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Disarmament Diplomacy

Issue No. 63, March - April 2002

News Review

First Signs of Al Qaeda WMD Threat Assessed

International experts have been urgently sifting evidence left behind by Al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan for evidence of the terrorist network's efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction.

On February 25, US officials told reporters that initial investigation of suspected radioactive material in containers discovered at two sites - the Taliban Agriculture Ministry in Kabul, and an Al Qaeda training camp outside Kandahar - did not constitute grounds for concern. According to an unnamed Pentagon official: "We did not find any type of serious radiological material... The stuff we found...was not the real stuff. They [Al Qaeda] were swindled, like a lot of other people." Another administration official confirmed that that the "value" of the material in the canisters "for a weapon was zero".

Referring to the non-nuclear WMD threat, General Tommy Franks, the commander of US forces in Afghanistan, told a press conference (February 25): "We have seen evidence that Al Qaeda had a desire to weaponise chemical and biological capability, but we have not found evidence that indicates that they were able to do so."

On January 21, the UN Monitoring Group in Afghanistan - comprised of five independent weapons experts - submitted a report to the Security Council expressing concern that Al Qaeda and the Taliban may be in possession of missiles they "could well use...to deliver weapons of mass destruction". According to what the Group described as "competent sources", Taliban/Al Qaeda may be equipped with or have access to a limited number of missiles with a range of 45-190 miles. According to the Group's report: "These missiles may be fitted with conventional, chemical or nuclear warheads... At the moment it is not known whether these missiles are operational, or where they are located." The Group also mentioned reports that Taliban/Al Qaeda possessed artillery shells loaded armed with Sarin and VX nerve gas. The Group stressed, however, that "it has not been able to verify the locations or quantities of these weapons."

Reports: Group says Taliban may have missiles, Associated Press, January 21; US analysts find no sign bin Laden had nuclear arms, New York Times, February 26.