FBI warns of threat from simple chemical weapons

The FBI is warning police that terrorists could construct a simple but deadly chemical weapon out of materials readily available. “Little or no training is required to assemble and deploy such a device due to its simplicity,” the FBI said Wednesday in its weekly intelligence bulletin to about 18,000 law enforcement agencies. The bulletin provides no details of a specific threat or possible location of an attack. It does say that terrorists could take advantage of building ventilation systems, air intakes or enclosed areas to disperse toxic chemical gas. Law enforcement officials previously have warned that al-Qaida or other terrorist groups might target subways and targets such as hotels and office buildings rather than heavily guarded government installations. In addition, material collected in Pakistan after the March 1 capture in that country of senior al-Qaida planner Khalid Shaikh Mohammed provided further proof that operatives experimented with various forms of chemical, radiological and biological weapons, law enforcement officials say. Full Story