Global Security Newswire

British intelligence chiefs are positive that Islamic terrorists will target London or another major western city with a radiological “dirty bomb” or another type of weapon of mass destruction, the Sunday Daily Telegraph reported yesterday (see GSN, March 29, 2004).

Eliza Manningham-Buller, director general of the British intelligence service MI5, said in 2003 that al-Qaeda previously possessed the technical know-how to produce an “unconventional weapon.”

Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and other operatives of the terrorist group have threatened to use such weapon. An Algerian man connected to al-Qaeda was sentenced to 17 years in prison last year for a foiled poison plot (see GSN, April 18, 2005; Sean Rayment, The Sunday Telegraph, June 25).

Meanwhile, the military group linked to the Palestinian Fatah political party said yesterday that it would use biological and chemical weapons against Israel in the event of an invasion of Gaza, Israel Today reported.

A letter sent by the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades to the Ramattan News Agency said: “With the help of Allah, we are pleased to say that we succeeded in developing different types of biological and chemical weapons, this after a three-year effort.

“We say to (Israeli Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert and (Defense Minister Amir) Peretz: Your threats of invasion do not frighten us. We will surprise you with new weapons you have not faced until now. As soon as an [Israeli Defense Force] soldier sets foot on Gazan land, we will respond with a new weapon” (Israel Today, June 26).