CYANIDE TERROR ALERT

NY Post ^ | March 27, 2003 | BRIAN BLOMQUIST

[honway]

March 27, 2003 -- WASHINGTON - The FBI warned field agents yesterday that terrorists could try to poison Americans with a milk container or paint-can full of cyanide or chlorine gas. In the same bulletin, the FBI stepped up its urgent search for suspected al Qaeda terrorist Adnan El Shukrijumah, a field lieutenant for captured 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

[honway]

Daily Oklahoman

Florida Plant Reported Used to Export Cyanide
09/18/1990

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DALLAS (AP) The Iraqi architect of a Libyan chemical weapons complex invested $5 million in a Florida cherry flavoring plant in an apparent bid to export cyanide to the Middle East, a newspaper reported in Sunday's editions.

Two former associates said deceased financier Dr. Ihsan Barbouti used the Boca Raton plant to establish a front through which he could export deadly hydrogen cyanide and the technology to produce it in quantity, The Dallas Morning News reported.

The former associates said Barbouti sought to export the poison to Middle East countries identified by the U.S. government as supporters of terrorism. Barbouti acknowledged contracts with Iraq and Iran, they said.

Barbouti has been identified in Western news reports as the architect of Libyan Col. Moammar Gadhafi's chemical weapons plant in Rabta. He died July 1 in London on lung and heart complications, according to his death certificate. He was 63.

A federal lawsuit filed in Oklahoma City in 1989 claims that Barbouti schemed to take over TK-7 Corp., an Oklahoma City fuel additive manufacturer, so he could have a licensed source of chemicals for diversion the Rabta plant. The 1 lawsuit, filed by TK-7 president Moshe Tal, is still pending.

The president of the Florida flavoring plant said he had no role in the diversion of any toxic material, but acknowledged that at least 150 gallons of a cyanide compound was unaccounted for. The cyanide was a byproduct of a process used to extract bitter almond oil, a concentrate for cherry flavoring, from apricot pits.

The cyanide could have been taken from Product Ingredient Technology Inc. without his knowledge, Louis S. Champon said.

"My feeling is that it was his intention to ship out (cyanide) to overseas," Champon said.

Peter Kawaja, whose company installed a $1 million security system at the plant, said the cyanide was removed during "night trips" to another site in Florida he declined to identify.

"Shipments have left the U.S. and technology has left the U.S.," said Kawaja. "We're talking about the research and development of chemical weapons in the United States."

Kawaja declined to identify the final destination of the potentially lethal chemical.

The newspaper said U.S. Customs and the FBI have accelerated their investigation of Barbouti's role in the flavoring plant since Iraq's invasion of Kuwait last month. They are examining his vast holdings in Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Tennessee, New Jersey and New York.

The federal agencies declined comment.

"If there's an ongoing investigation, we're not going to comment on it. Those are attorney general's guidelines ... I'm not confirming that there is an investigation. I don't know if there is or there isn't," FBI spokesman Jeffrey W. Maynard told The Associated Press on Saturday.

The Central Intelligence Agency also refused to discuss the investigation.

"We decline to comment at this time. I would say, though, that if there is any indication or intelligence of hostile activities we would bring that to the attention of the appropriate law enforcement authorities," CIA spokesman Peter Earnest told the AP.

Customs Service spokesman Cliff Stallings in Miami said Saturday that he had been in Washington last week and was unaware of the case.

"You can quote me saying if it's under investigation, then we won't talk about it," he said.

Barbouti's holdings are 1 controlled by his son, Haidar Barbouti, who lives in New York City. The younger Barbouti has been president and director of 20 to 30 of his father's companies.

There was no answer at Barbouti's Manhattan residence or at the Barbouti holding company, IBI Industries Inc., Saturday.

Champon said he has filed a lawsuit to sever his business ties with the Barbouti family. Champon said he and Barbouti often quarreled about disposal of the waste cyanide and that Barbouti's funding "stopped when we flatly refused to send out any cyanide complex."

"Dr. Barbouti many, many times mentioned that he wanted this cyanide ... shipped to Germany," Champon said of the cyanide waste from the plant.

And according to Kawaja and Champon, the Barboutis asked the plant's architect to computerize the blueprints of the operation without Champon's knowledge.

"They were trying to steal the plans," Champon said.

[Constitution Day]

BUMP

[HiTech RedNeck]

"If detonated, glass containers would break and allow the acid to mix with the chemicals to create a vapor. The device could be positioned near air intake or ventilation systems, in enclosed spaces or in crowded, open areas."

It sounds easier to do than a homemade dope lab. I wouldn't be worried just about El Shukrijumah. I'd be worried about somewhere on the order of 3,000 kooks, both domestic and imported.

[the_doc]

Chlorine is a lousy weapon. Cyanide is the dangerous one.

[templar]

Right. A device this size would probably not make enough concentrated chlorine to cause a lot of problems in any area much larger than a medium sized room. Cyanide, OTOH, could be a real problem in a very small package. BTW, it's incredibly easy to make a cyanide bomb. Even if you don't have access to the needed ingredients, thay are easily made. I've been expecting some psycho to do something like this for years.

[js1138]

Cyanide may terrify people, but it's not a very good weapon. you can smell it before it kills you, and outside it would disperse quickly. It's only advantage over suicide bombs is the perp has a good chance of walking away alive.

[steplock]

Chlorine is a lousy weapon...

yeah, but germany in WWI caused all sorts of hell with it.

I remember my first brush with a chlorine gas bomb I made in high school (1966) just one tiny whiff of pure chlorine gas made me NEVER do that again!

[Orangedog]

Chlorine is a lousy weapon. Cyanide is the dangerous one.

The chlorine would likely be used with other chemicals to cause a chemical reaction that would cause the cyanide to spread through the air without using an explosive which would attract attention to the location of the device. Since these vapors would be hard to see, most people wouldn't have a clue about what was happening until some of them started dropping like flies.

[the_doc]

The only time chlorine was used with much success in chemical warfare was in World War One (used for the first time at Ypres in 1915). Freakish weather conditions and perfect terrain made it lethal to a lot of soldiers in one incident.

My chemistry professor back in the seventies, who was an expert in chemical warfare, said that the other times chlorine was used, it was not very effective. So, the weapons guys gave up on it.

Cyanide is a lot worse.

[RayChuang88]

Another poison that could be quite dangerous is phosgene, which is easily made by anyone with the right chemistry equipment.

What phosgene does is when inhaled it actually creates hydrochloric acid in the lungs, which literally destroys them. It can kill in about 24 to 36 hours in a very ugly fashion.

[the_doc]

Interesting theory.

[snooker]

>>>Chlorine is a lousy weapon.

Be careful saying this ...

It might be true if in the open. Not true if in an enclosed area. Depending on the amount and enclosed area size ... It can disable you quickly and you then suffocate. Just ask people who work with large quantities of chemicals for swimming pools. Gaseous is the worst form of chlorine.

Chlorine is also the base for many of the WMD we are looking for right now.

Don't assume chlorine will not kill. It is poisonous.

snooker

[the_doc]

I was talking about relative effects of chlorine and cyanide, snooker. As I recall, cyanide is a LOT more poisonous than chlorine.

That was my point. Given the choice between chlorine and cyanide, I don't think a knowledgeable terrorist would bother with the chlorine. (The funny thing is, he might accidently kill himself with the cyanide.)

[duk]

What about Ricin in a gas form??

I think I read it was several times more deadly then cyanide, and that it can be ingested or inhaled.

[chuknospam]

Another poison that could be quite dangerous is phosgene, which is easily made by anyone with the right chemistry equipment. What phosgene does is when inhaled it actually creates hydrochloric acid in the lungs, which literally destroys them. It can kill in about 24 to 36 hours in a very ugly fashion.

Actually, phosgene can be made very simply, no chemestry equipment required. For obvious reasons I won't discuss how here.

[templar]

Cyanide may terrify people, but it's not a very good weapon.

It would depend on how it was used. A cyanide bomb in an open area would probably not be especially effective; maybe not effective at all. But consider one in a crowded and confined situation. Nightclub, subway car, rock concert, small school auditorium, etc. Basically, anywhere the gas could concentrate, you couldn't get away from it easily, and it wouldn't disperse into open air. The casualties could come from both the gas and the panic of escape.

[js1138]

In a night club, just shouting "fire" would be an effective terror weapon. The question at the moment is whether those who commit acts of terror can get away with it without exposing the chain of command.

This is why everyone is being watched. And should be.

[snooker]

Chlorine exposure within an enclosed area will render you unconcious within seconds. If not immediately removed from the exposure area you can easily die of suffocation.

Since chlorine is available to alot of people, unknowingly they could get the wrong impression. Cyanide is better known to the public as being deadly. Chlorine is also poisonous.

A lot of WMDs are based on chlorine.

Not trying to chastise you, just saying sometimes more info is better. Chemicals are dangerous to the uninformed. Giving the wrong info can unknowingly also be dangerous.

Look up chlorine on some of the HAZMAT sites for more info.

Given the ease of obtaining chlorine I wouldn't say this either ... "I don't think a knowledgeable terrorist would bother with the chlorine."

snooker

[appalachian_dweller]

>> the perp has a good chance of walking away alive <<

Not if I see his sorry @$$!!!