WASHINGTON -- Federal investigators probing an alleged bombing plot
with suspected ties to al Qaeda are trying to track purchases of
chemicals that could be used to make explosives, as three men charged
as a result of the probe appeared in court Monday.
Two officials familiar with the probe said investigators were
combing records on the purchases of chemicals, particularly hydrogen
peroxide, that could be used to make bombs. Peroxide-based explosives
were used in a deadly attack on London's subway and bus system in July
2005, and al Qaeda's interest in such explosives has been a top concern
for the Federal Bureau of Investigation for almost two years, according
to intelligence assessments made public.
