Yesterday, I wrote about the ban on laptops and other devices on flights originating at ten mostly Middle Eastern airports, ordered by the Department of Homeland Security.  I speculated that the ban is the result of a specific terrorist threat. Today, the Daily Beast is reporting that several U.S. intelligence sources are pointing to a successful raid on al-Qaeda in the Arabian Penninsula last January that has led authorities to conclude that AQAP has developed extremely small bombs that can be hidden in laptops and other small devices. Information from the raid shows al Qaeda's successful development of compact, battery bombs that fit inside laptops or other devices believed to be strong enough to bring down an aircraft, the sources said. The battery bombs would need to be manually triggered, a source explained, which is why the electronics ban is only for the aircraft cabin not checked luggage. The U.S. Department of Homeland...(Read Full Post)