(Washington Post) Joby Warrick - In 2014, Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi recruited Salih al-Sabawi, a Russian-trained Iraqi engineer who had once helped President Saddam Hussein build his extensive arsenal of chemical weapons. U.S. officials learned that Sabawi was working to produce powerful new weapons using highly lethal botulinum toxin and ricin, while also pursuing plans to make weaponized anthrax. His intention, U.S. officials said, was to create a large stockpile of chemical and biological agents to be used in military campaigns as well as in terrorist attacks against the major cities of Europe. Later that year, Sabawi came under continuous surveillance by U.S. intelligence agencies, assisted by Iraqi Kurdish operatives. Pentagon officials decided to eliminate Sabawi before he had a chance to build bigger and better weapons. In January 2015, Sabawi was driving home from work when a U.S. aircraft, most likely a drone, fired a missile that struck his vehicle, killing him. Other strikes targeted Sabawi's small network of labs and production centers.
2022-07-14 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive