Posted on 08/01/2002 7:17:02 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has determined that the Hamas terrorist organization has been conducting research in the use of chemical weapons for suicide bombers.
U.S. officials said the Islamic militant group has experimented with explosives and chemicals that could spread lethal agents over a wide area, Middle East Newsline reported.
"Some of the groups, like Hamas, are exploring ways to utilize WMD [Weapons of Mass Destruction]," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Marshall Billingslea said. "Hamas is working with poisons and chemicals and an effort to coat suicide bomber fragments."
In testimony to the Senate International Security subcommittee on Monday, Billingslea said Hamas's efforts represent a growing focus by Islamic insurgency groups to develop biological and chemical weapons. The Pentagon official said Hamas and other group could be obtaining help from such countries as Iran, Iraq and Syria, who are themselves pursuing WMD programs.
Hamas might be obtaining help in the WMD effort from other Islamic groups as well as such state terror sponsors as Iran and Syria, the officials said.
They said Hamas has benefited from the use of commercial and dual-use material for their development of weapons of mass destruction.
"With increasing frequency since the mid-1980s, we have seen a steady growth in the awareness of, and interest in, WMD by terrorist groups," Billingslea said. "These groups are aggressively trying to procure the necessary materials to conduct such an attack."
U.S. officials said the equipment required for the production of biological and chemical weapons are small and can fit into a small auditorium. They said WMD can be constructed or adapted from commonly-available materials or systems, such as pesticide sprayers.
Billingslea said Hamas and other Islamic groups might have obtained training facilities from such countries as Iran, Iraq and Syria to pursue the development of biological and chemical weapons. Hamas has offices in Lebanon, Syria and Iran.
"First, these countries give wide latitude to terrorist groups that operate within their borders," Billingslea said. 'Terrorists are able to establish training and research camps where they are free to develop WMD and to perfect their plans for delivery."
[On Tuesday, a Palestinian blew himself up in downtown Jerusalem, injuring five Israelis. The ruling Fatah movement claimed responsibility for the attack.]
Then the world's media began moaning about how cruel that was and they should be allowed to return.
What we have today is the result of years and years of appeasing the terrorists in general and Arafat in particular.
Time for President Bush to wake up and smell the coffee......free Israel to do what it has to do.
Do you see any hope here of this matter being resolved in the next hundred years?
When did the president stop Isreal from responding? Did I miss something?
U.S. officials said the Islamic militant group has experimented with explosives and chemicals that could spread lethal agents over a wide area, Middle East Newsline reported.
Billingslea said Hamas and other Islamic groups might have obtained training facilities from such countries as Iran, Iraq and Syria to pursue the development of biological and chemical weapons. Hamas has offices in Lebanon, Syria and Iran.
If Hamas ever succeeds in carrying out the so-called "mega attack" that kills hundreds or thousands of Israelis, such an attack would almost have to be done with some kind of chemical weaponry. That being the case, I would not want to be a resident of Syria, Iran or Iraq. I firmly believe that the Israelis would respond to a chemical attack by attacking the true source(s). Unlike terrorist networks, nations have assets that have known and fixed locations, as well as known leaders. I would expect Syria to have its armed forces completely destroyed. Iran might be in serious danger of getting a nuke-o-gram at its WMD facilites. Iraq - well, that would be the beginning of the war to oust Saddam. I could see Israel attacking via recently conquered territory in Syria.
These people need to be eliminated, ASAP. If this isn't done, many tens of thousands or more will be killed in a war in the not-to-distant future. Israel needs to really go after them, and the US needs to cover Israel on the public relations front.
My blood pressure allows only five minute increments of watching TV.
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