Allies fear terrorists creating human bomb

PLOT: Doctors surgically loading explosives into militants

WASHINGTON — U.S. and allied officials said they are increasingly concerned that doctors working with al-qaida’s Yemen-based affiliate will implant bombs inside living militants in order to try to circumvent airport security measures and bring down aircraft.

Earlier this year, a missile fired by a Cia-operated drone killed a Yemeni doctor who had devised medical procedures that could be used to surgically plant explosive devices in humans, several U.S. officials said.

However, another individual, the expert bomb-maker who came up with this tactic, survived a similar missile attack last year. Counterterrorism agencies believe he is still engaged in active plotting against U.S. and other western targets.

More over, three u.s. officials said counter-terrorism agencies report that other doctors in Yemen are prepared to surgically load bombs into the organs of militants.

The possibility of implanted bombs has been a concern for U.S. officials since at least 2009, when two incidents occurred involving militants who had spent time with leading figures of Yemen-based al-qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

In August 2009, a Saudi militant who had spent time in Yemen unsuccessfully tried to assassinate Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, Saudi Arabia’s counter-terrorism chief, with what authorities initially believed was a bomb secreted in his anal cavity.

Authorities determined the bomb was virtually identical to one that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian militant who had been studying Arabic in Yemen, used to try to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day 2009.

Both Abdulmutallab’s bomb and the bomb used in the failed attack on Nayef turned out to have been sewn into the wouldbe bombers’ underwear, rather than implanted inside body organs or cavities.

These incidents sparked concern among U.S. and western counter-terrorism agencies that implanted bombs might be a more effective way for militants to evade airport security devices, including X-ray machines and metal detectors.

According to U.S. officials, the research suggested a bomb hidden inside a body cavity or organ would be less likely to jeopardize the safety of an airplane than a bomb hidden under clothing.

In response to the possible deployment of implanted bombs, efforts are being made to adjust airport security, including the body scanners and metal detectors now used, to try to spot potential threats.