Hijacker 'Given Anthrax Flask By Iraqi Agent'

The Times (UK) ^ | 10-27-2001 | Daniel McGrory

[blam]

SATURDAY OCTOBER 27 2001

Hijacker 'given anthrax flask by Iraqi agent'

BY DANIEL MCGRORY

INTELLIGENCE agents from Prague to Swansea are uncovering a trail of clues that point to President Saddam Hussein of Iraq having a hand in al-Qaeda’s terrorist missions. Iraqi ministers have spent the week protesting Baghdad’s innocence to the United Nations, but will not say why some of its diplomats who met Mohammed Atta, one of the suspected September 11 hijackers, disappeared from their European posts after that date.

Nor will Baghdad explain why Saddam’s agents were spotted at various times this year with Atta in Germany, Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic.

Many in the Pentagon are sure Saddam helped to orchestrate the simultaneous hijackings and the anthrax attacks, but President Bush and Tony Blair have yet to be convinced. To get proof of the Baghdad connection, senior officials in the Bush Administration even sent a former CIA director to Britain on a covert mission.

Intelligence officers in Washington have deliberately leaked the testimony of an Iraqi defector hiding in Turkey who said that Saddam set up a terrorist training school on the outskirts of Istanbul to practice hijacking a Boeing passenger aircraft. The CIA says that it is assessing the claims.

Meanwhile, a special FBI team sent to Europe to uncover al-Qaeda cells say that they are studying a report from Prague that anthrax spores were given to Atta during his last meeting in Prague in April with Ahmed Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani, the Iraqi consul. “If it can be shown that Atta was given a flask of anthrax,” a Western intelligence official said, “then the link will have been made with Osama bin Laden and with Iraq.”

What is known is that Atta made at least four visits to the Czech Republic to see Mr al-Ani. Czech intelligence officers who saw them embrace at Ruzyne Airport admit that they had no idea who the man greeting Saddam’s envoy was. When they were followed to the headquarters of Radio Free Europe the suspicion was that they may have been plotting to bomb it.

Yesterday the German newspaper Bild suggested a more sinister motive for their meetings. The claim, according to Israeli security sources, is that Atta was handed a vacuum flask of anthrax by his Iraqi contact. From Prague, it is believed Atta flew to Newark. From New Jersey, letters laced with anthrax were sent to broadcasters and politicians in New York, Washington and Florida. Czech officials have been to Washington to reveal all they know, but they can’t question the Iraqi envoy because Mr al-Ani was deported from Prague in April for “activities incompatible with his status as a diplomat”.

Stanislav Gross, the Czech Interior Minister, confirmed yesterday a meeting in Prague between Atta and Mr al-Ani just weeks before the envoy was expelled.

US scientists believe the anthrax spores sent to Tom Daschle, the Senate Majority Leader, had been treated with a sophisticated chemical additive only three countries can manufacture: Russia, America and possibly Iraq.

Former UN weapons inspectors suggest that Saddam could have helped bin Laden to get nuclear material. Critics of the Pentagon’s view say that Iraq would not share its nuclear secrets, but might watch for others trying to buy on the black market.

(Go to the Times site for the rest of the article)

[lonestar]

... what will Saddam do if he does it?

I prefer to know sooner than later.

Face it. We're in a "damned if we do, damned if we don't."

I think we Americans have no clue how any of the people in that part of the world think--if they do. They hate each other; all hate us more. That's the biggest problem. I read that 70% are illiterate. They only know what they're told; and they don't have a clue what's going on at home much less in the world.

It ain't a pretty picture!

I don't think it will ever be "over."

[aristeides]

If Saddam (and/or al Qaeda) has suitcase nukes in place, we're not just talking about hundreds of thousands dead in this country.

[not-an-ostrich]

Saddam probably wanted X41 to know he was the one supplying the anthrax. What good is revenge if the revengee doesn't know?

[lonestar]

A logical next step might be for anthrax to make it to the west coast. Maybe a high school.

I don't remember hearing of a shooting at school since 9/11.

[not-an-ostrich]

Impossible for anyone on the college level to produce with out the rare and expensive piece needed to do so. ABC Nightly News also said the government is tracing sales of the particular piece of equipment.

[Califreeper]

Re Baghdad Day.... I agree -- just think back to all the speeches from Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld, et al, over the past weeks. They all clearly indicate that we will NOT be aware of everything that's going on, particularly in advance. That's all I needed to hear. They KNOW how important it is to do this job and do it right -- no backing down, no giving up. My money's on W and company to forge ahead, expanding into Iraq or wherever it's necessary. Let's roll....

[mrustow]

Sorry, right, but Iraq is not implicated in the anthrax attacks. Colin Powell and Bob Novak told me so. However, I have heard many reports implicating "home grown terrorism."

Remember -- Islam is a faith of peace and tolerance -- or else!

[blam]

"a sure fire diabolical plan that will surprise all of us when it becomes clear."

I am hoping. I don't like what's going on now....or at least what I know.

[stryker]

The Bush administration is now saying that the equipment necessary to manufacture part of the coating of this anthrax costs around $200,000, and although Saddam bought a number of such units from us, "domestic terrorists" could have them (MSNBC). Funny, but I can't remember any domestic terrorist groups with that kind of funding. Why is the administration so patently and ridiculously defending one who has become so obviously the guilty party, in favor of blaming home grown terrorists. Is it fear of the two front war? Or fear of the long standing doctrine that a biological attack on the U.S. by a foreign state would be met with a nuclear response? Are we seeing a new doctrine? The Bush doctrine? A biological warfare attack on the United States will no longer be met with overwhelming force but with displaced blame?

I think back to when the first case of anthrax came up and the administration immediately termed it "isolated." I don't think that anyone at FP bought that at the time, and the FReepers were quickly shown to be right. We were lied to from the outset. But despite the ongoing lies, we are being prepared for something terrible. Now we have Cheney at every public appearance (at least three times in three days) making clear that we are to expect "more casualties at home than in the war abroad." Think about this. Either there isn't going to be much of a war on terrorism, or there is going to be a terrible war on us. If the latter, then we are certainly taking the slow and dangerous road to victory in our limited bombing, continued open immigration and visa policies, and failure to make a clear and convincing statement that any biological attack on the United States will be met with nuclear force.

Cheney knows something we don't about what threats we as U.S. citizens face. He is making clear that they are severe. Yet, our military response does not measure up to either his warnings or the attacks we have suffered.

[habs4ever]

Suitcase nukes don't carry the payload of even one of those jets that went into the WTC.There is an illogic to Saddam playing cat and mouse if he has a vast network of agents to sow havoc.There is no need to be coy, you just hit, and hit hard, so that the US is confused and rattled.The longer the pinpricks continue, the more likely it will fail as a trail will eventually be found to get some guys, and suspects already in custody will be broken.If he's got what you think he has, then he should let it rip, now.There is no further advantage to be gained by him delaying his attack.The accumulation of evidence is strictly for legalistic purposes and for PR, and its coming together against Saddam, so why doesn't he hit now, if he's got the threat you assume?

[niki]

I can't understand why the anthrax in DC is so much more prolific than the stuff sent to New York. Its gnawing at me.

I think they sent the two different grades as a message (and bravado). They want us to know they have the expertise to create and refine WMD and that the anthrax was not just a matter of being stolen material. IMO

[not-an-ostrich]

Could be Atta received several different types of anthrax. One purchased from a black market source...say five years ago. And one more recently supplied by Iraq? Anthrax then given to several different cells in US.

[WRhine]

So to say the strain is from the US is about as meaningful as saying German Shepard dogs are from Germany.

That is a very apt analogy. The Ames strain was cultured over 40 years ago. It is everywhere today.

[blam]

"My instincts are that the spread of this stuff has a lot to do with how the mail is physically handled, how much is it squeezed or blown or sucked by automated sorting machinery, how is it opened, what kind of ventilation is in the building, how much if any was the mail exposed to weather?? I just don't know if there are multiple sources of this stuff or if handling, distance, weather and ventilation account for the dispirite impact."

Maybe they never considered disparate contamination, this spreading in the mail facilities may have just been a windfall, they were targeting, think about that angle, huh?

[WRhine]

Remember -- Islam is a faith of peace and tolerance -- or else!

LOL. That's the way to put it. We are peaceful and tolerate to our own. Need protection from our terrorism? Join Us!

[arete]

I don't like what's going on now....or at least what I know.

I don't like it either. It is all very confusing and I am becoming increasingly impatient with always trying to do things correctly. Both 9/11 and now the anthrax attacks are complete and total outrages and we should respond accordingly. I have been saying over and over that I am not really sure that we have the type of ruthless courage it takes to deal with bin Laden and the Taliban not to mention Iraq. I'm so angry that I want to go over there myself and send a couple of those "holy warriors" off to their promised land. What we are getting is a "measured" response that is getting us nowhere fast. What's the deal GW?

Richard W.

[VOA]

a sophisticated chemical additive only three countries can manufacture:
Russia, America and possibly Iraq.

This sets off the B.S. detector alarm.
I'll be danged if there is a chemical/compound that the gifted chemists of
the U.K. or Commonwealth countries, Germany, Japan or probably about 20
other countries can't synthesize.

UNLESS...it's some incredibly complicated natural product that involves at least
some steps that require biosynthesis (e.g., feed an intermediate compound to a special
bacteria or cultured plant cell to perform some incredible biosynthetic step)
OR the need to insert some isotopic molecules into the compound at some critical positions.

Maybe I'm tired and not thinking this through too well...but that's my
opinion for now.

[MHGinTN]

Blam, there does seem to be contradictory material coming from the administration. My guess is, they are trying to keep things off balance while Israel prepares for the inevitable scudding when we hit Iraq. The thing is, the Iraqi campaign must be tied to Osama pig Laden, to discredit him from images of the Mahdi in waiting. The chess pieces just aren't all in position yet, but it won't be long. Bright star in the Egyptian desert is good prep.

[alnick]

When I heard about the first "accidental" bombing of the Red Cross, I immediately suspected that it was being used as a front for something that we want to get rid of. Now that it's been "accidentally" bombed a second time, I'm even more convinced of that.

[blam]

"Bright star in the Egyptian desert is good prep."

Isn't it over and wasn't it planned way before 9-11.