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Threat Assessment: Al-Qaeda May Have WMD, Say Officials Al-Qaeda may have chemical, biological and radiological weapons, defense officials said Friday. “What we believe is that they have a crude chemical and possibly biological weapons capability,” a senior defense official said. This report follows an earlier report in Global Security Newswire on Sept. 18. Officials said the terrorist organization is likely to have simple chemical weapons comprised of materials such as chlorine and phosgene rather than more deadly substances such as sarin. Officials said it is “probable” that al-Qaeda has some type of biological weapon, such as anthrax. Al-Qaeda probably does not have fissile material to create a nuclear explosion, but the organization could have radiological material that could contaminate an area when used with conventional explosives. “If there’s any nuclear capability, it is liable to be more radiological than fissile,” (see GSN, Sept. 19) an official said (Bill Gertz, Washington Times, Oct. 13). “Certainly the delivery means, although it could be innovative, would probably not be sophisticated,” a defense official said, adding that possible delivery methods included cropdusters and hand sprayers. U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said the government has seen al-Qaeda training manuals (see GSN, Oct. 2) for deploying chemical and biological weapons (Richard Whittle, Dallas Morning News, Oct. 13). Meanwhile, British intelligence agencies are investigating a Bulgarian businessman’s report that a bin Laden associate earlier this year asked his help to obtain radioactive material, such as spent nuclear fuel rods from a Bulgarian nuclear plant. Intelligence sources said the Bulgarian’s report was “credible” (Nathan/Leppard, Sunday Times/Nuclear Control Institute, Oct. 14).
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