AFI Research Intelligence Briefing for the 11th June 2002
 
Nuclear terrorism - America's  latest nightmare
 
A nightmare that has haunted Western security services and thoroughly alarmed Governments since 9-11 appears to have moved a step closer to becoming an awful reality. US Attorney General John Ashcroft has claimed that a US citizen arrested last month at Chicago's O'Hare airport was actively planning a terrorist attack on Washington DC with a so-called 'Dirty Bomb', a high explosive device seeded with radioactive material capable of contaminating large areas without the need of a nuclear explosion. America has been painfully aware of the threat posed by such an Al Qa'ida attack since the end of last year when documents recovered from former training camps in Afghanistan along with the testimony of captured terrorists presented the FBI with a clear picture of Osama Bin-Ladins true intentions. However the timing of this announcement has in the present climate of growing doubt at the efficiency of the US intelligence agencies and slight fall in electoral support for President Bush, raised suspicions about just how much of the planned attack the United States has genuienly uncovered and how much is hype to counter-act the bad press coverage received by the FBI and CIA recently.
 
Whatever the true importance of the arrest of this American terrorist eventually turns out to be, there can be little doubt that the criminal lack of security at many nuclear facilities in the former Soviet Union and the risk of disaffected Russian scientists and engineers does offer international terrorists both the nuclear material and the know-how to build a crude, but still highly dangerous radioactive device. The obvious threat is further compounded by information that Al Qa'ida terrorists are believed to have been given specialist training in the use of deadly weapons of mass destruction in both Iraq and Iran.The ability to create a simple 'dirty bomb' no longer relies upon access to advanced facilities or high technology equipment alone. Though limited by size and weight it would be possible for a terrorist group to build a bomb capable of contaminating upto 30 % of the American Capital or any similar major population centre, that would still fit comfortably within a typical medium sized van or perhaps be placed in an unoccupied flat or lock-up garage
 
All that is actually required is a device made up of a so-called fast-burning or ultra high-explosive such as HMX surrounded with a sheath of enriched uranium U235, plutonium or perhaps using a range of radioactive materials that could be stolen from ordinary US or British hospital laboratories, universities or even certain food-processing facilities. The result would be similar in explosive power to say perhaps a 500lb conventional bomb, but this would scatter radioactive particles over a wide area contaminating it with material often with a half-live of hundreds of years. Targets that must be high on any potential Al Qa'ida hit list could include nuclear power stations, oil refineries, railway junctions, city centres, important Government or military sites and most worrying of all vital reservoirs and other water supplies. Their continued use of thiese vital areas could be effectively denied for many years to come, throwing vital areas of the nations infrastructure into utter chaos and with the added threat of a massive rise in many forms of cancer.  There is little the FBI or for that matter MI5 could do to prevent such an outrage without inside knowledge of the terrorist group and that is simply unavailable to Western intelligence services at present. It may indeed take years before current clandestine operations to penetrate militant groups bear fruit and allow the security services a clearer picture of the enemies real intentions.
 
American terrorists undermine US attempts to improve security
 
The threat of a new wave of terrorist attacks is very real and highlights once again that Al Qa'ida though having lost its Afghan rat-hole, has not been defeated. The Islamic terrorists have probably penetrated all aspects of American society, recruiting US citizens and establishing deep cover cells and close links with right wing, white supremacist groups who hold similar abhorrent anti-Jewish views. The shock waves felt in Washington over the capture of the American Taliban volunteer, John Walker will be as nothing compared to the effect on United States public opinion and its perception of the real terrorist threat, of the discovery that American citizens are actively involved in helping Al Qa'ida plan and perhaps even carry out a nuclear attack on Washington.
 
New immigration controls, increased surveillance at airports and the campaign in Afghanistan will have little effective if the terrorist is a home grown, applepie loving Yank. Jose Padilla alias Abdullah al-Mujahir, is the true face of Al Qa'ida, of real international terrorism. As that shocking revelation finally slams home to the average American, the image 'joe public' has of his country, of the United States of America, will be irrevocably changed.   9-11 not only devastated New York and hugely distorted the world, it has set America on a path with its seemingly endless cycle of being attacked and responding violently, that none can yet say where it will lead. For that,  if nothing else, Osama Bin-Ladin will be forever damned.
 
Richard M. Bennett
 
 
 
 

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ESPIONAGE- An encyclopedia of Spies and Secrets, ISBN 1 85227 942 7
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FIGHTING FORCES a review of the worlds leading Armies, including many in the Middle East, published in September 2001 which is available from Barrons of New York www.barronseduc.com  ISBN 0-7641-5343-9

Both written by Richard M. Bennett
 

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