Terror Plot: Poison Water Supply

A new report from the Jamestown Foundation details a plot by terrorists to poison some water supplies in Europe.

In "Jihadis Discuss Means of Poisoning the Water Supply of Denmark and Great Britain," intelligence expert Hameed Bakier writes that "A major jihadi internet forum has posted a terrorist plot to use chemical and biological agents to contaminate water resources in Europe in general and Great Britain and Denmark in particular, the latter in retaliation for insulting the Prophet Muhammad through publication of the infamous 'Muhammad cartoons.'"

According to the report, the internet forum posting featured discussions among forum participants about how to produce mass casualties through the poisoning of water resources and reservoirs. And while the report said that there was acceptance of the plan by some, others posted their dissent.

Bakier says, "...some forum members disagree with the terror plan, arguing that mass killing has neither religious justification nor a fatwa (religious ruling) to authorize it."

The report outlined the stages of the plot in this way: 1) collect intelligence on the target and determine the right timing for execution; 2) distract and avoid security forces at the target; 3) use one fair-skinned blonde jihadi to execute the attack and leave the country immediately after perpetration; and, 4) use a highly poisonous chemical substance to contaminate the water supply.

Bakier says some forum members asked for plans to execute the attack, as well as travel methods and information on the production of chemicals. The fact that some were asking for such information likely indicates that there are willing actors ready to conduct such a terrorist attack. Of course, asking for information and actually conducting an attack are entirely different matters.

A forum member nicknamed Al-Bara Bin Malik suggested a number of poisonous gases that could be used in an attack, such as chlorine gas, mustard gas, hydrogen cyanide and nerve gas. Although Malik did not explain methods of launching the poisonous gases, he claimed they are easy to prepare and asked the other chatters to speculate on ways of developing aerosol distribution systems. Other chatters posted photos of water pipelines, water towers, and diagrams illustrating ways to inject the chemical substances into the water system. One participant, a mechanical engineer nicknamed Athab al-Qabir, suggested attacks are possible through valves or ventilation openings.

Many Europeans are becoming increasingly worried about the potential for another terrorist attack on European soil, given a series of thwarted plots over the past few years and the increasing radicalization of some European Muslim communities.

And while Bariek says extremists dominate "jihadi" Internet forums, he notes that "Moderate Salafis nonetheless often succeed in dissuading indecisive Islamists in the forums from carrying out extremist violence by challenging the militants with strong arguments they cannot refute."