Intelligence Warns of Attack on House of Commons

There is “clear intelligence” that al-Qaeda could be planning to use ricin or anthrax to attack the British House of Commons, members were warned yesterday (see GSN, April 7).

Leader of the Commons Peter Hain said his information came from MI5 Director General Eliza Manningham-Buller. 

“If an al-Qaeda group managed to throw a vial of anthrax or ricin into the chamber, or even worse a suicide agent released it without anybody noticing, which we have been advised is quite feasible, the particles would immediately begin spreading throughout the chamber,” Hain said. “Because of the way the air flows work, within minutes total contamination could occur,” he added.

The Commons already had installed a temporary screen against chemical or biological attacks in front of the public viewing gallery, and members of Parliament yesterday approved erecting a $2.3 million permanent barrier (Ben Russell, London Independent, April 23).

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