Israel Finds Radiological Backpack Bomb

UPI via World Net Daily ^ | 26 OCT 2001 | Richard Sale

[Lurker]

Israel Finds Radiological Backpack Bomb
RICHARD SALE, UPI Terrorism
Correspondent, United Press International,
October 14, 2001 -- Israeli security last month arrested a man linked to suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden armed with a radiological backpack bomb, as he attempted to enter Israel from the Palestinian Territories via a border checkpoint at Ramallah, according to U.S. government officials.

The arrest took place during the last week of September, according to one knowledgeable official who spoke on condition of anonymity. He declined to give the exact date of arrest. Two other sources interviewed by UPI confirmed the incident, but also declined to give further details.

"People know how to walk a dog back," one said, meaning that relating too exact an account could lead to the identification of the source of the information.

Regarding the arrest, a U.S. government official said: "There was only one individual involved. He was from Pakistan."

Another source said U.S. officials believed that the suspect had probably gotten to the territories via Lebanon.

Information on the arrest went immediately to U.S. President Bush and a close circle of advisors, another U.S. official said. He described the appearance and character of the top-secret report circulated among the Cabinet members and signed by each official present.

Former Pentagon terrorism expert, Peter Probst, described a radiological bomb as a device with a small explosive core that is encased in radioactive material. "It would not kill a great many people, but it would contaminate a considerable area with radiation," he said.

A U.S. government expert said that the weapon captured by Israel was a backpack device that CIA officials learned about through Russian intelligence agents in place in 1995.

He emphasized it was not a so-called nuclear suitcase bomb.

The CIA had intelligence reports from senior Arab intelligence officials alleging that in October 1998 bin Laden had obtained one or two nuclear suitcase weapons from a Central Asian republic in return for $30 million in cash and two tons of heroin worth $70 million - a deal brokered by the Chechen mafia.

Russian Gen. Aleksandr Ivanovich Lebed, a former national security advisor to then-President Yeltsin acknowledged publicly in 1997 that several nuclear suitcase bombs had disappeared from Russia's arsenal.

But former CIA counter-terrorism official Vince Cannistraro has no patience with such accounts: "All talk of bin Laden having a nuclear suitcase bomb is crap," he said.

Cannistraro could not be reached for comment about the backpack device.

Nuclear suitcase bombs were designed for Soviet Speznatz or special operations troops to assault and destroy NATO command and control bunkers in Europe in the event of a NATO-Soviet war. The devices could not be detonated without matching codes held in strictest security by Moscow, a former CIA official said.

Backpack bombs have no such codes, but they were also designed for Spetznetz forces and have such an intricate and complex system of activation that the ability of a terrorist to detonate one "would be incredibly limited," according to one U.S. government official.

"There is such a complicated sequence you have to perform that some terrorist isn't going to be able to get it to work. You have to be very highly trained," an intelligence official agreed, describing the chances that the device could have been activated as "practically miniscule."

Probst is nevertheless convinced that radiological bombs are still a danger for New York City. "Bin Laden is fascinated by Wall Street. My fear is that he will attempt to smuggle in some "dirty" bomb that wouldn't kill many people but would dangerously contaminate the area," he said.

Copyright 2001 by United Press International.

[codder too]

BUMP

[harpseal]

I do realize there is a major difference between a radiological bomb and a nuclear device but I have heard many so called experts bloviating about how no terrorist could really have such a device and all concerns were overblown. The cost of radiological cleanup would have a significant impact on whatever state was targeted with such a device.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[flamefront]

Right, a "dirty bomb" is a radiological bomb and is a radioactive particle scatterer.

[Rebelbase]

"There is such a complicated sequence you have to perform that some terrorist isn't going to be able to get it to work. You have to be very highly trained"

Two months ago you could have said the same thing regarding the piloting of an large jet airplane.

[Sabertooth]

Israeli security last month arrested a man linked to suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden armed with a radiological backpack bomb, as he attempted to enter Israel from the Palestinian Territories via a border checkpoint at Ramallah, according to U.S. government officials.

The arrest took place during the last week of September, according to one knowledgeable official who spoke on condition of anonymity. He declined to give the exact date of arrest. Two other sources interviewed by UPI confirmed the incident, but also declined to give further details.

"People know how to walk a dog back," one said, meaning that relating too exact an account could lead to the identification of the source of the information.

Regarding the arrest, a U.S. government official said: "There was only one individual involved. He was from Pakistan."

Pakinuclear pa-PING!!

[patent]

Imagine the panic if someone set off a dirty nuke here. We have a handful die from Anthrax and the country flips. A nuke? Wouldn't matter that it wasn't the real kind.

[Sabertooth]

"Imagine the panic if someone set off a dirty nuke here"

I can only imagine that our domestic 5th Column might finally get their one-way tickets back to the hell-holes of their loyalties.

I frankly can't understand why our Congress hasn't taken the necessary steps to deport all Arab and Moslem non-citizens when the American public supports it, and Congress itself has been attacked with a WMD.

[patent]

For a WMD, Anthrax is not very effective. Osama and friends would have done better with a couple sticks of dynamite.

[RnMomof7]

From bin Laden I think the where would be NYC or DC. As to the when, that depends entirely upon what steps we are willing to take.

I don't know that is true..remember him repeating the "heartland" of America in his tape..NO I think they want the fear wide spread!

[RnMomof7]

I frankly can't understand why our Congress hasn't taken the necessary steps to deport all Arab and Moslem non-citizens when the American public supports it, and Congress itself has been attacked with a WMD.

Even conservatives are PC,they don't want to "insult" the Good people of XXXX

Wait untill it is their children dead and injured..maybe then the threat will be real..right now it is ALL about political calculations

[Travis McGee]

Until proven that the few grams of anthrax sent already was all there is, I will believe that the letters sent to date were only a demo to prove the capability.

The NSC could have been sent proof that hundreds of kilos of the high grade anthrax are already in the USA, enough to send a hundred letters a day for years, or to throw one kilo glass jar anthrax bombs onto subway tracks or sports arena and office building air intakes every week for months.

Even if we have enough Cipro to keep the casualties to the low thousands, the cost of shutting down the postal service, and the area denial during decontamintation will wreck our economy.

And every week more glass jar anthrax bombs can be tossed.

Take a look at our military actions and options IF (big IF) the president has already been assured that this threat is real, that the anthrax is already in the USA.

Saddam may already have put MAD into operation.

[gumbo]

Did a search, didn't see it posted.

There was something similar posted earlier, but it was from an obscure source, and was not as detailed.

Also, it referred to a more recent incident, not this one from September.

[Squantos]

Think "diversion".............whack a few, scare the bejesus outta 200 plus million, shut down systems, dominate the media, then out of "left" field WHAM !

More people died falling off a ladder "yesterday" than have died from "anthrax" in the past 20 years IMHO. RDD's aside what we see of late is genuis (like it or not) in it's leverage and simplicity.

1.25$ Box cutter and 39 cent stamp converted into multi-billion dollar losses. KISS is what we should be keying on as so far it has been a valid concept/weapon for "them"........

Just my thoughts, correct or not , for now mine. Stay Safe !

[Travis McGee]

I wonder how many more high leverage terror tricks they are waiting to pull?

What about human bombs going off at the centers of major malls near the Santas, with all of the children packed around? Or a few midnight Masses?

The mind boggles.

[Rebelbase]

"Saddam may already have put MAD into operation. "

Good point. And if we see the US backing away from an escalated confrontation with Iraq, that would be additional support to your claim.

[Squantos]

Ideas of "how".... we should keep to "ourselve's", but the obvious is obvious and hopefully "they" will be caught/killed or both before they do this again. I'll suggest a new level of awareness from Colonel Cooper's Gunsite day's........"neon" !

Stay Safe ! _{write the book, write , write, write} :o)

[blam]

"Saddam may already have put MAD into operation."

I don't have that instinct on this.

[Travis McGee]

It's just one hypothesis among many which MUST be prepared for.

"Mr. Ridge, do you have a plan in place for the simultaneous sending of a thousand leaky high grade anthrax letters?"