PR department had nothing to do with the whole 'powerful enough to guide a cruise missile' story that went around post Dreamcast but pre PS2 launch, I would be very surprised. :)