Prague
A Czech government plan to gain control over Semtex factories is failing, The Prague Post reported this week. In a plan approved a year ago, the Cabinet was to assume control over the production and sale of all Semtex—a favorite explosive of terrorists, because it is so destructive in small amounts and so difficult to detect. But Explosia, the company that produces the plastic explosive, said the government had yet to act, and that it would take at least another year for it to assume control. After the fall of communism, the Czechs stopped selling the explosive to rogue states such as Libya, but a black market has continued to thrive. Terrorism expert Harvey Kushner says groups like al Qaida can still easily procure Semtex. “Once the spigot is open,” he said, “it is hard to stop the flow.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
5 high rating cartoons about Biden's low poll numbersCartoons Artists take on checklists, ice creams, and more
-
A gastronomic tour of the Costa de la LuzThe Week Recommends This Spanish spot has fantastic restaurants "rooted in the region's distinctive produce"
-
Crossword: May 19, 2024The Week's daily crossword
