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Fighting terror
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 8, 2003
LONDON -- British antiterrorism police arrested six men after discovering small quantities of ricin, a highly toxic poison, in a north London apartment, the government announced Tuesday.
The six men, all of North African origin, were arrested early Sunday. They are being held without charge under Britain's broad antiterrorism laws. Officials disclosed no information of a specific plot or target, nor did they provide a link between the men and al-Qaida or another terrorist organization.
In Washington, U.S. officials said no al-Qaida links had yet been established in the arrests.
Police were interrogating the suspects -- in their late teens, 20s and 30s -- in an attempt to determine where the ricin came from, what it was to be used for and whether there was more of it than the trace amounts discovered by police.
The British Broadcasting Corp. reported that the men were Algerian, but Scotland Yard refused to confirm that.
Ricin (pronounced RICE-in) is a colorless, odorless substance that can be readily distilled in small quantities from castor beans. There is no known antidote or vaccine. It is considered one of the most lethal toxins: One gram can kill up to 36,000 people. Ricin causes diarrhea so severe that victims can die of shock from massive fluid and electrolyte loss.
Authorities said it would be difficult to convert ricin into an aerosol to expose large numbers of people. But small quantities spread on subway turnstiles or in other public places could kill dozens and sow panic.
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A new battalion was added to Afghanistan's national army Tuesday, boosting the force to about 1,725 and raising hopes government forces will one day take control from the warlord militias that still control large parts of the country.
The 380 soldiers and 36 officers of the 5th Battalion paraded to a military band and drilled with Kalashnikov rifles at a ceremony at their Kabul training ground, watched over by U.S. Army officers who run the 10-week basic training courses.
Afghan leaders have said they want a force of 70,000 within two years, although foreign sponsors say that could take five years or more.
Another 600 soldiers, comprising the 6th Battalion, are being trained.
SEATTLE -- A nap at a security post at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has cost a new airport screener his job.
The federal Transportation Security Administration notified the screener Monday that he was fired for falling asleep at his post, said agency spokesman Brian Doyle. The screener's name was not released.
The screener clocked in about 5:30 a.m. Sunday and was stationed at an exit lane. His job was to ensure no one bypassed the security checkpoint by sneaking onto the concourse through the exit.
About 6 a.m., a fellow screener noticed the guard sleeping in his chair. Concourses were cleared, planes were delayed, and travelers had to be rescreened.