Posted on 01/12/2004 5:14:16 PM PST by Pokey78
An Islamic terrorist cell was poised to launch biological or chemical attacks in France and possibly Britain last year, say French police. They were ready to use the deadly toxins ricin and botulism.
French magistrates were expected last night to launch an official investigation into six suspects, five of whom were arrested last week in the Lyon area. Information from the group confirmed that an attack was "on the verge of being launched" last year.
Investigators are examining if there is a link between the findings and a small amount of ricin seized in Britain last January, he said.
France's counter-intelligence service, the DST, was praised yesterday by Dominique Perben, the justice minister, who said: "I believe we have put out of action some very dangerous people."
Most of those held were relatives of Mourad Benchellali, one of six French nationals detained by America in Guantanamo Bay as an al-Qa'eda suspect.
But police are more interested in Menad, his brother, in jail since December 2002 and suspected of recruiting young Muslims to fight Russian forces in Chechnya.
Police said the suspects had admitted Menad was a chemicals expert, trained in preparing and handling lethal substances at al-Qa'eda camps in Afghanistan and Georgia.
He had tried to produce botulism and ricin and had tested them on animals, they said. Some suspects had admitted that Benchellali had stored the toxins in jars of Nivea skin cream and 70cl flasks at his home although no traces had been found so far.
"It now appears a cell around the Benchellali family was trying to manufacture chemical and biological weapons for attacks around Europe, as well as to recruit future Islamist fighters," said a police source.
Benchellali's father, Chellali, a radical imam in the Lyon suburb of Venissieux, admitted he was aware of his son's experiments. At least one other family member helped to obtain several kilos of ingredients, police said.
A single drop of the botulism toxin can prove lethal in ventilation systems or aerosol sprays. Ricin is one of the deadliest natural poisons and, as it is tasteless, can be dissolved in food or drink without arousing suspicion.
Benchellali is believed to have passed the poisons to Mourad Merabet, a local chemist, who was among those expected to be placed under investigation.
The chemist denied keeping the deadly substances but admitted destroying the hard disk of Benchellali's computer, which stored his chemical recipes.
What subsequently happened to the lethal agents remains a mystery. But the French are checking if some of the ricin ended up in a flat above a chemist's shop in north London raided by police last year.
At that time Scotland Yard said the small amount discovered could have been part of a larger shipment.
The latest disclosure will only add to French fears that their country is being used as a base for Islamist terrorists.
In a document dated November 2002, the DST referred to "an organised attempt by radical Islamists linked to al-Qa'eda to manufacture or acquire chemical and biological weapons to be used in attacks".
An entire chapter was devoted to the possible role of the Benchellali family and its contacts.
Nice.
Sleep well tonight.
Why does PETA never protest these things? Instead, the will do some nude fur photo shot or heckle pro-lifers.
Basically, when testing the lethal dosage of a substance on a test group of rats, mice, poipigs, etc. (sometimes people, though that usually isn't published) it is the amount of a substance that will consistantly kill half of the test subjects. The LD 50 dosage would be expected to kill 50% of the time with any exposure to it in that amount.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.