Posted on 01/30/2003 4:33:53 PM PST by knighthawk
OSAMA bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist network successfully built a crude radiological device known as a "dirty bomb" in Afghanistan, the British Broadcasting Corp has reported.
British intelligence agents infiltrated the network and learned that terrorists had built the device near Herat in western Afghanistan, the BBC said, citing unidentified British government officials.
Britain's Foreign Office said today the report substantiated expert opinion that al-Qaeda wanted to develop a nuclear weapon.
"The evidence presented in the BBC report speaks for itself," a spokesman said.
"It provides proof to substantiate expert opinion that al-Qaeda was interested in developing nuclear weapons."
According to the BBC, the Taliban regime helped al-Qaeda construct the device, which has not been recovered, by providing medical isotopes.
There has been previous evidence of al-Qaeda's interest in developing a "dirty bomb" - a conventional bomb that would scatter radioactive material. Such a radiological weapon would be far less deadly and damaging than a nuclear explosion.
Computers found by journalists and US troops at a variety of facilities in Afghanistan indicated al-Qaeda had sought to obtain and develop nuclear and other potent weapons.
During a New York trial two years ago stemming from bombings at two US embassies in Africa, a former bin Laden aide testified he was ordered in 1993 to try to buy uranium on the black market for an effort to develop a nuclear weapon. Jamal Ahmed Al-Fadl said al-Qaeda was prepared to spend $US1.5 million ($2.5 million), but he did not know if a purchase was made.
In addition, US officials have said captured al-Qaeda lieutenant Abu Zubaydah told American interrogators the terrorist network was working on a "dirty bomb".
Authorities also have said that Jose Padilla, the former Chicago gang member charged with plotting with al-Qaeda, attended two meetings in Karachi, Pakistan, at which senior al-Qaeda operatives discussed the possible use of a "dirty bomb".
A United Nations report issued by experts monitoring al-Qaeda movements warned that al-Qaeda has the potential to obtain nuclear material and build "some kind of dirty bomb".
The BBC said documents discovered by the intelligence agents were sent to the British Government's weapons research facility in Porton Down, southern England. Scientists concluded al-Qaeda had constructed a small "dirty bomb", not a full-blown nuclear device.
In November the British Government issued - and then hurriedly withdrew - a statement warning that al-Qaeda might be prepared to use a "dirty bomb", or some kind of poison gas. It was replaced with a more general warning of terrorist threats.
Well, sometimes I think that we only see the tip of the iceberg of what the President deals with. It always seemed curious to me (and still does) that so many on Wall Street supported Clinton, and still pay chunks of change every year to Jesse Jackson. Jesse Jackson, especially.
Why does Wall Street care about his intimidation? Do stockholders really care if 150 Rainbow/Push people show up at a car dealership in Des Moines? Why are they so eager to fork over money to him? It is very odd, and no one seems to remark upon it.
How DOES Israel support themselves? How 'bout them ChiComms? The Cali cartel? I own a watch, I don't eat chocolate ... I guess the margins for the Swiss' skiing biz are very very fat. Every credit card transaction in America is "protected" by a software and network security architecture designed and run by an Israeli firm.
The run up and crash of our market under the stewardship of the most corrupt President in U.S. history is begging RICO scrutiny. Rudy G ... you want a crowning legacy to take to your final honored rest? Crack open our accounting, investment banking and brokerage books.
I don't even eat a roasted peanut off the bulk shelf at Cub foods. Some fat slob in Moscow might have grabbed $10 from my 401K account just now.
Americans lost 5 trillion in net worth in about 18 months. We need a complete accounting of that.
I still think Jesse Jackson's involvement is odd. Maybe it is a fancy way to blackmail all those involved. I also would like to know how much money gets launderred through the Clinton Library Foundation. Why are bankers still paying to hear Bill Cinton yak? Who cares what he thinks, unless he knows something, and his silence is important.
And why was Clinton so eager to pardon Marc Rich? Why was that guy important?
AND, how come all those dot.coms got pushed so hard by brokers?
The whole thing is very unsettling, and whether it is Russians, Chinese, Israelis, or Saudis, I would like to know why the bubble got run up so easily, and why it burst. I am not a financial wizard, but I do remember reading about Tulipmania and the Florida real estate bubble of the 20's, and I do not understand how so many brokers could have been so wrong about so many stocks.
Very unsettling, the whole thing.
The corruption, IMO, was through the greed, fraud and manipulation of Brokerage Research groups, 401K fund managers and Union Pension managers. They were paid on their short term results. Quarterly. PAID OBSCENELY by the way. A company like Juniper Systems ... had very limited numbers of shares available to outside investors. When every greedy mutual fund and 401K fund manager needed a big producer to maximize their bonus ... $500,000 a quarter sound good to you ... they took our money and assaulted a limited number of shares in Juniper with mountains of buy orders. The stock went up $50 one day. $50 DOLLARS! Per Share. Not because Juniper had a model and product and management track record ... it's because Jarred Dickhead needed to get that 60% growth mark to win that $500K year end bonus. Gen X asshole A at Fidelity wanted that Juniper stake before .... Gen X asshole B at Schwab got his greasy hands on it for he wanted his bonus real bad too. Don't look twice, here's Gen X asshole C from 20th Century and he's gonna get some JNPR don't you know. The big swinging d*cks at CALPERS are in the house, they're in a buying mood too!
Not one of those guys could tell you how the Juniper edge routers stood up against Cisco, Lucent or Adtran. What was their upside? None of our agents were buying a company ... they were playing Liars Poker.
Juniper Systems one quarter had $15 million in sales and about $50 million in NET LOSS. 3M had $2.5 billion in sales and $200 million in NET PROFIT. Juniper was valued at $85 billion or so. 3M was valued at $80 billion.
Somebody understood this outrage, yet they pumped money into JNPR and took home the big bucks. Their customers weren't so lucky. Clinton corruption, money for nothing, no responsibility - the Dotcom orgy and Clinton's fat girl servicing just seemed to go together.
Imagine that.
Well, I am on another thread dealing with the anti-war right...you know, the ones who think that George Bush is a tyrant and we should keep Saddam in the box because he can't hurt us. I had best go fuss at that guy a bit more...not that I can change his mind, but I hate to leave his ramblings standing as a viable position. Glad I saw you and appreciated the financial explanation, because on that stuff I need help, for sure!
Have a great day Arne. You are a good guy.
However - it was a typo, of course.
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