News Article: October 08, 2001 - Scarborough says use of biological weapons on U.S. unlikely 

Jackson, TN - Political and international relations analyst Ivy Scarborough said Sunday that the use of bioterrorism on the United States is probably unlikely in the wake of the recent American attacks on Afghanistan, though the possibility cannot be fully discounted.

"When I started predicting over the course of the past few years that there would be a major terrorist strike against America, my preeminent concern was a biological or chemical attack," admitted Scarborough. "If Al Qaeda had the capability to deliver a biological or chemical weapon in this country, I believe they would likely have done so with their first attempt," Scarborough said, referring to the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Scarborough pointed to the fact that the lead hijacker of the World Trade Center attacks, Mohammed Atta, was reportedly the terrorist who inquired about crop dusting planes.

"Since Atta was planning to sacrifice himself in the September 11 attacks it is unlikely that the terrorists have the biological or chemical delivery capability," said Scarborough. "If they did, they would have dispatched a leader to explore the crop dusting plane option rather than an operative who would shortly be killing himself. This suggests that while there may be one or more sleeper cells waiting to attack the U.S., this will probably not happen through the use of chemical or biological weapons."

Scarborough did admit, however, that the possibility is still there.

"I have believed since Sept. 11 that were there to be another terrorist attack it would only come as a retaliatory strike after the U.S. had attacked the terrorists overseas," explained Scarborough. "Therefore, I believe this is the beginning of the danger period for our country. Further, there is a possibility that bin Laden has the capability to deliver a chemical or biological weapon in the United States, but has held it in reserve as his retaliatory counterpunch."

Mr. Scarborough, an attorney from Jackson, Tennessee, holds significant expertise on a variety of current issues, including international terrorism, foreign affairs, national defense policy and American government. He has done extensive freelance reporting and observation in various countries including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Somalia and Kosovo and is widely used by the military as a lecturer on topics including the Afghan war, international crises, and terrorism. Most recently, he was asked by the Tennessee National Guard to brief guard units statewide on the situation in Afghanistan.