JORDAN FOILS HUGE CHEMICAL ATTACK!

Sky News ^ | 4/26/04

[areafiftyone]

Jordan has foiled a chemical attack, linked to al Qaeda, involving trucks loaded with 20 tons of explosives that could have killed 80,000 people, according to security officials.

More to follow...

[Izzy Dunne]

What ousted state leader who developed WMD's and hid WMD's could possibly have given 20 tons of explosives to Al Qeada?

Uhhh... Saddam Hussein.

I'll continue with "Kerry's Heroes" for $400, Alex...

[Piranha]

You have to keep in mind that FR is a week ahead of the news.

By the way, how's the market?

[elfman2]

There are dozens of stories on this, many posted here. Here’s the results of a google search for keywords "" Jordan chemical 20,000 attack foiled in news stories. Most many days old.

And BTW, these are not Iraq's WMDs. They are chemicals that can be conbined to form poison gass.

[Semper Paratus]

being forced to watch CNN but just talking about guess what - Michael Jackson

This just in on CNN "Riyadh is nuked!", but first the big development in the Michael Jackson case.

[traumer]

You may be right. Nothing on the BBC...

[OXENinFLA]

Up by 5,000

[TrebleRebel]

Looks like CNN have something implying a real chemical attack:

"Jordanian authorities say they broke up alleged al Qaeda plot to unleash deadly chemical cloud in heart of Amman. Details soon."

[Republican Red]

Now on Sky News:

'CONFESSIONS' OF CHEMICAL ATTACKERS AIRED


Jordanian television has broadcast what it says are confessions by captured militants tied to al Qaeda who said they planned to launch a chemical attack against intelligence officials.

Security officials said the plan involving trucks loaded with 20 tons of explosives that could have killed 80,000 people.


Members of the terrorist network were arrested and others killed, officials said on state television.

Pictures were aired claiming to show the chemicals the terrorists were planning to make explosives with, as well as trucks which were going to be used in a suicide attack against the General Intelligence Department.

Authorities had already reported the plot earlier this month but the confessions shown on a prime time broadcast provided further details of the planned attacks.

The militants, who included Syrians, said they were ordered by Abu Musab al Zarqawi, accused by Washington of being a top al Qaeda supporter, to attack targets that included the heavily fortified US embassy and intelligence headquarters.


Last Updated: 19:28 UK, Monday April 26, 20

[OXENinFLA]

Actually it's down 33.77 (0.32%)

[katana]

I think it's the same story, which last week received almost no play in the general (read: liberal) press. Now Sky News is banner headlining it with a new Jordanian estimate of the potential casualties four times greater than last week's. Also mentioned are photos of the "chemical" weapons themselves.

Last week's reports mentioned VX, which is, I believe, about as nasty as those things come. IMHO, this new push on the report is probably related to British politics in that Blair is being hit very hard with the (spurious) "where are the WMD's" argument. He may have some friends at Sky News who are willing to unshackle a story which, if proven true, should scare the daylights out of everybody, but especially the Brits and other Europeans.

[Shermy]

Hmmm...maybe explosives laced with some toxins - like the first WTC bomb was rumored to do?

[RightWhale]

What? Again? Will they do this every week?

[responder]

The article on Sky News states that this was reported last week but new information has been released after interrogation of the captured terrorist. This accounts for the revision of 80,000 potential deaths as opposed to 20,000 in the original article. The article is available on the SkyNews web site.

[macamadamia]

Spring......a time for lovers, poets and funny smelling clouds.

[responder]

The article on Sky News states that this was reported last week but new information has been released after interrogation of the captured terrorist. This accounts for the revision of 80,000 potential deaths as opposed to 20,000 in the original article. The article is available on the SkyNews web site.

[Rebelbase]

""Jordanian authorities say they broke up alleged al Qaeda plot to unleash deadly chemical cloud in heart of Amman. Details soon."

Even it this is a sleeping media snafu, its finally hit the mainstream. Last week you could only find reference to it in the Washington Post, Newsmax, the Middle East newsline and an Australian paper.

[Cap Huff]

Yes, I've read several of those articles as well as commentary and speculation. This sounded like a story rehash, but then I interpreted "last Sunday" to mean yesterday. Obviously Sunday the 18th was what was meant. Just my misinterpretation.

Curious, however, that the estimated potential casualties is now 4X the earlier story. Somebody is trying to stoke up the story.

[OXENinFLA]

I think I've solved your quandary.

Sounds like they're airing a confession now.



http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-jordan0424,0,994619.story?coll=bal-home-headlines

AMMAN, Jordan -- State television aired confessions Monday from al-Qaida suspects who allegedly planned chemical and poison gas attacks against the U.S. Embassy and other targets in Jordan.

----snip----

The suspects scheduled to appear on Jordanian television were linked to a purported conspiracy that officials announced two weeks ago had been foiled. The officials said they had arrested an unspecified number of al-Qaida suspects in two raids in late March and early April.

Last week, officials said four other terror suspects believed linked to the same conspiracy were killed in a shootout with police in Amman.

Government officials have said the suspects plotted to detonate a powerful chemical bomb targeting Jordan's secret service and use poison gas against the prime minister's office, the U.S. Embassy and other diplomatic missions.

Had the chemical bomb exploded, it could have killed at least 20,000 people and wrecked buildings within a half-mile radius, the officials have said.

They said the suspects, who allegedly entered Jordan from Syria, have confessed that the plots were hatched by Jordanian militant Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi, thought to be a close associate of al-Qaida boss Osama bin Laden.