From: Black Unicorn <unicorn@schloss.li>
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 1996 13:45:35 +0800
To: John Young <jya@pipeline.com>
Subject: Re: CelBomb
In-Reply-To: <199601061349.IAA11236@pipe4.nyc.pipeline.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.960115200633.18120B-100000@polaris.mindport.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


On Sat, 6 Jan 1996, John Young wrote:

>    Can anyone in IL, or elsewhere, report more on the head-job
>    of The Engineer:
> 
>    Any crypto used to authenticate the target for the boombox,
>    or to obscure links to the assassin?

No.  It was not assumed that the victim would take special notice of the 
phone call, or certainly not enough to bother to try and track the signal 
realtime BEFORE accepting the phone.  Hence, crypto is serious overkill.

> 
>    How was the blast specifically targeted at him and not a
>    phone borrower?

The phone was given to a trusted traitor, a call comes in, trusted agent 
tells hapless victim that he should talk to this person, caller 
estlablishes that this is the target by voice or otherwise, then hits 
e.g., the pound key, which triggers the explosive concealed in the battery.

The charge was shaped to deliver the most available force into the ear.  
Not much explosive is required for such an application.

>    How it was set off -- by user-dialing, remote control, some
>    other means?

DTMF dialing.  It may also have been a special frequency not available 
from the keypad, but I don't believe so.

>    Any fishy smelling brand names to immediately run from?

Whatever is being used.  The installation was a totally custom job, and 
incidently, quite simple in implementation.  Never take anything from 
others without close scrutiny if you are this wanted.

Such devices on normal phones are common methods.  Moving them to keep up 
with technology is a simple matter.

>    Answers urgent.

Uh huh.  Sure.

---
My prefered and soon to be permanent e-mail address: unicorn@schloss.li
"In fact, had Bancroft not existed,       potestas scientiae in usu est
Franklin might have had to invent him."    in nihilum nil posse reverti
00B9289C28DC0E55  E16D5378B81E1C96 - Finger for Current Key Information