Bin Laden has access to nuclear material

LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) British media said today Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind of the September 11 Kamikaze attacks on America, had obtained nuclear material which could be used in follow-up terror attack.

The times newspaper and channel four television news quotedwestern intelligence sources as saying the Saudi-born dissident had obtained the materials illegally from Pakistan, a nuclear power.

They said, however, that bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network of extremists, which operates out of neighbouring Afghanistan, did not have the technology to make a nuclear bomb.

Citing an" informed source", the times said bin Laden appeared to have amassed a "terrifying" range of weapons, although the source said a nuclear attack was still beyond him.

Bin Laden could also be behind the spate of Anthrax outbreaks at the heart of American public and political life in New York and Washington, although the FBI have yet to produceany conclusive links.

But after the destruction in New York and Washington and thereality of bio-terrorism on the U.S.

Capitol, people havestarted to fear a nuclear bomb planted in a suitcase could bemore than just a hollywood horror scenario.