Reports reveal Zarqawi nuclear threat By Bill Gertz THE WASHINGTON TIMES Recurrent intelligence reports say al Qaeda terrorist Abu Musab Zarqawi has obtained a nuclear device or is preparing a radiological explosive -- or dirty bomb -- for an attack, according to U.S. officials, who also say analysts are unable to gauge the reliability of the information's sources. The classified reports have been distributed to U.S. intelligence agencies for several consecutive months and say Zarqawi, al Qaeda's leader in Iraq, has stored the nuclear device or dirty bomb in Afghanistan, said officials familiar with the intelligence. One official said the intelligence is being questioned because analysts think al Qaeda would not hesitate to use a nuclear device if it had one. However, the fact that the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has reported the nuclear threat in several classified reports distributed since December indicates concern about it. A DIA spokesman had no comment. The Jordanian-born Zarqawi, who last year formally linked up with Osama bin Laden's terror network, is thought to be operating inside Iraq and has specialized in suicide bombings and large-scale vehicle bombings. He had several close encounters in recent weeks with Iraqi and U.S. forces. Senior U.S. intelligence and security officials said in congressional testimony in February that a terrorist attack with weapons of mass destruction -- nuclear, chemical or biological arms -- is likely. CIA Director Porter J. Goss said such a terrorist strike "may be only a matter of time." Dirty bombs are made by mixing radioactive material with conventional explosives. A report by the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction faulted U.S. intelligence agencies for not understanding al Qaeda's unconventional weapons programs in Afghanistan prior to 2001, when U.S. forces helped oust the Islamist Taliban government. "There are critical intelligence gaps with regard to each al Qaeda unconventional weapons capability -- chemical, biological and nuclear," said the report, made public March 30. The commission said bin Laden told a Pakistani newspaper reporter in November 2001 that al Qaeda has both nuclear and chemical weapons. The CIA then "speculated" in a report that the terrorist group "probably had access to nuclear expertise and facilities and that there was a real possibility of the group developing a crude nuclear device," the commission report said. The commission also said U.S. intelligence agencies think development of a radiological bomb is "well within al Qaeda's capabilities." The reported threat of nuclear terrorism comes amid other intelligence indicating that Zarqawi is planning an attack on the United States. Still other intelligence says Zarqawi was planning a chemical weapons attack in Europe, officials said. In February, U.S. intelligence and security officials said information showed bin Laden had asked Zarqawi to focus future attacks on targets inside the United States. The threat was contained in a classified bulletin to state and local security officials. http://washingtontimes.com/national/20050419-102106-5456r.htm ----------------------------------------------------------- Does this concern you or do you think our system is completely corrupt and its just an excuse for Bush to invade Canada?
Cool....we'll just put your home and family in the fall-out area...no big deal Hayes....I KNOW you are being sarcastic......uh, right?????
I think what Hayes means is that dirty bombs aren't that dangerous compared to a bona fide nuclear weapon. I saw some "experts" on some news channel (so take it for what it's worth) that said that the biggest issue with dirty bombs is the actual blast itself. The radiation would actually dissapate very quickly and that a dirty bomb was worth more as a "scare" weapon than a weapon of mass destruction. (I.e. people hear the term "dirty bomb" and they panic more than they would over a "normal" bomb.) Having said that, I'll take neither type please.
Regardless of the article's source, the root source is coming from actual reparts to intelligence and law enforcement agencies for months now...
What does this mean? Are you trying to say that we went to Iraq to stop Zarqawi? Did you know he was in custody in Iran when the invasion had already started? They even offered to give him to us along with 2 other Al Queda members, including one of Bin Laden's sons. They wanted us to hand over members of Mujahideen al-Khalq, an Iranian opposition group working out of Iraq who is trying to overthrow Iran's Islamic govt. I wouldn't have made that trade either, though these guys are technically terrorists. As for the source, if you want to trust a paper ran by a Korean guy who thinks he's Jesus, that's your prerogative. This isn't the first time that the Washington Times has had a scoop like this that was mysteriously not reported by anybody else, Fox included. I don't recall any of those articles panning out.
i posted from it once...i had no idea what it was. so i figure if i'm going down, you're all going down!!!!
i think this whole terrorist thing is way over blown.... don't you think if there were as many "cells" in the U>S as they say their are there would be suicide bombings within the U.S??.... i just don't see this Al-Queida thing...i think it is all exaggerated for the public... to be able to identify the enemy... or else its hard to unite against an unseen factor....pathetic and too obvious really.
"Keep the fear and anxiety factor at a high pitch in the population." Page 53 of the propaganda manual
Iran says al-Qaeda leaders may be in custody TEHRAN, Iran (AP) � In a reversal, Iran left open the possibility Thursday it may have top al-Qaeda operatives in custody, including the terror network security chief suspected by U.S. officials of planning attacks in Saudi Arabia. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi's comments to The Associated Press contradicted his statement Monday, when he was quoted as telling state-run radio that al-Qaeda members detained in Iran "are not senior members of the group." Instead, he said Thursday, Iran is unsure of the identities of the al-Qaeda members it has detained and Saif al-Adil may be among them. "None of the al-Qaeda members in our detention have been identified yet. We do not know whether leaders of the terrorist group, including Saif al-Adil, are in Iran or not," Asefi told The Associated Press. His comments came as investigators worked to determine whether al-Qaeda has been at work in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Morocco and even Iraq. Officials were seeking any links between the May 12 suicide attacks at housing complexes for foreigners in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and a string of deadly attacks four days later in Casablanca, Morocco. "An investigation is ongoing," said Nabil Benabdallah, spokesman for the Moroccan government. Of the suspected role of al-Qaeda in the Morocco attacks, he said, "We still maintain that there are connections between the Casablanca commando and the international terrorist ring, and we will prove it." In Saudi Arabia, Interior Minister Prince Nayef announced the arrest of three clerics wanted for supporting al-Qaeda. He said the clerics � Ali al-Khudair, Ahmad al-Khalidi and Nasser al-Fahd � were among 11 suspects detained this week in the holy city of Medina. U.S. officials have said intelligence reports suggest al-Qaeda operatives in Iran had a role in the Riyadh bombings. Saudi Arabia has said it plans to seek the extradition of any Saudis who may be among al-Qaeda members held in Iran. Iran says it is trying to crack down on al-Qaeda operatives � especially along its border with Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden's terror network had a base before the U.S.-led war deposed the Taliban regime. "For the past 14 months we have vigorously pursued a costly campaign against al-Qaeda by strengthening security of our eastern borders and border areas, arresting, interrogating, expelling, extraditing, prosecuting and jailing suspicious elements infiltrating our territory," Iran's envoy to the United Nations, Javad Zarif, said in a CNN interview broadcast Thursday. "We have done this in far greater numbers than most other countries," he said, speaking from Tehran. In addition to al-Qaeda security chief al-Adil, U.S. officials have said one of bin Laden's sons, Saad bin Laden; Abu Mohamed al-Masri, an al-Qaeda training chief on the FBI's most-wanted list; and Abu Musab Zarqawi, the operational commander whom Washington accuses of ties to Saddam Hussein, may also be in Iran. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2003-05-29-iran-al-qaeda_x.htm And then this is from NBC TV report, but I still haven't found a direct link to an official transcript: "We have exclusive new details tonight on talks between the US and Iran, a nation the President said was part of an axis of evil. Iran can help the American fight against terrorism, but apparently they have named a price." NBC (Brown) adds, "These three, among the most wanted members of Al Qaeda. The alleged poison expert who got medical treatment in Iraq, Abu Mussab al Zarqawi. Bin Laden's third oldest son, [Sa'ad bin Laden], known to be planning new Al Qaeda operations. The Al Qaeda spokesman, [Suleiman abu Gaith], famous for introducing bin Laden in this videotape after 9/11. Many US officials believe that Iran is willing to turn them and other key Al Qaeda operatives over to the US or their home countries -- for a price -- in exchange for members of an Iranian opposition group called the Mujahadeen al-Khalq, or the MEK. The MEK has been attacking Iran's Islamic government from Iraq and is now there under US military control."
I'm sorry, I should have said "what are you implying." Of course, ASKING about invading Canada is an innocent question without a single hint of sarcasm.
