It has been widely established by counter-terror agencies around the world, that terror groups remain highly interested in such “dirty playthings” writes Defense-Update.com analyst David Eshel in today’s post. Al Qaeda’s senior leadership has publicly expressed a desire to acquire some weapons of mass destruction, including radiological weapons, with which to attack western states. Since September 11, U.S. officials have recovered many documents detailing al Qaeda’s pursuit of such weapons.
Just two weeks ago, Adnan el-Shukrijumah, 35, an American citizen, high on the FBI’s most-wanted list, was named as an accomplice in the New York subway bomb plot with Najibullah Zazi, an 25 year Afghan-born al Qaeda weapons expert, residing in Colorado. He was arrested in 2009, charged with conspiracy to commit murder with weapons of mass destruction. Meanwhile, Shukrijumah a trained nuclear technician, is still a fugitive, hunted by the US Intelligence agencies offering $5 million for for information leading directly to the capture. He was allegedly tasked by al Qaeda with carrying off a so-called “American Hiroshima”, having sought radioactive material from a university in Ontario, Canada. News reports alleged that this was an attempt to construct a “dirty bomb”.
More on the ‘Dirty Bomb’ plot in today’s Defense Update News Analysis: “A ‘Dirty Bomb’ Is Currently al Qaeda’s Favorite Weapon“
