Al-Qaida ‘has Iraqi chemical weapon’

THE US government has received a credible report that Islamic extremists linked to al-Qaida took possession of a chemical weapon in Iraq last month or late in October, it was reported yesterday.

Senior officials told the Washington Post newspaper they suspect the transaction involved the nerve agent VX. If true, the transaction marks two significant developments.

It would be the first known purchase of a non-conventional weapon other than cyanide by al-Qaida or a member of its terrorist network. It would also be the most concrete evidence to support White House claims that Osama bin Laden’s network has received material assistance from Iraq.