Al-Qaeda could spread avian flu, report warns Intelligence study says Canada could be a target 

Stewart Bell 

National Post 

October 25, 2005 

TORONTO - A newly disclosed Canadian intelligence study says al-Qaeda might try to spread the deadly avian flu virus as part of its campaign to sow terror in Western nations. The report by the federal government's Integrated Threat Assessment Centre describes the avian flu as a "potential terrorist-induced" pandemic and specifically mentions Osama bin Laden. "It is significant to note that Osama bin Laden views chemical, biological,

 radiological and nuclear weapons as legitimate," says the report, titled "Pandemics: Avian Flu." "In addition, Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda representatives have repeatedly named Canada as a target," it says under the heading "Biology and Terrorism." A copy of the study was released to the National Post under the Access to Information Act. Security officials have long feared that Islamic terrorists bent on disrupting Western economies and killing masses of civilians might resort to biological agents. 

Terrorists have shown increasing interest in biological and chemical weapons since the Japanese religious sect Aum Shinri Kyo attacked the Tokyo subway system with sarin in 1995. Al-Qaeda experimented with such weapons at its camps in Afghanistan, but there have been few attempts so far to use them, partly because they are difficult to manufacture and disseminate. But the Canadian report says last winter's outbreak of the H5N1 strain of avian flu in Asia "is of concern due to its high mortality rate in humans" and warns of "worldwide pandemic." Aside from terrorists, the report warns of the possibility that smugglers could unwittingly bring the virus to Canada. 

It cites the example of a Thai man who tried to smuggle two infected birds into Belgium last October. The crested hawk eagles were concealed in plastic tubes in his carry-on baggage. The veterinarian who handled the birds was hospitalized with symptoms of avian flu but survived. The spread of avian flu to Canada would have a devastating impact on the economy, the report says. Last year's outbreak in B.C.'s Fraser Valley cost an estimated $496-million. If an avian flu strain more easily transmissible to humans comes to the country, it "would be expected to be much more virulent and contagious than SARS," which killed fewer than 50 people in Canada in 2003. 

The Canadian report says that regardless of whether it spreads as a result of terrorism, smuggling or simple transmission, a central issue is the ability of nations to identify, report and deal with an outbreak. While the World Health Organization has a monitoring system in place, it depends on the honest reporting of member nations, and some countries report false information or fail to report at all, it says. C National Post 2005