Al Qaeda used SEGA carts as explosives

By Fred Dutton Published 25 April, 2011

Sonic boom.

Al Qaeda extremists plotted terrorist attacks in 2002 using explosives and detonators hidden in SEGA cartridges, according to a new Wikileaks report.

Guantánamo Bay inmate assessment documents dug up by the infamous whistle-blowing website and published by the New York Times explain how alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed had stockpiled bombs hidden in "black SEGA videogame cassette cartridges".

"Detainee discussed remote-controlled firing devices (RCFDS) which were found during raids in Karachi in September 2002," read the record, spotted by Game Set Watch.

"These RCFDS were built inside black Sega videogame cassette cartridges to protect the RCFDS and to make them appear innocuous."

Another Guantánamo inmate Hassan Mohammed Ali Bin Attash was apparently shown how to make remote detonators out of the game cartridges.

"The detainee stated he traveled from Karachi, Pakistan to Quetta with three to five Sega cartridges made into remote detonators," reads his assessment. "The detainee stated he delivered the cartridges to two Afghan males."

There's no indication in the reports as to whether devices such as those mentioned were ever used in an Al Qaeda attack or what any possible targets may have been.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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