Education of the know how and the suitable material required to conduct deadly attacks have been the biggest obstacle in the past that inhibited Muslim extremists from carrying out biological or nuclear attacks on not only America but other Western targets

Those days  are over now.  They have had time.  Time is and always was and will be radical Islam's biggest weapon.  I have probably mentioned this a thousand times in articles but here it is again.  Radical terrorist groups and cells do not plan on winning a quick war.  Time is irrelevant to success.  Success is measured in survival of the ideology.  They feel with patience that in the end they will win.  Actually they are convinced of it.  The Talibanization of Afghanistan and Pakistan is not dying, but in a the midst of  a great revival.  It was only a week ago in Mumbai, India that a brazen attack was carried out meticulously.  It shows that Muslim extremist are not backing down in that region as attacks have spread form Afghanistan to Pakistan and as of late into India.  It is kind of ironic that in that attack only simple assault rifles and grenades were used.  According to the terrorist report, the odds that terrorists will soon strike a major city with weapons of mass destruction are now better than ever, a bipartisan congressionally mandated task force concludes in a draft study that warns of growing threats from rogue states, nuclear smuggling networks and the spread of atomic know-how in the developing world.

No mission could be timelier," says the draft report of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, which spent six months preparing an assessment for Congress and the new president-elect. It adds: "In our judgment, America's margin of safety is shrinking, not growing."

The commission notes that the U.S. government's counter-terrorism activities have been geared toward preventing nuclear terror but that it recommended that the prevention of biological terror be made a higher priority.  The commission believes biological weapons are more likely to be obtained and used before nuclear or radioactive weapons because nuclear facilities are more carefully guarded.  Civilian laboratories with potentially dangerous pathogens abound, however, and could easily be compromised.

The report said terrorist groups still lack the needed scientific and technical ability to make weapons out of pathogens or nuclear bombs. However it warns that any gaps could be overcome easily if terrorists should find scientists willing to share or sell their expertise. 'The United States should be less concerned that terrorists will become biologists and far more concerned that biologists will become terrorists,' the report states.

Senator Bob Graham of Florida, chairman of the study, said anthrax remains the most likely biological weapon. However, he said contagious diseases, such as the influenza strain that killed 40 million early in the 20th century, are looming threats.  Senator Graham added that the threat of a terror attack using nuclear or biological weapons is growing 'not because we have not done positive things but because adversaries are moving at an even faster pace to increase their access' to those materials.  The report, from the bipartisan Commission on the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism, recommends that the White House appoints one official on the National Security Council to coordinate exclusively U.S. intelligence and foreign policy on combating the spread of nuclear and biological weapons.

"The consequences of a biological attack are almost beyond comprehension. It would be 9/11 times 10 or a hundred in terms of the number of people who would be killed," former Sen. Bob Graham said.  Graham said a biological attack was more likely than a nuclear one because it would be easier to carry out.
Biological weapons "are more available," he said. "Anthrax is a natural product of dead animals. Other serious pathogens are available in equally accessible forms."  "There are so many scientists who have the skills to convert a pathogen from benign, helpful purposes into an illicit, very harmful weapon," he added.

The document named Al-Qaeda as the only terror group judged to be actively intent on conducting a nuclear attack against the United States.  The global terrorist network is not yet capable of building such a weapon and has yet to obtain one but that could change if a nuclear weapons engineer or scientist were recruited to its cause, the report warns.  The commission warned that there is also a threat of nuclear terrorism, both because more countries are developing nuclear weapons and because some existing nuclear powers are expanding their arsenals. "Terrorist organizations are intent on acquiring nuclear weapons," said the report.

So where does this report leave us.  It is unlikely that the incoming Obama Administration will relax on strengthening the security of the United States.  The lessons learned from 911 may be far back in the minds of many Americans, but remain fresh in the nightmares of the federal government and major cities that may be targeted in the next attack.  I think it will be tough for terrorist to carry out a nuclear attack on America.  Many in the media are right about this analysis.  Think how difficult it has been for countries such as Iran that has been trying for at least 15 years to gain this type of weapon.  It is not easy to create a nuclear weapon.  The best shot that the terrorist have is enlisting the assistance of a scientists that either sympathizes with their cause or can make enough money to not worry about the consequences of this type of partnership.  A biological attack is much more realistic, but in the end I was much more stirred by the events that occurred in Mumbai, India in the past week ( See:  The Terrorist Attacks In Mumbai, India ).  This style of attack in all it's simplicity is only natural.  I have often wondered in the past why this type of attack outside of war zones such as Afghanistan and Iraqi streets have not occurred in the West.  We are entering a new realm of terrorism at this point.  Diligence by our law enforcement across the nation has to be aware of possible terror cells not only utilizing sophisticated weaponry such as biological or nuclear weaponry but must be aware of "SIMPLICITY".  A few small cells left undetected could do much damage in America, Europe and elsewhere utilizing the same level of weaponry used in Mumbai.  This form of attack is much more likely to repeat itself than previous terrorist operations.  The American public must be aware of the seriousness of this threat and try to notice the one tip that would disrupt this type of plan before it takes place. Many law enforcement agencies are not prepared for a Mumbai style attack and training our police for preparing for an outbreak of these small attacks simultaneously is crucial for moving forward in the war on terrorism. Like it or not all Americans have to be`a part of the War on Terror in order to make the land of immigrants safe again..