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Iraq uncovers al-Qaeda 'chemical weapons plot'
BBC ^

Posted on 06/01/2013 9:08:53 AM PDT by Sub-Driver

Iraq uncovers al-Qaeda 'chemical weapons plot'

The authorities in Iraq say they have uncovered an al-Qaeda plot to use chemical weapons, as well as to smuggle them to Europe and North America.

Defence ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said five men had been arrested after military intelligence monitored their activities for three months.

Three workshops for manufacturing the chemical agents, including sarin and mustard gas, were uncovered, he added.

Remote-controlled toy planes were also seized at the workshops.

Mr Askari said they were to have been used to release the chemical agents over the target from a "safe" distance of 1.5km (0.9 miles), reports the BBC's Rami Ruhayem in Baghdad.

All of the arrested men had confessed to the plot, and said they had received instruction from another al-Qaeda offshoot, he added.

As the defence ministry spokesman spoke on Iraqi TV, footage was shown of four men with black hoods on their heads, our correspondent adds. Three of them were wearing bright yellow jumpsuits and a fourth was in a brown jumpsuit.

Their arrests were possible because of co-operation between Iraqi and foreign intelligence services, Mr Askari said. Chlorine bombs

Al-Qaeda in Iraq is believed the only offshoot of the Islamist militant network to have used chemical weapons.

It detonated a 16 crude chlorine bombs in Iraq between October 2006 and June 2007.

Chlorine inhalation made many hundreds of people sick, but no deaths resulting from exposure to the chemical were recorded, US officials said at the time. Instead, the bomb blasts are believed to have caused the fatalities.

At the time, US officials said al-Qaeda appeared to want to use debilitating agents like chlorine in their bombs to cause casualties beyond those hit by the initial explosion.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Israel; News/Current Events; Russia; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 200610; 200706; 2011; 201303; 201306; alduri; alqaeda; alqaedainiraq; alqaedairaq; alqaida; aqi; aqii; bcw; benghazi; binladen; binladenmessage; chemicalweapons; chemplots; chlorine; chlorinebombs; chlorinegas; drones; fastandfurious; gas; impeachnow; iran; iraq; iraqiwmd; iraqwmd; irs; islam; israel; media; mediasavvy; mustard; mustardgas; obamaspeople; obl; osamabinladen; poison; randsconcerntrolls; rc; rcplanes; russia; sarin; syria; terrorism; toydrones; toyplanes; toys; warnings; waronterror; wmd; wmds; wot; zarqawi
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To: Gen.Blather
Everything is improbable until it happens and people willing to blow themselves up are not concerned about getting caught. 9/11 was improbable too.

People who are willing to blow them selves up is impossible to prevent, but that part doesn't even enter this conversation about RC planes.

The 911 scenario was easy to carry off, box cutters were not prohibited items at the time.

Heathens slicing up flight attendants may seem hideous to you and I, but to them it is a method...which we now recognize.

They obviously had a high expectation of success, ergo it was not improbable.

You can't say that in your scenario.

21 posted on 06/01/2013 2:19:18 PM PDT by Las Vegas Ron (The government rejects the natural law because it is an obstacle to its control over us.)
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To: Sub-Driver

WMDs in Iraq? ORLY???


22 posted on 06/01/2013 2:39:32 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: Sub-Driver

Oh come one. Every retard knows there were no WMD’s in Iraq.


23 posted on 06/01/2013 3:52:48 PM PDT by justa-hairyape
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To: justa-hairyape

That’s what happens when they only ask the retards.


24 posted on 06/02/2013 6:37:56 AM PDT by bdfromlv (Leavenworth hard time)
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To: Las Vegas Ron

Are you active in the hobby? I know R/C pilots who could put a 2 lb “payload” on target at 3/4 mile with traditional “Line Of Sight” techniques. The local R/C field has banned “First Person View” flying. http://timpa.org/
Also remember this from about 2 years ago- http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/09/29/could-model-airplanes-be-next-terrorist-weapon/
Its not improbable, it’s happening.


25 posted on 06/02/2013 9:04:39 AM PDT by Old Flat Toad (Pima County, home of the single vehicle accident with 40 victims.)
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To: Old Flat Toad

I was a long time ago, and I’m sure things have changed greatly.

But we’re talking about a moving target here, one that in all probability is traveling at a high rate of speed..


26 posted on 06/02/2013 9:19:59 AM PDT by Las Vegas Ron (The government rejects the natural law because it is an obstacle to its control over us.)
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To: Gen.Blather

“All you’d have to do to take down a plane is fly one close to the engine inlets with an explosive on board. You don’t even have to get dead on target as the engine will likely suck it in without it being really close.”

You don’t need onboard explosives as numerous bird-strike airplane crashes demonstrate.

See the link at my tagline and FR thread below for more information on how mini-copters with GPS can be used to target airliners.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3015719/posts


27 posted on 06/03/2013 7:36:48 AM PDT by Seizethecarp (Defend aircraft from "runway kill zone" mini-drone helicopter swarm attacks: www.runwaykillzone.com)
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To: Las Vegas Ron

“Question: How would you even get a toy RC plane within miles a plane traveling 150+ knots on the ground let alone in the air?”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3015719/posts

“FAQ: The V1-VR Terrorist Runway Kill Zone (RKZ) Frequently Asked Questions”

The RKZ is a zone on an airport takeoff runway between two points called V1 and VR that every large multi-engine jet aircraft, such as Air Force One, must pass through while taking off.

If any two engines on a large multi-engine jet can be disabled in the RKZ by a terrorist attack, the aircraft will not be able to gain enough altitude to return to the airport and will almost certainly crash. The availability of inexpensive, GPS-guided autonomous model aircraft and helicopters (drones and UAVs) that are capable of precisely targeting the runway path of each jet engine in the RKZ makes terrorist attacks increasingly probable.

The intake fan diameter of the GE CF6-80C2 turbofan used on Air Force One or a 747-400 is 93 inches (2.36 m) or nearly 8 feet wide (7 ft 9 in).

The latest drone, UAV, model aircraft and model helicopter GPS autopilot systems are designed to enable autonomous flight and incorporate location accuracy enhancement technologies called DGPS and WAAS. These GPS enhancements enable a location accuracy radius within the radius of a 747 engine intake ( 1/2 of 2.36 meter diameter = 1.18 meters, or 1/2 of 93 inch diameter = 3 ft 8.5 inches).


28 posted on 06/03/2013 7:40:09 AM PDT by Seizethecarp (Defend aircraft from "runway kill zone" mini-drone helicopter swarm attacks: www.runwaykillzone.com)
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To: Old Flat Toad

ping to my comment and the link at my tagline.


29 posted on 06/03/2013 7:42:52 AM PDT by Seizethecarp (Defend aircraft from "runway kill zone" mini-drone helicopter swarm attacks: www.runwaykillzone.com)
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To: Old Flat Toad
Are you active in the hobby? I know R/C pilots who could put a 2 lb “payload” on target at 3/4 mile with traditional “Line Of Sight” techniques. The local R/C field has banned “First Person View” flying.

Model planes with "first person view" (where a video camera on the plane feeds back to the controller) would make it viable to kamikaze an airliner. Even if the controller has a 1-in-10 chance of getting a hit, you just try N times (or have N planes) until you succeed.

30 posted on 06/03/2013 11:12:43 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (You don't notice it's a police state until the police come for you.)
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To: PapaBear3625; Seizethecarp

I’m not the one who needs convincing ;)Scares the dookey out of me what could be done with $500 and a well stocked hobby shop.


31 posted on 06/03/2013 8:18:10 PM PDT by Old Flat Toad (Pima County, home of the single vehicle accident with 40 victims.)
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