First off, the linked article below is from one person who their own ideas on what is happening in al-Qaeda. I do not have background on the author and it could just be someone whose imagination has run a bit wild. At the same time, it is eerily logical. I just offer it up as food for thought. As far as I know there is little to no evidence we are on the verge of a large scale biological attack. Many biological agents are nearly impossible to make, weaponize and control. So I have my doubts about this idea. But it is worth pondering.

An editorial from an India newspaper (no idea if it is mainstream or some marginal outfit) has connected the fact that Zawahiri is a doctor to the foiled UK plot involving doctors and extrapolated a fairly frightening conclusion:

Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden’s number two, has rebuilt the terror network since the Afghan war in 2001. That is very dangerous. While Israelis, Russians, Indians, Americans and Europeans are focusing on conventional and nuclear terror attacks, something strange is happening in Al-Queda operations.

The recent UK terror attacks in UK gave the first light to the new Al-Queda. Look at the man who is in charge of Al-Queda today. Yes, he is a well-qualified Egyptian doctor. He is recruiting not typical terrorists that can blow themselves up against the concretes in NY City and Washington DC. He is recruiting the doctors from India, Pakistan, Middle East and other countries. The intentions are clear.

The intensions are clear. The Al-Queda is gearing for deadly biological terrorism with the help of a network of doctors all over the world.

The sudden lull in their operation says they are getting ready for something big. The biggest problem is that a biological and bio-medical terrorism can eliminate millions of people all around the world and at the same time no one will for sure know who did it.

Ayman al-Zawahiri’s character is a little different. And, that makes him far more dangerous than Osama Bin Laden. Bin Laden like to show off. Ayman al-Zawahiri does not. He will very content to creates world’s greatest bio-terrorism and them sit there quietly and watch innocent people die all around the world. It will not come to his mind that he needs to tell the world that Al-Queda did it.

Strong stuff, nearly Chicken Little-ish. With that said martyrs scare me, as they do most sane people. Martyrs think they will go to heaven if they cleanse the Earth of the heathens or infidels or non-believers. They are not sane. The only reason I doubt this kind of thinking is I doubt a doctor has the ability to engineer a biological agent of such strength and far reaching effects. Doctors don’t have the same training or skills as scientists who manage develop strains of virulent agents. We do have powerful diseases (Ebola to name one), however, which can have devistating effect. But they kill indiscriminately, believer and non-believer alike. If Ebola was set lose in Iraq it would kill many more Muslims than US soldiers. But killing Muslims has not really been a barrier for al-Qaeda before. With that all said (and you can see I am torn about the risk of this) I doubt we are that close to a bio-attack, but it is something worth noting and watching.

Addendum: It seems some folks are watching, especially when it comes to agroterrorism and the nation’s food supply.