The al-Qaeda terror network can build "dirty" chemical and radiological bombs and appears ready to use them, the Los Angeles Timessaid this morning, quoting US counter-terrorism authorities.
The information was a factor in yesterday's decision to increase the domestic threat level, according to the newspaper.
A "dirty" bomb involves radioactive or chemical material wrapped around conventional explosives. The bomb is designed to contaminate and poison people by spreading the toxic material.
Al-Qaeda operatives have succeeded in building such bombs, the Times reports, quoting unnamed US and coalition officials who base their information on intelligence obtained in Afghanistan, intercepted communications and interrogations.
"They haven't got access to nuclear," the official said after meeting with US counterterrorism authorities and White House officials in Washington, according to the Times.
"But they have got the capability of creating so-called dirty bombs. And they have made some experiments with chemical and biological (agents). We have some information that they were active with these things," the official said.
One senior US counter-terrorism official told the paper that said some electronic intercepts specifically mentioned an interest in using "dirty" bombs, but it was unclear that they actually had any.
The US government yesterday put the nation on the second-highest state of alert for a possible terrorist attack, warning of new threats from al-Qaeda amid a massive military buildup in the Gulf region.
AFP