TERRORISM: AL-QAEDA PREPARING FOR BIOLOGICAL WARFARE, SAYS INTERPOL
Singapore, 27 March (AKI) - There is enough evidence to suggest that the al-Qaeda terrorist network is preparing to engage in biological warfare, according to the International Criminal Police Organisation or Interpol. At an Asian Bioterrorism Workshop in Singapore, Interpol said that bioterrorism cannot be ignored and that countries need to develop the laws to deal with such a crime.
"It can't be that we as a world community have to wait for a September 11 type of attack in bioterrorism before we prepare," Interpol's secretary general, Ronald Noble was quoted as saying on Singapore's Channel NewsAsia website.
"What needs to be done is first, countries need to determine whether or not there are laws which permit police and prosecutors to investigate activity that can result in the actual manufacture of a bioterrorist weapon," he said.
"Institutions that are engaged in any bioscience need to make sure that the controls they have in place are such that only legitimate scientific investigative activity is going on," said Noble.
At the workshop Interpol said that the 11th volume of al-Qaeda's Encyclopedia of Jihad is devoted to chemical and biological weapons while captured terror suspects had admitted that their organisations were planning potential biological attacks.
Yet despite the evidence suggesting a biological attack, Interpol says that most countries do not have the legislation which would allow the police to investigate scientific activity which can result in the manufacture of a bioterrorist weapon. On top of that police forces around the world also need to be trained in investigating bioterrorism-related cases.
The report said that such cases are particularly challenging as bioterrorist attacks may have no crime scenes, and may not be felt till days or even weeks later, by which time, the virus may have spread internationally.
Channel NewsAsia reports that this is the second Interpol Bioterrorism Workshop and some 26 Asian countries are attending, with North Korea being noticeably absent from the meeting.
"It can't be that we as a world community have to wait for a September 11 type of attack in bioterrorism before we prepare," Interpol's secretary general, Ronald Noble was quoted as saying on Singapore's Channel NewsAsia website.
"What needs to be done is first, countries need to determine whether or not there are laws which permit police and prosecutors to investigate activity that can result in the actual manufacture of a bioterrorist weapon," he said.
"Institutions that are engaged in any bioscience need to make sure that the controls they have in place are such that only legitimate scientific investigative activity is going on," said Noble.
At the workshop Interpol said that the 11th volume of al-Qaeda's Encyclopedia of Jihad is devoted to chemical and biological weapons while captured terror suspects had admitted that their organisations were planning potential biological attacks.
Yet despite the evidence suggesting a biological attack, Interpol says that most countries do not have the legislation which would allow the police to investigate scientific activity which can result in the manufacture of a bioterrorist weapon. On top of that police forces around the world also need to be trained in investigating bioterrorism-related cases.
The report said that such cases are particularly challenging as bioterrorist attacks may have no crime scenes, and may not be felt till days or even weeks later, by which time, the virus may have spread internationally.
Channel NewsAsia reports that this is the second Interpol Bioterrorism Workshop and some 26 Asian countries are attending, with North Korea being noticeably absent from the meeting.
posted by Marko at 3/27/2006 11:02:00 AM
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