Booby Trapping Pens and Pencils

Factual Questions
1

I just read a quote today on CNN.com by the Iraqi Information Minister:

The minister also said that coalition forces were throwing booby traps in the form of pens and pencils into Iraqi villages and townships.

“The authority of the civil defense … issued a warning to the civilian population not to pick up any of those pencils because they are booby traps,” he said, adding that the British and American forces were “immoral mercenaries” and “war criminals” for such behavior.

“I am not talking about the American people and the British people,” he said. “I am talking about those mercenaries. … They have started throwing those pencils, but they are not pencils, they are booby traps to kill the children.”

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/04/02/sprj.irq.sahaf/index.html

My first impression was WTF after I was able to control my laughter.

Has any one ever heard of booby trapping pens and pencils or is this just office folklore? Does the US have a history of dropping explosive stationary into civilian areas? Is there any credibility to this statement? Or any reason to say this? If anyone speaks Arabic, is the a possibility something was lost in translation?

2

Sounds Python-esque. “How about a pointed stick?”

3

MY EYE!! MY EYE!!!

4

I cannot recall at this moment exaclty where, But, there were reports that the Soviets were booby trapping all kinds of things in Afganisatan back durring their ill fated invasion of that country.

I remember hearing the reports of toy and various other things being booby trapped, but I do not know if they were confirmed or propaganda lies.

So, the idea is not new anyway. Besides, you would think they would be caliming all those millions of flyers were poison laced instead.

Sorry I cant stay and research this thig further but I have obligations so I have to leave the house this evening and break this umbilical cord from me to this computer.

sigh

5

Well… there was that Parker pen in Goldeneye…

6

In WW2, the Resistance was given explosives hidden in phoney pencils. By trimming them to a given length, you could contol how long it took for them to go off.

Also, there were 1-shot pistols hidden in pens.

This is the closest I could find.

7

I guess the pen is mightier than the sword - especially if it blows up real good.