[CH] Chile as terrorist weapon
phirsch@nypl.org
Thu, 4 Oct 2007 23:54:30 -0400
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/world/europe/04briefs-chili.html
Britain: Spicy and Terror-Inducing
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 4, 2007
A Thai restaurant cooking up a big pot of bird’s eye chili brought road
closures and evacuations in the Soho area of London after passers-by
complained that a noxious chemical was burning their throats and the London
Fire Brigade sent a chemical response team, a police spokesman said.
Firefighters closed off roads, sealed buildings and donned special
breathing masks to ferret out the source of the acrid smell, The Times of
London reported. Smashing down the door of the suspected source — the
restaurant — they emerged carrying a pot containing about nine pounds of
bird’s eye chilies that had been left roasting. The restaurant owner said
it was for a batch of nam prik pao, a Thai chili paste. There were no
arrests. “As far as I’m aware, it’s not a criminal offense to cook very
strong chili,” the police spokesman said.
Peter Hirsch
(immoderate lurker)