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stepping back in time...

http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/040413.htm

CNS Research Story
"Osmium Tetroxide - a New Chemical Terrorism Weapon?"
Osmium tetroxide structure with ampoules.
[Src: Polysciences, Inc.]
By Michelle Baker and Margaret E. Kosal
April 13, 2004

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "A highly toxic chemical has emerged as a key component of an alleged terrorist plot in London. Serving legitimate functions in biological research and in specialized chemical industry, osmium tetroxide's suitability as a terrorist agent - a dual use compound - is limited, despite the characterizations of it generating "chemical fallout."[1]

Appearance in a Recent Terrorist Plot

On 30 March 2004, hundreds of British anti-terrorism police conducted raids throughout the London area after tracking a group of terrorist suspects over the course of several months.[2] Authorities subsequently arrested eight British citizens of Pakistani origin, who were allegedly involved in the planning stages of a terrorist attack. In the following week, reports emerged that these suspects, including a Canadian and a British-Algerian, were researching the potential of detonating a chemical bomb in a crowded, civilian location within London.[3] Authorities conducted the raids at 24 locations within London after learning from GCHQ, the British electronic eavesdropping intelligence agency, that these terrorist suspects were discussing the use of osmium tetroxide during phone calls among themselves within Britain and to Pakistan.[4] Some sources claim that the U.S. National Security Agency collaborated with its British counterpart to help intercept the phone calls implicating the suspects in planning a chemical attack.[5] The British Home Office would not, however, comment on the alleged scenario, as the case is still under investigation by authorities.[6]

The suspects reportedly were not able to acquire the osmium tetroxide before authorities were able to intercept members of the group. Those involved are allegedly sympathetic to al-Qa'ida and were preparing to target Gatwick airport, the London subway, or other enclosed high-traffic areas.[7] Al-Qa'ida has previously produced training manuals containing plans for use of choking agents as a method of attack, yet this is the first instance of osmium tetroxide being included among the list of possible chemical agents.[8] This is the first incident in the open literature in which the chemical has been connected with terrorism. Although this plot did not progress beyond the planning stages, the potential use of osmium tetroxide has raised new fears about al-Qa'ida's pursuit of dual-use chemicals as terrorist weapons and has encouraged discussion about the potential lethality of such a substance when combined with a conventional explosive."