CIA Warns Turkey Toxic Substance May Be Used To Assassinate U.S. Officials

July 17, 2002

    The CIA has warned Turkish government authorities to be on alert for a poisonous biological or chemical substance that was sent from Georgia to Turkey for possible use in a terrorist attacks, the Turkish news agencies Anatolia reported last week.

    The substance could be used in attacks against U.S. or Russian officials.

    The Security General Directorate (SGD), a Turkish government security service, warned all province governments to be on alert for attacks using the substance.

    According to the news agency, the CIA warned that a Georgian national named Abu Atiya sent the substance, that appears to be an ointment, to a man in Turkey operating under the code name Musab.

    Officials said Al Qaida insurgents have tried to enter Turkey from neighboring Iran. They said the latest alert came on the eve of a visit by U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz to Ankara on July 14.

    The warning stated that the substance would be used in an attack in the next 20 days. The toxin reaches its victims by passing through the skin and will be used by Musab or another terrorist named Abu Tasir, the report said.

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