'Very Nasty’ Potential Bomb Plot Involved Deadly Chemical [UK]

ABCNEWS.com ^ | April 5, 2004 | Brian Ross and Christopher Isham

[aculeus]

Aril 5— British authorities believe terror suspects arrested last week were planning to make a bomb that would include a highly toxic, easily obtained chemical called osmium tetroxide, ABCNEWS has learned.

Used primarily in laboratories for research, osmium tetroxide is known to attack soft human tissue and could blind or kill anyone who breathed its fumes. According to the New Jersey Department of Health, it is a colorless to pale yellow solid with a strong, unpleasant odor.

"It's a nasty piece of work," said Dave Siegrist, a bioterrorism expert at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies in Arlington, Va. "It irritates the eyes, lungs, nose and throat. It leads to an asthma-like death, what we call a 'dry-land drowning.' "

Scientists say if, for example, the bomb used in the 1993 World Trade Center attack had produced such fumes, they would have wiped out the first police and rescue workers on the scene.

"They become overwhelmed by fumes," said Jerry Hauer, an expert on biological and chemical terrorism and director of public health preparedness at the Department of Health and Human Services, describing what could have happened. "They can go blind. This is not a benign chemical. It is very nasty."

Eight British citizens of Pakistani descent were arrested and taken into custody when 700 police raided 24 locations in and around London on March 30. Investigators say British authorities moved in when they learned from electronic intercepts the dangerous chemical was involved in the plot. They had been the tracking group's activities for several months.

According to sources, there was some indication the group in custody was targeting Gatwick airport, the British public transportation system and enclosed shopping areas. British authorities feared it had the potential to be one of the worst attacks ever against the United Kingdom.

Even though the arrests were made in the United Kingdom, authorities say the operation was being run out of Pakistan by a suspected al Qaeda figure.

"They are creative in their planning," said Hauer. "They continue to work around our systems."

New Terror Link

This is the first time osmium tetroxide has been linked to possible terror use. It's sold, with few questions asked, on Internet sites, as are many industrial chemicals that could be equally as potent.

"You never see the supplier and the supplier never sees you," said Siegrist. "A package arrives on the doorstep a few days later."

U.S. officials say the likelihood of a chemical bomb is much greater than a biological and radiological one. Yet the United States has still not settled how to tighten restrictions on what are known as toxic industrial chemicals, which are well-known to al Qaeda bomb-makers and still easily available.

ABCNEWS' David Scott and Madeleine Sauer contributed to this report.

[mondoman]

I wonder what the public reaction will be when one of these goes off in the US before the election.

Will we cut and run like the Spaniards or rally behind the President?

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[HassanBenSobar]

Yikes. That stuff is is really nasty--there's worse stuff that that, but...don't even think about it.

[swarthyguy]

Ping to my British plot reference.

[johnfrink]

Most interesting thing is the mention that the plot was being run out of Pakistan by an Al Qaeda figure. Add that with the mention that they were tracking this group for months, and you can get all sorts of interesting speculation...

[templar]

......there's worse stuff that that, but...don't even think about it.--there's worse stuff that that, but...don't even think about it.

Yeah, and a lot of it rolls down RR tracks by the tank car load daily.

[OXENinFLA]

Eight British citizens of Pakistani descent were arrested and taken into custody when 700 police raided 24 locations in and around London on March 30. Investigators say British authorities moved in when they learned from electronic intercepts the dangerous chemical was involved in the plot. They had been the tracking group's activities for several months.

Even though the arrests were made in the United Kingdom, authorities say the operation was being run out of Pakistan by a suspected al Qaeda figure.

I do remember a Freeper mentioning cops did this sooner (by a week) than they had planed

[Dog]

Wonder who the al Qaeda figure was who ran this operation..

[EternalHope]

Will we cut and run like the Spaniards or rally behind the President?

Rally behind the President.

[river rat]

"I wonder what the public reaction will be when one of these goes off in the US before the election."

I would like to dream that it would raise public anger to such a fever pitch - that our leadership could not resist public demand for MASSIVE REVENGE to discourage these "Allah loving and fearing" lunatics...

They would need to be given a "sign" that their moon god is not all powerful.....by taking a chapter from their own play book.. Destroy the "symbols of their culture or civilization, as they attempted at our World Trade Center, White House and Pentagon....

Destroy Mecca, Destroy Medina ... and let them contemplate the meaning of that...and the potential follow on if they continue in the madness.

As I said.....just dreaming..

Semper Fi

[swarthyguy]

Prolly not Osama (since he's dead ;) - could it be one of the new generation? Osama's kids, a Pakipersonality, even a jihadi general?

Funny in a lot of these jihad stories, some of the most intriguing information is omitted.

Maybe it'll popup somewhere soon.

[traumer]

"known to attack soft human tissue and could blind or kill anyone who breathed its fumes... "

Let's take this war seriously. And if it takes 'ethnic cleansing' so be it !

[The KG9 Kid]

Those paranoiacs who bought gas masks after 9/11 just might have the last laugh in some cases... Provided they walk around in MOPP level 3 for the next few years.

[Dog]

We'll have to watch the Pakistani news sites to see what is leaked out over there.

They were tracking this group thru intercepts....very sloppy operational security on AQ's part.

[swarthyguy]

>>very sloppy operational security on AQ's part.

Or some real cutting edge cybertools have come online over the past few years.

Imagine if jihadi ISP's are a front run by the USUK.

[Solamente]

"It's sold, with few questions asked, on Internet sites, as are many industrial chemicals that could be equally as potent."

[johnfrink]

"They were tracking this group thru intercepts....very sloppy operational security on AQ's part."

Yep, extraordinarily sloppy. I'm hoping to god it was via the internet, because that might mean we've got some kewl new toys and can finally start tracking jihadi net communications better.

[VOA]

osmium tetroxide is known to attack soft human tissue and could blind or kill
anyone who breathed its fumes

From a bit of organic synthesis work, I remember reading the warnings about blindness
from osmium tetroxide...it "crosslinks" those numerous natural compounds
(in the eye) that have lots of double bonds.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT