I found this whilst researching issues surrounding WMD and mass panic propoganda. Due to the atmoshpere of recent I thought it would be a suitable topic to look over. The source is the Sunday Mirror which holds some scrutiny already. However the article is certainly interesting in that if Al-Qaeda are recruiting Islamic suicide bombers who are infected with the HIV virus and using them as human biological bombs. Essentially they are becoming a walking WMD hoping to increase the kill rate by spreading deadly blood-borne pathogens as well as panic. Such pathogens could be HIV as well as other such as the Hepatitis virus.
Source - Sunday Mirror link 8th January 2006
Sunday Mirror said:HIV BOMBERS
EXCLUSIVE Al-Qaeda's plot to infect troops with AIDS virus
By Rupert Hamer Defence Correspondent
AL-QAEDA is recruiting suicide bombers who are infected with the AIDS virus, according to documents revealed to the Sunday Mirror.
Terror chiefs are also targeting fanatics who suffer other lethal blood diseases such as hepatitis and dengue fever in order to increase their "kill rate" from an explosion. The chilling new threat is revealed in papers distributed to British military camps in Iraq and across Europe.
Under the heading "HIV/Hepatitis" the document states: "There is evidence that terrorists might be deliberately recruiting volunteers with diseases that are spread by blood transference."
Experts have found that bones and other blood-spattered fragments from a suicide bomber could penetrate the skin of a victim 50 metres away and infect them.
In the papers (part of which is summarised above) soldiers are warned to wear special protective clothing when on guard duty or if they have to deal with casualties in the event of an attack.
All bases must also have snipers hidden behind blast-proof defences ready to take out would-be suicide bombers. The guidelines were issued following the 7/7 London bombings which left 52 dead and injured hundreds more.
Spy chiefs have also examined other attacks, including a car-bombing on the Black Watch in central Iraq which killed three soldiers a year ago.
Last night an MoD spokesman confirmed that bases had been made aware of the new threat.
He added: "The Army go to great lengths to prepare our soldiers for every eventuality."
Source - Sunday Mirror link 8th January 2006