First a would-be suicide bomber gets tackled and smothered most ignominiously; now a suicide-bomber detonates prematurely killing only himself, without even managing to hurt anyone. Ideally, such less than impressive outcomes should make all would-be suicide bombers think twice about their trade, if not for the problematic notion of niyya, or “intention,” in Islam, which judges deeds — in this case, slaying infidels fi sabil Allah — based on intention, not necessarily effectiveness. “Al-Qaeda terrorist affiliate killed while preparing explosives,” by Mohammed al-Kibsi for the Yemen Observer, May 4:
Security authorities said on Sunday that a terrorist affiliated to al-Qaeda was killed in a blast caused by an explosive device he was preparing to use for a terrorist operation in al-Wadhea” district of Abyan province in the south of Yemen…