Al Qaida Closer to Nukes? Don’t Bother Telling Anyone
BY Glen Tschirgi
13 years, 8 months ago
Here is a highly disturbing article from February that I would bet most of us never saw featured in any major, U.S. newspaper or given any time on the network news.
According to the article:
Al-Qaida is on the verge of producing radioactive weapons after sourcing nuclear material and recruiting rogue scientists to build “dirty” bombs, according to leaked diplomatic documents.
A leading atomic regulator has privately warned that the world stands on the brink of a “nuclear 9/11”.
Security briefings suggest that jihadi groups are also close to producing “workable and efficient” biological and chemical weapons that could kill thousands if unleashed in attacks on the West.
Thousands of classified American cables obtained by the WikiLeaks website and passed to The Daily Telegraph detail the international struggle to stop the spread of weapons-grade nuclear, chemical and biological material around the globe.
At a Nato meeting in January 2009, security chiefs briefed member states that al-Qaida was plotting a program of “dirty radioactive IEDs”, makeshift nuclear roadside bombs that could be used against British troops in Afghanistan.
The briefings also state that al-Qaida documents found in Afghanistan in 2007 revealed that “greater advances” had been made in bioterrorism than was previously realized. An Indian national security adviser told American security personnel in June 2008 that terrorists had made a “manifest attempt to get fissile material” and “have the technical competence to manufacture an explosive device beyond a mere dirty bomb”.
Does anyone have the increasing feeling that we are trying to build ever stronger sandcastles? The tide is coming in. The U.S. had better have a well-thought out response.
On second thought, given the current Administration and its responses to international crises so far, the most sensible response may be on a personal level: food, medicines, water and ammunition.
On April 15, 2011 at 7:29 am, bob sykes said:
The greatest difficulty in all NBC weapons is dispersal of the contaminant. This is an especial problem in cities, and most deaths will likely come from the blast itself. Their use as IEDs against troops in the field is pointless. They have to be detonated in western cities.
However, the panic following detonation might well lead to truly massive economic losses and maybe even some local/regional government breakdown.
Then there is the prolonged cleanup problem. I believe some of the islands where the Brits tested their anthrax bombs in the late 40s, early 50s (?) are still off limits.
On April 15, 2011 at 3:14 pm, RT said:
Honestly, the cases of nuclear proliferation are so great in the former Soviet holdings that nobody would ever get any sleep if anything came of them. There is the huge gap from obtaining to weaponizing.
No reason to doubt what was in the cable, or other sources, but I’m not terribly worried for my safety here at home. Like all Islamic terrorism, this will likely affect Muslims first, and chances are, Muslims only.
And really, there is no reason to bring politics into this. This blog has taken a worryingly turn towards desperate politics. Not what I come here for…
On April 21, 2011 at 1:09 pm, Mike H said:
Sounds like the prequel to Tom Kratman’s Caliphate.