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------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- ARTICLE 04 - GUEST ARTICLE: The WMD Threat Against America Remains High ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- By Robert Koontz The United States has already experienced a biological attack with the most highly weaponized (and thus arguably the most dangerous) anthrax that has ever known to have been produced. Indeed, the anthrax spores that were sent to Senators Leahy and Daschle were so finely milled and atomically conditioned that they tended to float in the air and, during examination under the most stringent bio-hazard conditions possible, were very hard for scientists to control. Senator Leahy has even said that 100,000 people could have been killed with the anthrax spores that came to his office. Also, while it is true that some acknowledged experts speculate that the aforementioned anthrax was produced in a U.S. laboratory, we don't know who actually sent the anthrax - and we really aren't sure that the anthrax was indeed produced in America. (Even if the anthrax was produced here, it could have been sold to a terrorist group or a hostile foreign power; we essentially know nothing about the person or persons who sent the anthrax.) Thus, we cannot at this time rule at the possibility that al-Qaeda operatives have possession of a large quantity of the most dangerous anthrax known to man - even if U.S. authorities might seemingly try to console us with ideas about a "domestic loner" distributing it. It is thus my opinion that we should be reasonably concerned that there could be a terrorist strike with either this kind of biological weapon (anthrax) or some other kind of biological weapon. And even if a "domestic loner" is in possession of this kind of anthrax, that is hardly comforting, for this tells us what one man can do, as his actions have signaled to our enemies that we are very vulnerable to biological attacks. (I would like to add that there is even evidence that the successful anthrax attacks we have experienced are viewed as a "demonstration exhibition" by one hostile foreign intelligence service.) With respect to other WMD threats, there have been reports in the public domain that indicate that two suspected al-Qaeda smugglers recently died from radiation poisoning, one man reportedly dying while in U.S. custody, and it is well known that large quantities of radiological materials have been smuggled out of the former Soviet Union. It is also known that security of radioactive materials in Russia is dismal. In fact, a number of smugglers were recently arrested in Russia in possession of about three pounds of weapons grade plutonium. That is quite astonishing and extremely troubling. Given the above, and given that a radiological weapon can be produced merely by sheathing a large amount of conventional explosives with radioactive isotopes, with the conventional explosives subsequently being exploded so as to distribute the radioactive isotopes over a large area, we have reason to be concerned about the possibility of a radiological attack. There can be no question that smugglers could bring these kinds of materials into our country. Indeed, it would be quite generous to say that U.S. border security is "porous." Regarding WMD threats, the third possibility is that al-Qaeda operatives have possession of a nuclear device, even though that is most likely a remote possibility. Yet, according to General Alexander Lebed, president Yeltsin's former national security adviser, approximately 80 backpack nuclear devices were unaccounted for in the Russian nuclear arsenal as far back as 1995. And we know that Russian nuclear security is dismal, as mentioned. Then there is the fact that the Russian economy has been in extremely poor shape for approximately a decade, and is only now somewhat improving. So, when Russian generals aren't paid for months and must drive taxi cabs at night to survive, the question is raised as to whether they - or their less fortunate soldiers - would be willing to conspire to sell nuclear devices to such people as Osama bin Laden. One would think so - or maybe so. It was also reported as early as 1997 that Osama bin Laden had purchased perhaps two or more of the backpack nuclear weapons that were unaccounted for in the Russian arsenal. But whether or not those reports are true is not known. Certainly it can be said that bin Laden did express an interest in acquiring nuclear weapons. My own feeling is that we need to be principally concerned about either a biological weapon attack or a radiological weapon attack. But, it is probably true that the authorities have no credible evidence to further raise our fears at this time, except for the fact that we are still officially on high alert - apparently because of an increased volume of al-Qaeda communications traffic associated with terrorist attacks and the existence of credible evidence indicating that there might be radiological materials in place in the U.S. for a radiological attack. In all cases, we should not forget that rather large quantities of the most dangerous anthrax known to man have already been distributed in this country, and we should not forget what 19 young men did on Sept. 11 - with only a relatively small amount of money, a few box cutters and quite a bit of diabolical ingenuity. Robert Koontz holds a Ph.D. in experimental nuclear physics from the University of Maryland and has been a student of al-Qaeda tactics since 1997. His experience in intelligence activities dates to 1968 when he served with the Naval Security Group as an instructor at the NSA. Table of Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- ARTICLE 05 - Slobodan Milosevic - Alone - Goes On Trial ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- By J. David Galland As defiant as ever, former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic finally got the floor at the International War Crimes Tribunal last week. As expected, Milosevic is raising a defense that he is being made the sacrificial lamb served up to the International War Crimes Tribunal in exchange for promised international aid to the Former Yugoslavia. Most people will recall how he was whisked away, shackled, in the dark of the night last summer to wind up at The Hague in pre-trial confinement, becoming the highest-ranking diplomat and head of state to be charged with war crimes since the Nurnberg Tribunal that tried the Nazi leadership of Germany after World War II. Milosevic has vigorously defended himself, accusing the U.N. tribunal of an "evil and hostile attack" against him that culminated in what equates to a political kidnapping. (Milosevic was ousted from power almost two years ago following the 1999 NATO air war against Serbia for its ethnic cleansing of Kosovo Muslims.) Milosevic is certainly no gentleman, but the chief war crimes prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, seems to be bearing a personal grudge against him that is obvious to observers of the ongoing tribunal. I have personally heard her announce this to everyone who cared to listen, as well as launching frequent tirades leveled at everybody whom she felt was not complying with her wishes - including Gen. Wesley Clark, then the NATO Supreme Allied Commander of Europe and his subordinates. The former Serbian President faces a litany of war crimes, spanning nearly a decade of conflict in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo. But the Milosevic trial promises to be a "who's who" of complicity in the Former Yugoslavia, and indeed worldwide. It is generally anticipated that the Milosevic defense team will attempt to level the playing field by implicating many Western officials who have themselves allegedly committed censurable acts against the people of Yugoslavia. While Milosevic has been demonized in the United States and much of Western Europe as a war criminal, his legal defense strategy is likely to contend that both Serbia in general and Milosevic in particular are being punished for the gross failure of the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords sponsored by the Clinton administration that were aimed at ending years of ethnic strife in the Former Yugoslavia. It is an uncomfortable fact that Serbia itself has never been treated equally or received any material or financial aid as a result of the Dayton Accord. It is safe to assume that former U.S. negotiator Richard Holbrook or Clinton administration Secretary of State Madeline Albright are not going to take blame for the Dayton failure, even though they were the masterminds of the negotiations and ultimately unsuccessful settlement. The purpose of last week's latest hearing was to determine whether the three indictments against Milosevic, totaling 66 counts, should be joined in one trial. Although Milosevic's trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 12, he did not address the motion that was actually before the court during this appearance. He did, however, seize the opportunity to give his view of the decade of tumult in the former Yugoslavia. He called the long record of charges against him "abnormal and nonsensical." Milosevic went on to assert that his goal was to protect Serbs and bring peace as soon as possible to the troubled republics of Yugoslavia. This assertion may seem preposterous to many, but Milosevic again has a legitimate argument when one tallies up the number of Serbs who were butchered by NATO and its allies, the Albanian fighters. Milosevic argues that putting him on trial is "an attempt to turn the victim into the culprit." Milosevic has appealed to the court for a provisional release from confinement assuring the justices that he would not consider escape and that he would be present at all future hearings. "This is a battle I will not miss," Milosevic said. More troubling to an impartial observer is how the courtroom rules seem to have been regularly re-defined to deny the accused the ability to mount any effective defense. Del Ponte successfully appealed to the International War Crimes Tribunal's appellate bench to reconsider its initial refusal to hold a single trial on three indictments. As a result, it will be much easier for the tribunal to convict Milosevic of all charges. All Del Ponte has to do is simply link all the charges in a chronological sequence. The prosecution convinced the court by indicating that it intended to call several former insiders from the Milosevic regime. Del Ponte declared that she feared that these officials would not be able to return to The Hague to testify more than once if the trials were held separately - a rather implausible contention, given the change in regimes and the new Belgrade government's willingness to hand over Milosevic in the first place. Another troubling aspect of the pre-trial proceedings was the prosecutor's intent to call prosecution witnesses who themselves may well be complicit contributors to the very crimes for which Milosevic is charged. Deputy Prosecutor Geoffrey Nice inadvertently underscored this point when he said, "They are high-level witnesses who can give direct evidence of what he [Milosevic] was doing." In Del Ponte's closing argument, she asserted that Milosevic was the designer and the implementer of a plan to create a "greater Serbian state" dominated by Belgrade. She added, "The core impetus of all these crimes was forced expulsion." Her contention is that the implementation of that expulsion resulted in the deaths of thousands, and the uprooting of many more, all at the hands of Slobodan Milosevic. NATO won the war against Serbia three years ago. As in the aftermath of World War II, the victor opted to move against the defeated enemy with an international tribunal. But unlike Nurnberg, it is clear - and troubling - to see the forces of justice focused on only one man, while ignoring hundreds, if not thousands of others inside Serbia and without, who may be equally guilty. J. David Galland, Deputy Editor of DefenseWatch, is the pen name of a career U.S. Army senior Non-Commissioned Officer currently serving in Germany. He can be reached at [EMAIL PROTECTED] *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. 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