I stopped keeping track of the thwarted attacks back in late 05, early 06. Sorry, but we can give thanks that the military, intelligence, cooperation with allies, and law enforcement agencies have prevented all these attacks:
circa 9/13/01 attack on US embassy in Paris and NATO HQ in Brussels
9/19/01 Russian intelligence allegedly blocks a deal in which a Pakistani firm controlled by Bin Ladin attempted to purchase Soviet-origin uranium. Earl Lane and Knut Royce, “Nuclear Aspirations? Sources: Bin Laden Tried to Obtain Enriched Uranium,” Newsday, 19 September 2001
circa 10/5/01 anthrax attacks
10/8/01 attack on U.S. embassy and Eagle Base airfield, used by some 3,000 U.S. peacekeepers in Bosnia thwarted
10/14/01 Ivan Ivanov claims he met Bin Ladin just over the Pakistani border in China, and discussed setting up an environmental company to buy nuclear waste. Ivanov was then approached by a Pakistani chemical engineer interested in buying nuclear fuel rods from the Bulgarian Kozlodui reactor. Adam Nathan and David Leppard, “al-Qa`ida’s men held secret meetings to build ‘dirty bomb’,” Sunday Times (London), 14 October 2001
10/20/01 Various reports describe Muhammad Atta, the leader of the September 11 hijackers, meeting in Prague with an Iraqi intelligence agent, who allegedly gave him a vial of anthrax. This claim, originally made by foreign intelligence sources, was later contested by the Czech government. Compare “FBI Overlooks Iraq’s Connections to Anthrax Attacks,” Newsmax; Kriendler & Kreindler 9/11 lawsuit; “Prague Discounts an Iraqi Meeting,” New York Times, 21 October 2001; “Czechs retract Iraq terror link,” UPI, 20 October 2001
10/28/01 Ahmad Rassam, arrested in a plot to bomb LAX, testifies that Bin Laden is personally interested in using low-flying aircraft to dispense BW agents. Bin Laden’s Biological Threat, BBC, 28 October 2001
circa 11/1/01 In an interview, Bin Ladin claims “We have chemical and nuclear weapons as a deterrent and if America used them against us we reserve the right to use them.” Hamid Mir, “Osama Claims He Has Nukes: If US Uses N-Arms it Will Get Same Response,” Dawn (Pakistan), 10 November 2001
11/10/01 In an interview with a Pakistani newspaper reporter, Usama bin Ladin states that “we have chemical and nuclear weapons as a deterrent, and if America used them against us we reserve the right to use them.” Hamid Mir, “Osama claims he has nukes: If US uses N-arms it will get same response,” Dawn [Pakistan], 10 November 2001
11/12/01 Two Pakistani scientists allegedly share nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons information with Bin Ladin, and thereby learn of radiological material given to him by the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. They tell Bin Ladin that there is insufficient material for use as a weapon. Toby Harnden, Rogue Scientists Gave bin Laden Nuclear Secrets,” Daily Telegraph (London), 13 December 2001; Peter Baker, “Pakistani Scientist Who Met Bin Laden Failed Polygraphs, Renewing Suspicions,” Washington Post, 3 March 2002; Susan B. Glasser and Kamran Khan, “Pakistan Continues Probe of Nuclear Scientists,” Washington Post, 14 November 2001
11/14/01 al-Qa`ida reportedly acquires a Russian-made suitcase nuclear weapon from Central Asian sources. The device is reported to weigh 8 kg and to possess at least 2 kg of fissionable uranium and plutonium. The report said the device, with a serial number of 9999 and a manufacturing date of October 1998, could be set off by a mobile phone signal. N-weapons May be in US Already, Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia), 14 November 2001
11/19/01 A Times (London) reporter discovers a blueprint for a “Nagasaki bomb” in files found in an abandoned al-Qa`ida house in Kabul, Afghanistan. Nuke Plans Found; Brit Paper Discovers Details of Weapons in Kabul Safe House, Toronto Sun, 15 November 2001; Hugh Dougherty, “Afghan Nuclear Weapons Papers ‘May Be Internet Spoofs’,” Press Association, 19 November 2001
11/28/01 The Kabul office of Pakistani scientist Mehmood is reportedly found to contain documents indicating an interest in anthrax, including calculations concerning the aerial dispersal of anthrax via balloon, and an Associated Press photo showed something at the anthrax vaccine laboratory described as “anthrax spore concentrate”. “Sketches of anthrax bomb found in
Pakistani scientist’s office, Rediff.com, 28 November 2001”
circa 12/1/01 Dirty bomb attack on London
circa 12/1/01 A reporter purchases two computers from a looter in Kabul, Afghanistan, that had been found in an abandoned al-Qa`ida office. The U.S. government confirms the existence of the computers. One of the computers allegedly contains a file describing “plans to launch a chemical and biological weapons program.” Bin Ladin’s deputy al-Zawahiri reportedly created computer documents describing his CW and BW program, codenamed “Curdled Milk,” which included work on a pesticide/nerve agent that used a chemical to increase absorption and was tested on rabbits and dogs. He was assisted by Midhat al-Mursi / Abu Khabbab, a chemical engineer. Alan Culluson and Andrew Higgins, “Computer in Kabul holds chilling memos,” Wall Street Journal, 31 December 2001; “Report: Al Qaeda Computer Had Plans for Bio-Weapons,” Reuters, 21 December 2001
circa 12/1/01 In December 2001, Yazid Sufaat was arrested in Malaysia for terrorist activities as a member of Jemaah Islamiyah. According to subsequent interrogations of two captured terrorists, Khalid Shaykh Muhammad of al-Qa’ida and Hambali of Jamaah Islamiyah, Sufaat was part of a plan to obtain and weaponize biological warfare agents. Jamaah Islamiyah maintains close ties to al-Qa’ida. Maria Ressa, “Reports: Al Qaeda [sic] Operative Sought Anthrax,” CNN, 10 October 2003; Judith Miller, “U.S. Has New Concerns About Anthrax Readiness,” New York Times, 28 December 2003; “Yazid Sufaat,” The Open Source Threat Network Database, 26 January 2004.
12/9/01 U.S. operatives in Afghanistan allegedly discover evidence indicating that one or more Russian scientists were helping al-Qa`ida weaponize anthrax. Jeffrey Bartholet, “Terrorist Sleeper Cells,” Newsweek, 9 December 2001
12/10/01 Reports claim that al-Zawahiri’s home in Kabul tested positive (perhaps falsely) for traces of anthrax, as did five of nineteen al-Qa`ida labs in Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda: Anthrax Found in al-Qaeda home, Global Security Newswire, 10 December 2001; Judith Miller, “Labs Suggest Qaeda Planned to Build Arms, Officials Say,” New York Times, 14 September 2002
circa 1/1/02 Arabian Gulf Shipping attacks per WH site
circa 1/1/02 Buffalo Six
circa 1/1/02 Straits of Hormuz attacks on Shipping per WH site
circa 1/1/02 attacks on US using hijacked aircraft per WH site
circa 1/1/02 LAX Attack
circa 1/1/02 Singapore attack on Carl Vinson etc
circa 1/1/02 2002 Bush Assn attempt
circa 1/1/02 Documents found in Afghanistan ostensibly reveal that al-Qa`ida was doing research on using botulinum toxin to kill 2,000 people. Al Qaeda tested germ weapons, Reuters, 1 January 2002
1/31/02 Diagrams of U.S. nuclear power plants are found in abandoned al-Qa`ida camps and facilities in Afghanistan. Bill Gertz, “Nuclear Plants Targeted,” Washington Times, 31 January 2002; John J. Lumpkin, “Diagrams Show Interest in Nuke Plants,” Associated Press, 30 January 2002
2/1/02 An apparent plot by nine Moroccans to poison the water supply of the U.S. Embassy in Rome using a cyanide compound is foiled by Italian police. Eric Croddy et. al., “Chemical Terrorist Plot in Rome?” CNS Research Story, 11 March 2002
2/20/02 Zarqawi chem attack in Italy foiled
2/26/02 No evidence was discovered in Afghanistan that al-Qa`ida possesses nuclear weapons, raising the question whether al-Qa`ida might have been tricked into buying metal containers with phony nuclear symbols filled with worthless material. Thom Shanker, “US Analysts Find No Sign bin Laden Had Nuclear Arms,” New York Times, 26 February 2002
3/22/02 US forces discover a BW laboratory under construction near Kandahar that was abandoned by al-Qa`ida. It was allegedly being built to produce anthrax, but no biological agents or traces thereof were found in the facility. Dominic Evans, “US Troops Found Afghan Biological Lab,” Reuters, 22 March 2002; Michael R. Gordon, “US Says it Found Qaeda Lab Being Built to Produce Anthrax,” New York Times, 23 March 2002
4/22/02 Abu Zubayda claims al-Qa`ida has the interest and know-how to produce a radiological weapon, and the group may already have one in the United States. Jamie McIntyre, “Zubaydah: al Qaeda Had ‘Dirty Bomb’ Know-How,” CNN, 22 April 2002; “Al-Qaeda Claims ‘Dirty Bomb’ Know-How,” BBC, 23 April 2002
6/3/02 al-Qa`ida allegedly attempts to acquire 11 lbs of radioactive thallium from measuring devices on decommissioned Russian submarines, but Russia’s Federal Security Service claims to have blocked the attempt. Insider Notes, United Press International, 3 June 2002
6/23/02 The 11th volume of al-Qa`ida’s 5,000-page Encyclopedia of Jihad is devoted to how to construct CBW. Osama Bin Laden’s bid to acquire weapons of mass destruction represents the greatest threat that Western Civilization has faced, Mail on Sunday (London), 23 June 2002
6/23/02 A so-called “Superbomb” manual, which discusses the advanced physics of nuclear weapons and dirty bombs, is found in Kabul in November 2001. Osama Bin Laden’s bid to acquire weapons of mass destruction represents the greatest threat that Western Civilization has faced, Mail on Sunday (London), 23 June 2002
7/13/02 Among the items seized during the arrest of Sami Uthman, a Lebanese national who moved to the US and became an Imam at a Islamist mosque in Seattle, are papers by London-based al-Qa`ida recruiter Shaykh Abu Hamza al-Masri, firearms, military manuals, and “instructions on poisoning water sources.” Patrick J. McDonnell and Josh Meyer, “Links to Terrorism Probed in Northwest,” Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2002
7/14/02 Islamic extremists, including al-Qa`ida members, are allegedly trained in secret camps near Baghdad in how to use CW and BW by instructors from the secret Iraqi military intelligence Unit 999. Gwynne Roberts, “Militia defector claims Baghdad trained Al-Qaeda fighters in chemical warfare,” Sunday Times (London), 14 July 2002
7/18/02 Stephen Younger, director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, claims that al-Qa`ida’s interest in BWs is focused mainly on anthrax. Weapons Worries, CBS News, 18 July 2002
7/31/02 CNN correspondent Mike Boettcher reports that coalition intelligence agencies have detected several recent purchases of cyanide by al-Qa`ida operatives. Wolf Blitzer Reports, CNN, 31 July 2002
8/19/02 CIA Director George Tenet tells the Senate that Bin Ladin has shown a strong interest in CW and that his operatives have “trained to conduct attacks with toxic chemicals or biological toxins.” Pamela Hess, “Al Qaida may have chemical weapons,” United Press International, 19 August 2002
8/19/02 Ahmad Rassam (an al-Qa`ida terrorist who pleaded guilty to plotting to bomb LAX) claims in court in 2001 that he had witnessed the gassing of a dog with cyanide. Pamela Hess, “Al Qaida May Have Chemical Weapons,” United Press International, 19 August 2002
8/19/02 CNN releases videotapes, allegedly made by al-Qa`ida, showing dogs being killed by unidentified toxic chemicals (experts believe either a crude nerve agent or hydrogen cyanide gas is used). Insight, CNN, 19 August 2002
8/20/02 Iraqi military instructors allegedly trained al-Qa`ida fighters in northern Iraq in the use of CBW agents, and possibly also in the handling of nuclear devices. Between 150 and 250 al-Qa`ida trainees purportedly passed through the training facilities. Abu Nidal’s Nemesis, DEBKA file [Jerusalem], 20 August 2002
8/20/02 Ansar al-Islam is reported to have been experimenting with ricin, a deadly toxin, including on at least one human being. This report is denied by Ansar spokesman Muhammad Hasan Muhammad. US knew of bioterror tests in Iraq, BBC News, 20 August 2002; “US Monitors Kurdish Extremists,” Fox News, 21 August 2002; Isma’il Zayir, “Ansar al-Islam Group Accuses [Jalal] Talabani of Spreading Rumors About Its Cooperation with al-Qa`ida,” Al-Hayah, 22 August 2002
8/25/02 One of the facilities of Ansar al-Islam, a radical Islamist group operating in northern Iraq with ties to al-Qa`ida and Iran, produces a form of cyanide cream (not a WMD) that kills on contact. William Safire, “Tying Saddam to Terrorist Organizations,” New York Times, 25 August 2002
9/8/02 Bin Ladin allegedly buys 48 “suitcase nukes” from the Russian mafiya. Al-Majallah Obtains Serious Information on al-Qa`ida’s Attempt to Acquire Nuclear Arms, Al-Majallah [London-based Saudi weekly], 8 September 2002
9/14/02 Pentagon officials admit that lab equipment found near Kandahar, Afghanistan, supports the assessment that al-Qa`ida might have acquired what it needed for “a very limited production of biological and chemical agents.” Judith Miller, “Lab Suggests Qaeda Planned to Build Arms, Officials Say,” New York Times, 14 September 2002
10/3/02 John Walker Lindh allegedly told interrogators that battlefield rumors suggested that a biological attack was expected to be a “second wave” al-Qa`ida attack. US biological attack imminent — Taliban, iafrica.com, 12 December 2001; “Walker Lindh: Al Qaeda Planned More Attacks,” CNN, 3 October 2002
11/18/02 British security officials arrest three men reportedly plotting a cyanide attack on the London subway. Hala Jaber and Nicholas Rufford, “MI5 foils poison-gas attack on the Tube,” Sunday Times (London), 17 November 2002
circa 12/1/02 possible IIS terror strike on Turkey
12/12/02 The Islamist group Asbat al-Ansar, a Lebanon-based Sunni organization affiliated with al-Qa`ida that is currently operating in northern Iraq, reportedly obtained the nerve agent VX from the Iraqi regime. Barton Gellman, “US Suspects Al Qaeda Got Nerve Agent From Iraqis,” Washington Post, 12 December 2002
circa 1/1/03 attacks on Heathrow per WH site
circa 1/1/03 attacks on Saudi per Mark
circa 1/1/03 attacks on E coast USA per WH site
1/5/03 ricin attacks in UK, France, and poss Italy and Spain
1/9/03 Six Algerians were arrested in London and charged with plotting to produce ricin. Authorities discovered traces of ricin and equipment used to process castor beans in the apartment. According to news sources, the group was plotting to attack a British military base by poisoning the food. Later reports indicate that the substance tested in the apartment was not ricin. Jeffrey Bale, Anjali Bhattacharjee, Eric Croddy, and Richard Pilch, MD, “Ricin Found in London: An al-Qa’ida Connection,” Center for Nonproliferation Studies, 23 January 2002, available at http://cns.miis.edu/iiop/cnsdata?Action=1&Concept=0&Mime=1&collect
1/30/03 British intelligence discovered documents in western Afghanistan which suggest that al-Qa`ida members built a dirty bomb in Afghanistan. British officials also claim that the Taliban provided medical isotopes to al-Qa`ida members to help construct the bomb. U.S. officials cannot substantiate this claim. Ed Johnson, “Report: Al-Qaida Made Bomb in Afghanistan,” Associated Press, 30 January 2003.
1/30/03 With the capture of Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, investigators uncovered detailed information about production plans for chemical and biological weapons. According to captured documents, certain members of al-Qa`ida had plans and the requisite material to manufacture cyanide and two biological toxins, and were close to producing anthrax bacteria. Barton Gellman, “al-Qaida Near Biological, Chemical Arms Production,” Washington Post, 23 March 2003.
circa 2/1/03 Al-Qa’ida operatives allegedly planned to poison U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan and Kuwait. Afghan terrorists allegedly delivered an “unspecified poison” to Afghan nationals who were hired as cooks for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The incident has been tied to the January 2003 arrest of 11 al-Qa’ida suspects in Britain who were reportedly in possession of the biological toxin ricin. Some sources also indicate that the group Ansar al-Islam was involved in this plot to use ricin against U.S. troops. James Gordon, “Feds Find Poison Plot vs. Gulf Troops,” Daily News, 10 February 2003; Mike Toner, “Humble Bean Produces a Deadly Toxin,” Cox News Service, 20 March 2003.
circa 3/1/03 NYC subway chem attack per TIME
circa 3/1/03 Spring Pakistan bombings per WH site
circa 3/1/03 On 20 March 2003, the FBI announced that they were searching for Adnan al- Shukrijuma in connection with the Jose Padilla case. Padilla was arrested May 2002 for plotting to obtain materials in Canada for a dirty bomb. Shukrijuma was identified from documents obtained in connection with the 2002 arrest of Ramzi bin al-Shib, a key 9/11 architect. Bill Gertz, “Al Qaeda Pursued a Dirty Bomb,” Washington Times, 17 October 2003; pg. A1; Entity Record: “Adnan El Shukrijumah,” Sentenial TMS Records: Tracking the Threat, 25 November 2003. Available online at: http://www.trackingthethreat.com/db/ENT1706.htm. Accessed 20 May 2004; Katherine Wexler, “Father Denies Son Linked to Terror,” St. Petersburg Times, 22 March 2003; Scott Wheeler, “Evidence Points to Dirty-Bomb Plot,” Insight Magazine, 29 October 2003.
circa 5/1/03 Yemen bombings thwarted
circa 5/15/03 Kenya flights
6/7/03 After the 2003 Casablanca bombings, a police roundup of Salafia Jihadia exposed a plot by ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Laysh to attack a French nuclear power plant at Cap de la Hague. Additional evidence indicates that members of al-Qa`ida trained Salafia Jihadia for this mission. Martin Arostegui,”Terrorism in Morocco Deeper Than Imagined,” United Press International, 7 June, 2003; “Frenchman on Trial in Morocco Over Suicide Bombings,” Agence France Presse, 25 August, 2003.
circa 1/1/04 London bomb plots per WH site
circa 1/1/04 Reports indicate that an al-Qa’ida affiliate named Midhat Mursi may have been constructing a “dirty bomb” in early 2004. Mursi is reportedly in contact with Ayman al-Zawahiri and was suspected of managing al-Qa’ida chemical labs in Afghanistan. Mursi allegedly uses the name “Abu Khabab”. Muhammad Wajdi Qandyl, “Searching for Weapons of Mass Destruction and Al-Qa’ida,” Al-Akhbar (Cairo),18 January 2004.
1/18/04 A publication posted by members of al-Qa`ida on the internet included an article by ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Muqrin (Abu Hajir), a leading al-Qa`ida fugitive in Saudi Arabia, which called for supporters to use nuclear and biological weapons in attacks against the Saudi government. Counter-Insurgency in the Middle East, Middle East Newsline Morning Report, 19 January 2004, Vol.6, No. 23.
1/25/04 On 23 January 2005, German police announced the arrest of an Iraqi al-Qa’ida member who had allegedly attempted to purchase uranium in Luxembourg. In September 2002, Ibrahim Muhammad K. attempted to purchase 48 grams (1.5) ounces of uranium from an unnamed group in Luxembourg. Prosecutors claim that the amount of uranium was insufficient for the construction of a nuclear device. Craig Whitlock, “Germnay Arrests Two Al Qaeda Suspects,” Washington Post, 24 January 2005; “Germany; Al Qaeda Suspects Held,” Facts on File World News Digest, 27 January 2005; “Iraqi Al-Qaeda Suspect held in Germany Sent by Bin Laden,” Agence France Presse, 29 January 2005.
circa 2/1/04 British Airways attacks
2/7/04 U.S. forces found 3kg of cyanide at the Baghdad house of Ahmad Fadhl Nazzal al-Khalayila, an aide to Zarqawi. The cyanide was to be placed in construction bricks and used against coalition troops. Troops also uncovered a document thought to be written by Zarqawi asking al-Qa’ida for aid. John Lumpkin, “U.S. Forces in Iraq Find Some Cyanide,” Associated Press, 7 February 2004; Douglas Jehl, “U.S. Aids Report Evidence Tying Al Qaeda To Attacks,” New York Times,10 February 2004.
2/8/04 On 8 February 2004, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Hayat reported that al-Qa’ida had purchased tactical nuclear weapons from the Ukraine in 1998 and was “storing them for possible use”. Al-Qa’ida allegedly purchased the bombs in Kandahar after a visit from Ukrainian scientists. The Ukrainian government denied that the transaction had taken place, stating that all nuclear weapons stored in the Ukraine had been transferred to Russia as of 1996. Al-Qaida Said to Possess Nuclear Arms, Associated Press, 9 February 2004; “Al-Qaida May Have Nuclear Weapons,” Al Jazeera.net, 8 February 2004; “Al-Qaida Does Not Have Our Nuclear Bombs Insists Ukraine,” The Scotsman, 11 February 2004; Sokov, Nikolai, “Suitcase Nukes: Permanently Lost Luggage,” CNS,13 February 2004; Jane Macartney, “Al-Qaeda Unlikely to Have Attained Nuclear Know-How,” Reuters, 6 February 2004.
3/2/04 U.S. Government officials announced that a group of al-Qa’ida members along with Zarqawi established a weapons lab in Kirma, Iraq. The lab was to be used to produce ricin and cyanide. Program Transcript-Terrorist Attacks in Iraq, NBC Nightly News, 2 March 2004.
3/3/04 In a secret interview with Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir, Ayman al-Zawahiri allegedly claimed that al-Qa’ida possessed nuclear weapons purchased in Central Asia. Zawahiri reportedly told Mir that al-Qa’ida sent representatives to “Moscow, Tashkent, [and] countries in Central Asia” in order to purchase “portable nuclear material.” Max Delany, “Under Attack al-Qaeda Makes Nuclear Claim,” The Moscow News, 3 March 2004.
4/5/04 British authorities announced they had thwarted a possible chemical attack tenuously linked to al-Qa’ida. The plot, which was in an early planning stage, involved the use of conventional explosions enhanced with osmium tetroxide in London’s shopping centers, railway stations, and the Underground. Deadly Chemical Planned for Use in Potential British Bomb Plot, Agence France Presse, 26 April 2004; “Osmium Tetroxide: A New Chemical Terrorism Weapon,” CNS Research Story of the Week,13 April 2004; available at: http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/040413.htm.
circa 4/17/04 Jordan chem attack by Zarqawi
4/21/04 The Jordanian Intelligence Service seized six trucks wired with explosives containing 20 tons of an unknown chemical. The trucks were reportedly part of a plot by Zarqawi and a number of al-Qa’ida members to destroy Jordan’s Intelligence Department, Prime Minister’s Office, and the U.S. Embassy. Qaeda-linked Chemical Attack in Jordan Could Have Killed 80,000, Agence France Presse, 26 April 2004; “Confessions of Group Planning Jordan Chemical Attack,” BBC Monitoring, 26 April 2004; Interview with Mahmud Al-Kharabsha, Member of the Jordanian Parliament.
circa 6/14/04 Ohio malls
6/16/04 According to the 9/11 Commission, al-Qa’ida operatives in Afghanistan prior to the 9/11 attacks were considering ways of using WMD, including mustard and cyanide, against Jews in Iran, “forcing Russian sceintists to fire a nuclear-armed missile at the U.S.”, and using air conditioning systems in buildings to pump poisonous gas. Al-Qaeda Operatives Discussed WMD Attacks While Training Prior to 9/11, Report Says, Global Security Newswire,16 June 2004.
8/1/04 Eight men were arrested in Britain and charged with conspiracy to murder after they were discovered with information on chemicals, explosives, and radiological materials. Also in their possession were plans of the New York Stock Exchange, the Citigroup Building in New York, the International Monetary Fund in Washington, and the Prudential Building in New Jersey. The arrests occured two weeks after a series of 13 arrests of men allegedly affiliated with the al-Qa’ida network. The men were identified as Dhiren Barot, Omar Abdur Rehman, Zia ul Haq, Abdul Aziz Jalil, Nadeem Tarmohammed, Moammed Naveed Bhatti, Quaisar Shaffi, and Junade Feroze. Ben English, “Britain Charges Eight Over US ‘Terror Campaign,'” The Advertiser, 18 August 2004.
circa 8/2/04 NYC Citicorp plots
circa 8/5/04 Chicago bomb plot
circa 11/23/04 hijacked flights against London
12/19/04 An al-Qa’ida insider has alleged that Usama Bin Ladin was pressured by network affiliates to purchase radiological material through contacts in Chechnya. The insider has been named as Abu Walid al-Misri. Misri is reportedly planning to publish a book detailing his relationship with Usama Bin Ladin and al-Qa’ida leadership. Nick Fielding, “Bin Laden’s Dirty Bomb Quest Exposed,” London Times Online, 19 December 2004.
1/3/05 French Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin claimed that al-Qa’ida affiliates have produced chemical and biological weapons in Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge. De Villepin told members of a bio-terrorism conference in Lyons, France, that after the fall of the Taliban, al-Qa’ida cells moved to the Pankisi Gorge in order to continue efforts to produce anthrax bacteria, ricin, and botulinum toxin. Al-Qaeda Made Biological Weapons in Georgia–French Minister, Moscow News, 3 January 2005.
2/11/05 Pakistani businessman Saifullah Paracha allegedly told al-Qa’ida operatives that he knew where to obtain nuclear weapons that could be used against U.S. troops. Paracha denied the allegations but admitted to meeting Usama Bin Ladin in 1999 to discuss business deals. Paracha owns an import company in New York. Pakistani Told al-Qaeda Operatives to Acquire Nuclear Weapons, U.S. Investigators Say, Nuclear Threat Initiative, 11 February 2005; Frank Davies, “U.S. Alleges Pakistani Businessman Urged al Qaeda to Acquire Nuclear Weapons,” Miami Herald, 11 February 2005.
8/21/05 London gas attacks
circa 1/1/06 Canadian Parliament attacks
circa 1/1/06 Jordan bomb plots
circa 1/1/06 UK bomb plots
circa 1/1/06 2006 plot to attack SEARS Tower and FBI HQs
Wow, Scott, that’s an impressive list. I didn’t realize that the list of thwarted attacks would be so big. Goes to show that the leftist line that we’ve “overplayed” the threat of al Qaeda is just so much B.S.
I stopped keeping track of the thwarted attacks back in late 05, early 06. Sorry, but we can give thanks that the military, intelligence, cooperation with allies, and law enforcement agencies have prevented all these attacks:
circa 9/13/01 attack on US embassy in Paris and NATO HQ in Brussels
9/19/01 Russian intelligence allegedly blocks a deal in which a Pakistani firm controlled by Bin Ladin attempted to purchase Soviet-origin uranium. Earl Lane and Knut Royce, “Nuclear Aspirations? Sources: Bin Laden Tried to Obtain Enriched Uranium,” Newsday, 19 September 2001
circa 10/5/01 anthrax attacks
10/8/01 attack on U.S. embassy and Eagle Base airfield, used by some 3,000 U.S. peacekeepers in Bosnia thwarted
10/14/01 Ivan Ivanov claims he met Bin Ladin just over the Pakistani border in China, and discussed setting up an environmental company to buy nuclear waste. Ivanov was then approached by a Pakistani chemical engineer interested in buying nuclear fuel rods from the Bulgarian Kozlodui reactor. Adam Nathan and David Leppard, “al-Qa`ida’s men held secret meetings to build ‘dirty bomb’,” Sunday Times (London), 14 October 2001
10/20/01 Various reports describe Muhammad Atta, the leader of the September 11 hijackers, meeting in Prague with an Iraqi intelligence agent, who allegedly gave him a vial of anthrax. This claim, originally made by foreign intelligence sources, was later contested by the Czech government. Compare “FBI Overlooks Iraq’s Connections to Anthrax Attacks,” Newsmax; Kriendler & Kreindler 9/11 lawsuit; “Prague Discounts an Iraqi Meeting,” New York Times, 21 October 2001; “Czechs retract Iraq terror link,” UPI, 20 October 2001
10/28/01 Ahmad Rassam, arrested in a plot to bomb LAX, testifies that Bin Laden is personally interested in using low-flying aircraft to dispense BW agents. Bin Laden’s Biological Threat, BBC, 28 October 2001
circa 11/1/01 In an interview, Bin Ladin claims “We have chemical and nuclear weapons as a deterrent and if America used them against us we reserve the right to use them.” Hamid Mir, “Osama Claims He Has Nukes: If US Uses N-Arms it Will Get Same Response,” Dawn (Pakistan), 10 November 2001
11/10/01 In an interview with a Pakistani newspaper reporter, Usama bin Ladin states that “we have chemical and nuclear weapons as a deterrent, and if America used them against us we reserve the right to use them.” Hamid Mir, “Osama claims he has nukes: If US uses N-arms it will get same response,” Dawn [Pakistan], 10 November 2001
11/12/01 Two Pakistani scientists allegedly share nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons information with Bin Ladin, and thereby learn of radiological material given to him by the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. They tell Bin Ladin that there is insufficient material for use as a weapon. Toby Harnden, Rogue Scientists Gave bin Laden Nuclear Secrets,” Daily Telegraph (London), 13 December 2001; Peter Baker, “Pakistani Scientist Who Met Bin Laden Failed Polygraphs, Renewing Suspicions,” Washington Post, 3 March 2002; Susan B. Glasser and Kamran Khan, “Pakistan Continues Probe of Nuclear Scientists,” Washington Post, 14 November 2001
11/14/01 al-Qa`ida reportedly acquires a Russian-made suitcase nuclear weapon from Central Asian sources. The device is reported to weigh 8 kg and to possess at least 2 kg of fissionable uranium and plutonium. The report said the device, with a serial number of 9999 and a manufacturing date of October 1998, could be set off by a mobile phone signal. N-weapons May be in US Already, Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia), 14 November 2001
11/19/01 A Times (London) reporter discovers a blueprint for a “Nagasaki bomb” in files found in an abandoned al-Qa`ida house in Kabul, Afghanistan. Nuke Plans Found; Brit Paper Discovers Details of Weapons in Kabul Safe House, Toronto Sun, 15 November 2001; Hugh Dougherty, “Afghan Nuclear Weapons Papers ‘May Be Internet Spoofs’,” Press Association, 19 November 2001
11/28/01 The Kabul office of Pakistani scientist Mehmood is reportedly found to contain documents indicating an interest in anthrax, including calculations concerning the aerial dispersal of anthrax via balloon, and an Associated Press photo showed something at the anthrax vaccine laboratory described as “anthrax spore concentrate”. “Sketches of anthrax bomb found in
Pakistani scientist’s office, Rediff.com, 28 November 2001”
circa 12/1/01 Dirty bomb attack on London
circa 12/1/01 A reporter purchases two computers from a looter in Kabul, Afghanistan, that had been found in an abandoned al-Qa`ida office. The U.S. government confirms the existence of the computers. One of the computers allegedly contains a file describing “plans to launch a chemical and biological weapons program.” Bin Ladin’s deputy al-Zawahiri reportedly created computer documents describing his CW and BW program, codenamed “Curdled Milk,” which included work on a pesticide/nerve agent that used a chemical to increase absorption and was tested on rabbits and dogs. He was assisted by Midhat al-Mursi / Abu Khabbab, a chemical engineer. Alan Culluson and Andrew Higgins, “Computer in Kabul holds chilling memos,” Wall Street Journal, 31 December 2001; “Report: Al Qaeda Computer Had Plans for Bio-Weapons,” Reuters, 21 December 2001
circa 12/1/01 In December 2001, Yazid Sufaat was arrested in Malaysia for terrorist activities as a member of Jemaah Islamiyah. According to subsequent interrogations of two captured terrorists, Khalid Shaykh Muhammad of al-Qa’ida and Hambali of Jamaah Islamiyah, Sufaat was part of a plan to obtain and weaponize biological warfare agents. Jamaah Islamiyah maintains close ties to al-Qa’ida. Maria Ressa, “Reports: Al Qaeda [sic] Operative Sought Anthrax,” CNN, 10 October 2003; Judith Miller, “U.S. Has New Concerns About Anthrax Readiness,” New York Times, 28 December 2003; “Yazid Sufaat,” The Open Source Threat Network Database, 26 January 2004.
12/9/01 U.S. operatives in Afghanistan allegedly discover evidence indicating that one or more Russian scientists were helping al-Qa`ida weaponize anthrax. Jeffrey Bartholet, “Terrorist Sleeper Cells,” Newsweek, 9 December 2001
12/10/01 Reports claim that al-Zawahiri’s home in Kabul tested positive (perhaps falsely) for traces of anthrax, as did five of nineteen al-Qa`ida labs in Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda: Anthrax Found in al-Qaeda home, Global Security Newswire, 10 December 2001; Judith Miller, “Labs Suggest Qaeda Planned to Build Arms, Officials Say,” New York Times, 14 September 2002
circa 1/1/02 Arabian Gulf Shipping attacks per WH site
circa 1/1/02 Buffalo Six
circa 1/1/02 Straits of Hormuz attacks on Shipping per WH site
circa 1/1/02 attacks on US using hijacked aircraft per WH site
circa 1/1/02 LAX Attack
circa 1/1/02 Singapore attack on Carl Vinson etc
circa 1/1/02 2002 Bush Assn attempt
circa 1/1/02 Documents found in Afghanistan ostensibly reveal that al-Qa`ida was doing research on using botulinum toxin to kill 2,000 people. Al Qaeda tested germ weapons, Reuters, 1 January 2002
1/31/02 Diagrams of U.S. nuclear power plants are found in abandoned al-Qa`ida camps and facilities in Afghanistan. Bill Gertz, “Nuclear Plants Targeted,” Washington Times, 31 January 2002; John J. Lumpkin, “Diagrams Show Interest in Nuke Plants,” Associated Press, 30 January 2002
2/1/02 An apparent plot by nine Moroccans to poison the water supply of the U.S. Embassy in Rome using a cyanide compound is foiled by Italian police. Eric Croddy et. al., “Chemical Terrorist Plot in Rome?” CNS Research Story, 11 March 2002
2/20/02 Zarqawi chem attack in Italy foiled
2/26/02 No evidence was discovered in Afghanistan that al-Qa`ida possesses nuclear weapons, raising the question whether al-Qa`ida might have been tricked into buying metal containers with phony nuclear symbols filled with worthless material. Thom Shanker, “US Analysts Find No Sign bin Laden Had Nuclear Arms,” New York Times, 26 February 2002
3/22/02 US forces discover a BW laboratory under construction near Kandahar that was abandoned by al-Qa`ida. It was allegedly being built to produce anthrax, but no biological agents or traces thereof were found in the facility. Dominic Evans, “US Troops Found Afghan Biological Lab,” Reuters, 22 March 2002; Michael R. Gordon, “US Says it Found Qaeda Lab Being Built to Produce Anthrax,” New York Times, 23 March 2002
4/22/02 Abu Zubayda claims al-Qa`ida has the interest and know-how to produce a radiological weapon, and the group may already have one in the United States. Jamie McIntyre, “Zubaydah: al Qaeda Had ‘Dirty Bomb’ Know-How,” CNN, 22 April 2002; “Al-Qaeda Claims ‘Dirty Bomb’ Know-How,” BBC, 23 April 2002
6/3/02 al-Qa`ida allegedly attempts to acquire 11 lbs of radioactive thallium from measuring devices on decommissioned Russian submarines, but Russia’s Federal Security Service claims to have blocked the attempt. Insider Notes, United Press International, 3 June 2002
circa 6/5/02 Padilla Dirty Bomb US attack
6/11/02 U.S. citizen Abdullah al-Muhajir (formerly José Pedilla), is arrested in Chicago and alleged to be involved with al-Qa`ida in planning to perpetrate a radiological bomb attack in the United States. Dan Eggen and Susan Schmidt, “‘Dirty Bomb’ Plot Uncovered, US Says: Suspected Al Qaeda Operative Held as ‘Enemy Combatant’,” Washington Post, 11 June 2002
6/23/02 The 11th volume of al-Qa`ida’s 5,000-page Encyclopedia of Jihad is devoted to how to construct CBW. Osama Bin Laden’s bid to acquire weapons of mass destruction represents the greatest threat that Western Civilization has faced, Mail on Sunday (London), 23 June 2002
6/23/02 A so-called “Superbomb” manual, which discusses the advanced physics of nuclear weapons and dirty bombs, is found in Kabul in November 2001. Osama Bin Laden’s bid to acquire weapons of mass destruction represents the greatest threat that Western Civilization has faced, Mail on Sunday (London), 23 June 2002
7/13/02 Among the items seized during the arrest of Sami Uthman, a Lebanese national who moved to the US and became an Imam at a Islamist mosque in Seattle, are papers by London-based al-Qa`ida recruiter Shaykh Abu Hamza al-Masri, firearms, military manuals, and “instructions on poisoning water sources.” Patrick J. McDonnell and Josh Meyer, “Links to Terrorism Probed in Northwest,” Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2002
7/14/02 Islamic extremists, including al-Qa`ida members, are allegedly trained in secret camps near Baghdad in how to use CW and BW by instructors from the secret Iraqi military intelligence Unit 999. Gwynne Roberts, “Militia defector claims Baghdad trained Al-Qaeda fighters in chemical warfare,” Sunday Times (London), 14 July 2002
7/18/02 Stephen Younger, director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, claims that al-Qa`ida’s interest in BWs is focused mainly on anthrax. Weapons Worries, CBS News, 18 July 2002
7/31/02 CNN correspondent Mike Boettcher reports that coalition intelligence agencies have detected several recent purchases of cyanide by al-Qa`ida operatives. Wolf Blitzer Reports, CNN, 31 July 2002
8/19/02 CIA Director George Tenet tells the Senate that Bin Ladin has shown a strong interest in CW and that his operatives have “trained to conduct attacks with toxic chemicals or biological toxins.” Pamela Hess, “Al Qaida may have chemical weapons,” United Press International, 19 August 2002
8/19/02 Ahmad Rassam (an al-Qa`ida terrorist who pleaded guilty to plotting to bomb LAX) claims in court in 2001 that he had witnessed the gassing of a dog with cyanide. Pamela Hess, “Al Qaida May Have Chemical Weapons,” United Press International, 19 August 2002
8/19/02 CNN releases videotapes, allegedly made by al-Qa`ida, showing dogs being killed by unidentified toxic chemicals (experts believe either a crude nerve agent or hydrogen cyanide gas is used). Insight, CNN, 19 August 2002
8/20/02 Iraqi military instructors allegedly trained al-Qa`ida fighters in northern Iraq in the use of CBW agents, and possibly also in the handling of nuclear devices. Between 150 and 250 al-Qa`ida trainees purportedly passed through the training facilities. Abu Nidal’s Nemesis, DEBKA file [Jerusalem], 20 August 2002
8/20/02 Ansar al-Islam is reported to have been experimenting with ricin, a deadly toxin, including on at least one human being. This report is denied by Ansar spokesman Muhammad Hasan Muhammad. US knew of bioterror tests in Iraq, BBC News, 20 August 2002; “US Monitors Kurdish Extremists,” Fox News, 21 August 2002; Isma’il Zayir, “Ansar al-Islam Group Accuses [Jalal] Talabani of Spreading Rumors About Its Cooperation with al-Qa`ida,” Al-Hayah, 22 August 2002
8/25/02 One of the facilities of Ansar al-Islam, a radical Islamist group operating in northern Iraq with ties to al-Qa`ida and Iran, produces a form of cyanide cream (not a WMD) that kills on contact. William Safire, “Tying Saddam to Terrorist Organizations,” New York Times, 25 August 2002
9/8/02 Bin Ladin allegedly buys 48 “suitcase nukes” from the Russian mafiya. Al-Majallah Obtains Serious Information on al-Qa`ida’s Attempt to Acquire Nuclear Arms, Al-Majallah [London-based Saudi weekly], 8 September 2002
9/14/02 Pentagon officials admit that lab equipment found near Kandahar, Afghanistan, supports the assessment that al-Qa`ida might have acquired what it needed for “a very limited production of biological and chemical agents.” Judith Miller, “Lab Suggests Qaeda Planned to Build Arms, Officials Say,” New York Times, 14 September 2002
10/3/02 John Walker Lindh allegedly told interrogators that battlefield rumors suggested that a biological attack was expected to be a “second wave” al-Qa`ida attack. US biological attack imminent — Taliban, iafrica.com, 12 December 2001; “Walker Lindh: Al Qaeda Planned More Attacks,” CNN, 3 October 2002
11/18/02 British security officials arrest three men reportedly plotting a cyanide attack on the London subway. Hala Jaber and Nicholas Rufford, “MI5 foils poison-gas attack on the Tube,” Sunday Times (London), 17 November 2002
circa 12/1/02 possible IIS terror strike on Turkey
12/12/02 The Islamist group Asbat al-Ansar, a Lebanon-based Sunni organization affiliated with al-Qa`ida that is currently operating in northern Iraq, reportedly obtained the nerve agent VX from the Iraqi regime. Barton Gellman, “US Suspects Al Qaeda Got Nerve Agent From Iraqis,” Washington Post, 12 December 2002
circa 1/1/03 attacks on Heathrow per WH site
circa 1/1/03 attacks on Saudi per Mark
circa 1/1/03 attacks on E coast USA per WH site
1/5/03 ricin attacks in UK, France, and poss Italy and Spain
1/9/03 Six Algerians were arrested in London and charged with plotting to produce ricin. Authorities discovered traces of ricin and equipment used to process castor beans in the apartment. According to news sources, the group was plotting to attack a British military base by poisoning the food. Later reports indicate that the substance tested in the apartment was not ricin. Jeffrey Bale, Anjali Bhattacharjee, Eric Croddy, and Richard Pilch, MD, “Ricin Found in London: An al-Qa’ida Connection,” Center for Nonproliferation Studies, 23 January 2002, available at http://cns.miis.edu/iiop/cnsdata?Action=1&Concept=0&Mime=1&collect
1/30/03 British intelligence discovered documents in western Afghanistan which suggest that al-Qa`ida members built a dirty bomb in Afghanistan. British officials also claim that the Taliban provided medical isotopes to al-Qa`ida members to help construct the bomb. U.S. officials cannot substantiate this claim. Ed Johnson, “Report: Al-Qaida Made Bomb in Afghanistan,” Associated Press, 30 January 2003.
1/30/03 With the capture of Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, investigators uncovered detailed information about production plans for chemical and biological weapons. According to captured documents, certain members of al-Qa`ida had plans and the requisite material to manufacture cyanide and two biological toxins, and were close to producing anthrax bacteria. Barton Gellman, “al-Qaida Near Biological, Chemical Arms Production,” Washington Post, 23 March 2003.
circa 2/1/03 Al-Qa’ida operatives allegedly planned to poison U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan and Kuwait. Afghan terrorists allegedly delivered an “unspecified poison” to Afghan nationals who were hired as cooks for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The incident has been tied to the January 2003 arrest of 11 al-Qa’ida suspects in Britain who were reportedly in possession of the biological toxin ricin. Some sources also indicate that the group Ansar al-Islam was involved in this plot to use ricin against U.S. troops. James Gordon, “Feds Find Poison Plot vs. Gulf Troops,” Daily News, 10 February 2003; Mike Toner, “Humble Bean Produces a Deadly Toxin,” Cox News Service, 20 March 2003.
circa 3/1/03 NYC subway chem attack per TIME
circa 3/1/03 Spring Pakistan bombings per WH site
circa 3/1/03 On 20 March 2003, the FBI announced that they were searching for Adnan al- Shukrijuma in connection with the Jose Padilla case. Padilla was arrested May 2002 for plotting to obtain materials in Canada for a dirty bomb. Shukrijuma was identified from documents obtained in connection with the 2002 arrest of Ramzi bin al-Shib, a key 9/11 architect. Bill Gertz, “Al Qaeda Pursued a Dirty Bomb,” Washington Times, 17 October 2003; pg. A1; Entity Record: “Adnan El Shukrijumah,” Sentenial TMS Records: Tracking the Threat, 25 November 2003. Available online at: http://www.trackingthethreat.com/db/ENT1706.htm. Accessed 20 May 2004; Katherine Wexler, “Father Denies Son Linked to Terror,” St. Petersburg Times, 22 March 2003; Scott Wheeler, “Evidence Points to Dirty-Bomb Plot,” Insight Magazine, 29 October 2003.
circa 5/1/03 Yemen bombings thwarted
circa 5/15/03 Kenya flights
6/7/03 After the 2003 Casablanca bombings, a police roundup of Salafia Jihadia exposed a plot by ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Laysh to attack a French nuclear power plant at Cap de la Hague. Additional evidence indicates that members of al-Qa`ida trained Salafia Jihadia for this mission. Martin Arostegui,”Terrorism in Morocco Deeper Than Imagined,” United Press International, 7 June, 2003; “Frenchman on Trial in Morocco Over Suicide Bombings,” Agence France Presse, 25 August, 2003.
circa 1/1/04 London bomb plots per WH site
circa 1/1/04 Reports indicate that an al-Qa’ida affiliate named Midhat Mursi may have been constructing a “dirty bomb” in early 2004. Mursi is reportedly in contact with Ayman al-Zawahiri and was suspected of managing al-Qa’ida chemical labs in Afghanistan. Mursi allegedly uses the name “Abu Khabab”. Muhammad Wajdi Qandyl, “Searching for Weapons of Mass Destruction and Al-Qa’ida,” Al-Akhbar (Cairo),18 January 2004.
1/18/04 A publication posted by members of al-Qa`ida on the internet included an article by ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Muqrin (Abu Hajir), a leading al-Qa`ida fugitive in Saudi Arabia, which called for supporters to use nuclear and biological weapons in attacks against the Saudi government. Counter-Insurgency in the Middle East, Middle East Newsline Morning Report, 19 January 2004, Vol.6, No. 23.
1/25/04 On 23 January 2005, German police announced the arrest of an Iraqi al-Qa’ida member who had allegedly attempted to purchase uranium in Luxembourg. In September 2002, Ibrahim Muhammad K. attempted to purchase 48 grams (1.5) ounces of uranium from an unnamed group in Luxembourg. Prosecutors claim that the amount of uranium was insufficient for the construction of a nuclear device. Craig Whitlock, “Germnay Arrests Two Al Qaeda Suspects,” Washington Post, 24 January 2005; “Germany; Al Qaeda Suspects Held,” Facts on File World News Digest, 27 January 2005; “Iraqi Al-Qaeda Suspect held in Germany Sent by Bin Laden,” Agence France Presse, 29 January 2005.
circa 2/1/04 British Airways attacks
2/7/04 U.S. forces found 3kg of cyanide at the Baghdad house of Ahmad Fadhl Nazzal al-Khalayila, an aide to Zarqawi. The cyanide was to be placed in construction bricks and used against coalition troops. Troops also uncovered a document thought to be written by Zarqawi asking al-Qa’ida for aid. John Lumpkin, “U.S. Forces in Iraq Find Some Cyanide,” Associated Press, 7 February 2004; Douglas Jehl, “U.S. Aids Report Evidence Tying Al Qaeda To Attacks,” New York Times,10 February 2004.
2/8/04 On 8 February 2004, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Hayat reported that al-Qa’ida had purchased tactical nuclear weapons from the Ukraine in 1998 and was “storing them for possible use”. Al-Qa’ida allegedly purchased the bombs in Kandahar after a visit from Ukrainian scientists. The Ukrainian government denied that the transaction had taken place, stating that all nuclear weapons stored in the Ukraine had been transferred to Russia as of 1996. Al-Qaida Said to Possess Nuclear Arms, Associated Press, 9 February 2004; “Al-Qaida May Have Nuclear Weapons,” Al Jazeera.net, 8 February 2004; “Al-Qaida Does Not Have Our Nuclear Bombs Insists Ukraine,” The Scotsman, 11 February 2004; Sokov, Nikolai, “Suitcase Nukes: Permanently Lost Luggage,” CNS,13 February 2004; Jane Macartney, “Al-Qaeda Unlikely to Have Attained Nuclear Know-How,” Reuters, 6 February 2004.
3/2/04 U.S. Government officials announced that a group of al-Qa’ida members along with Zarqawi established a weapons lab in Kirma, Iraq. The lab was to be used to produce ricin and cyanide. Program Transcript-Terrorist Attacks in Iraq, NBC Nightly News, 2 March 2004.
3/3/04 In a secret interview with Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir, Ayman al-Zawahiri allegedly claimed that al-Qa’ida possessed nuclear weapons purchased in Central Asia. Zawahiri reportedly told Mir that al-Qa’ida sent representatives to “Moscow, Tashkent, [and] countries in Central Asia” in order to purchase “portable nuclear material.” Max Delany, “Under Attack al-Qaeda Makes Nuclear Claim,” The Moscow News, 3 March 2004.
4/5/04 British authorities announced they had thwarted a possible chemical attack tenuously linked to al-Qa’ida. The plot, which was in an early planning stage, involved the use of conventional explosions enhanced with osmium tetroxide in London’s shopping centers, railway stations, and the Underground. Deadly Chemical Planned for Use in Potential British Bomb Plot, Agence France Presse, 26 April 2004; “Osmium Tetroxide: A New Chemical Terrorism Weapon,” CNS Research Story of the Week,13 April 2004; available at: http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/040413.htm.
circa 4/17/04 Jordan chem attack by Zarqawi
4/21/04 The Jordanian Intelligence Service seized six trucks wired with explosives containing 20 tons of an unknown chemical. The trucks were reportedly part of a plot by Zarqawi and a number of al-Qa’ida members to destroy Jordan’s Intelligence Department, Prime Minister’s Office, and the U.S. Embassy. Qaeda-linked Chemical Attack in Jordan Could Have Killed 80,000, Agence France Presse, 26 April 2004; “Confessions of Group Planning Jordan Chemical Attack,” BBC Monitoring, 26 April 2004; Interview with Mahmud Al-Kharabsha, Member of the Jordanian Parliament.
circa 6/14/04 Ohio malls
6/16/04 According to the 9/11 Commission, al-Qa’ida operatives in Afghanistan prior to the 9/11 attacks were considering ways of using WMD, including mustard and cyanide, against Jews in Iran, “forcing Russian sceintists to fire a nuclear-armed missile at the U.S.”, and using air conditioning systems in buildings to pump poisonous gas. Al-Qaeda Operatives Discussed WMD Attacks While Training Prior to 9/11, Report Says, Global Security Newswire,16 June 2004.
8/1/04 Eight men were arrested in Britain and charged with conspiracy to murder after they were discovered with information on chemicals, explosives, and radiological materials. Also in their possession were plans of the New York Stock Exchange, the Citigroup Building in New York, the International Monetary Fund in Washington, and the Prudential Building in New Jersey. The arrests occured two weeks after a series of 13 arrests of men allegedly affiliated with the al-Qa’ida network. The men were identified as Dhiren Barot, Omar Abdur Rehman, Zia ul Haq, Abdul Aziz Jalil, Nadeem Tarmohammed, Moammed Naveed Bhatti, Quaisar Shaffi, and Junade Feroze. Ben English, “Britain Charges Eight Over US ‘Terror Campaign,'” The Advertiser, 18 August 2004.
circa 8/2/04 NYC Citicorp plots
circa 8/5/04 Chicago bomb plot
circa 11/23/04 hijacked flights against London
12/19/04 An al-Qa’ida insider has alleged that Usama Bin Ladin was pressured by network affiliates to purchase radiological material through contacts in Chechnya. The insider has been named as Abu Walid al-Misri. Misri is reportedly planning to publish a book detailing his relationship with Usama Bin Ladin and al-Qa’ida leadership. Nick Fielding, “Bin Laden’s Dirty Bomb Quest Exposed,” London Times Online, 19 December 2004.
1/3/05 French Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin claimed that al-Qa’ida affiliates have produced chemical and biological weapons in Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge. De Villepin told members of a bio-terrorism conference in Lyons, France, that after the fall of the Taliban, al-Qa’ida cells moved to the Pankisi Gorge in order to continue efforts to produce anthrax bacteria, ricin, and botulinum toxin. Al-Qaeda Made Biological Weapons in Georgia–French Minister, Moscow News, 3 January 2005.
2/11/05 Pakistani businessman Saifullah Paracha allegedly told al-Qa’ida operatives that he knew where to obtain nuclear weapons that could be used against U.S. troops. Paracha denied the allegations but admitted to meeting Usama Bin Ladin in 1999 to discuss business deals. Paracha owns an import company in New York. Pakistani Told al-Qaeda Operatives to Acquire Nuclear Weapons, U.S. Investigators Say, Nuclear Threat Initiative, 11 February 2005; Frank Davies, “U.S. Alleges Pakistani Businessman Urged al Qaeda to Acquire Nuclear Weapons,” Miami Herald, 11 February 2005.
8/21/05 London gas attacks
circa 1/1/06 Canadian Parliament attacks
circa 1/1/06 Jordan bomb plots
circa 1/1/06 UK bomb plots
circa 1/1/06 2006 plot to attack SEARS Tower and FBI HQs
Wow, Scott, that’s an impressive list. I didn’t realize that the list of thwarted attacks would be so big. Goes to show that the leftist line that we’ve “overplayed” the threat of al Qaeda is just so much B.S.