India gate is seen on center while traffic moves along a street in New Delhi, India on March 9, 2009. (UPI Photo/Mohammad Kheirkhah) LONDON, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Militant groups were interested in recruiting academics from India to explore bioterrorism, leaked U.S. diplomatic cables from New Delhi reveal.
A top Indian diplomat in cables sent to U.S. officials in Washington in 2006 expressed concern that militant groups were interested in biological agents such as anthrax.
"(Diplomat Y.K.) Singh reported that Indian intelligence is picking up chatter indicating jihadi groups are interested in bioterrorism, for example seeking out like-minded PhDs in biology and biotechnology," diplomatic cables leaked to the Internet site WikiLeaks and given to London's Guardian newspaper indicate.
Militants, the cable warns, could acquire materials for a biological weapon in India and use the country as a staging ground for an international attack.
The cable warns of a "plethora of indigenous highly pathogenic and virulent agents" in India that not only makes the country a potential bioterrorism base but also a likely target.
The unnamed diplomat said that it was unlikely that such an attack would occur though Islamic groups were suspected of "seeking to recruit or employ biology/biotech PhD graduates from within India."
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/12/17/India-source-of-bioterrorism/UPI-50531292608352/
No comments:
Post a Comment