Europe: Terrorist chemical threat 'worse than suspected'

Financial Times ^ | April 11 2004 18:26 | Mark Huband, Security Correspondent, in Paris

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Terrorists plotting to use chemical weapons in Europe have more advanced plans than security services previously suspected, a senior French counter-terrorism official has warned.

Small groups of chemicals experts have been detected in several European countries and have developed ways of communicating with each other that allowed them to avoid being exposed.

"We have underestimated the terrorists' willingness and capacity to develop chemical weapons," the French official told the Financial Times. He said a recent wave of arrests in Britain and France has revealed how far they had developed their plans.

The groups appear to operate separately from other cells planning attacks using ordinary explosives. Several of them are believed to have links to Islamic militants in the breakaway Russian republic of Chechnya. Western intelligence services allege that extremists linked to al-Qaeda have carried out experiments in chemical warfare in Chechnya.

In January French anti-terrorist police arrested five people in the Lyons suburb of Venisseux - three of them from the same family - on suspicion of involvement in planning terrorist attacks. Nicolas Sarkozy, then interior minister, said that one of the detainees, Menad Benchallali, "was trained to produce chemical substances".

Two of the detainees admitted a plan had been devised to attack Russian targets in France using ricin poison and botulinum bacteria. French officials say Mr Benchellali received chemical weapons training in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge, a haven for Chechen fighters.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Wonder where these weapons came from?

[Betaille]

"Two of the detainees admitted a plan had been devised to attack Russian targets in France"
And yet Russia still contributes to the Israel bashing at the UN... When will the West get its act together?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Try this link for the full article:

Terrorist chemical threat 'worse than suspected'

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Related Item:

Testimony to the US Congress by Mr. Charles Duelfer

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See the link above:

[McGavin999]

"The group arrested in Venisseux has links to Chechnya, but also to Abu Musab al-Zarkawi," the official said.

Al-Zarkawi, a Jordanian thought to be in Iraq, is said by intelligence officals to have run classes in chemical warfare at an al-Qaeda training camp in the Afghan city of Herat in 2000-01. A taped statement attributed to al-Zarkawi was broadcast on an Islamist website this week, in which he said that Iraq's Sunni Muslims should "burn the earth under the [foreign] occupiers' feet" in Iraq

Iraq you say? BTW, I just read an article where the Marines found chemical coated ROCKS in a bomb factory.

[Diogenesis]

France and Russia will also gladly sell to terrorists. And dont forget Pakistan.

=========== French missiles FIRST given to Iraq to be USED Against US and Coalition Heroes =========

French missiles found by the Poles, and to protect France, blown up.

Froggies said they did not say "2003". LOL. Decide for yourself.

---

========= RUSSIAN MISSILES AND DIRTY BOMBS FOUND IN IRAQ =========

Russian-made R-60, NATO AA-8 Aphid, air-to-air missiles were found..
The Russian-made missiles are >6 feet long. Each carries 3.5 pounds of uranium.
wrapped around a high explosive warhead (13.2-pound) making a "dirty bomb".

---

[Sacajaweau]

Can you direct us to the chemical/rock item?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Get that posted.

By the way this article was a line item on Drudge.

[ChocChipCookie]

It's only a matter of time before these evil, insane people are successful with one of their plans. The willing naivete of the left continues to amaze me. Sadly, innocent people will suffer because liberals across the globe refuse to acknowledge that evil exists and then deal with it effectively.

Can't be too black and white about these things you know. /sarcasm

[olde north church]

Does it matter? Uncle Sugar*'s pickin' up the tab.
*and true allies.

[bogdanPolska12]

Thank you Ernest.

Where all this weapons comes from, let me give you some idea - there is a guy in Moscow who used to be in KGB, you know who he is. Russia is playing ball game with us, and our stupid politicians like Pelosi, Kerry are falling for it.

There is more about Putin then media says. I know that scumbag. Sorry for this word but, Putin is full of it.

Only one country could release those weapons. Putin is communist and they still playing their old tricks. They may fool media, but not me.

Behind closed windows Russia sells weapons to Middle East, North Korea through China and list goes on and on.
Putin my have friends in media and play nice card, but not with me.

Anytime this guy speaks I just look at it and shake my head for he is so full of it. Remember guys, this guy was in KGB, old NKWD.

Simple polish guy
Bogdan

[DoctorMichael]

Bttt

[McGavin999]

It's already posted Ernest, several threads by different sources. I'll go find one and ping you

[NCjim]

...liberals across the globe refuse to acknowledge that evil exists...

Reminds me of the ostrich defense - sticking their head in a hole! Except with the libs it's a different hole.

[afz400]

This war is not about terror, it's about Islam.