***The following detailed analysis aims to investigate the situation in regards to the acquisiton of WMD by Al-Qaeda and affiliated terrorists. The report consists of an immense amount of diverse reports in various media outlets. While considering the diverse perspectives and conclusions that can be drawn from this report, please take note that WorldThreats.com currently hold any specific point-of-view regarding the subject presented here.

The report intends to assist those interested in this subject with all the factors to consider. It is also vital to note that this piece does not discuss the prospect of such weapons having been acquired and either destroyed, useless, or in the case of nuclear weapons, in need of being “recharged”. This report goes on the premise that they are assumed to be active weapons until proof is obtained to the contrary. Readers are invited to send comments or their opinions to the email address posted above. Thank you.***

            Timing, Purpose, And Assessing the Weapons of Mass Destruction Threat Of Terrorists

             This report comes on the heels of a critical time in the War on Terrorism. Numerous intelligence warnings have been issued, Al-Qaeda and those like them are re-gathering, America's first pre-emptive war is about to begin, and the structure of the international community is being tested by fire. The weapons of mass destruction threat can be seen on daily headlines as the primary motive for this new critical time's actions. Terrorist organizations have the capability to steal, produce, or buy their own devices for disaster, as do their state sponsors. Iran, believed by many analysts to be preparing to unleash a new wave of terrorism once Saddam Hussein falls so as to destabalize an unfavorable government, is believed by many to have nuclear weapons. [1] Iraq, another state sponsor, is believed by some to have obtained nuclear weapons off the black market and/or to have obtained the necessary fissionable materials for their own weapons. North Korea also remains a strong possibility for selling nuclear weapons to state sponsors or terrorists. The country is believed to have three plutonium-based nuclear bombs, and is reported to have received "suitcase nukes" from Russia in the early 1990s.

            Only a select number of countries are confirmed to directly support terrorism. Russia, China, and North Korea are the main sources of ballistic missile and nuclear technology proliferation. As countries continue to fall to Marxism, corruption, or radicalism, many countries continue to remain unable to secure sensitive stockpiles, secure the loyalty of certain politicians and businesses, and unable to adequately fight the war on terrorism. Cuba, North Korea, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, and Sudan are all listed as state sponsors of terrorism.

            We have all heard the warnings of Condoleeza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and George Bush about how terrorists only obstacle is time against their quest for weapons of mass destruction not excluding nuclear weaponry. The state sponsors of terrorism are also some of the most aggressive countries seeking such weapons. When many of these weapons are used, especially nuclear, no traces are left behind. No one can be blamed. No one can be punished. Apparently, the U.S. government considers the threat of nuclear terrorism as grave enough to spend great sums of money preparing for such an event and even issue warnings to intelligence agencies on the threat. [2]

            There have been much speculation about the reason why our security agencies are going to such great lengths to guard against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear terrorism. One of the most recent ones today is that Bush and Tony Blair were told personally that Al-Qaeda had obtained nuclear weapons through contact with former KGB agents. [3] Or perhaps it is do to simple logical conclusion that the prospect of terrorists obtaining "loose nukes" or fissionable material was not a far-fetched one. Reportedly, during the last week of October 2001, CIA director George Tenet met with the president to discuss fresh intelligence about the nuclear threat. It is said that Bush was startled by the discussion and immediately proceeded to make preparation for nuclear terrorism a top priority despite its expenses. [4] Despite our preparation for such an event, the potential for an occurrence of nuclear terrorism remains inadequate. As an example, despite the nuclear and radiation sensors being deployed at the Canadian border, radioactive materials were detected going into Michigan and the sources still have never been determined. [1] Hiding nuclear weapons can also be a small task. Some scientists say that small portable nukes can be hidden under large deposits of coal or lead or graphite to mask the neutron radiation emitted from the weapon. It is also important to note that many scientists also have said that portable nukes can be recharged via certain types of  car batteries.

            In understanding this threat, it is imperative that we understand that it is virtually impossible to concrete evidence to be found indicating possession of weapons of mass destruction. If indeed a man like Osama Bin Laden did have such a weapon, it would be one of their most closely guarded secrets. It is extremely likely that the details surrounding such weapons would be covered in a shroud of secrecy only comparable to the secrecy surrounding Bin Laden's location, which as we know, has successfully left him removed from the grasp of the coalition. It is equally likely that the location and details surrounding the weapons would neither be discovered or proven by the coalition. Such proof relies mostly on circumstance and personal testimonies. If indeed such evidence does exist, it would certainly only be available to the most inner circles of security rings. Therefore, we must study the reasoning behind the acquirement and use of such weapons from a fundamentalist viewpoint.

            Today it is known that terrorist organizations including Al-Qaeda have little or no quarrel about collaboration with other contraband of different religious affiliation. The hatred of the enemy overpowers this overpublicized rivalry. This is clearly seen by the alleged Saddam Hussein-Bin Laden cooperation, and the dealings between the Russian Mafia and the central Asian terrorists. One must also realize that the terrorist attacks are also not aimed at the United States to the degree that they are aimed at the Arab and Muslim worlds. The degree, timing, and formation of the terrorist attacks depends upon the geopolitical climate and the type of message the terrorists want to portray to the Muslim world. For example, striking the Pentagon can be seen as symbolizing that with the "will of Allah", the superior American military can be defeated. By attacking the World Trade Center, it is demonstrated that by the "will of Allah", the superior American economy and financial power can also be defeated. Indeed, we see this even in events not involving terrorism. The recent space shuttle Columbia disaster was taken by many in the Middle East and southeast Asia, most outspokingly in Iraq, to be a demonstration by Allah that our weapons and power is no match for the power of God.

            The long-term strategy is the most vital aspect to understanding the terrorist strategy. The notion that terrorists would use their most deadly weapons the moment it is possible, needs to be dismissed. It must come at a time when the focus is on an issue involving a clash between Islam and the Western world. This serves as a form of justification. Before the attacks in 1998 on our embassies, and before the September 11 2001 attacks, Osama Bin Laden sought out and obtained major fatwahs justifying the civilian casualties by Islamic clerics with much respect in the third world. Often such declarations (fatwahs) come from several sheikhs and leaders. The casualties must be justified by a rigorous propaganda campaign. The fatwah prior to the 1998 attacks justified the killing of black Muslims as acceptable losses for the greater cause. Thus one can conclude that attacks will occur in proportion to the feeling and anger on the Muslim street. Using the deadliest weapons would have been counterproductive to Bin Laden's cause, and would have triggered a greater American response, greater sympathy for America, and more abandonment of Bin Laden's cause.

            In "Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America" by Yossef Bodansky, he defines this strategy. Chemical and biological terrorism are a big part of this long-term strategy. In the book, Bodansky explains how after agreements with Turabi of Sudan, and representatives of Saddam Hussein (and other terrorist leaders and state sponsors), Bin Laden adopted a cooperative strategy to provoke the United States. It is no coincidence that the 1998 crisis with Iraq was to justify vicious attacks from Al-Qaeda. The pattern of using crisis with Iraq needs to be watched carefully. The plan called for provoking the United States through powerful attacks at the "heart". In the book, Bodansky even mentions New York City and Washington DC as potential targets. The aim of the attacks would be to provoke an America, blinded with anger, to aggressively invade southeast Asia (Afghanistan?) and the Middle East (Iraq?). The terrorist coalition would then, with Islamic unification at its maximum, launch "spectacular attacks" against the United States, Israel, and the West.

 

            It is important to note therefore that Al-Qaeda and the Taliban saw the prospect of losing Afghanistan, and work on a long-term strategy with 9-11 not being the "spectacular strikes" indicated. The plan hopes that during the war, the Muslims and Arabs would unify and form an alliance against Israel and the United States, controlling the oil resources. The alliance would compete and challenge American supremacy and when strong enough, invade and destroy Israel. From this outlook, it appears as if the worst attacks are being prepared today, around the situation involving Iraq.

            The war in Iraq could be the timing Bin Laden and his friends envisioned for his "spectacular attacks." This is not a faint threat, as one of the top operational leaders of Al-Qaeda, Abu Mussad al-Zarqawi, is currently in Baghdad and is suspected of complicity in the ricin plot in London and the killing of the American diplomat in Jordan. He has great experience in the field of chemical and biological weapons, and could very well be cooperating with Saddam Hussein. Even more suspicious, it is known Zarqawi arrived in Iraq only after coming safely through Iran, after fleeing Afghanistan. [5]

            The most successful terrorists acknowledge that timing and patience are the best weapons in this war. Radical Islamic texts from terrorist organizations are known to be filled with Koranic texts about trusting God and demonstrating patience and faith while preparing for victory. As we know, 911 took several years to plan. Regarding the use of weapons of mass destruction, it is believed that the terrorist leaders are unsure of the success of their use and what consequences to prepare for. Will it be justifiable? Will it cause greater victories or losses? These are questions Bin Laden and those like him will ask.

            The Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Steven Younger explained it as: "Psychologists say terrorists like to see explosions and they like to see immediate gratification. Another reason terrorists haven't used chemical, biological or radiological weapons, is that they are concerned about alienating friends." Younger says Al-Qaeda will wait to use such weapons until they can be used in the way most fitting. "We should think about Al-Qaeda as a front company that will take capability wherever it can get it to further its own operational goals. And where there's a confluence of a target that's common and interesting, everybody benefits," said the CIA director George Tenet on October 17 2002. [6] There is no reason to believe the organization has used its maximum capabilities, patience, planning, and strength with 911. In fact, the highest ranking Soviet/Russian GRU defector, Stanislav Lunev, wrote a letter to the president after the attack. [7] Titled, "Memo to Bush: A Plan to Prevent Weapons of Mass Destruction", part of it reads:

            "They [Al-Qaeda] hatched their plan over years and trained well for it. They used 'cheap' weapons not because they did not have 'expensive' weapons of mass destruction; all evidence indicates they have such weapons."

            In the letter, Lunev goes on to explain how Bin Laden undoubtedly has the connections and resources to obtain such weapons. He mentions President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt telling a journalist that Bin Laden had $1 billion in assets do to the opium trade. Lunev's analysis concludes Bin LAden has nuclear weapons, and that the reason they were not used is do to the objective of sparking a larger war. He wants to destroy American military and financial power to a point where we no longer "threaten" Islamic civilization, and thus wants an Islam-West world war. In order to unite the Muslims, America needs to be put on the offensive. It must be justified, and the Arab press can do that very well. 911 showed how vulnerable we are, and even on 911, Arab press continued to be full of reports of an Israeli-American conspiracy, a "War on Islam", and "genocide" of Muslim residents in North America. Using weapons of mass destruction on 911 would have ended Bin Laden's war before it began.

 

 

                                    The Quest for Chemical and Biological Weapons

 

            Al-Qaeda is known to have, at least at one point, a chemical weapons laboratory in Sudan, near Iraqi facilities soon after an Iraq-Sudan alliance was formed. Around this time, Iran formed an alliance with Sudan, where terrorists were being harbored. Given the evidence of an Iraqi state sponsorship of terrorism including Al-Qaeda, it is likely such a location was chosen by Bin Laden do the close proximity to the Iraqi facilities. Yossef Bodansky and other top experts conclude that Iraqi intelligence and workers moved into Sudan around the time of the Gulf War, to begin setting up facilities that would later be supplemented with round-the-clock patrol, defense systems, radar systems, and antiaircraft capabilities. In these facilities, were chemical weapons. Beginning in 1995, Iraqi intelligence arrived in location in Sudan to assist in fighting the southern rebels and upgrade the facilities. At one point, even a cache of uranium was stored in Sudan.

            In 1997, a far more advanced chemical weapons laboratory was complete in Sudan. There was technical assistance from Iran and Iraq, and recruited experts of various origins- including Croatian, Bulgarian, Russian, Egyptian, and others. In the new facility were over 300 small structures, and Bulgarian experts are known to have worked alongside the Iraqis in research and development. Also in this same general location, Sudan began providing training for artillery officers and pilots in chemical warfare at a special school. This is significant because given the Bin Laden-Iraq relationship, and Al-Qaeda's presence in the neighborhood, it is likely some sort of collaboration in this area occurred. [8]

            According to "The High Cost of Peace" by Yossef Bodansky, Iraqi Unit 999 had trained operatives from Yasser Arafat's organizations and Al-Qaeda in chemical and biological warfare. Iraq helped the militants by teaching them the use of chemical weapons in southern Kurdistan, even conducting a couple tests there. Unfortunately, some America experts believe Iraq has given such weapons to Al-Qaeda by mid-2002. Bodansky explains that Iraq funds and arms Al-Qaeda, and that there is collaboration between the two and with Yasser Arafat's organizations. "Off the Record with Yossef Bodansky" by Newsmax.com, records Bodansky explaining that new evidence had been found that Saddam Hussein had even sent technicians to help observe and prepare Bin Laden's nuclear weapons, and that Iraqi and Pakistani scientists even helped Al-Qaeda and the Taliban weaponize biological and chemical weapons. He also says that there was information from Pakistan that indicated that at least one nuclear suitcase bomb was in the United States, although it could not be confirmed. However, the most crucial assistance was in producing effective delivery methods. Richard Perle, the chairman of the Defense Policy Board, has indicated that such transfers have occurred. Middle East Newsline once quoted Pearle as saying that Iraq and Al-Qaeda were involved in joint planning. [9] According to World News on August 3, 2002, in an article by Michael Evans, there is a new Whitehall dossier containing an assessment of Saddam Hussein's capabilities. It reportedly also contains evidence that Iraq is planning to arm Palestinian terrorists with biological weapons for use against Israel and the United States.

            According to press reports, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Al-Qaeda's No. 2 and operational mastermind, visited an Iraqi WMD (weapons of mass destruction) site in July of 1998 near Al-Fallujah. Zawahiri oversaw the training of Al-Qaeda militants at the facility. Elite Unit 999 began training militants in WMD and sabotage beginning that fall. Iraq also agreed to send chemical weapons experts into Afghanistan if Bin Laden agreed not to try to overthrow Saddam's regime, and to cooperate in persecuting Kurdish tribes. After the 1998 meetings, Saddam sent intelligence agents into Afghanistan to help oversee the construction and functioning of an anthrax laboratory in Kandahar. American forces reportedly found the facility in January of 2002. Even more chillingly, there are reports that soon after 911, Saddam ordered his top nuclear scientists to prepare his nuclear devices (possibly only radiological bombs) for insurgent use. It is not clear if Saddam Hussein ordered his men to help Bin Laden prepare Al-Qaeda's weapons, or to prepare to transfer Iraqi weapons to Al-Qaeda. [10] Some experts have said that Iraq sold chemical bombs and advanced explosives to Bin Laden, although it is not confirmed. In the same deal it is said that it was agreed to that chemical and biological weapons would be produced in Al-Qaeda and Taliban facilities in Afghanistan with some help of Iraqi specialists. [11] The ability to use such weapons cannot also be dismissed. Bin Laden and Mullah Omar, head of the Taliban, recruited experts from all over Asia and eastern Europe, and assembled advanced training camps with the knowledge inherited from training in Sudan, Iraq, and Pakistan. Bin Laden's 055 brigade was reorganized during the war in Afghanistan in 2001, and put under the authority of Midhat al-Mursi, also known as Abu Khabab, an Egyptian expert on biological weapons, primarily the use and production of sarin gas. [12] Unfortunately, Khabab is not the only missing Al-Qaeda lieutenant whom ran research and development efforts of WMD. In fact, it is probable that many other chiefs of such efforts aren't even identified yet. Midhat Mursi, Abu Basir al-Yemeni, Abd Al-Aziz, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Bilal bin Marwan, Saqar Al-Jadawki, and Mohammed Omar Abdel-Rahman are all still missing. The threat of Iraq giving weapons to terrorists is not limited to Al-Qaeda. It also includes the Aum Shinrikyo cult, according to a high-ranking Iraqi defector involved in Saddam's weapons programs and medical industry. The defector provided a wealth of information and said that high-ranking members of the Iraqi weapons programs were working with the Aum Shinrikyo, and discussed a future operation involving the use of chemical and biological weapons against major Western cities. [13] Recently, the CIA also confirmed that Al-Qaeda connected terrorists had gotten VX, probably from Iraq, and had snuck it into Turkey.

            Starting with the cooperation with Sudan, Bin Laden focused on the procurement of chemical weapons and nuclear weapons. His merchants scoured the former Soviet Union and Africa for weapons components and enriched uranium. Of course, many tricks occurred stealing Bin Laden's money. Although this is confirmed to happen at least a couple time, it is no reason to believe all deals ended up this way. As Bin Laden's efforts failed in the early-to-mid 1990s to build his own nuclear weapon, he focused primarily on chemical weapons. During the mid-1990s, Bin Laden managed to establish friendships with Sudanese officials. This allowed him to test nerve agents in Sudan that could be used via aerial bombs or artillery shells. Cooperation in Sudan have Al-Qaeda a safe breeding ground, training areas, access to the African illicit arms market, and a great live-fire training ground as the country was in the middle of a brutal civil war. [14] Of course, this did not mean the end to the programs for biological and chemical weapons in Afghanistan.

            The New York Times has reported that two Afghan sites have been found suspected of being part of a program to produce chemical weapons. At one site, a research laboratory at Deruenta near Jalalabad, Al-Qaeda may have produced cyanide gas. The second site is a "fertilizer plant" at Mazar-e-Sharif, that also is suspected of producing small amounts of cyanide. A US Department of Defense official has been quoted saying Bin Laden had primitive production capability in biological and chemical weapons, and that he may have experimented with chlorine and phosgene also. [15] With evidence mounting that the attacks using the anthrax-laced mail came from foreign terrorists, not domestic sources, it cannot be ruled out that some of the hijackers were involved in the plot. There is much evidence to argue this point, and argue the anthrax was of Iraqi origin, but I will not do so here. If such is the case, New York Times may have been correct in an article it published saying that foreign intelligence sources claimed that Iraqi intelligence officers had given Mohammed Atta some vials of anthrax while in the Czech Republic. [16]

            The ability for the enemy to produce simple biological and chemical weapons cannot be underestimated. According to defense officials, Al-Qaeda "probably" has some weapons of these kinds and potentially, nuclear weapons. One defense official has said that it is believed that Al-Qaeda had crude chemical weapons and possibly biological weapons. He expressed the belief they had simple ones such as phosgene and chlorine, and that there was interest in anthrax. [17]

            However, it is more likely that Bin Laden and other organizations rely upon acquiring such weapons abroad illegally or from state sponsors, rather than production at home. One indication of this is that an Islamic militant in Egypt named Ahmad Ibrahim al-Najjar at a trial of over 100 members of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, said that Bin Laden's organization had obtained biological weapons including E.coli and Ebola in eastern Europe, and anthrax from the Moro Liberation Front in southeast Asia. [18]

            Al-Qaeda's possession of cyanide is certain. Several purchases of the substance has been made in recent years. [19] What would it be used for? Many things. For example, Italian authorities foiled a plot by nine Moroccans to poison the water supply of the US embassy in Rome. [20] Al-Qaeda operatives in England were arrested discussing a plot involving a "poisonous invisible gas", probably cyanide. Terrorists operating in Germany, Britain, and Italy were arrested in a plan to use tomatoes to transport a "liquid that suffocates people". The apparent leader of the plan, a Libyan, was arrested and led the foiling of the attack. The target was believed to be an American government building in either Rome or London or both. The terrorists sought to use ten liters of cyanide to spill into the ventilation ducts. [21] Convicted terrorist, Ahmed Ressam said during his trial that when he was in Al-Qaeda camps, the militants were taught how to pump gases including cyanide into an office building's ventilation system. [22] The supplies of cyanide can come from many sources.

            On August 22, 2002, it was reported that Argentinian police were searching for 20 tons of cyanide that was stolen from a truck near Buenos Aires. The vehicle was later found, but the container handling the cyanide was now handling other items in the truck. This occurred around the same time as the seizure of the Mexican truck with tons of cyanide. Although that truck and most of the cyanide was eventually recovered, a large portion of the substance was still missing- more than enough for one or more large terrorist attacks. Significant preparation has been made by our enemy for warfare involving the use of biochemicals. According to a Newsweek article called "Bin Laden's Nuclear Ambitions- And Fears" by Mark Hosenball, Michael Isikoff, and Daniel Klaidman, German intelligence officials learned that right before 911, Bin Laden ordered 200 gas masks and another 200 special protective suits to protection against radiation, or harmful chemicals and germs. The suits did arrive about a week before 911 near Milava, Afghanistan. It is possible the suits were bought out of fear of an American biochemical attack, or in preparation to conduct such attacks. However, some American officials have told reporters to take the story about the purchase with "a grain of salt."

            But what about the potential for nuclear terrorism? No one on the news has said the terrorists have obtained nuclear weapons. It has not been widely denied either. What should we expect? It is known that there was an extremely aggressive and secretive joint Taliban-Al-Qaeda operation to obtain nuclear technology, equipment, and materials at least 18 months before 911. What was the outcome? [23] Chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Security, Christopher Shays (R-Conn), has repeatedly warned of our vulnerability to nuclear terrorism, warning that it was possible up to 60 briefcase-sized nukes were stolen from the former Soviet Union.

            "We've known for years that the host countries have developed nuclear and biological agents and that they haven't been reluctant to share them with terrorists...And frankly, the race we have right now is to make sure the terrorists don't get a nuclear device," said Shays on WABC Radio's show with Sean Hannity. Shays said nuclear weapons would most likely serve as a deterrent and as a form of geopolitical blackmail, and may not be used immediately. Shays also confirmed that an advisor to Russian president Putin confirmed that 60 tactical nuclear weapons of suitcase-size (1-3 kilotonnage) were unaccounted for. American officials have said that they believe some were sold to the highest bidder. "We have every reason to believe the terrorists have access to chemical and biological agents,", concluded Shays. [24] National Security expert, Curt Weldon (R-PA), has also testified a conversation he had with a former top aide to Boris Yeltsin (former president of Russia) who said scores (up to 80) tactical suitcase-sized nukes were missing from Russia. The aide said that the generals and admirals were selling off the technology because they felt betrayed by the motherland. The missing nukes had power ranging from one to ten kilotons. [25]

            Regarding the uncertainty of where these nuclear weapons went, it may be important to quote Scott Parish, senior researcher associate with the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He said: "There were reports in the London Times last year that Bin Laden had purchased two nuclear weapons from Kazakhstan and Ukraine. These are similar to reports that have circulated for years...mainly about Iran...having purchased weapons from central Asia." [26] One of the first newspapers to report the issue of Bin Laden's nukes was the London Times in the beginning of October, 1998, saying he had nukes from the Ukraine and central Asia. [27]

           

            The main issue at here is the security of the facilities of the former Soviet Union. In assessing the threat from weapons of mass destruction as posed by terrorists, we must study this ever dangerous threat.

 

                                    The Status of Security At Critical Former Soviet Facilities

 

            The problem with assessing nuclear security is the lack of evidence that can be obtained indicating theft by terrorists. In nearly all cases of study on the security of the former Soviet Union, no accurate account of the precise locations, contents, quality, and numbers of materials and weapons is present. Weapons in such facilities can be stolen with indication of their absence. Weapons are also often shifted from one location to the next without record. Generally, Western study of the security at former Soviet facilities has revealed a major concern (despite the claims of Russian officials) even if no hard evidence exists of theft. With Russian authorities alone, stopping approximately 600 nuclear smuggling incidents and deals in the past three years, there is no reason to think a group of people lack the means nor the motive to attempt such seizures. [28]

            In 1994, Jim Ford, a former Department of Energy intelligence official and expert in nuclear smuggling, expressed the deep concern over the activity at Russian facilities. "There were a number of incidents where Russian technicians or bureaucrats smuggled out materials and sold them in places like Munich or Prague." Rensselaer Lee, a government consultant to the Department of Energy and another expert in the black market proclaims, "I think behind the visible market of nuclear smugglers, you have a shadow market that's well-organised and involves nation-states...In terms of a nuclear buyer, we live in a post-proliferation environment. The proliferation of these nuclear weapons is a reality. Trying to stop fissile experts from Russia from selling their knowledge or materials is like trying to stop cocaine coming in from Colombia. We only catch about 25% of Colombia's product." [29] Viktor Vevastov, the chief of nuclear accounting and head of Russia's Ministry of Atomic Energy, said in 1998 that a theft occurred in Chelyabinsk Oblast and that "quite sufficient" material was stolen for an atomic bomb.

            Security at the former Soviet Union must be a top priority as it is believed by some accounts, that Russia has around 1,000 metric tons of excess highly-enriched uranium; 160 metric tons of weapons-usable plutonium; and 30-40,000 tons of chemical and biological agents. Even strategic missiles can have questionable security. For example, US intelligence agencies saw a Russian train loaded with SS-27s left wide open and unguarded for a brief period of time. [30]

            Up to 100 countries hold radioactive materials in facilities that cannot be safeguarded to the appropriate standards. Even the United States has not been ruled out as a target of theft. Afterall, no one can deny that some of our most sensitive secrets have been stolen in recent years. Security should be kept in good shape in the homeland, as some sources have indicated that at least five Al-Qaeda cells inside our homeland are looking for radioactive materials. [31] New figures from the International Atomic Energy Agency shows that attempts to smuggle radioactive materials have doubled since 1997. Despite Western funding, a recent US General Accounting Office report showed that after seven years of assistance, only 15% of Russia's 603 tons of weapons-grade materials could be considered fully secured. Authorities in Norway were the first to point out the security concerns over the state of some 120,000 spent fuel assemblies from Russian vessels that may have decayed long enough for the enriched uranium and plutonium to have been extracted.

            Afghanistan's borders with the former Soviet republics and close proximity to Russia, Ukraine, and other republics make it a natural destination point for these materials. In 1998, an Afghan refugee from the area of Mazar-e-Sharif claimed that his entire family had fallen sick when a smuggler buried a large amount of what they believed to be uranium, in their yard.

            In 1994, German police at Frankfurt Airport captured a Colombian that came back from Moscow with plutonium in his suitcase. In September 1998, police arrested eight people in Turkey carrying ten pounds of uranium-235. In 1999, two people were arrested trying to sell plutonium in a remote Kyrgyzstan border town. In July 2001, four pounds of highly-enriched uranium in glass containers was seized at a hotel at a Black Sea Port in Georgia. [32] As you can see, the market around Afghanistan's borders is the hot-spot. Is this a coincidence?

            The low pay of Russian guards makes them extremely vulnerable to corruption. According to a  January of 2001 task force report compiled by Howard Baker Jr., a former US senator and Lloyd Cutlar, there have been dozens of incidents involved attempted theft of weapons-grade materials. In 1998, their own employees at a nuclear facility were caught trying to steal fissionable material in quantities just short of what is required for a nuclear bomb. In the same year, a Russian lab employee was caught while negotiating a deal to sell nuclear weapons designs to agents of the Taliban and Iraq for $3 million. In January 2000, four Russian sailors were caught with a supply of radioactive materials taken from a submarine. Thomas Neff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says that while in Russia, en engineer offered him 700 neutron guns that can be used to detonate nuclear bombs. He said that is just the tip of the iceberg- he said that he and his associates have been approached many times for similar deals. [33] According to an official survey, 21% of Russian employees at missile facilities said they would work for the military-industrial complex of another nation. 40-55% felt their salary was two-three times less than what they felt they should be paid; 28% said they were forced to take extra jobs do to their salary; and 25% said they would like to live abroad. The survey in Russian nuclear cities said that 62% earned less than $50 a month; 58% are forced to take extra jobs; and 14% want to work somewhere else not excluding another country. [34]

            However, Russia is not the only country where such a problem exists. According to the IAEA, massive amounts of uncontrolled radioactive sources can be found in the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Unfortunately, these are some of Al-Qaeda's favorite markets for arms dealings. In fact, according to a former Russian intelligence official, Russian security stopped an attempt in 1998 to sell a shipment of weapons-grade uranium to a Pakistani company owned by Osama Bin Laden. [35] The IAEA has also reported over 1,500 incidents of American companies losing track of radioactive materials since 1996, where usually over half is never recovered. In Europe alone, an average of 70 radioactive sources are lost each year. There were 136 confirmed cases from 1993 to 1995 of actual smuggling of radioactive materials including uranium and plutonium. The number of cases of trafficking of nuclear materials rose to 175 in 2002, since 1993, excluding 201 incidents of other radioactive material trafficking. At least eighteen involved highly enriched uranium or plutonium. Of course, the most extreme incidents did not stop in the mid-1990s.

            On July 20, 2001, in Georgia near the Turkish border, police arrested four people including a former Soviet army captain with nearly four pounds of enriched uranium-235. Twice in 2001, Uzbek police reported abnormal radiation levels in trucks coming in from Kazakhstan. Uzbek law enforcement authorities accused the Kazakh police of turning a blind eye and allowing such transportation to take place. At posts along the borders of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in 2002, over the course of just one year, enough radioactive materials were seized to produce a radiological "dirty" bomb. Over the past decade, at least 88 pounds or 40 kg of weapons-usable plutonium and uranium was stolen from facilities in the former Soviet Union says the Stranford University's Institute for International Studies. While most was captured, at least 4.4 pounds is still missing from a Georgian reactor with highly-enriched uranium. [36]

            In the early 1990s, a Slovakian criminal was arrested in Germany with the last name Illich. During the interrogation, he said that his work in arms smuggling was only plausible do to high-level corruption in the Russian military and the military's links to the Russian Mafia. He claimed that he could get fissionable material for the right price. Proving this claim, police seized from him four samples of weapons-grade uranium, one of which was over 87.7.% enriched. Six months later, uranium identical to his samples were seized from a smuggler in Prague. He spoke of the ease of obtaining uranium and plutonium, and various weapons, even including helicopters. Illich noted that Kazakhstan had one of the most lively black markets. This country has a high Moslem population, and is known to have been a popular market place for Afghan drug dealers and arms smugglers.  Additionally, Illich testifies that former KGB personnel were running the crime rings of the Russian Mafia. The situation in Kazakhstan could end up costing tens of thousands of lives. In 1998, it was reported citing Israeli military intelligence, that associates of Bin Laden had given $2 million to a corrupt source in Kazakhstan to get him a "nuclear suitcase bomb" over the period of two years. Israel was said to be trying to work with the Kazakhs to stop the deal before Bin Laden succeeded. [37]

            Yuri Smirnov is another smuggler arrested by Germany in the early 1990s, this time with 1.5 kilograms of enriched uranium. He spoke of the material for such markets in Russia and the easy access he had. Yaclav Havlick was also arrested by Germany for smuggling enriched uranium. He provided even more elaborate details of the market, explaining how one person could even buy tanks, artillery, and helicopters. In November 1995, a Chechen terrorist leader threatened to turn Moscow into a radioactive wasteland, and had his operatives point a Russian news group into a park where a "dirty bomb" was hidden, constructed with explosives wired to small amounts of cesium-137. [38] All these cases involve smugglers that probably did not have anywhere near the financial resources and contacts that terrorist organizations, especially Al-Qaeda, possess. Two Afghan nuclear scientists who have been detained, have claimed they had radioactive materials near hospitals in Kabul in secret caches in amounts large enough for dozens of dirty bombs. [39] Let me sift through various cases so you get a better understanding of the depth of this market.

            Twice in 2001, Georgian police seized small amounts of enriched uranium and weapons-usable plutonium. In 1993, Russian police found three kilograms of enriched uranium in St. Petersburg. In 1994, 360 grams of plutonium was seized in Germany. The Russian nuclear security chief in November 2001 said that suspected terrorists had twice tried to penetrate a secret nuclear weapons facility that year, and that there were known attempts by the Taliban to try to recruit employees at nuclear technology facilities.

            On December 14, 1991, police in the Czech Republic arrested a nuclear physicist and two citizens of the former Soviet Union for smuggling and arms trafficking. One of the smugglers had 2.75 kilograms of 87.9% enriched u-235. From 1991 to 1994, Russian police alone reported 11 attempted thefts of uranium, 900 attempts of illegal entry into nuclear facilities, and nearly 700 incidents where employees tried to take nuclear weapons-related documents. Russian law enforcement has reported that the yearly average of cases of nuclear smuggling had risen to above 100.

            In 1995, Russia's Northern Fleet reported missing uranium. In 1996, Russia's nuclear regulatory body reported losing a fuel assembly containing enriched uranium. In 1997, Russia reported 9 incidents of inaccurate data concerning the amount of fuel rods and spent nuclear materials at two floating naval bases. The threat of stolen nuclear "suitcases" hit the public in the mid-1990s. In March 1996, US Customs agents in Miami launched a two-year undercover investigation into high-level official corruption in Russia, Bulgaria, and Lithuania. It became the first scenario to cause the worry that we see today.

            An ethnic Russian living in Lithuania whom did business with the mafia, offered to the undercover officers to ship luxury vehicles that were stolen in Florida to the former Soviet Union. The cop was posing as a member of a Colombian drug cartel. The Lithuanian, Alexandr Pogrebevski, offered to sell Soviet-era weapons. He then brought in his assistant, Alexandr Darichev, who claimed to have contacts in Russia whom could get them the weapons.

            Darichev was a veteran of the Lithuanian military and also an ethnic Russian, he explained. He gave the officers a package of brochures from a Bulgarian complex called Arminex, which was licensed to build Soviet weapons, everything from antiaircraft missiles to automatic rifles. If the missile deal went through, the Lithuanians asked the undercover cop if he'd be interested in purchasing tactical nuclear weapons for a high price. The cops promised to buy 40 Stinger-like antiaircraft missiles and promised that once they received the missile, they would negotiate the purchase of the nukes. The criminals managed to somehow obtain an authentic end-user certificate from the Lithuanian Minister of Defense saying the missiles were for the army. Darichev called Valerii Donitzovich at the scientific institute in St. Petersburg. Little is known about this institution and its contents. Donitzovich has contacts with the corrupt Russian defense minister, Pavel Grachev. The facility was part of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, Section of Geopolitics and Security, which is known for its links to former Soviet military and former KGB officials. The criminals were arrested just as the missiles were about to be shipped. [40]

            Lithuanians offering nuclear weapons should be looked upon with the utmost concern. A former US Army Special Forces personnel once wrote an article about suitcase nuclear weapons from the Soviet Union being moved into Lithuania by smugglers. Some, or all of the nukes, then went to North Korea. The cache of "suitcase" nukes consisted of approximately seven or eight nukes according to someone whom read the article. The article appeared in Soldier of Fortune sometime during the early 1990s between 1993 and 1995.

            Scientists at the European Trans-Uranium Institute have expressed grave worries over the potential of nuclear terrorism. New warnings came from them after three Al-Qaeda members were arrested with enough uranium-235 for a nuclear weapon. According to France's Atomic Energy Commission, French and British intelligence determined it came from the former Soviet Union under the Ukrainian Mafia boss, Semyon Mogilevich. It apparently went from the Ukraine to Poland, to Germany, and then to France. Among the items seized, were documents written in Russian confirmed that the materials were highly enriched at 85%. The amount was about 5 grams. [41] Mogilevich's criminal rings must be carefully watched as apparently credible publications have reported that he and his associates have sold 12-15 kilos of uranium-235 to Osama Bin Laden prior to 911 from the former Soviet Union. Bin Laden is said to have spent between $40-75 million on the deal. If true, that means the organization has enough fissionable material for three to five nuclear weapons. Given their alliance with Iraq, it is not impossible that the material would be resold or given to Saddam Hussein, as he is only missing the fissile core for his nuclear weapons. Once Saddam has the fissile cores, he will have a small, but dangerous nuclear arsenal. [42]

            Semyon Mogilevich and his crime rings in the former Soviet Union certainly have the capability to deliver fissile materials to Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden. He is known to have wide access to Soviet weapons inventories. It may be relevant to note how the head of Ukraine's Communist Party claimed that about 200 nuclear warheads were unaccounted for. [43] FBI and Israeli intelligence has acknowledged that Mogilevich has been involved in the trafficking of nuclear materials, diamonds, drugs, prostitutes, stolen artwork, and arms in the past. He is in control of virtually all the things that go through Moscow's Sheremetyev International Airport, and he even purchased a bankrupt airline in central Asia to conduct drug trafficking with the Taliban. Through a series of legal purchases, Mogilevich maintains control of nearly the entire Hungarian arms industry. In one deal, he sold $20 million worth of East German weapons including surface-to-air missiles and 12 armored personnel carriers to Iran. An anonymous US Customs official said that he operates with the assistance of high-level Russian officials and police authorities. He has sold small amounts of fissionable and radioactive materials in the past. [44]

            More significantly, shortly after 911, Spanish investigators launched an intense search for Semyon Mogilevich do to his well-known business and close relations with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The terrorists' search for weapons of mass destruction could quickly and secretly become successful through their already established business relationship with Mogilevich. In the past, he has attempted to smuggle uranium into France from Russia, and there has been testimony that the has access to nuclear materials and nuclear components. [45] Even worse, Russian security services have confirmed that Mogilevich sold radioactive materials to Bin Laden prior to September 11, 2001. [46] Additionally, the Italian anti-organized crime office has learned, according to a French expert, that Mogilevich sold the parts for a radiological "dirty bomb", and seven American-made enriched uranium fuel rods through his crime syndicates. [47]

            The Washington Times has reported in the times closely following September the 11th, 2001, that the Russian Mafia had sold components for chemical and biological, and even nuclear, weapons to Bin Laden and the Taliban. There is also extensive drug trafficking cooperation between the partners. An American official was quoted at this time as speaking of a secret nuclear weapons laboratory in Afghanistan and that the State Department had concluded that Al-Qaeda was probably trying to develop anthrax and sarin gas. [48] In August 2002, the Stanford International Studies Institute released a research report documenting approximately 700 cases of attempted or successful smuggling of radioactive materials worldwide. No doubt, the majority of these incidents had the involvement of the Russian Mafia.

            Apparently, the power of the Russian Mafia and their associates (linked to Afghan drug trafficking) boasts nearly unlimited resources and innumerable contacts. US defense sources have said that Al-Qaeda does have the potential to obtain nuclear weapons and weapons-grade uranium in Russia via the organized crime networks. An unidentified senior defense official has confirm that Al-Qaeda made several inquiries about weapons of mass destruction on the black market. Several recent intelligence report have described their efforts to buy nuclear devices and materials in central Asia and Russia. Since 1992, at least a dozen thefts of weapons-grade uranium and plutonium have been reported in Russia alone. [49] The with this is that when a theft is successful in the former Soviet Union, you probably will not even know it. Unfortunately, but hopefully coincidentally, the sharpest rise in incidents involving attempted or successful nuclear weapons-related smuggling occurred from the summer of 1996 to the end of 1998. [50]

            Many bio-terrorism experts in the West are concerned over the potential for rogue states like Iraq or Iran to obtain smallpox do to clandestine cooperation with China, North Korea, and Russia and the recruitment of Russian scientists. In the 1980s, the Soviet Union modified warheads that could deliver smallpox for use in ballistic missiles, tactical missiles, artillery shells and aerosol devices. Aerosol-released biological weapons were often in the possession of Spetsnaz operatives (Soviet special forces) whom are now believed to be involved with terrorists, especially those associates with Bin Laden. Report also indicate that the Soviet Union produced smallpox at a top-secret location "outside the Soviet Union and today, outside Russia" in a satellite state. Unfortunately, open-source reports have not been released to reveal what country this was in. There are also unconfirmed reports of aerosol sprays and biological weapons missing from Soviet stockpiles. Robert Baer, author of "See No Evil", formerly the highest ranking CIA officer serving in Iraq and one of the most senior operatives, has recorded a tape with Newsmax.com called "Off the Record With Robert Baer". In it, Baer recalls his involvement in a CIA investigation into Russian stockpiles where they learned of quantities of missing anthrax and smallpox.

            Smallpox cannot be ruled out, as it is known Russia continued producing the weapon into the mid-1990s, and that it is probable that North Korea and Iraq and perhaps Iran have the weapon. Colonel Ed Badolato of Counter-Terrorism Magazine, one of the leading American authorities on international terrorism and terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction, told UPI in October 2001 that there were between 300 and 600 laboratories worldwide for research and development of smallpox, many of which were in rogue states that harbor or are sympathetic to Al-Qaeda and other terrorists. [51] Dr. Janford Kuvin, expert on disease and chairman of the Center for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Science at Hebrew University has said he has little doubt that sources in Russia have not given samples of smallpox and other biological weapons to state sponsors of international terrorism and/or the terrorist organizations themselves. [52]

            Perhaps Christopher Shays said it best when after confirming that at least 48 "suitcase" nukes were missing from Russia, he proclaimed: "We know that Bin Laden made strenuous efforts to buy these weapons. We know that security at some Russian nuclear arsenals were terrible. We know that some Russian officials were corrupt. We are told of attempted thefts and of plots that were foiled, but we are never told of the plots that succeeded." [53]

 

                                    Terrorist Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons

 

            There has been no shortage in the attempts to use these weapons. It is known in the public venues that Hamas tried to use chemical weapons to poison the food of a Jerusalem restaurant in fall of 2002. There have been traces of an unidentified toxic substance after the attack on a Jerusalem mall which killed 11 people on the first of December, 2001. During Israeli sweeps of suspected terrorist industrial facilities, chemical fertilizers for chemical bombs were found in both the Gaza Strip and West Bank. The Hamas operative whom masterminded the bombing of the Netanya Park Hotel that killed nearly thirty people has admitted to also masterminding a cyanide strike on Israeli targets. [54] In November of 2002, Israel captured a militant with possession of small amounts of cyanide. Hamas has not stopped such attempts, even threatening to use chemical weapons on Israeli targets once they were capable of such operations. [55] Hamas has recently called for suicide armies to defend Iraq and has called for attacking American interests in the region once war breaks out. Analysts should remain cautious about the continuing threat from the Hamas terrorists.

            One can also not talk about such terrorism without discussing the Aum Shinrikyo (Supreme Truth) Cult. Recent findings may indicate they could have gone further in their assaults in Japan before they were foiled. Iraqi defectors in the past have claimed that Aum members have worked in Iraqi facilities for chemical weapons and could be planning terrorism. Their first use of chemical agents occurred in June, 1994, in Matsumoto, Japan, where they managed to kill 7 people and injure 500. Their second chemical attack occurred on March 20, 1995, in a coordinated sarin gas attack on a Tokyo subway killing a dozen people and injuring over 5,500 people. Aum Shinrikyo also tried to mine their own uranium in Australia, and tried to buy Russian nuclear warheads. They are believed to have failed.

            Aum leader, Shoko Asahara ordered his followers to begin production of sarin gas in 1993, and their production center became operational in March of 1994. There is also evidence of tests of pesticides and sarin on sheep in Australia. Among Aum's plans was the annihilation of a Japanese city using spraying mechanisms from helicopters and possibly remote-controlled aircraft. Aum was successful in obtaining a Russian helicopter and two drone airplanes that could have been upgraded to conduct such an attack. It is also known that one of the highest-ranking followers of Aum had a helicopter pilot's license from training in the United States. Like most terrorist organizations, Aum Shinrikyo greatly benefited from the fall of the Soviet Union. The cult managed to recruit some 30,000 people in Russia and 10,000 in Japan, as well as run radio shows that could be listened to in Japan from Russian territory. Finally, the cult also managed to buy a Russian GSP-11 toxic detector that could be used in a nerve gas facility. [56]

            Such incidents are not limited to Aum Shinrikyo. In January 1995, Tajik opposition members killed six Russian soldiers by lacing champagne with cyanide. In February of 1996, German police arrested a Neo-Nazi group with a coded diskette containing information on the production of mustard gas. The PKK terrorists have also been reported to have poisoned water supplies in southeastern Turkey with cyanide. [57] In the Middle East, Lebanon appears to be one of the areas of most concern. There have been reported Al-Qaeda attempts to obtain chemical weapons there. The Syrian forces occupying the tiny country are highly anti-Semitic, and Syria is known to have large stockpiles of sarin. [58]

            South Africa is a potential market for arms dealers as well. It has high-level corruption, and is known to have a large radical Muslim presence. South African experts in the past are known to have assisted criminal organizations and rogue states. Adriana Stujit, a popular Dutch journalist, has written that radical Muslims have gotten control over South Africa's biological weapons stockpiles. South Africa also is a state of concern do to their ties to Iraq, Cuba, Iran, and Libya. There have been much publicized reports of quantities of anthrax, Ebola, Congo Fever, and other agents going missing from South Africa with the only explanation being theft. Indeed, this is the conclusion that Stujit reaches concerning the issue. To this date, there has been no explanation or accurate documentation of the amounts, locations, and contents of the stockpiles. [59] In this same country, there was also a reported theft of about 130 barrels of enriched uranium waste from a storage facility which has yet to be recovered. [60]

            In assessing the biological and chemical terrorism threats, the potential for theft from the former Soviet Union cannot be ruled out. Russia has nearly two million artillery shells and missile warheads filled with chemical weapons. Russia is estimated to have at least 5,400 tons of nerve gas and over 10,000 total tons of chemical weapons. Often, the chemical weapons slated for disarmament are not being disarmed, are put in hidden facilities or facilities with minimal security, or are simply unaccounted for. This is particularly dangerous considering that many of these weapons are portable and ready for use, many are easy to hide and steal, and many are launchable from a wide variety of rockets and artillery pieces.

            The Kazakh facilities are especially vulnerable, and is in an impoverished region near a major Muslim and criminal presence. In Kazakhstan and some other former Soviet republics, particularly ones that are dominantly Islamic, there is no reliable inventory. Chemical weapons experts in the past have been appalled at inaccurate documentation, missing supplies, poor security and handling, lies or inaccurate testimonies about the sizes and contents of stockpiles, the lack of detailed documentation of the disarmament procedures and records, and often, the lack of access to American inspectors to certain factories. Kazakhstan will soon turn into the "treasure chest" for arms dealers. In fact, it may have already become such a shopping market. Some say that Bin Laden's associates managed to receive anthrax and plague biological weapons from former Soviet facilities in Kazakhstan. [61] It is well-known that much of the Soviet biological infrastructure is insecure, and many critical weapons were in Kazakhstan. Berkley physicist Richard Mueller said in Technology Review that no one knows how much enriched uranium was missing from any of the former Soviet republics, but that at least 205 kilograms of enriched uranium is known to be missing from Kazakhstan alone. [62]

            In another account, a journalist in Russia explains that U.N. sources say that the Taliban still has widespread support in Afghanistan and the ability to obtain or use weapons of mass destruction. The Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces he says, have up to 100 missiles and four missile launchers which can carry conventional, chemical, or nuclear warheads. The Taliban also has reserves of artillery and chemical ammunition including neuro-paralytic gases. [63] One of the Afghan detainess from the fall of 2001 said during his interrogation that he witnessed men being trained in the northeast in terrorist camps under the Taliban and Al-Qaeda from Chechnya, Sudan, Libya, Iraq, Iran, even from Cuba and North Korea. The Korean, he said, brought chemical weapons. [64]

            Over in Europe, German news television channels report that Al-Qaeda agents in 2001 had visited the Czech Republic in an attempt to purchase nuclear and biological materials with the help of the former Soviet (Russian) Mafia. Member of the crime ring were arrested but were unsure of how far the terrorists had gotten in their dealings. Europe is also an area of concern as US officials have pointed out that many European countries lack the appropriate equipment to track potential smuggling of nuclear materials or weapons. [65] German authorities in 1993 cited 234 nuclear-related smuggling incidents. European intelligence also detected approximately 700 incidents of attempted sale of nuclear-related materials or components between 1991 and 1996 to Iran, Iraq, Libya, and North Korea.

            In one incident in later part of the 1990s, 5.6 kilograms of 99.7% enriched plutonium-239 was seized the garage of a man producing counterfeit money in Germany. In Vilnius, in a bank vault, a large quantity of beryllium was seized. German intelligence has also reported a rapid increase in the late 1990s in the theft of weapons-grade components from hospitals. It is a staggering threat when considering that by 1993, Germany had arrested about one hundred people for theft of nuclear materials from the former Soviet Union. One can imagine how drastic the cases are today. In 1997, undercover American agents in Miami arrested two Lithuanians offering to sell Russian tactical nukes. Louis Freeh, FBI director, also said there was intelligence that Russian organized crime units were aggressively trying to obtain nuclear weapons and materials so they could be resold on the black market. [66] The point of bringing back up these cases of nuclear smuggling is that if criminals can obtain and sell fissionable material and nuclear weapons components, then the market for substances that can be used as chemical and biological agents is several times more profitable and deadly.

            Drug corruption and poor payrolls are major problems for security. Russian law enforcement has issued warnings about the guards at weapons facilities being drug addicts. One incident that surprised many took place in the western parts of Ukraine. At the high-level base where the Red Army's Fifth Missile Regiment once was, the guards guarding the most sensitive doorways and entries were drug addicts. If these important bases have such dire vulnerabilities, the prospect of the situations of the hundreds of other Asian facilities can only be much more worrisome. [67] The Ukraine has been a past target of smuggling of dangerous materials. The Ukraine is even believed to be the source of Bin Laden's production of chemical and biological weapons.

            After Al-Qaeda built their two most critical biochemical weapons laboratories (one in Kandahar, Afghanistan and one in Zenica, Bosnia), a network was set up in the former Yugoslavia for procurements. A total of three laboratories including those two were bought in Yugoslavia. To produce the weapons, Osama Bin Laden's representatives purchased pesticides in the Ukraine, along with radioactive materials. To use the pesticides, Al-Qaeda recruited Ukrainian chemists and biologists to weaponize the poisons and to train selected terrorist units. [68]

 

                                    Potential Terrorist Possession of Nuclear Weapons

 

            For the public, the first real scare of nuclear terrorism came in October 2001. For a short time, a report was "leaked" to the press that was supposedly only given to a small number of government agencies, the highest officials, and caused the activation of the Nuclear Emergency Search Team in Nevada. The report claimed that terrorists had plans to, or already had, obtained a 10-kiloton Russian nuclear bomb for use in New York City. The report was quickly shelved as US officials called it "unreliable" and a false alarm. It is not clear if this was a move to pacify an on-edge population, or a genuine rejection. Without evidence for either, no conclusions can be made on the report. [69] This threat of nuclear terrorism should be taken seriously. One of the top experts on Islamic radicalism, Dr. Robert Morey, whom predicted a massive attack on our soil by Bin Laden just a week before 9-11, is a consultant to Israel, the FBI, Naval intelligence, and writer of over forty books including "Winning the War Against Radical Islam". He has predicted that one day during this War on Terrorism that terrorists will destroy an American city with a nuclear weapon.