CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- February 6, 2008

New Anti-Anthrax Machine Developed
“A new toxin [sic] busting machine may be able to save hundreds of hours and millions of dollars. […] A research team comprised of members from Georgia Tech Research Institute and Stellar Micro Devices of Austin, Texas developed a new, non-invasive method for sterilization. The remotely-operated mechanism resembles a coat rack, ringed with radiation modules at various heights. The arrays emit a combination of X-ray and ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation. Both types of radiation penetrate the outer shell of anthrax toxins [sic], destroying the bacteria inside. […] The device is unfortunately also lethal to humans and other animals while in use and must be operated remotely.” (Daily Tech, 05Feb08, Levi Beckerson)
http://www.dailytech.com/New+AntiAnthrax+Machine+Developed/article10567.htm

Michigan Woman Sentenced for Anthrax Scare
“A Michigan woman has been sentenced to two years probation following the 2005 anthrax hoax in Oregon. A federal judge in Detroit ordered Sandra Fujimoto Collins of Birmingham to pay more than $100,000 in fines and restitution. Collins plead[ed] guilty in September to charges related to the hoax.” (WLNS.com, 05Feb08) http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=7824060

C.U. [Cornell University] Research Works To End Bioterrorism
“While U.S. troops battle terrorism abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan, scientists at the Weill-Cornell Medical College are doing their part a little closer to home — strengthening America's defense against threats of bioterror. Since the anthrax attacks of 2001, a fear of bioterrorism has heightened the need for research on treatment options to prevent potential catastrophes. With new developments at Weill-Cornell, however, two potentially deadly viruses — Hendra and Nipah — may no longer pose a danger to national security. [… The Weill-Cornell] team developed a treatment that prevents Hendra and Nipah from going to work in the body by blocking fusion sites in cells.” (The Cornell Daily Sun, 05Feb08, Nathan Sermonis)
http://cornellsun.com/node/26912

AFMC [Armed Forces Medical College] plans research centre to tackle bio terrorism
“[…] Realising the imminent danger posed by […] biological weapons, the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) will soon have its own centre for research on bio terrorism. Lt Gen Saibal Mukherjee, director general, medical services, army acknowledged that there was a need to be prepared for any kind of attacks and announced the plans to set up two centres for research on bioterrorism in the armed forces. AFMC [in Pune] would be one nodal centre and other is Army Hospital (Referral and Research), New Delhi.” (ExpressIndia.com, 05Feb08, Anuradha Mascarenhas) http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/AFMC-plans-research-centre-to-tackle-bio-terrorism/269428/

BWC [Biological Weapons Convention] States Parties Strive for Synergy at December 2007 Meeting
“States parties to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC or BTWC) met in Geneva from December 10-14, 2007. The meeting was noteworthy for three reasons. First, the session was the first such gathering after the relatively successful Sixth BWC Review Conference in December 2006. […] The December 2007 session was similarly harmonious, at least in its absence of sharp disputes or denunciations by the participating states parties. Second, the meeting was the first to benefit from the dedicated assistance of the new Implementation Support Unit (ISU) established at the Sixth Review Conference. […] Finally, the December 2007 meeting included an unusually large number of states parties as well as representatives from international nonproliferation organizations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the private biotechnology industry.” (WMD Insights, February 2008, Richard Weitz) http://www.wmdinsights.com/I22/I22_G2_BWCStates.htm

Japan: China dumpling poisoning may be deliberate
“Japan's health minister raised the possibility on Tuesday that someone had deliberately contaminated Chinese-made dumplings imported into Japan with pesticide in an incident that made 10 Japanese sick and sparked a food scare. Japanese police have set up a joint task force to investigate the case on suspicion of attempted murder. Both Tokyo and Beijing have called for close cooperation in investigating the case, which has prompted huge Japanese media coverage and health queries from nearly 4,000 people. […] Japanese experts have said the chemical first detected in the dumplings is used widely in China but not in Japan, although Kyodo news agency said China banned its use this year. However, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told reporters it was too soon to tell if the contamination had been deliberate.” (Reuters, 05Feb08, Linda Sieg)
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSPEK191469

DEQ [Oregon Department of Environmental Quality] seeks input on Umatilla Chemical Depot waste disposal
“Local residents will have an opportunity tonight to tell the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality how the Umatilla Chemical Depot should dispose of its secondary waste. The depot's secondary waste includes wood pallets and protective suits, which depot crews use to process chemical munitions. The depot then incinerates the objects after use.” (East Oregonian, 05Feb08)
http://www.eastoregonian.info/main.asp?SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48&ArticleID=72830&TM=51275.27

Bush asks [for] boost in spending for homeland cyber security [etc.]
“[…] President Bush is proposing a 6 percent increase in spending for homeland security next year in a spending plan that devotes more than a third of the security budget to securing the nation's borders and transportation systems. […] The Agriculture Department would receive an additional $120 million that includes money for surveillance and protection of the nation's food supply chain. […] The president also wants to increase spending to $11 billion to defend against catastrophic threats including chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks — a 35 percent increase over the current level. The money would go toward developing and deploying radiation detection technology across the country, including in major urban areas.” (International Herald Tribune, 04Feb08, AP) http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/04/america/Budget-Homeland-Security.php

N. Korea would sell nukes to terrorists
“North Korea threatened to export nuclear weapons to international terrorists in 2005, according to a U.S. intelligence report made public yesterday. The report to Congress on arms proliferation was produced in 2006 and also said al Qaeda is developing chemical and biological weapons for use in Iraq and Afghanistan and continues to seek nuclear or radiological bombs. […] On North Korea, the report expressed continued worries about threats from the reclusive communist regime to export nuclear arms. In April 2005, North Korea told a U.S. academic, who was not identified further, that Pyongyang ‘could transfer nuclear weapons to terrorists if driven into a corner,’ the report stated. It was the first time that the U.S. intelligence community disclosed the basis for concerns about North Korea’s supplying terrorists with nuclear arms.” (The Washington Times, 05Feb08, Bill Gertz)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080205/NATION/163481673/1002

CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.