Revisiting Al-Qa`Ida's Anthrax Program

Home , Malaysian Special Branch, Saud Memon, Yazid Sufaat

may 2009 . Vol 2 . Issue 5

Revisiting Al-Qaìda’s This article outlines al-Qaìda’s known as “al-Zabadi” (“Yogurt”), with justifications for using weapons of a budget of only $2,000 to $4,000. Anthrax Program mass destruction (WMD), provides Àtif and Ayman al-Zawahiri started background information on the first and the program in May 1999 after studying By René Pita and Rohan Gunaratna second phases of al-Qaìda’s anthrax- different Western biomedical books based BW program, and then assesses and publications on the weapons.8 An since november 2008, a number whether it could begin a third phase. electronic message sent by al-Zawahiri of developments have occurred to Àtif dated April 15, 1999 stated: concerning al-Qaìda’s biological WMD Justifications weapons (BW) program. On November Since Usama bin Ladin declared in I have read the majority of the 24, the Malaysian government released 1998 that the acquisition of WMD was book…[It] is undoubtedly useful. It from jail Yazid Sufaat, previously a “religious duty,” there have been emphasizes a number of important responsible for al-Qaìda’s anthrax numerous statements indicating that facts, such as: program in Afghanistan. On February 2, jihadists are not restricted from using 2009, Abdallah al-Nafisi, identified as these weapons.5 In fact, they have a) The enemy started thinking a Kuwaiti “professor,” appeared on al- argued that it is justified as retaliation about these weapons before Jazira television promoting an anthrax for what they consider use of WMD WWI. Despite their extreme attack against the United States. “There by the United States and its allies danger, we only became aware of is no need for airplanes, conspiracies, in Afghanistan.6 Moreover, the al- them when the enemy drew our timings, and so on,” al-Nafisi reportedly Qaìda structure that was formalized attention to them by repeatedly said. “One person, with the courage to in the early 1990s included a WMD expressing concerns that they can carry four pounds of anthrax, will go to Committee, a subcommittee under its be produced simply with easily the White House lawn, and will spread Military Committee, led by Ali Sayyid available materials… this ‘confetti’ all over them, and then Muhammad Mustafa al-Bakri (also will do these cries of joy. It will turn known as Abdul Aziz al-Masri). b) The destructive power of these 1 into a real ‘celebration.’” Compounding weapons is no less than that of matters, the police chief of Pakistan’s First Phase nuclear weapons. North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) After the beginning of U.S.-led military stated that some al-Qaìda and Taliban operations in Afghanistan, one of c) A germ attack is often detected militants had “expertise in making the main discoveries that provided days after it occurs, which raises 2 biochemical weapons,” and in April information on al-Qaìda’s BW program the number of victims. 2009 the Islamic State of Iraq said that was made by journalist Alan Cullison the mujahidin are “in great need” of of the Wall Street Journal.7 He purchased d) Defense against such weapons 3 chemical and biological warfare agents. two computers in Kabul that the seller is very difficult, particularly if These developments have raised claimed had been stolen from the office large quantities are used… concern about a possible reactivation of Muhammad Àtif (also known as Abu of al-Qaìda’s anthrax program Hafs al-Masri), the head of al-Qaìda’s I would like to emphasize what and demonstrate the importance of Military Committee. Àtif was killed by we previously discussed—that understanding the terrorist group’s prior a U.S. Predator airstrike in November looking for a specialist is the 4 attempts to obtain a BW capability. 2001 in Afghanistan. The computer fastest, safest, and cheapest contained documents that described al- way. Simultaneously, we should 1 Al-Nafisi said that “four pounds of anthrax—in a suit- Qaìda’s attempts at starting a chemical conduct a search on our own… case this big—carried by a fighter through tunnels from and biological weapons program, Along these lines, the book guided Mexico into the U.S., are guaranteed to kill 330,000 me to a number of references that Americans within a single hour, if it is properly spread in 5 For an analysis of these statements, see René Pita, I am attaching [articles published population centers there.” The transcript can be read at “Assessing al-Qaeda’s Chemical Threat,” Athena Intelli- in Science, The Journal of Immunology www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/2027.htm. gence Journal 2:2 (2007): pp. 34-45; Sammy Salama and and The New England Journal of Medicine, 2 Muhammad Bilal, “Qaeda, Taliban Planning 9/11-like Edith Bursac, “Jihadist Capabilities and the Diffusion as well as the books Tomorrow’s Attacks in US, Europe: NWFP IG,” Daily Times, March of Knowledge,” in Gary Ackerman and Jeremy Tamsett Weapons, Peace or Pestilence and 31, 2009. eds., Jihadists and Weapons of Mass Destruction (Boca Ra- Chemical Warfare]. Perhaps you can 9 3 The transcript can be read at www.memri.org/bin/ar- ton, FL: CRC Press, 2009), pp. 101-128. find someone to obtain them… ticles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP232009. 6 This allegation is based on coalition forces using 4 See, for example, Mark Hosenball and Michael Isikoff, conventional weapons (e.g., missiles) that cause a large According to former CIA Director George “A Germ Warfare Guru Goes Free: Why did Malaysia number of casualties and destruction. For this reason, Tenet, al-Qaìda became interested Release Al Qaeda’s Bioweapons Expert?” Newsweek, De- some jihadists argue that these weapons could be con- in WMD after Aum Shinrikyo’s 1995 10 cember 17, 2008. Also, members of the al-Wafa “charity” sidered WMD. See Pita, “Assessing al-Qaeda’s Chemical sarin attack on the Tokyo subway. organization linked to the anthrax program have been re- Threat.” Al-Zawahiri’s e-mail, however, stated leased recently from Guantanamo Bay. See Thomas Jos- 7 Alan Cullison and Andrew Higgins, “Files Found: A celyn, “Al-Qaeda’s Anthrax Scientist,” Weekly Standard, Computer in Kabul Yields a Chilling Array of al Qaeda 8 Ibid. December 12, 2008; William Glaberson, “U.S. Decides Memos,” Wall Street Journal, December 31, 2001; Alan 9 Quoted in Cullison, “Inside al-Qaeda’s Hard Drive.” to Release Detainee at Guantánamo,” New York Times, Cullison, “Inside al-Qaeda’s Hard Drive,” Atlantic Month- 10 George Tenet, At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the March 31, 2009. ly, September 2004. CIA (New York: HarperCollins, 2007), p. 260. may 2009 . Vol 2 . Issue 5 that it was “the enemy” who brought training camp.16 These documents Second Phase BW to his attention, possibly by U.S. included letters addressed to al-Zawahiri Rauf’s letters indicate that he was Secretary of Defense William Cohen.11 from a person who was later identified incapable of obtaining the pathogenic In November 1997, Cohen appeared on as a Pakistani doctor in microbiology, strain of B. anthracis or the anthrax television showing a five pound sugar Abdur Rauf Ahmed. Rauf worked in vaccines, and that he did not have package and saying that if it were to the Pakistan Council of Scientific and adequate financial resources. In contain spores of Bacillus anthracis—the Industrial Research (PCSIR).17 The first 2000, al-Zawahiri, unhappy with etiological agent of anthrax—and letter was written in Europe in 1999. Rauf’s results and attitude, dispensed spread over Washington, D.C., half its In it, Rauf claimed to have attended or with his services,21 thereby initiating population would die.12 A photograph obtained information on a conference the second stage of al-Qaìda’s BW of Cohen holding the five pound sugar on biological agents that took place in program. As part of this stage, al- package was allegedly also found in Europe and to have visited a biosafety Qaìda attempted to benefit from its Afghanistan.13 level three laboratory (apparently in the relationship with Jemaah Islamiya (JI), United Kingdom) where efforts were a terrorist organization in Southeast A subsequent message dated June 1999 being made to obtain a pathogenic strain Asia with which al-Qaìda’s leaders in insisted on the need to find qualified of B. anthracis and anthrax vaccines.18 Afghanistan stayed in contact by means personnel for the BW program in Finally, he assessed the expenditure of Khalid Shaykh Muhammad (KSM), educational institutions. This seems required to purchase the material for the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.22 to be the strategy followed with the a laboratory and complained about the KSM declared before a military court collaboration of Saud Memon (allegedly scarce financial resources available to at Guantanamo Bay on March 10, 2007 involved in Daniel Pearl’s assassination him. that he was involved in al-Qaìda’s and who died in May 2007 in BW program after Muhammad Àtif’s Pakistan) whose search for qualified In a second letter (whose pages have death.23 KSM was arrested on March microbiologists focused on Pakistani the Society for Applied Microbiology 1, 2003 in Rawalpindi at the house of scientists. Documents retrieved letterhead), Rauf explained his scant Pakistani microbiologist Abdul Quddoos from the Kabul house of a Pakistani achievements in the start-up of the Khan, and in subsequent interrogation nuclear scientist, Sultan Bashiruddin program with B. anthracis. He claimed sessions explained that there was a B. Mahmood, included diagrams of what to have been unable to obtain neither anthracis program for which Yazid Sufaat, seemed to be a plan to disseminate B. the pathogenic strain nor the vaccines, a member of JI and of Kumpulan Militan anthracis using helium balloons,14 some although he intended to continue Malaysia (KMM), was responsible.24 results of internet searches on anthrax trying in another country, for which he vaccines, articles on BW, and even requested more money.19 Also included Sufaat’s nomination as the person an article on the Plum Island Animal was a set of basic laboratory sketches responsible for the program was made Disease Center of the U.S. Department with the staff and material required, after KSM’s request to Riduan Isamuddin of Agriculture.15 explaining that a cover-up for the (also known as Hambali), operational program would be needed, such as by leader of JI and an Indonesian cleric, to Most important in understanding the setting up an NGO, private company, find a person to continue the anthrax first stage of the B. anthracis BW program, teaching institute or medical laboratory. program.25 Sufaat was a former captain however, were the documents found in As a result of these letters, the report of a laboratory under construction near the U.S. WMD Commission dated March 21 This information is based on the authors’ interviews Kandahar and in a nearby al-Qaìda 31, 2005 concluded that al-Qaìda’s BW with members of the intelligence service involved in the program was further ahead than what arrest and debriefing of Rauf. Rauf was later arrested by 11 Milton Leitenberg, The Problem of Biological Weapons the intelligence community had initially Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence in December 2001, 20 (Stockholm: Swedish National Defence College, 2004), estimated. only to be released in 2003 due to insufficient evidence pp. 41, 123-124; Milton Leitenberg, Assessing the Biological that he supported al-Qaìda. Weapons and Bioterrorism Threat (Carlisle, PA: Strategic 22 Al-Qaìda’s close collaboration with JI started in Studies Institute, 2005), p. 35. 16 Several books and scientific journal articles on BW 1998. For details, see The 9/11 Commission Report (New 12 William S. Cohen, “This Week with Sam Donaldson were also found. Leitenberg, The Problem of Biological York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2004), pp. 150-152. and Cokie Roberts,” ABC News, November 16, 1997. Weapons, pp. 133–135; Leitenberg, Assessing the Biologi- 23 This information is found in the verbatim transcript 13 This allegation can be found in Leitenberg’s The cal Weapons and Bioterrorism Threat, pp. 28–31; James B. of the combatant status review tribunal hearing for ISN Problem of Biological Weapons, p. 124. Petro and David A. Relman, “Understanding Threats to 10024, p. 17. 14 These were similar to the Japanese “balloon bombs” Scientific Openness,”Science 302:5652 (2003): p. 1,899. 24 Barton Gellman, “Al Qaeda Near Biological, Chemi- designed to use winds crossing the Pacific Ocean to at- 17 This information is based on the authors’ interviews cal Arms Production,” Washington Post, March 23, 2003; tack the United States in World War II. with members of the intelligence service involved in the Judith Miller, “U.S. has New Concerns about Anthrax 15 Mahmood resigned from Pakistan’s Atomic Energy arrest and debriefing of Rauf. Readiness,” New York Times, December 28, 2003; Ma- Commission (PAEC) in 1999 and in 2000 founded Um- 18 For a detailed analysis of the letters, see Leitenberg, ria A. Ressa, Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of Al mah Tameer-e-Nau (UTN), a relief organization in Af- The Problem of Biological Weapons, pp. 133-135; Leiten- Qaeda’s Newest Center of Operations in Southeast Asia (New ghanistan. The house in Kabul where the documents berg, Assessing the Biological Weapons and Bioterrorism York: Free Press, 2003), pp. 78–80; U.S.A. v. Zacarias were found served as the headquarters of the organiza- Threat, pp. 28-31. Moussaoui, Eastern District of Virginia, 2006. tion. See Chris Stephen, “Kabul House of Anthrax Se- 19 Ibid. 25 KSM contacted Hambali at the request of Muhammad crets,” Evening Standard, November 22, 2001; “Al Qaeda 20 Leitenberg, Assessing the Biological Weapons and Biot- Àtif. Hambali had started collaborating with KSM in Runs for the Hills,” Newsweek, December 17, 2001. errorism Threat, pp. 36-37. 1994. After 1998, he also started dealing with Àtif. See may 2009 . Vol 2 . Issue 5 of the Malaysian Army Medical Corps to abandon its laboratory in Kandahar a multidisciplinary team with the who received a Bachelor of Science and the BW program fell into temporary adequate level of expertise, apart from degree at California State University in disarray. Sufaat moved to Karachi and, having facilities to handle the agent Sacramento in the 1980s.26 In addition upon the advice of Hambali, relocated to safely. Even BW programs in the United to providing his apartment to two of the Bogor in Indonesia.31 Sufaat approached States and the former Soviet Union had 9/11 hijackers and facilitating planning a relative of Hambali at the microbiology remarkable multidisciplinary teams; meetings in Kuala Lumpur, he provided division of an Indonesian institute nonetheless, they still encountered protection, funding, and facilitated to restart the anthrax program.32 He significant issues that in many cases the entry of Zacarias Moussaoui, an refused to cooperate, however.33 Sufaat entailed the failure of some lines of al-Qaìda suicide pilot, to the United was finally arrested in December 2001 research. Al-Qaìda would need strong States.27 Before traveling to Afghanistan, by the Malaysian Special Branch (MSB), support from other affiliate groups or Sufaat participated in Project Natal, the but was released in November 2008. sponsors that would enable it to acquire JI operation to bomb multiple churches Malaysian authorities stated that “he the required materials and personnel in Indonesia on December 24, 2000. In had shown remorse and repentance after for a successful BW program. Afghanistan, Hambali introduced Sufaat almost seven years of rehabilitation.”34 to al-Zawahiri as the “man who was In the case of local autonomous capable of leading al-Qaìda’s biological A Third Phase? cells without links to each other, weapons program.”28 After relocating to A terrorist group that decides to start the probability of establishing these Kandahar, Sufaat continued the work a program with B. anthracis spores must multidisciplinary teams with the explicit of Abdul Rauf at a laboratory at the be capable of: obtaining a pathogenic and tacit knowledge of producing B. Haji Habash hospital.29 Anthrax is an strain of the agent; producing spores anthracis spores is much lower. As endemic disease in cattle in Afghanistan on a large scale (an act that in the for jihadist manuals available on the and it could have been possible for a first instance could seem easy once internet, these publications virtually fail microbiologist (Sufaat only had a BS the procurement stage is completed, to cover biological agents and focus on degree) to isolate a pathogenic strain of but which has proven to be a difficult toxic chemicals and useless procedures B. anthracis from infected animals.30 task even in military BW programs);35 to obtain some toxins, basically ricin refining the spores and storing them and botulinum toxin.37 Autonomous With the U.S.-led coalition’s appropriately; and disseminating them cells would be virtually limited to the intervention in Afghanistan in October in an efficient way (if the objective is to possibility of having access to an already- 2001, however, al-Qaìda was forced cause a large number of casualties).36 produced agent, either by means of some All these stages require the terrorist biological defense program, or through 38 The 9/11 Commission Report, pp. 149-152. group to be capable of recruiting states with offensive programs. In this 26 Leitenberg, Assessing the Biological Weapons and Bioter- case, the possibility exists of having a rorism Threat, p. 33. 31 This information is based on the authors’ interviews proliferating state sponsor the terrorist 27 The 9/11 Commission Report, pp. 151, 490. with members of the intelligence service involved in the organization. The main restriction for a 28 Tenet, p. 278. arrests and debriefings of Sufaat and Hambali. state when sponsoring a terrorist group 29 The U.S. Department of Defense presented a centri- 32 Ibid. by supplying it a biological warfare fuge and an “oven” as the equipment that al-Qaìda had 33 Ibid. agent is that it would face the risk of reserved for the production of BW. For more, see Judith 34 Lourdes Charles, “Suspected JI Terrorists Released massive retaliation by or on behalf of Miller, “Threats and Responses: Terrorist Weapons, Lab from ISA,” Star [Kuala Lumpur], December 10, 2008. the threatened or attacked state (if the Suggests Qaeda Planned to Build Arms, Officials Say,” 35 A U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) 2002 report sponsorship is discovered). Until now, New York Times, September 14, 2002; Michael R. Gordon, states that production of B. anthracis spores is “not an ex- “U.S. Says it Found Qaeda Lab being Built to Produce act science. The yield and quality of each batch is variable 37 Ricin extraction procedures are discussed in René Pita Anthrax,” New York Times, March 23, 2002. even when produced legitimately in a highly sophisti- et al., “Extracción de ricina por procedimientos incluidos 30 A non-pathogenic strain, used in the production of cated facility.” See Diffuse Security Threats: Information on en publicaciones paramilitares y manuales relacionados vaccines, was available in Kabul at a facility supported U.S. Domestic Anthrax Attacks, U.S. General Accounting con la red terrorista al-Qaeda,” Medicina Militar 60:3 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Office (GAO), December 10, 2002, p. 4. Also, adequate (2004): pp. 172-175. The procedure for the production of Nations (FAO). See, for example, Kathy Gannon, “Tali- drying and milling methods are needed to obtain par- botulinum toxin is an absurd one that involves mixing ban Showed Interest in Anthrax Research Lab,” Boston ticles with appropriate size so that spores are retained by animal meat and feces in anaerobic conditions. This pro- Globe, November 22, 2001. This article, however, shows the lower respiratory tract, giving way to infection. For cedure is taken from the cookbook titled “The Poisoner’s some confusion when differentiating between patho- example, Iraq unsuccessfully tried to obtain a spray dry- Handbook.” For a detailed study of electronic jihadist genic B. anthracis strains and non-pathogenic strains er between 1989 and 1990 by attempting to import and chemical and biological manuals, see Sammy Salama and used in the production of animal vaccines. In accordance adapt dryers available in Iraq and even manufacturing Lydia Hansell, “Does Intent Equal Capability? Al-Qaeda with a January 2007 Agence France-Presse report, its own. See Charles Duelfer’s report to the director of the and Weapons of Mass Destruction,” Nonproliferation Re- Nangarhar’s governor had stated that in the dwelling U.S. Central Intelligence Agency on Iraq’s WMD, Com- view 12:3 (2005): pp. 615-653; Anne Stenersen and Bryn- where Taliban spokesman Muhammad Hanif had been prehensive Report, Volume 3: Biological Warfare, September jar Lia, Al-Qaida’s Online CBRN Manuals: A Real Threat? arrested, “packets of anthrax powder” had been found. 30, 2004, pp. 9, 20. Also see United Nations Monitoring, (Kjeller: Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, See “Taliban Official Said Found With Anthrax,” Global Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), 2007). Security Newswire, January 17, 2007. This information “The Biological Weapons Program,” in Compendium of 38 Acquisition through the black market should not be does not seem too credible and no other media organiza- Iraq’s Proscribed Weapons Programs in the Chemical, Bio- ruled out, as it can provide access to chemical, biological, tion has reported on the said “packets” or on how Afghan logical and Missile Areas, June 2007, p. 879. radiological or nuclear (CBRN) materials, especially in authorities determined that they contained B. anthracis. 36 See, for example, Diffuse Security Threats, p. 4. “failed states.” may 2009 . Vol 2 . Issue 5 there is no evidence of any state that has with biological select agents and toxins supplied a BW to a terrorist group. (BSAT). In fact, what characterized al-Qaìda’s anthrax program were The apocalyptic cult Aum Shinrikyo, its unsuccessful attempts to recruit responsible for the sarin attacks in 1994 Pakistani and Indonesian scientists and 1995 in Japan, is a clear example who had access to microbial culture of how difficult it is to produce a collections. Better intelligence and biological warfare agent and an efficient biosecurity measures are essential to dissemination system, especially taking disrupt al-Qaìda’s future attempts to into account that the cult had adequate acquire pathogenic biological agents. financial resources and technological means. The cult also benefited from Major René Pita, Ph.D., is a professor at the 1951 Religious Corporation Law the Chemical Defense Department of the that grants tax exemptions to religious NBC Defense School, Madrid, Spain. He organizations in Japan, and protection has extensive experience in the strategic, against possible interference of the operational, and tactical aspects of state in their activities.39 They were, CBRN defense, including many NATO however, only able to acquire a non- and Proliferation Security Initiative pathogenic strain of B. anthracis used (PSI) exercises. He received his Ph.D. in for the production of vaccines. They neurotoxicology from Madrid Complutense tried to disseminate it during June and University and has written extensively on July 1993 from the top of a building issues of CBRN terrorism. Currently, he is a in Kameido (Tokyo). Moreover, the qualified expert in toxicology for inspections liquid preparation had a very low of alleged use by the Organization for the concentration of spores and was too Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). thick; therefore, drops tended to land on the ground right after they were Dr. Rohan Gunaratna is head of the disseminated.40 International Center on Political Violence and Terrorism Research and professor Conclusion of Security Studies at the Rajaratnam Al-Qaìda’s transnational terrorism School of International Studies, Nanyang threat requires intensive international Technological University, Singapore. He is cooperation for intelligence collection the author of a dozen books including Inside that leads to counterterrorism operations Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror. He that disrupt the transfer of personnel has conducted counterterrorism courses for and material resources that could be military, law enforcement and intelligence used in a BW program. Cooperation services, including U.S. Navy SEALs and between intelligence services is the NYPD. Since 1984, he has interviewed especially needed in countries where al- detainees in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Qaìda enjoys popular sympathy. The Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Iraq, efforts of the international intelligence Philippines, Indonesia, U.S. and several community must also be combined with other countries. He received his Ph.D. from increased security in facilities that work St. Andrews.

39 This advantageous situation allowed Aum Shinrikyo, when it started its chemical and biological weapons programs, to enjoy a position that would be similar to that within a proliferating state—where there is no need to hide these activities from the security forces because the program is integrated within government activities— rather than a terrorist organization. For more, see René Pita, Armas químicas: la ciencia en manos del mal (Madrid: Plaza y Valdés, 2008), pp. 438-439. 40 Paul Keim et al., “Molecular Investigation of the Aum Shinrikyo Anthrax Release in Kameido, Japan,” Journal of Clinical Microbiology 39:12 (2001): pp. 4566-4567; Hiro- shi Takahashi et al., “Bacillus anthracis Incident, Kamei- do, Tokyo, 1993,” Emerging Infectious Diseases 10:1 (2004): pp. 117-120; Masaaki Sugishima, “Aum Shinrikyo and the Aleph,” in Richard F. Pilch and Raymond A. Zilin- skas eds., Encyclopedia of Bioterrorism Defense (Hoboken, NJ: Wyley-Liss, 2005), pp. 45-49.