Intelligence sure bin Laden had bio weapons: Newsweek

Agence France-Presse ^ | 11/18/02 | N/A

[Angelus Errare]

Intelligence sure bin Laden had bio weapons: Newsweek Posted: 7:51 AM (Manila Time) | Nov. 18, 2002 Agence France-Presse

NEW YORK -- Senior US intelligence officials are "100 percent certain" Osama bin Laden had biological and chemical agents before the US invasion of Afghanistan, Newsweek magazine reported Sunday.

Detained al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects held at a US base in Cuba said bin Laden is a "multiple plotter," according to a US official who spoke to Newsweek about tales to explode a so-called "dirty bomb" to spew radioactive material over an area of the United States.

Officials have been paying special attention to Abu Zubaydah, a bin Laden lieutenant, who said his group got the idea from scouring newspapers for ideas for terrorist plots, according to Newsweek, citing a classified intelligence report.

"He noted this idea was particularly attractive because the 'Americans gave us the idea of how to kill them'," the report said.

Meanwhile, al-Qaeda is operating a dozen training camps inside Afghanistan, churning out hundreds of graduates, the newsweekly said.

The weekly spoke with participants who were trained in the use of firearms, rockets, mines and bombs for cars or for suicides.

US military experts say the reports are exaggerated, according to the issue that goes on sale Monday.

[Angelus Errare]

Assuming that al-Qaeda was able to get them out (and they were probably moved to Iran or northern Pakistan right before 9/11), they're likely spread out across northern Iraq or Lebanon right now.

There are reports that Ansar al-Islam (the Iraqi al-Qaeda) has successfully weaponized ricin. ABC news had a report out earlier this summer saying that the Bush administration had called off a covert attack on the group for fear of the negative political consequences of having potential American soldiers (or worse, potentially dead American soldiers) in Iraq before the new UN resolution was approved, so this seems to jive with current info.

[dennisw]

jibe

[Peach]

Let the soccer moms read this and decide we shouldn't be following Muslims in this country.

[jimkress]

Intelligence, NewsWeek - a true oxymoron

[Lancey Howard]

Meanwhile, al-Qaeda is operating a dozen training camps inside Afghanistan, churning out hundreds of graduates, the newsweekly said. The weekly spoke with participants who were trained in the use of firearms, rockets, mines and bombs for cars or for suicides.

"Churning out hundreds of graduates". Gimme a break.
I wouldn't be surprised to see an accompanying photograph in Newsweak of a hundred "graduates" throwing their caps in the air after the commencement speech and the introduction of the valedictorian.

[Thud]

Do you recall the dirty bomb plans Al Qaeda cribbed from a satrical magazine? The biological weapons are the socks of Alfred E. Neuman.

[daviddennis]

Here's an idea for you.

Put yourself in Saddam's shoes. He has a whole ton of biological weapons and he needs to either destroy them or get rid of them -- fast.

So why not hand 'em over to Osama and pals? That way, he's clean for the inspectors, and he knows Osama will make all kinds of wonderful (for him) mayhem.

This would certainly explain the recent uncanny synchronization of Al Queda and Saddam in recent weeks.

Thoughts?

D

[HiTech RedNeck]

They probably have so much they couldn't possibly get it all to OBL. But they surely won't mind him, er, raiding their rubbish bins.