Threat Assessment:  Officials Warn of Terrorist Attacks in Europe

France’s chief terrorism investigator warned today a war in Iraq would most likely spark terrorist attacks across Europe (see GSN, Jan. 27).

“It cannot be excluded that in the next few months there will be a chemical attack, with hundreds of dead,” said Judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere (John Leicester, Associated Press, Jan. 29).

Meanwhile, a London court today refused bail to Mouloud Bouhrama, the 31-year-old was charged with conspiring to develop or produce a chemical weapon in connection with the unfolding British ricin investigation, CNN.com reported.

Bouhrama, who was arrested last week, denied the charge, according to CNN.com.  The court ordered that he be held until Feb. 5.

Also today, the Greater Manchester police said they arrested three men, bringing the total of those arrested in connection to the ricin to 12, including Bouhrama.  Authorities discovered the deadly poison in a London apartment earlier this month.  The three new suspects were taken to Scotland Yard for questioning by anti-terrorism officers (CNN.com, Jan. 29).

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Czech Response:  Reinforcements Arrive in Kuwait

Ahead of a possible conflict in Iraq, the Czech Republic Monday sent fresh supplies and reinforcements to its special WMD unit based in Kuwait (see GSN, Jan. 24).

An additional 107 troops are scheduled to bolster the 251 soldiers already stationed at Camp Doha.

The Czech force is committed to take part in any potential action against Iraq, as long as the action is approved by the United Nations, according to the Czech news agency CTK.  If the United States acts without a U.N. mandate, the Czech forces will respond only to attacks in Kuwait, CTK reported.

The United States asked the Czech Republic to step up its force in the area and Washington is helping to pay for the reinforcements, according to Craig Stapleton, the U.S. ambassador in Prague (Prague CTK, Jan. 27 in FBIS-EEU, Jan. 27).

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European Response:  Police Crack European Chemical Terrorist Network

Law enforcement and intelligence forces across Europe have broken up an alleged terrorist ring that was planning an imminent wave of chemical attacks, according to Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar (Sharrock/McGrory, London Times, Jan. 25).

It was reported last week that North African terrorism suspects recently arrested in the United Kingdom might have been planning to poison a British military base’s food supply with ricin (see GSN, Jan. 24).

Referring to Spanish arrests Friday of 16 suspected al-Qaeda operatives (see GSN, Jan. 24), Aznar said, “Police have broken up a major terrorist network … linked in this case to the criminal organization of [al-Qaeda leader Osama] bin Laden,” the Washington Post reported.

“The network had connections with terrorists recently arrested in France and the United Kingdom, and they were preparing attacks with explosives and chemical materials,” he added (see GSN, Dec. 30, 2002; Peter Finn, Washington Post, Jan. 25).

Police arrested five Moroccans in northern Italy Thursday, the London Times reported Saturday.

“I am very pleased that in the catches in Italy and Spain that they have been able to get the arrests,” said British Home Secretary David Blunkett.  “We’ll learn from it very quickly and obviously, we will take whatever steps are necessary to protect ourselves in the U.K.” (Sharrock/McGrory, London Times, Jan. 25).

Chemical Suits Discovered

British authorities discovered chemical protection suits during a recent raid on a north London mosque, Australia’s Adelaide Advertiser reported.

Detectives kept the discovery secret amid fears that the disclosure would incite panic, according to the Advertiser.

Police are conducting tests to determine if there are any chemical traces on the suits, detectives said (Adelaide Advertiser, Jan. 27).

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Trinidad:  Islamic Militants Threaten Attacks on United States, United Kingdom

An Islamic militant group based in Trinidad has threatened chemical attacks against U.S. and British interests in the country in the event of a war with Iraq, the Trinidad Express reported yesterday.

“With our weapons we are going reach you.  We will reach you where you sleep, we will reach you where you take your baths, we will reach you where you take your meals and have your drinks, even a glass of water you hold in your hand to drink may not be safe,” said a statement from the group, which describes itself as “a revolutionary ideological movement.”

Two Express staff members were taken to a secret location operated by the group, measuring about 15 feet by 15 feet and located underground, according to the Express.  The location housed a number of chemicals in both liquid and powder forms.  A man at the location, who said he was qualified as a chemical engineer, described some of the materials, which included potash, borax, heavy metal pellets and sulphate of heavy metal pellets, the Express reported.  The heavy metal pellets, described as cobalt, could be combined with other chemicals to make a number of fatal toxins, the man said.

“Once you know your way around the chemical industry it is easy to source these chemicals.  In fact, nearly all of what we use can be found in domestic or industrial use.  The key to the operation is connectivity,” the man said.

The group said it had been producing and storing chemical weapons for the past two years.  There are several additional laboratories currently in operation, which have produced and stored weapons, the group said.

The Trinidadian customs agency has no special method for tracking or verifying chemical imports, an official said. 

“Anybody can import anything to use for any purpose and the customs is helpless,” the official said.  “And we don’t pay much attention to many chemicals because there are no duties attached,” the official added (Darryl Heerlal, Trinidad Express, Jan. 26).

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