Al-Qaeda's Newest Weapon: Poison Perfume?

According to reports out of Saudi Arabia, al-Qaeda terrorist operatives plotted to kill various government and media officials by sending them gifts of poisoned perfumes.

Al Jazeera reports that Saudi Arabia has detained nearly 150 al-Qaeda-linked suspects in recent months, many accused of financing and recruiting terrorist efforts inside the kingdom.

The group "planned to rob banks and companies to finance their operations", the official, who declined to be named, said on Saturday.

"Using poisoned perfume ... is one of the ways the arrested people planned to carry out their assassinations," he said.

The new plans for poison perfume represent an effort among terrorist extremists to shift terror operations from traditional explosives to chemical warfare and come after security officials foiled plans to detonate explosives on cargo jetliners.

Some of these efforts have come close to being successful.  Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula recently tried to assassinate government officials and religious clerics with agarwood-scented and poison-dosed perfume sent to their homes and offices, Wired reports.

A spokesman for Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry says the recently arrested suspects will be put on trial and may soon be enrolled in the government's rehabilitation program if they demonstrate repentance.