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British Bomb Plot Involved Deadly Chemical

(ABC News) British authorities believe terror suspects arrested last week were planning to make a bomb that would include a highly toxic, easily obtained chemical called osmium tetroxide that could blind or kill anyone who breathed its fumes. "It's a nasty piece of work," said Dave Siegrist, a bioterrorism expert at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies in Arlington, Va. "It irritates the eyes, lungs, nose and throat. It leads to an asthma-like death, what we call a 'dry-land drowning.'" Eight British citizens of Pakistani descent were arrested on March 30. There was some indication the group was targeting Gatwick airport, the British public transportation system, and enclosed shopping areas. Authorities say the operation was being run out of Pakistan by a suspected al-Qaeda figure.
2004-04-07 00:00:00
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