HAMBURG, Nov 28: A high-ranking member of the US biological warfare programme could have launched the anthrax attacks in the US during the past few weeks, the latest issue of Greenpeace magazine reported on Wednesday.

The magazine quoted members of the US delegation at the Bioweapons Conference in Geneva and independent researchers who also took part in the conference.

Washington was keeping information on the suspected attacker and the laboratory secret, Greenpeace claimed.

US biologist and advisor to former president Bill Clinton, Barbara Rosenberg, and the Hamburg bioweapons expert, Jan van Aken, confirmed that the anthrax spores found in the letters in the US definitely did not come from the Middle East.

Particles in the envelope sent to Democratic Congressman Tom Daschle included a chemical called silica which was commonly used in the secret US bioweapons programme.

Other countries such as Iraq used the chemical bentonite, the experts were quoted as saying.

The attacker apparently did not have the intention to kill the recipients, but to create panic, the magazine said.

Greenpeace said the attacker apparently tried to force an increase in the US bioweapons programme.

The letters were apparently prepared some time ago and sent out after the terror attacks on September 11 to direct attention toward the Middle East.—dpa