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Attack With Dirty Bomb More Likely, Officials Say

Often called a weapon of mass disruption, not destruction, a dirty bomb -- which uses conventional explosives to spread radioactive material -- causes far fewer casualties than a nuclear explosion. But because such devices are easier to assemble and the ingredients are readily available, government officials and terrorism experts consider a dirty-bomb attack more likely than a terrorist nuclear strike.

"You would need a stick of dynamite and the kind of radioactive source you find in a common smoke detector," said Charles D. Ferguson, co-author of "The Four Faces of Nuclear Terrorism."

There have been several alleged attempts to carry out a dirty-bomb attack.

Source: The Washington Post

Terror Suspects Appear Before Cuba Panel

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Dec 30, 2004 — Two suspected members of the al-Qaida terrorist network and an alleged Taliban official appeared Wednesday before U.S. military review tribunals in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

A 29-year-old prisoner appeared who was accused of leading some Taliban soldiers in northern Afghanistan in 2001, said Capt. Beci Brenton, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

The tribunals also heard from a 27-year-old prisoner who was identified as an al-Qaida member by a guard in the terrorist network, Brenton said. The detainee allegedly altered his passport to eliminate evidence of travel to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Source: The Associated Press
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=370467

Bin Laden Call Met By Wave of Bloodshed

Dozens of Iraqi policemen and soldiers were killed yesterday as insurgents launched a wave of attacks on police stations and checkpoints north of Baghdad in territory dominated by supporters of Saddam Hussein.

The attacks, which cost the lives of up to 30 policemen and members of the fledgling national guard, as well as several civilians, came hours after a tape purporting to be from Osama bin Laden was broadcast urging Iraqis to "do their duty" and fight the Americans and their "infidel" allies.

The tape also called for a boycott of next month's elections.

Source: The Daily Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/12/29/wirq29.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/12/29/ixworld.html

Alert on Terror Nests in Africa

MILITANT groups, including al-Qaida, are exploiting lawless areas in the seven-nation Horn of Africa region to hide, recruit and train members and possibly plan attacks.

The head of the region's US-led anti-terrorist force, Major General Samuel Helland, said they were using the fact there was a lot of ungoverned space in the area.

"Because of (this) . . . it's very easy for a terrorist organisation to establish a presence . . . It's very easy for them to train, equip, organise and use the facilities that are present to gain a foothold," he said.

Source: Reuters
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,11798861%255E663,00.html