Friday, September 14, 2007

Dutch Feds: No ID, No (Artificial) Shit

(photo credit: flickr's D. Knisely).
The Dutch government has decided not to sell fertilizer anymore to people with no identification.

Why is this happening in September 2007, instead of oh, say, September 2001?

From the press release:

"The artificial fertilizer sector and the government are taking measures to prevent the misuse (cq) of ammonium nitrate products. These measures go for the whole chain from production to processing and use."

blah blah blah, the deal was signed Thursday, blah blah blah.

"One important measure is that soon, when trading in fertilizer, the buyer will have to be registered."
and
"Private individuals won't be able to get the products concerned, containing ammonium nitrate, in the future without legitimate ID."

Tjonge jonge jonge (=Dutch for shaking your head in disbelief).

One of the guys now serving time in a Dutch jail on terrorism-related charges, Samir Azzouz, was acquitted on earlier charges of planning a bomb attack because the kind of fertilizer he had bought to make his bomb didn't have the right composition to work as an explosive.

And his ignition system was faulty.

Judges allowed for the possibility he might have worked out the kinks, but as it was, he didn't present a clear and present danger...

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