US suspect involved in 'very serious' plots

The US Attorney General today said the American arrested on suspicion of plotting to detonate a ‘dirty’ radiological bomb in the US was a key al-Qaida operative who has ‘‘very significant information’’ about the terror network.

John Ashcroft, who arrived in Budapest from Russia, said the US government believes Jose ‘‘Pucho’’ Padilla, also known as Abdullah al Muhajir, was ‘‘involved in very serious terrorist plots’’.

US authorities yesterday described his detention as a significant blow against an al-Qaida plot to detonate a radiological weapon - a ‘‘dirty bomb’’ - inside the US, possibly in Washington.

Authorities described Padilla as a former gang member from Chicago who was raised as a Catholic but converted to Islam.

They said the alleged scheme went only as far as the planning stages.

Undersecretary of State John Bolton indicated Padilla was carrying plans for the attack when he was picked up in Chicago.

Dirty bombs combine traditional explosives with radioactive material. While not creating a nuclear explosion, they could release small amounts of radioactive material over dozens of city blocks.

Ashcroft, who plans meetings with Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy and Interior Minister Monika Lamperth, thanked Hungarian authorities for being an ‘‘excellent partner in combating organised crime’’.

Hungary also recently increased measures against money-laundering, he said, referring to a key concern in the anti-terror campaign - identifying and cutting off the financial assets of al-Qaida and similar groups.

Asked whether the US was concerned about the use of Hungary and other East European countries by Mideast citizens as a potential gateway to Europe, Ashcroft said: ‘‘We believe it is important to view terrorism as the enemy, not any specific nationality of individuals.’’

In Moscow yesterday, Ashcroft and Russian law enforcement officials discussed ways to boost their agencies’ cooperation in fighting terrorism and international crime, including what they called the growing Afghan drug trade.