Posted on 10/25/2001 6:34:36 PM PDT by Y2Krap
OSAMA BIN LADEN and his al-Qaeda network have acquired nuclear materials for possible use in their terrorism war against the West, intelligence sources have disclosed.
The Western sources say that the suspected mastermind of the September 11 attacks on America does not have the capability to mount a nuclear attack but fear he would do so if he could.
They believe that he obtained the materials illegally from Pakistan, which has a nuclear capability. The knowledge that bin Laden has components for a nuclear weapons device in his arsenal is believed to lie behind the regular warnings from President Bush and Tony Blair that he would commit worse atrocities than the suicide assaults on New York and Washington if he were able to.
They may also explain the speed with which the decision was taken to go after bin Laden and his terrorist network, even if that meant toppling the Taleban regime in Afghanistan first.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2001350025-2001372097,00.html
Bin Laden's nuclear threat
BY PHILIP WEBSTER AND ROLAND WATSON
OSAMA BIN LADEN and his al-Qaeda network have acquired nuclear materials for possible use in their terrorism war against the West, intelligence sources have disclosed. The Western sources say that the suspected mastermind of the September 11 attacks on America does not have the capability to mount a nuclear attack but fear he would do so if he could.
They believe that he obtained the materials illegally from Pakistan, which has a nuclear capability.
The knowledge that bin Laden has components for a nuclear weapons device in his arsenal is believed to lie behind the regular warnings from President Bush and Tony Blair that he would commit worse atrocities than the suicide assaults on New York and Washington if he were able to.
They may also explain the speed with which the decision was taken to go after bin Laden and his terrorist network, even if that meant toppling the Taleban regime in Afghanistan first.
The disclosure comes as MPs prepare to learn today the details of British troops earmarked for deployment to Afghanistan. They will include a commando group of about 1,000 Royal Marines, currently on exercise in Oman, as well as a large contingent of special forces and specialist support units. The force will be based on ships that have also been participating in the huge tri-Service exercise. They are expected to include the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, stripped of her Harrier jets so she can be used as a platform for helicopters, or HMS Ocean, a dedicated helicopter carrier, two anti-aircraft destroyers to protect the carrier, the assault ship HMS Fearless, and two Royal Fleet Auxiliary support vessels.
Yesterday Mr Blair sought to reassure Muslim leaders that the military action in Afghanistan should be over as quickly as possible. He told the Islamic Response to Terrorism Conference in North London: “I hope you understand that what is important is that we make sure at the same time we take the action necessary now in order to hold to account those who committed the actions of September 11.”
There has been clear evidence for several years that bin Laden’s agents have been trying to buy, steal or smuggle nuclear systems in order to attack the West. He has said that it was his “religious duty” to seek to acquire chemical, biological and nuclear weapons of mass destruction.
An informed source has told The Times that bin Laden appeared to have amassed a “terrifying” range of weapons although he was insistent that he did not have the capacity to launch a nuclear attack.
Intelligence sources, however, have voiced concerns about bin Laden obtaining radioactive material for a “dirty bomb”. Rather than being used in an atomic weapon, the material would be dispersed in a way that would seriously contaminate a small area. In an urban environment hundreds of people could die and thousands more be exposed to radiation poisoning.
In 1993 a senior bin Laden operative, Jamal al-Fadi, met a Sudanese military commander in Khartoum to try to negotiate the sale of a cylinder of enriched South African uranium for a black market price of $1.5 million (£1.2 million). A separate al-Qaeda attempt to buy weapons-grade nuclear material through the Russian mafia was foiled in Prague when several kilograms of highly enriched uranium were seized, according to a German TV report last week.
Earlier this week two former government nuclear scientists in Pakistan were detained amid fears about their links with the Taleban. Bashir uddin Mahmood was project director in Pakistan’s nuclear programme before its 1998 tests. Since retiring from the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission three years ago, he ran a group which carried out relief work in Afghanistan, and was known to be supportive of the Taleban. Chaudry Abdul Majid was a director of the commission in 1999.
Intelligence officials have long been aware of the potential for contraband uranium to be turned into an atomic “suitcase bomb”. An easier outcome is a radiological weapon — a conventional weapon with a radioactive core — which has the ability to contaminate large areas.
George Tenet, Director of the CIA, told the Senate Intelligence Committee last year that bin Laden was trying to obtain nuclear materials.
However, some are convinced bin Laden already has a nuclear capability. According to a book about the terrorist leader, The Man Who Declared War on America, Chechen rebels facilitated the sale of nuclear suitcase bombs in the late 1990s from a range of former Soviet republics including Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Russia.
Quoting Russian and Arab intelligence sources, the author, Yossef Bodansky, says that bin Laden’s go-betweens paid the Chechens $30 million in cash and gave them two tonnes of heroin with a Western street value of up to $700 million for a number of bombs.
In 1998 bin Laden issued a statement entitled “The Nuclear Bomb of Islam”, which said: “It is the duty of Muslims to prepare as much force as possible to terrorise the enemies of God.”
But, I did post the whole article, with attribution to Drudge & the Times.
It's no big mystery that Soviet suitcase bombs are un-accounted for. The only drivel we hear regarding this is "how high-maintenance they are", instead of "who has them?"
In any case large, radioactive mushroom clouds are in the near future. The big question is where are the clouds going to show up first?
Can we stop underestimating these fiends who are willing to take any measures to destroy us?
We haven't heard anything from the Kook bunch for quite awhile.
We post here what is not appropriate for K-8, or easily understood by children. Still, the news link was emailed by a 13 year-old!
Someone in the Bush administration should send bin Laden a letter explaining to him how his "holy gound", Mecca and Saudi Arabia, could instantaneously become the world's largest paved parking lot.
Mecca, Mecca, Mecca
Mecca, hiney ho
Mecca, Mecca, Mecca,
Mecca, there it goes
This is the most critical news of our time, perhaps in the history of the world. The Times of London is one of the oldest and most respected newspapers in the world. The story is undoubtedly true. It required the concurrence and fact checking of some very staid editors to print it. It was probably quietly released to the Times by the Ministry of Defense to prepare the British people for what lies ahead.
The bottom line is that for the first time in the history if the world, there is a madman lose with the capability of destroying the entire Western world. I served two tours in Vietnam and I am now more scared for my children and my country than I ever was in 24 months of LRRPs.
This is not the time for quips or smart answers from FReepers, myself included. This is a time of challenge for the entire world.
Bin Laden would not have acquired nuclear materials if he did not intend to use them. The science and technology necessary to make a nuclear bomb is well known. Russian physicians make $90 a month. Does anyone doubt Bin Laden could hire Russian scientists to build him a few bombs, for say, $10,000 a month? The difficult part is acquiring the fissionable materiel and now Bin Laden has done that.
We as a nation have the most difficult choice ever faced by a people. Nagasaki and Hiroshima were cities that were part of an Empire. Now, not just cities are threatened, but 2/3 of the world. In order to prevent the destruction of the entire Western world, we must probably destroy part of another world. Can anyone guarantee that any other course than extinction will stop Bin Laden?
Afghanistan, Iraq and the other countries that support terrorists must cease to exist. They have lost their right to exist by their failure to stop the Islamic psychotics who would now kill all of us. Limited nuc strikes against his hq infrastructure might do it, but we must be prepared to continue until we are absolutely sure the entire cancer is removed. Just like surgery, sometimes you must take a limb to save a life.
Think of it this way. Bin Laden wants to kill your children because they are "infidels." He now has the capability to do so. What should we do to stop him from killing your children? Does anything other than total destruction guarantee he will be stopped?
Simply put, if we fail to stop them now, and I mean right now, we will lose our right to exist, and we will all probably die in Bin Laden's newly developed mushroom cloud.
It's very simple. It's war and it's them or us.... just like it is in any war.
Will it necessitate killing many people, probably millions? Yes. If we do not, how many millions will die when New York and Washington are vaporized, rather than just attacked with airliners.
How soon do we need to do this? How long will it be until Bin Laden is ready to kill all of us? Will there be an international outcry? Yes, but at least we will be alive to hear it.
Do I realize what I propose would be considered insanity two months ago. Yes, but these are insane times... and it's them or us.
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.