Islamic group: JI planned Holocaust gas attack in buildings, where 60,000,000 could have died

JI planned Holocaust gas attack in buildings
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19270458-5001561,00.html

JI planned Holocaust gas attack in buildings
Natalie O'Brien

Indonesian terrorists planned to attack Western targets by spreading hydrogen cyanide, a deadly gas used during the Holocaust, through the air-conditioning systems of large buildings. Details of the method of the proposed attack, designed to maximise the number of victims, were revealed in a 26-page training manual produced by members of Jemaah Islamiah, the terrorist group blamed for the Bali bombings.

Hand-written in the Indonesian language Bahasa, the document expresses optimism that victims exposed to the poison gas will die within 30 seconds. But the plans went awry when police raided a JI safe house in the southern Philippines and discovered the training manual.

The details have been revealed for the first time by Rohan Gunaratna, of the International Centre for Terrorism and Political Violence Research's Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies. Dr Gunaratna said the document discussed several chemical gases, pesticides, narcotics and biological toxins. Among them were hydrogen sulfide, phosgene, chlorine and arsenic.

"The chemical weapons section of the manual discusses fairly accurately the production of several highly potent agents that theoretically could cause the death of a large number of people," Dr Gunaratna said.

"The document surveys several agents of disturbing potency and expresses considerable optimism and fascination with regard to how minuscule amounts of the respective agent are needed to kill a large number of people."

In particular, when discussing one toxin, it said: "30ml of the agent can kill 60 million people, God willing.'

The manual carried the most detail about hydrogen cyanide, also known as Cyclone B, which was used to kill millions of Jews during World War II. It suggested hydrogen cyanide be the killing agent of choice because of its ease of production and delivery. It was also easy to produce.

Dr Gunaratna said the production and delivery methods described in the manual for chemical attack were accurate.

The Australian Federal Police is setting up a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear data centre, which will be responsible for collating and co-ordinating the latest information on such threats, as well as strategies to combat them.

Dr Gunaratna said a faction of JI that embraced al-Qa'ida leader Osama bin Laden's ideals could be expected to search for "increasingly destructive means in order to keep escalating their struggle". But he said the manual revealed that JI was nowhere near ready for a chemical or biological attack.

"At best the group may be able to mount a small-scale hydrogen cyanide attack that may succeed in killing a handful of individuals," Dr Gunaratna said.

But he warned that it was just "a question of time" before they acquired the capability.