Senior al-Qaeda operative Ayman al-Zawahri (left) has claimed in an interview with a Pakistani journalist that the terrorist organization has purchased suitcase-size nuclear weapons (AFP photo/HO-Al-Jazeera Qatar Out). Al-Qaeda Claims to Have “Suitcase” Nuclear Weapons Al-Qaeda claims to have obtained nuclear weapons in Central Asia, according to a Pakistani journalist who has written a biography of the terrorist organization’s second-highest ranking official, Ayman al-Zawahri, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Feb. 24)...Full Story

Iraq War based on ``Lies and Misinterpretation,” Carter Says U.S. and British leaders declared war on Iraq knowing that intelligence backing their allegations that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction was questionable at best, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Friday (see GSN, March 17)...Full Story

Board Questions Safety at Nuclear Weapons Factory The U.S. Energy Department overlooked the severity of a fire in a building full of plutonium, a federal watchdog agency charged in a report hammering safety procedures at a former nuclear weapons factory in Colorado, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Aug. 20, 2003)...Full Story

	Monday, March 22, 2004

Former U.S. Counterrterrorism Official Accuses Bush Administration of Seeking Nonexistent Links Between Iraq, Al-Qaeda A former top White House counterterrorism official has accused the Bush administration of trying to intimidate him and other officials into finding a link between al-Qaeda and prewar Iraq, despite U.S. intelligence assessments that no such connection existed, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, March 8). In an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes, former White House counterterrorism coordinator Richard Clarke said that following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, he was asked by President George W. Bush to learn whether Iraq had been involved. “Now he never said, ‘Make it up.’ But the entire conversation left me in absolutely no doubt that George Bush wanted me to come back with a report that said, ‘Iraq did this,’” said Clarke. “He came back at me and said, ‘Iraq! Saddam!  Find out if there’s a connection,’ and in a very intimidating way,” Clarke added. Also in an interview with 60 Minutes, deputy national security adviser Stephen Hadley said there was no evidence that the conversation Clarke recounted had occurred, according to the Associated Press. When Hadley was told by 60 Minutes that two people had supported Clarke’s account, he responded, “I stand on what I said … but the point I think we’re missing in this is, of course the president wanted to know if there was any evidence linking Iraq to 9/11” (Associated Press/Salon.com, March 22). Clarke resigned from his White House position in March 2003. His book being published today, Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror, criticizes the Bush administration for ignoring the threat posed by al-Qaeda to focus more on the overthrow of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.  Among the charges included in Clarke’s book is an allegation that national security adviser Condoleezza Rice gave “the impression that she had never heard the term” al-Qaeda “when she first took office,” according to the New York Times. Clarke also wrote that Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz repeatedly “belittled” the al-Qaeda threat and had argued that Iraq was responsible for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and must have had helped al-Qaeda conduct the Sept. 11 attacks because they were “too sophisticated and complicated” for a terrorist group to conduct alone. In an interview yesterday, White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett said Clarke’s allegations were “politically motivated,” “reckless” and “baseless.” “If Dick Clarke had such grave concerns about the direction of the war on terror, why did he stay on the team as long as he did, and why did he wait till the beginning of a presidential campaign to speak out?” Bartlett said (Judith Miller, New York Times, March 22). Back to top       French Terrorist Suspect Helped Plan Attack Against Australia A suspected terrorist now being held in France reportedly spent months helping plan an attack of “great size” in Australia, with the target possibly being Australia’s sole nuclear power plant, Agence France-Presse reported today (see GSN, June 11, 2003). Terrorist suspect Willie Brigitte was deported from Australia to France in October. According to a French dossier, Brigitte was found to have worked with an “informal” terrorist cell in Sydney believed to be linked to the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba, AFP reported.  The French dossier said that Brigitte told authorities that the terrorist cell was to prepare “a terrorist act of great size,” according to AFP. Possible targets included the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor in Sydney, as well as military bases and a U.S. electronic listening station in central Australia (Agence France-Presse, Expatica, March 22). Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers in Australia have criticized the government’s plan to conduct a review of maritime security, according to the Canberra Times (Andrew Fraser, Canberra Times, March 22). Back to top

Iraq War based on ``Lies and Misinterpretation,” Carter Says U.S. and British leaders declared war on Iraq knowing that intelligence backing their allegations that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction was questionable at best, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Friday (see GSN, March 17). “That was a war based on lies and misinterpretation from London and from Washington, claiming falsely that Saddam Hussein was responsible for (the) 9/11 attacks, claiming falsely that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction,” Carter said in an interview with the London Independent. “And I think that President [George W.] Bush and Prime Minister [Tony] Blair probably knew that many of the allegations were based on uncertain evidence,” Carter added (Andrew Buncombe, London Independent, March 22). Meanwhile, British envoy to Iraq Jeremy Greenstock said Saturday that he believes evidence of prewar Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction will still be found, despite the fact that no WMD stockpiles have yet been discovered, according to the Associated Press. “I remain convinced that the judgment a year ago that [former Iraqi President] Saddam [Hussein] was hiding something ... I still remain convinced of that,” Greenstock said. “We knew that Saddam had programs, and the evidence is still there that he did,” he added. Greenstock also said that the Iraq Survey Group “still has got a lot of work to do, as I think we will see from their next report” (Michael McDonough, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, March 21). Back to top

Al-Qaeda Claims to Have “Suitcase” Nuclear Weapons Al-Qaeda claims to have obtained nuclear weapons in Central Asia, according to a Pakistani journalist who has written a biography of the terrorist organization’s second-highest ranking official, Ayman al-Zawahri, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Feb. 24). In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corp. set to be broadcast today, Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir said al-Zawahri claimed that “smart briefcase bombs” were available for purchase on the international black market. According to Mir, al-Zawahri said, “If you have $30 million, go to the black market in central Asia, contact any disgruntled Soviet scientist, and a lot of ... smart briefcase bombs are available.” “They have contacted us, we sent our people to Moscow, to Tashkent, to other central Asian states and they negotiated, and we purchased some suitcase bombs,” Mir quoted al-Zawahri as saying (Associated Press/London Guardian, March 21). It is unlikely, but not impossible, that al-Qaeda has obtained a nuclear weapon, security experts said in a Reuters article. More probable is that the organization would develop a “dirty bomb” that would spread radioactive material over a limited area (Reuters/Yahoo!News, March 21). Back to top       Board Questions Safety at Nuclear Weapons Factory The U.S. Energy Department overlooked the severity of a fire in a building full of plutonium, a federal watchdog agency charged in a report hammering safety procedures at a former nuclear weapons factory in Colorado, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Aug. 20, 2003). The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board said the Energy Department reported a small May 2003 fire at the closed Rocky Flats nuclear weapons facility, but upon further investigation the blaze was revealed to have involved 15-foot flames. Workers at the scene compounded the risk by pouring water on the fire, which could have led to a fatal radioactive flash. The board also discovered that employees turned the building fans to exhaust, possibly releasing radiation from the building, according to the Associated Press. The board said Rocky Flats firefighters, who have plutonium fire training, did not arrive at the scene for 11 minutes because workers called their boss first. “We lost our edge on being vigilant here,” said Paul Golan, chief operating officer for environmental management at the Energy Department. “I personally was disappointed it happened. We are going to have to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he added. The board said that the Energy Department, which is supervising independent contractor Kaiser-Hill’s dismantling of the highly contaminated plant, allowed a “wholesale breakdown” in safety. It also called the department’s supervision of Kaiser-Hill ineffective for failing to notice repeated safety violations. Department officials in Washington admitted there were “significant deficiencies” by Kaiser-Hill and Energy Department employees in Colorado. They said they have begun an independent safety review of Rocky Flats, as requested by the board. The Rocky Flats site was cleared of its last remaining weapon-grade plutonium in August and is set to be transformed into a wildlife refuge (Associated Press, March 22). Back to top       U.S. Official Addresses “Misunderstandings” About U.S. Nuclear Intentions By David Ruppe Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON ð–Bush administration intentions regarding its controversial nuclear weapons research and development polices have been misunderstood, a senior administration official said in congressional testimony Thursday (See GSN, March 10). The mistaken view is that the administration plans to develop new nuclear weapons – low-yield weapons and more reliable bunker busters, Ambassador Linton Brooks, chief of the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), told a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. Brooks said that is not the case, and said he contributed to the misunderstanding by sending a “poorly written” letter last year urging the national nuclear weapons laboratories to take advantage of a repeal of a 1993 ban on research and development that could lead to developing advanced low-yield nuclear weapons. “My memorandum did not direct the conduct of research aimed at developing new weapons, but it was poorly written and invited misinterpretation and I apologize for the confusion. We intend to use the advanced concept funds to investigate new ideas, but not necessarily new weapons,” he said. Brooks also said that while the administration projected future budgets for possible development of a high-yield weapon called the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator weapon, no decision had been made to develop it and congressional approval would be required first to do so. Brooks’ testimony was warmly received by a leading House critic of those nuclear efforts, Representative Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.). “This is some of the best testimony that I’ve seen, period, but certainly the best from you. And I really appreciate your clarification on your memo,” she said. Low-Yield Controversy Critics argue that repealing the 1993 ban could lead to developing new low-yield weapons for destroying underground bunkers and chemical and biological agents, which would be more likely used in war, require resumed nuclear testing and undermine nonproliferation efforts. The administration sought the removal of the law, known as the Precision Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons Development provision, to eliminate unintended restrictions it created on higher-yield research, Brooks said. “As I stated in that memorandum, the removal of this provision, which was supported by this committee, allows us to explore advanced concepts without an artificial constraint,” he said. Administration officials previously acknowledged, though, the repeal also was sought in part to allow basic research on low-yield weapons (See GSN, Sept. 3, 2003).  Arms Control Association Executive Director Daryl Kimball said Brooks’ testimony was intentionally ambiguous about the purpose of the repeal. “They’re using a kind of phraseology to take the edge off,” he said. “The repeal … opens up the possibility that these ideas that they’re exploring may become designs. While they may not have any plans to develop and produce, they are in the process of conducting research on new, low-yield nuclear weapons designs,” he said. Brooks’ memo, dated Dec. 5, 2003, shortly after the repeal, said scientists were “free to explore a range of technical options that could strengthen our ability to deter, or respond to new or emerging threats, without any concern that some ideas could violate a vague and arbitrary limitation.” It urged the laboratories to “take advantage of this opportunity to ensure that we close any gaps that may have opened this past decades [sic] in our understanding of the possible military applications of atomic energy.” It prompted a Jan. 22 rebuke from key House Appropriations Committee members David Hobson (R-Ohio) and Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.). “Although we find your actions unhelpful, they are at least instructive in gauging the actual intent of the Advanced Concepts work proposed by the administration; we will view future proposals from the department with this memorandum in mind,” they wrote Brooks. Earth Penetrator Intentions Brooks also testified that “no decisions” had been made by the administration on whether to pursue the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator program, which is studying the feasibility of modifying existing warheads to increase reliability after impacting the earth. A recent Congressional Research Service report said the administration this year forecast budgets for developing the weapon following the study. “We included funds in our out year projections only to preserve the president’s option. No decisions will be made until the study is completed. The law is very clear that beginning developmental engineering requires congressional approval,” Brooks said. He said, though, there is “a clear military utility” for the capability, “which is why the Department of Defense asked us to study it.” Kimball said Brooks’ testimony indicated the administration would like to develop the weapon. “Even though they have not made a formal decision to move ahead … the administration wants to build this weapon, and that comes across pretty clearly. That comes across in the testimony,” he said. Brooks said advanced concepts work also includes a study to examine the feasibility of adapting an existing nuclear warhead to provide a cruise missile capability that would incorporate enhanced safety and use controls, and an assessment of the feasibility of improving warhead reliability without testing. It might also, pending a review, examine the utility of using nuclear weapons to destroy chemical and biological agents, Brooks said. Back to top       ElBaradei Says He’s Still Skeptical on Iran Nuclear Program International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohammed ElBaradei said yesterday that Iran’s history of secrecy makes him skeptical about its nuclear intentions, Associated Press reports (see GSN, March 18). “There’s still a lot of skepticism that something might be hidden,” ElBaradei said. While he said IAEA has made “very good progress” in uncovering the details of the Iranian program, doubts linger because “it’s a program that has been undeclared for over 15 years.” He said he hopes to visit Iran in coming weeks, and that it is essential that Iran cooperate fully with inspections. “Transparency is an absolute key if they want to clear their name, and for us to be able to conclude that the program is completely for peaceful purposes,” he said. He added that he plans to have a more complete assessment of Iran’s nuclear activities when he gives his next report to the IAEA Board of Governors in June (Associated Press/Yahoo!News, March 21). Meanwhile, U.S. national security adviser Condoleezza Rice told CNN Friday that a U.S. dialogue with Iran would not be productive. “The Iranians know very well, through all kinds of channels and public statements, what our problems are in the relationship,” Rice said. “So I don’t think anybody needs to have a conversation with the Iranians, because they know what the problem is,” she added (CNN, March 19). Iran’s official news agency fired back on Saturday, saying Rice’s statement was “another example of contradictory and noncoherent stances in the American policy-making apparatus” (BBC Monitoring/IRNA, March 21). Back to top       Pakistan to Maintain Nuclear Program, Official Says The recent test of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile demonstrates Pakistan’s intention to maintain its nuclear weapons program, Pakistani Defense Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal said yesterday (see GSN, March 18; Radio Pakistan/BBC Monitoring, March 22). Meanwhile, the Indian Foreign Ministry said that New Delhi is “disappointed” that the United States did not inform India about its decision to designate Pakistan as a “major non-NATO ally,” according to the Associated Press. The U.S. decision to elevate military ties with Pakistan has “significant implications” for U.S.-Indian relations, Foreign Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said. “We are studying the details of this decision. … We are in touch with the U.S. government in this regard,” Sarna said (Rajesh Mahapatra, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, March 21). Back to top

Bioterror Remains Among Top U.S. Security Concerns U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge will today announce new railway security initiatives in the wake of last week’s bombings in Spain, but the agency’s focus will remain on bioterrorism and aviation security, USA Today reported (see GSN, March 2). Despite the concern caused by the Madrid bombing, officials said they will continue to focus on the kinds of attacks likely to do the most damage. “It’s very important that we do not simply react to an incident that happens anywhere in the world,” said Asa Hutchinson, border and transportation security chief at the Department of Homeland Security. He said that in allocating taxpayers’ money “you have to measure the threat, the damage, the harm to the economy and to society.” A bioterrorism attack with smallpox, plague, Ebola or another deadly agent remains at the top of the list of concerns faced by Homeland Security, according to USA Today. Such an attack could kill hundreds of thousands of people. The United States has spent nearly $11 billion since the Sept. 11 attacks in developing vaccines and other responses to a potential biological attack. First on the list of transportation safety issues remains aviation. Intelligence officials said al-Qaeda is still focusing on using airplanes as weapons. The United States has spent more than $12 billion on aviation security since 2001. Hutchinson told the House Homeland Security Committee, members of which expressed concern about rail safety in light of the Madrid bombing, that the Bush administration will not seek additional funding for rail security. “An airplane can be used as a weapon,” Hutchinson said. “A train cannot be hurled through the air in the same fashion,” he added. He said spending more on rail security would mean cutting money from other programs. “Whenever you shift resources, you’ve got to be careful that you don’t leave something (else) in a vulnerable state,” he said (Mimi Hall, USA Today, March 22). Back to top

OPCW Inspectors Complete Initial Libyan Inspection Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons inspectors have verified Libya’s chemical weapons holdings included in its declaration earlier this month (see GSN, March 8). Agency officials completed an initial inspection Friday of Libya’s chemical weapons program. The inspectors inventoried all of Libya’s declared chemical weapons and verified that the weapons and related equipment have been secured, the OPCW said.  Libya has submitted a plan for the destruction of its chemical weapons stockpiles. The plan will be implemented under international verification after being reviewed by organization members (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons release, March 22). Back to top

New York Fire Department Unveils “Terror School” New York City firefighters are studying how to respond to doomsday scenarios in the city’s new terror school, the New York Daily News reported today (see GSN, March 15). Since Jan. 13, a class of 33 students — fire chiefs, captains, marshals and medics — have been studying secretly at the Fire Academy on Randalls Island in a course developed by instructors at West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center. The students attend lectures by nuclear, radiological and biochemical warfare experts. Topics covered in the class include suicide attacks and radiological or “dirty” bombs. “It is all but inevitable that some type of dirty bomb will explode somewhere within the next coming years,” Charles Ferguson, a nuclear and radiological terrorism expert, told the class recently. Firefighters learn to think like terrorists by devising their own “terrorist plots,” and then developing response procedures, the Daily News said. Students are divided into eight groups, and each creates a scenario detailing a different type of terror strike, after having studied a profile of a terrorist group and its tactics, as well as its particular weapon of choice. Examples include a suicide bombing on a crowded city corner and a chemical attack in a subway. “We’re actually playing the role of the bad guy because that’s the only way we can understand our vulnerabilities and the magnitude of the damage a certain attack may cause,” said Joseph Pfeifer, deputy assistant fire chief of operations. “Unless we get into the mind of the enemy, unless we start thinking like the enemy, it’s very hard to ready ourselves. We’re learning about evil, and more than ever, we’re realizing that knowledge is power,” he added. The groups’ projects and recommendations, to be presented to the faculty prior to the April 27 graduation, will be used by the department’s Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness to overhaul emergency training and response procedures. The center is a counterterrorism unit in Queens funded by a Homeland Security grant. The Fire Department received 160 applications this year for the terror school, and plans to make it an annual program (Fernanda Santos, New York Daily News, March 22).         Back to top

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