CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- March 31, 2008

Anthrax reporter appeals contempt of court order for not revealing sources
“Former USA Today reporter Toni Locy on Friday asked the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to reverse a federal judge's decision to impose sanctions against her for refusing to disclose government sources who provided information about former US Army germ-warfare researcher Dr. Steven J. Hatfill.”
(Jurist; 29Mar08)
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2008/03/anthrax-reporter-appeals-contempt-of.php

[Kansas Governor] Sebelius signs bill to help land bio-defense facility
“Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Friday signed legislation providing for infrastructure improvements needed to secure a National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility for the state. Kansas is one of six finalists for the facility. The proposed site is at Kansas State University, immediately adjacent to the Biosecurity Research Institute. Senate Substitute for House Bill 2001 authorizes the issuance of revenue bonds to support a capital improvement project for the facility.” (Kansas City Business Journal; 28Mar08) http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2008/03/24/daily46.html

Smiths Detection Awarded Army Contract with Potential Value of $75 Million for Additional Automatic Chemical Agent Detector Alarm (ACADA) Units
“Smiths Detection, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, today announced its Military unit has been awarded a contract with potential total value of $75 million by the Department of Defense (DoD) to supply Automatic Chemical Agent Detector Alarm (ACADA) units. Under the initial $10 million order, Smiths Detection is supplying the US Army with its GID-3(TM) chemical agent detectors, selected for the ACADA program.” (TMC Net; 31Mar08)
http://opensourcepbx.tmcnet.com/news/2008/03/31/3356650.htm

Uganda: Govt Drafts Law On Chemical Weapons
“The government is drafting a law to regulate toxic chemicals used in industries and those in transit through the country. […] State Minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations Mwesigwa Rukutana said his ministry has already drafted a Bill, which will soon be tabled before the Cabinet. Mr Rukutana disclosed this during a workshop for MPs on the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the need for its Implementation in Kampala last Friday.”
(The Monitor (Kampala); 31Mar08; Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa Munyonyo)
http://allafrica.com/stories/200803310933.html

New Dirty Bomb Detection Technology From Splinternet Holdings, Inc., to Be Demoed at ISC West in Las Vegas, April 2 – 4
“Splinternet Holdings, Inc. will introduce three new entries in the wide-area radiological detection marketplace, DefenTect™, GammaTect™ and GammaTect Plus™, at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, April 2 - 4. […] DefenTect™ manages a distributed network of solid state GammaTect™ radiation sensors, that send real-time notifications to security command centers when the presence of threat-level gamma rays is detected. The integrated DefenTect™ system enables customers with IP networks to add radiation detection capability, increasing the utility of their security systems. Sensors can be strategically positioned adjacent to existing cameras to identify threats visually.”
(Splinternet; 31Mar08)
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080331005128&newsLang=en

Ont[ario], emergency workers put to test in 'dirty bomb' mass casualty exercise
“Panic and mayhem swept across a Toronto college campus Saturday as about 100 screaming, blood-stained students hobbled in to receive medical care, but it was all part of a training exercise aimed at testing how emergency services might respond to a nuclear [sic] incident. The mock disaster centred around a fictional ‘dirty bomb’ explosion and multi-vehicle crash on Highway 401 - Canada's busiest highway - in which a plume of radioactive dust was released into the air.” (The Canadian Press; 29Mar08)
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hR85nG7YqnWYftsJO8hdZbt0r3Kw

India determined to root out terrorism says [Prime Minister] Manmohan Singh
“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said whatever the source of terrorism, we are determined to root it out and ensure that in a democracy, political change can only come through the ballot box and not through the barrel of a gun. Singh also pointed out the SPG [Special Protection Group]’s proposal to build capabilities in the field of ‘Bomb Disposal’ in a bid to equip itself to deal with threats from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents and assured that the Government would ensure all that it requires to upgrade the skills of its personnel and the organisation.” (Top News; 31Mar08; Mohit Joshi)
http://www.topnews.in/india-determined-root-out-terrorism-says-manmohan-singh-229078

Global Crime and Terrorism
“The end of the Cold War meant a significant change in the nature of the foreign threats to US security. The principal worry of most Americans is no longer a devastating military offensive from abroad, but rather more insidious assaults which hit closer to home, threatening lives and property and creating a climate of fear. […] The use of chemical agents in the attack on the Tokyo subway heightened the concern that similar attacks could occur here. International drug cartels continue to pump enormous quantities of cocaine and heroin into the United States, destroying countless lives, raising public health costs, and contributing to a large percentage of the criminal acts committed in this country.” (Canada Free Press; 31Mar08; Jim Kouri)
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/2419

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.