Terrorists south of the border

Mexico City

Al Qaida may be plotting to slip nuclear material or a dirty bomb into the U.S. through Mexico, Time magazine reported this week. An Egyptian detainee captured in Pakistan, Sharif al-Masri, said al Qaida operatives had discussed using Mexico as a staging area to assemble a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapon that they would use to attack the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is taking the report seriously, and traveled to Mexico recently to discuss ways to improve border security. Ridge said the U.S. would tighten the inspection of trucks heading north from Mexico, and Mexican officials said they would focus on flight schools and airports on their side of the border.