Intense debate followed when Australia’s National Archive added a rough course to making bombs and has featured it online. The said documents brought up worried reactions from the country’s terrorism authorities who have advised the said guide could be employed to create deadly devices.
The papers in question put in a crude but detailed look on combustion aids, chemical compositions and most importantly, raw drawings of explosives and demolition contraptions.
“There is a caution that could be applied here. It’s not a matter of going against free speech, it’s matter of being responsible and make sure people that view this information are not totally disaffected,” Dr. Michael McKinley, a senior lecturer at the Australian National University, stated in regards to the posting of the said controversial documents online.
To those who defended the posting saying that it was only for historical purposes that the said papers were featured as they were details taken directly from a Japanese notebook on sabotage used at the acme of the World War II wars, Dr. MicKinley simply added:
“Something that could blow you up in 1943 could still blow you up in 2013.”
However, in a released statement, the National Archives of Australia explained the reason behind the said papers publications. According to them, the Japanese notebook was examined to see if its publication will go against the laws through normal office procedures and it passed those tests. Besides, the said office has an obligation to fulfill – that is to make historical records available to the public.