Pjlot
US prosecutors said the device was a “Mark II” “microbomb” constructed using Casio digital watches as described in Phase I of Operation Bojinka of which this was a test. On Flight 434, Yousef used one tenth of the explosive power he planned to use on eleven U.S. airliners in January of 1995. The bomb was designed to slip through airport security checks undetected. The explosive used was liquid nitroglycerin, which was disguised as a bottle of contact lens fluid. The wires he used were hidden in the heel of his shoe
I think this may be a case of mis reporting, liquid nitroglycerin is highly unstable, I doubt 'Yousef' would have made it out the front door without it expoloding.
Raggyman, I feel for you but TBH we are not concerned with restrictions for pax, it's crew who are subjected to the same restrictions and do this day in day out that this thread is focussed on as we are the ones who have much more dangerous equipment available to us than scissors. We are also background checked and are, well, I am, happy for any level of screening to be issued with our airside pass and/or licence if it means we are left in peace to get on with doing as professional a job as possible for the REAL safety and security of our pax or in my case cargo.