In October 1993, Guido Olimpio, Deputy Foreign Desk, Corriere della Sera, Milan, Italy wrote his first article for ASA on the New Realities of Terrorism. Since that time he has written 10 additional articles on terrorism for ASA and he has toured the US and has provided briefings to the US Congress on terrorism. Unfortunately, the primary players and their organizations have not changed; osama was pointed out by Mr. Olimpio many, many years ago.

The Trail of the Terrorists and 11 September
by Guido Olimpio

          The 11 September attack on Manhattan and Washington graphically demonstrated to the world - Al Qaida's strategic power. Their terrorist network could strike targets located thousand of miles from their home base through a series of multiple and carefully coordinated actions. Al Qaida's actions also brought into the open and spotlighted their very sophisticated logistic and financial apparatus. It was very apparent that Al Qaida also acted as or had the use of a high level intelligence agency.

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ASA's special thanks to Doug Eaton, NBC Team Ltd. of Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada for notifying ASA of this excellent report.
A Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) Special Report: (first broadcast 21 September 2001)

Trail of a Terrorist:
Ahmed Ressam

          In this exceptionally brief review we can say that this in-depth investigative report should be mandatory viewing for all in law enforcement, intelligence, immigration and naturalization, and all other government agencies that have any interest in terrorism.
          In the case of terrorist Ahmed Ressam, we were, Canada and US, surprised to find that Canada was acting as a sieve for all terrorists with a desire to either go to, or transit Canada on their way to the US. Ressam with the assistance of a GIA (Algerian terrorists' net.) cell in Paris emigrated from France to Montreal, Canada.

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Exactly 11 years ago in the ASA Newsletter 90-5, Dr. Graham Pearson's very timely article was published on neutralization of anthrax on Gruinard Island. Today this article, as reprinted below, is even more timely.

Gruinard Island Returns to Civil Use
by Dr. Graham S Pearson, The Director UK Chemical Defense Establishment

September 1990. Gruinard Island lies at 57o56' North and 5o35' West in North West Scotland in Gruinard Bay. The island is about 2 km long and 1 km across at its widest point. Its 522 acres of rocky land rise to 106 meters above sea level and are covered with coarse grasses, heather, bracken and peat. A spit of shingle extends from the south-east corner of the island to provide a convenient landing for vessels from the mainland, some 1.2 km distant.
          It seems that in 1881 six people lived on the island and ruins of cottages and field walls can still be seen.

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An ASA Book Review by:
Professor John Ellis van Courtland Moon

Scourge: The Once and Future Threat of Smallpox
by Jonathan B. Tucker

(NY: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2001)
          At the close of his fine book on one of the most dreaded diseases in human history, Jonathan Tucker of the Washington Office of the Monterey Institute of International Studies warns that the story of smallpox is "as much a cautionary tale as an inspirational one". Dr. Tucker narrates two parallel stories: the world-wide crusade to eradicate this dread disease, and the current threat posed by its possible use by terrorists. Despite the fact that terrorists have so far largely limited themselves to low-tech attacks, the possibility that they could graduate to the use of weapons of mass destruction is too frightening to be ignored.
          The horrific 11 September 2001 attacks on New York and Washington are a clear signal that terrorists have graduated to targeting large population centers and to inflicting massive civilian casualties.

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