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Chemical expert testifies in Jordan trial (Zarqawi's attempted use of Chemical Weapons)
AP ^ | Jun. 22, 2005 | Jamal Halaby

Posted on 06/22/2005 9:55:24 PM PDT by jmc1969

AMMAN, Jordan - Islamic militants planned to detonate an explosion that would have sent a cloud of toxic chemicals across Jordan, causing death, blindness and sickness, a chemical expert testified in a military court Wednesday.

Col. Najeh al-Azam was giving evidence in the trial of 13 men who are alleged to have planned what would have been the world's first chemical attack by the al-Qaida terror group. The accused include al-Qaida's leader in Iraq, Abu-Musab Al-Zarqawi, and three other fugitives who are being tried in absentia.

Jordanian security services foiled the plot in April last year. Jordanian officials say that had it been carried out, thousands of people would have died.

Azam, a chemical expert at Jordan's General Intelligence Department, testified that a large quantity of plastic containers seized from the defendants contained hydrogen peroxide. He said the accused planned to add "ground black cumin" to the concentrated solution, which would have made "an explosive substance stronger than TNT."

"They sought to disperse poisonous gases which would have caused death, illnesses and blindness," Azam testified.

Al-Azam said the defendants also had oxygen, sulfuric acid and nitroglycerin.

A consultant on weapons of mass destruction, Andy Oppenheimer of Jane's Information Group, told The Associated Press that some of the substances identified in Wednesday's hearing could be used in chemical weapons and were "extremely volatile."

The indictment says al-Zarqawi intended that suicide bombers would detonate vehicles filled with the chemicals in an attack on the Amman headquarters of the intelligence department.

Jordanian security officials have said other potential targets were the prime minister's office and the U.S. Embassy in Jordan. But the indictment does not mention these sites.

If convicted, 12 of the defendants - including al-Zarqawi - could be sentenced to death.

(Excerpt) Read more at macon.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: 2004; 200404; abumusabalzarqawi; acetoneperoxide; aljayousi; alqaeda; alqaida; alzarqawi; andyoppenheimer; blackcumin; chemicalattack; chemicalplot; chemicals; chemicalwarfare; cumenyl; cumenylhydroperoxide; cumin; embassyplot; embassyplots; explosive; explosives; gas; gasplot; groundblackcumin; hydrogenperoxide; hydroperoxide; jordan; nitroglycerin; oppenheimer; oxygen; sulfuricacid; usembassyplot; usembassyplots; wmd; zarqawi
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1 posted on 06/22/2005 9:55:25 PM PDT by jmc1969
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To: jmc1969

If this is what I am thinking of,I think (if memory serves) something like 80K would have been severly affected by this attack; and it was simply swept under the rug here at home..."Nope, hardly a thing happened" the usual talking heads tried to tell us..


2 posted on 06/22/2005 10:00:46 PM PDT by Michael Barnes
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To: jmc1969; Squantos
Peroxide and ground 'black' cumin make an explosive stronger than TNT?

L

3 posted on 06/22/2005 10:01:44 PM PDT by Lurker (Remember the Beirut Bombing; 243 dead Marines. The House of Assad and Hezbollah did it..)
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To: Michael Barnes

As well, I believe this was about the time that the "Where's the WMD in Iraq" drumbeat was happening..


4 posted on 06/22/2005 10:01:53 PM PDT by Michael Barnes
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To: jmc1969

I remember when they caught these guys and numbers varied but I thought that upwards of 44,000 would have been killed if the attack has been successful.

And I also remember that the AP hardly said a word about it after the initial article.


5 posted on 06/22/2005 10:02:44 PM PDT by Peach
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To: Michael Barnes

What happened was Abu Ghrieb hit at the exact same time and everything including this and Nick Burg's beheading was ignored by the media in their obsessive and ravinous 24/7 attempt to make our soldiers and Bush look bad.


6 posted on 06/22/2005 10:02:57 PM PDT by jmc1969
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To: Lurker

Yeah they are making a bastardized version of CHP aka cumin hydroperoxide ...it'll go bang.


7 posted on 06/22/2005 10:05:57 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet. ©)
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To: jmc1969
Looking back at it all now, the beheadings, this Jordan thing, the contrived Abu Grhaib (sp?), insurgents, The muslim in the Army that fragged his own, blah, blah blah...I need a spread sheet anymore to keep it all in context..Better yet, a big ass visio diagram based on date of what relates to what and how it was attempted to be used to undermine the American Forces...

hmmm....

8 posted on 06/22/2005 10:08:21 PM PDT by Michael Barnes
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To: jmc1969
I hope this question makes sense since I just woke up but wonder how readily available these items to make these chemical bombs are on the market? I mean this doesn't sound like a militarily produced bomb. Could this be another OKC type bomb?
9 posted on 06/22/2005 10:13:43 PM PDT by Americanexpat (A strong democracy through citizen oversight.)
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To: Michael Barnes

It was claimed at the time on FR that this was a possible sarin or nerve gas attack that was thwarted. Looks like it wasn't.


10 posted on 06/22/2005 10:22:45 PM PDT by Rightwing Conspiratr1 (Lock-n-load!)
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To: jmc1969
[Islamic militants planned to detonate an explosion that would have sent a cloud of toxic chemicals across Jordan, causing death, blindness and sickness...]

Such a religion of peace. The only cure for this is the 2nd Amendment. Kill them all and then there will be peace.

11 posted on 06/22/2005 10:23:09 PM PDT by Mad_Tom_Rackham (Mark Levin and Ann Coulter for SCOTUS!)
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To: jmc1969
hydrogen peroxide ... "ground black cumin"...

Sounds like a bizarre recipe for tacos or fajitas.

12 posted on 06/22/2005 10:25:26 PM PDT by Rightwing Conspiratr1 (Lock-n-load!)
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To: Squantos

Cumenyl hydroperoxide?

I wonder if they were going to make a Acetone-Peroxide bomb


13 posted on 06/22/2005 10:27:53 PM PDT by chemical_boy
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To: chemical_boy

PLO did the AP thang and it is so sensitive that they did their enemy a favor by killing themselves......

Lets be careful to not turn this into a how to thread BTW......Professional courtesy per se. I know lots of folks already know how to do it.... I just don't like helping the ones who may have forgotten tab A goes into slot C if ya catch my drift.

Stay safe !


14 posted on 06/22/2005 10:31:27 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet. ©)
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To: Lurker
"Peroxide and ground 'black' cumin make an explosive stronger than TNT?"
Well, if you use 95% peroxide [and do not blow up in the process] and soak it into porous organics you could get to that power level. The thing would be rather sensitive and unstable. Using liquid oxygen instead of peroxide would move you a peg higher, energy-wise. But why black cumin? Normal people would be using charcoal, which is cheaper, too.
15 posted on 06/22/2005 10:37:40 PM PDT by GSlob
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To: chemical_boy

Cumene hydroperoxide would be made from a liquid cumene, not from ground black cumine [a spice?]. Something in the article does not compute.


16 posted on 06/22/2005 10:41:54 PM PDT by GSlob
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To: Squantos
Wouldn't have smuggling HE out of Iraq been the safer and easier route?
17 posted on 06/22/2005 10:44:54 PM PDT by endthematrix (Thank you US armed forces, for everything you give and have given!)
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To: endthematrix

Not understanding your question ?

HE is available from any six year old kid who's picked up UXO off the battlefield. Wouldn't be viable to try and take any with ya if yer trying to E&E to a safehaven. Unless of course ya had to "fight" yer way to safety. I suspect the terrorists in some cases are trusted iraqi policemen by now......just a swag of course.


18 posted on 06/22/2005 10:52:24 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet. ©)
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To: jmc1969
The accused include al-Qaida's leader in Iraq, Abu-Musab Al-Zarqawi, and three other fugitives who are being tried in absentia.

But but .. I thought there weren't any chemicals in Iraq?

19 posted on 06/23/2005 2:58:09 AM PDT by Mo1 (Democrats Sold Out America ... just to regain power)
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To: Rightwing Conspiratr1

"hydrogen peroxide ... "ground black cumin"...
Sounds like a bizarre recipe for tacos or fajitas."

Or cleaning a boo boo.


20 posted on 06/23/2005 7:40:50 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Liberal Talking Point - Bush = Hitler ... Republican Talking Point - Let the Liberals Talk)
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