>>> terror plot targeting the u.s. and europe, it has been foiled overseas. iraqi officials say they've arrested a terror cell that planned on using chemical weapons with an unusual delivery system. let's go to jim , joining us live from beirut. let's get to the story. what's this all about, jim ?
>> reporter: hi, alex. well, on saturday, the iraqi defense ministry paraded four individuals before the press, saying that they were four of five who had been arrested, and subsequently confessed to having the intent to produce poisonous chemical weapons in baghdad. the accused allegedly said they were trained by an al qaeda affiliate in an unnamed foreign country , and that they were coordinating with another cell to smuggle these poisons in liquid form for future attacks. you're absolutely right about the display. it was a very unusual delivery system. a couple of small remote-controlled helicopters were to be used to release these chemicals over the tar get. the idea, it seems, was to do this from a safe distance, a mile or so, according to a bbc report. alex, so far no indication whether these individuals were iraqis. they presumably speak arabic, though they were hooded.
>> hang on, jim . those remote-controlled helicopters, they look like an average toy. are they?
>> reporter: yeah, we need to get into the realm of tom clancy here. they did in fact -- they did look like toys, no question. but you also see in that -- in the press conference footage, two very excited, sometimes walking gingerly, wearing gloves, and chemical suits, and gas masks , these were officials, defense officials who were obviously concerned about what was inside these canisters and cases and bottles that they were carrying. police say that the -- the iraqi police say they've been following with intelligence officials for three or four months now the cell that they arrested them after, that they acquired raw materials. but before they actually produced any weapons. they mentioned sarin, which, of course, is deadly. mustard gas as well, as a potential chemical weapon that could have been used. but you're right, i mean, toy choppers, releasing chemicals from a mile away. now, if they could have pulled that off, they could have done serious damage. but again, it sounds like a pretty big if. back to you.
>> okay. jim asada, thank you for that shocking story.
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