Hamas:  New Attacks May Be More Sophisticated, Officials Fear

Israeli intelligence officials believe the militant Islamic organization Hamas is attempting to obtain lethal chemicals for use in suicide bombs, the London Times reported today (see GSN, Dec. 17).

Israeli hospitals are on alert for chemical weapons in all future suicide bombings and teams with detector vans will be dispatched to bomb blast sites, the Times reported. 

Two men, Jassar Samaru and Nassim Abu Rus, are believed to be responsible for the development of chemical suicide bombs, according to the Times.  Israeli intelligence officials believe Samaru and Rus created the crude bombs used last month in attacks in Jerusalem, Haifa and Emmanuel. 

The men are believed to be based in the West Bank city of Nablus, the Times reported.  Some of the equipment they use to create bombs was likely obtained through the al-Naja University in Nablus, according to a senior Israeli security source.

“These two are at the very top of the wanted list of terrorists given to Yassir Arafat,” the source said.  “Every major suicide bomb has been built by these two men.”

The Web site of the military wing of Hamas claimed its new weapon has caused “a situation of fear in the Zionist security services.”  Hamas has also said on its Web site it has not used more advanced chemical weapons attacks due to fears of Israeli reprisals (Daniel McGrory, London Times, Jan. 2).

Back to top

U.S.-Russia:  U.S. to Help Fund Russian Chemical Destruction

The Bush administration announced Dec. 27 that the United States would increase its support of Russian efforts to destroy chemical weapons.  The policy could accelerate efforts to build a high-tech destruction facility at Shchuchye, in Russia’s Kurgan region.

The U.S. Congress last month approved $35 million to start building the facility after the House Armed Services Committee had ended its opposition to the funding earlier last year.  In return for the funds, U.S. lawmakers required certain conditions such as financial contributions from other countries and information from Russia about its chemical stockpiles (see GSN, Dec. 20).

Russia so far has allocated $50 million for access roads and other infrastructure related to the project (Mike Allen, Washington Post, Dec. 28).

The United Kingdom agreed Dec. 20 to provide $17 million over the next three years for chemical and biological nonproliferation programs in Russia (see GSN, Dec. 12).  The agreement includes funds for constructing water supply infrastructure at the Shchuchye facility (Jane Merrick, Press Association, Dec. 20).

Meanwhile, Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Avdeyev met with Swiss diplomat Franz Von Daeniken last month to discuss further cooperation to destroy Russia’s chemical weapons (Natalya Lenskaya, ITAR-Tass, Dec. 20).

Back to top

About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines

HOME  |  CONTACT US  |  GET INVOLVED  |  SITE MAP