Posted on 11/14/2004 7:50:11 AM PST by rang1995
Bordering On Nukes? New accounts from al-Qaeda to attack the U.S. with weapons of mass destruction By ADAM ZAGORIN
A key al-Qaeda operative seized in Pakistan recently offered an alarming account of the group's potential plans to target the U.S. with weapons of mass destruction, senior U.S. security officials tell TIME. Sharif al-Masri, an Egyptian who was captured in late August near Pakistan's border with Iran and Afghanistan, has told his interrogators of "al-Qaeda's interest in moving nuclear materials from Europe to either the U.S. or Mexico," according to a report circulating among U.S. government officials.
Masri also said al-Qaeda has considered plans to "smuggle nuclear materials to Mexico, then operatives would carry material into the U.S.," according to the report, parts of which were read to TIME. Masri says his family, seeking refuge from al-Qaeda hunters, is now in Iran.
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
I don't think they really have backpack nukes. The calling card of Islam is that their violence is limited only by their capability. If they had nukes, we'd know in very short order.
The likelihood that any Soviet-era nuke is a) in Islamic hands, and b) is still operable, is next to nil.
Yeah, but we're a red state and New York is blue!
Why, because Arabs are stupid and break everything? Pakistan built their own nukes and called it "The Islamic Bomb". Somehow I don't think the "Islamic bomb" is 25 pounds of uranium and a jihadi with a sledgehammer.
Underestimate your enemy and pay high tuition fees on retraining.
Another thread talks about the theft of a small plane in Mexico, and another says OBL already has permission of mullahs to use a nuke.
The entire Islamic world has been trying to make nukes for three decades plus, sinking many billions of dollars into the effort, and the only success has been due to direct Chinese assistance. I'd say that constitutes pretty good evidence that the Arab or Islamic nations can't do it on their own. If you think that a low opinion of Arab scientific prowess is mere bigotry, take it up with the Nobel Prize commission, which has afforded them so few prizes for scientific achievement that you can count them on your fingers.
My grandmother had nuclear materials-Specially licensed "Byproduct" californium and americium in her smoke detectors.
Without going into a lot of discussion we should not have (Though I am sure others will chime in, as usual)AQ's technology base, particularly what was observed in captured sites in Afghanistan is more likely restricted to medical or well-logging sources such as 60Co and Cs137, rather than a "Nuclear" device, even if one was given them from an old FSU flea market.
Yes, such a "dirty bomb" would be bad, but orders of magnitude less disruptive than a fission weapon, and the infrastructure damage would be quickly minimized.
One adverse effect it would have on their "cause" is W's demonstrated willingness to go after them. If they want to let the "Nuclear" genie out of the bottle, it would hurt us-But would also give us quite a hunting license and some interesting Rules of Engagement.
They are stupid-But are they THAT stupid? Maybe.
didn't they get a nobel prize for this?
Anger over donkey bomb attack
Animal rights campaigners have complained to Yasser Arafat after a donkey was blown up in a bomb attack in the West Bank.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) has sent a letter to the Palestinian leader to protest at last month's blast near Jerusalem.
No humans were killed when the donkey was strapped with explosives and detonated, but the attack narrowly missed an Israeli bus carrying soldiers.
"We have received many calls and letters from people shocked at the bombing," Peta president Ingrid Newkirk wrote.
"If you have the opportunity, will you please add to your burdens my request that you appeal to all those who listen to you to leave the animals out of this conflict?"
Ms Newkirk says she has not asked Mr Arafat to try to stop suicide bombings that kill people.
"It's not my business to inject myself into human wars," she told the Washington Post.
She adopted a polite tone in the letter because the group always try to "ask nicely" the first time, a Peta spokesman says.
A spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in Washington said: "When you have a regime that has no respect for human life, can you really expect them to respect animal life?"
I guess Osama has been taken to task over 9-11! He didn't give 'enough warning' beforehand, to give the American's time to convert to Islam.
So now, he has to get a religious ok and a time frame to give us time to convert.
What a crop of chit. As if!
sw
You should be concerned, but remember: Al-Qaida's interest in radiological bombs is nothing new. We found documents in Afghanistan in 2001 that outlined their pursuit of these weapons. Additionally, I've been told that our suspicions about a possible "Mexican" connection go back well before the August 2004 timeframe. A contact in the intel community tells me that a number of captured Al-Qaida captives were questioned about a Mexico-based plot well before the timeline referenced in the "Time" report. It may not ease your fears, but we've been aware of this possibility for some time, and we're doing our best to get to the bottom of it.
If they nuke any of our interests anywhere inthe world we should nuke Iran, and go to other "terrorist hot spots" and nuke them too.
ping
Well, Osama bin Laden just got approval to nuke us from a Saudi cleric whom he respects very much. Therefore, this plan could be getting underway now...
The sub-headline on this story should have been, "Why only a bunch of idiots would leave the borders wide open during wartime."
Yep, could be more than human beings being smuggled in car seats and piñatas from now on!
nuke threat ping
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