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 Recurrent
intelligence reports say al Qaeda terrorist Abu Musab
Zarqawi has obtained a nuclear device or is preparing
a radiological explosive for an attack, according to U.S.
officials, who also say analysts are unable to gauge the
reliability of the information's sources.
The classified reports have been distributed
to U.S. intelligence agencies for several consecutive
months and say Zarqawi, al Qaeda's leader in Iraq, has
stored the nuclear device or dirty bomb in Afghanistan,
said officials familiar with the intelligence.
One official said the intelligence is
being questioned because analysts think al Qaeda would
not hesitate to use a nuclear device if it had one.
However, the fact that the Defense Intelligence
Agency (DIA) has reported the nuclear threat in several
classified reports distributed since December indicates
concern about it.
A DIA spokesman had no comment.
The Jordanian-born Zarqawi, who last year
formally linked up with Osama bin Laden's terror network,
is thought to be operating inside Iraq and has specialized
in suicide bombings and large-scale vehicle bombings.
He had several close encounters in recent weeks with Iraqi
and U.S. forces.
 Senior
U.S. intelligence and security officials said in congressional
testimony in February that a terrorist attack with weapons
of mass destruction -- nuclear, chemical or biological
arms -- is likely. CIA Director Porter J. Goss said such
a terrorist strike "may be only a matter of time."
Dirty bombs are made by mixing radioactive
material with conventional explosives. A report by the
Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United
States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction faulted U.S.
intelligence agencies for not understanding al Qaeda's
unconventional weapons programs in Afghanistan prior to
2001, when U.S. forces helped oust the Islamist Taliban
government.
"There are critical intelligence
gaps with regard to each al Qaeda unconventional weapons
capability -- chemical, biological and nuclear,"
said the report, made public March 30.
The commission said bin Laden told a Pakistani
newspaper reporter in November 2001 that al Qaeda has
both nuclear and chemical weapons. The CIA then "speculated"
in a report that the terrorist group "probably had
access to nuclear expertise and facilities and that there
was a real possibility of the group developing a crude
nuclear device," the commission report said.
The commission also said U.S. intelligence
agencies think development of a radiological bomb is "well
within al Qaeda's capabilities."
The reported threat of nuclear terrorism
comes amid other intelligence indicating that Zarqawi
is planning an attack on the United States. Still other
intelligence says Zarqawi was planning a chemical weapons
attack in Europe, officials said.
In February, U.S. intelligence and security
officials said information showed bin Laden had asked
Zarqawi to focus future attacks on targets inside the
United States. The threat was contained in a classified
bulletin to state and local security officials.
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