[Los Angeles Times] Josh Meyer - Pakistan's President Musharraf announced in January 2006 that a senior al-Qaeda chemical weapons expert had been killed in a U.S. airstrike. But current and former U.S. intelligence officials now believe that the Egyptian, Abu Khabab Masri, is alive and well - and in charge of resurrecting al-Qaeda's program to develop or obtain weapons of mass destruction. Officials say al-Qaeda has regenerated at least some of its robust research and development efforts and is once again trying to develop or obtain chemical, biological, radiological, and even nuclear weapons to use in attacks on the U.S. and other enemies. One international counter-terrorism official said some operatives had received immunizations to protect themselves against biological agents. Recent intelligence shows that Abu Khabab, 54, is training Western recruits for chemical attacks in Europe and perhaps the U.S., just as he did when he ran the "Khabab Camp" at the Darunta training complex in Afghanistan's Tora Bora region before the Sep. 11 attacks, according to one senior U.S. intelligence official.
2008-02-05 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive