CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- April 28, 2008

Review ordered for anthrax vaccine refusers
“A federal judge’s decision could lead to clearing the records of military personnel who refused to take mandatory anthrax shots between 1999 and 2004. Judge James Robertson of the district court for the District of Columbia admonished the Air Force Board for the Correction of Military Records, which had rejected a petition by two former Connecticut Air National Guard officers for compensatory relief for back pay and lost promotions after they claim they were forced to resign for refusing the vaccine. The plaintiffs, Thomas Rempfer and the estate of the late Russell Dingle, based their appeal on a separate anthrax vaccine lawsuit.” (Army Times; 28Apr08; William H. McMichael) http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/04/military_anthraxvaccines_042608w/

Article by Universal Detection Technology Featured in the Counter Terrorist Magazine
“Universal Detection Technology, a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and a provider of counter terrorism training and solutions, announced today that a recent article titled ‘Combating the Evolving Threat of Biological Terrorism’ drafted by UDTT's Director of Research and Development, Mr. Amir Ettehadieh has been published in the Counter Terrorist Magazine. The Article describes the bio-terrorist threat facing the nation from both homegrown and foreign terrorist elements and the necessary steps that need to be taken by the government to combat this lethal WMD threat.” (CNN Money; 25Apr08) http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0390689.htm

Medicine dispensing plan offers escape pod in emergencies
“A large-scale emergency could lead droves of people to line up for medicine at health departments, clinics and other public outreach locations. With those images in mind, public health planners are reaching out to businesses to assist in mass dispensing of medicine from the Strategic National Stockpile in the event of a bioterrorism attack or natural disaster. The process uses points of dispensing (PODs), which are designated dispensing locations for people who are healthy but may have been exposed to specific diseases such as anthrax or tularemia and need medication to avoid becoming ill. A local public health agency operates open PODs, which are available to everyone who lives or works in that community.” (Kansas City Business Journal; 25Apr08; Ellen Jensen) http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2008/04/28/focus4.html?ana=from_rss

Franek Technologies Safeguards State of Wyoming Public Health Laboratory's $1M Investment in Critical Instrumentation
“Based on Comprehensive Analysis, Franek Technologies Develops Customized Solution to Protect the State of Wyoming Public Health Laboratory's $1M Investment in Critical Instrumentation With 25 Additional Certified Power Protection Units […] The state-of-the-art Public Health Laboratory relies on extremely sophisticated instrumentation to conduct high-throughput research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, pandemic, and immunologic diseases, as well as bioterrorism threats. Such long-term testing and processes often rely on highly leveraged robotic automation that is extremely sensitive to uncontrolled electrical and environmental conditions, such as power fluctuations, harmonics, or interruptions.” (Yahoo Finance; 28Apr08; Franek Technologies Press Release) http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/080428/0390822.html

Anthrax Spore Standards Will Be Reference For Anthrax Detection And
Decontamination

“Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) and the U.S. Army Dugway (Utah) Proving Ground have developed reliable methods based on DNA analysis to assess the concentration and viability of anthrax spores after prolonged storage. The techniques and data are essential steps in developing a reliable reference standard for anthrax detection and decontamination.” (Science Daily; 28Apr08) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415164309.htm

Helping the watchdog
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently approved the temporary assignment of a regional senior health scientist to assist the Berea-based Chemical Weapons Working Group (CWWG). The grassroots coalition’s main goal is to serve as a watchdog to ensure the safe and environmentally sound disposal of chemical weapons being stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond [Kentucky].” (Richmond Register; 28Apr08; Ronica Shannon) http://www.richmondregister.com/localnews/local_story_119090904.html

UN steps up campaign against nuclear, chemical terrorism
“The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a resolution Friday urging stepped-up efforts to keep weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of terrorists and black marketeers. It calls on all states to fully implement a council resolution approved in April 2004 requiring all 192 U.N. member states to adopt laws to prevent ‘non-state actors’ from acquiring nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. It notes that some countries - which were not identified - haven't filed a report on their efforts that was due in October 2004.” (The Charlotte Observer; 25Apr08; Edith M. Lederer) http://www.charlotte.com/nation/story/596220.html

L.I. [New York] Disaster Drill Simulates 'Dirty Bomb'
“More than 600 emergency workers rehearsed a response to a simulated radioactive ‘dirty bomb’ attack in what authorities called the largest such simulation in Long Island's history. Police, firefighter, medical workers and other personnel from 60 agencies converged Friday on the Suffolk County fire academy in Yaphank. The drill, which also involved 10 hospitals, was running through Saturday afternoon. The scenario involved a deadly dirty bomb explosion at a federal courthouse. A dirty bomb would use conventional explosives to scatter radioactive debris.” (WNBC; 26Apr08) http://www.wnbc.com/news/16008835/detail.html?rss=ny&psp=news

Al Qaeda wouldn't hesitate to blow away a city: That's why we need 42-day detention, says ex MI6 boss
“The former head of MI6 is backing controversial Government plans to hold terror suspects for 42 days without charge, saying it might prevent a dirty bomb attack on Britain. MI6 prides itself on avoiding political debates but former chief Sir Richard Dearlove warns that the UK would ‘regret’ not bringing in longer detention for terror suspects. Sir Richard, 63, who retired from MI6 in 2004, says that in some serious cases the current 28-day limit is not enough to build a case or to gather intelligence on the scale of the threat faced by Britain.” (Daily Mail; 26Apr08; Jason Lewis) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=562276&in_page_id=1766&ito=1490

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.