Jamshid Muhtorov Indicted by Federal Grand Jury in Denver

DENVER—Late yesterday a federal grand jury in Denver returned a one-count indictment charging Jamshid Muhtorov with one count of providing material support of a designated foreign terrorist organization and attempt to do the same. If convicted, Muhtorov faces not less than 15 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Today’s indictment formalizes the charges which were originally filed last Saturday evening. The defendant is in federal custody and is being transported to Colorado by the U.S. Marshals. Once he arrives in Colorado, he will make an initial court appearance. No date has yet been set for that appearance.

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, including their federal, state and local partners. Muhtorov is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Holloway.

Colorado Man Arrested for Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

DENVER—Jamshid Muhtorov, aka Abumumin Turkistony, aka Abu Mumin, 35, of Aurora, Colorado, was arrested Saturday afternoon at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport by members of the FBI’s Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces on a charge of providing and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Department of Justice announced today. The arrest took place without incident. Muhtorov made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Chicago this morning.

Muhtorov’s arrest is the result of a long-term investigation conducted by the FBI’s Denver Joint Terrorism Task Force. The Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force provided investigative support.

The defendant is a refugee from Uzbekistan. According to the criminal complaint, which was obtained in Denver and initially filed under seal, Muhtorov indicated that he planned to travel overseas where he intended to fight on behalf of the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

The IJU, a Pakistan-based extremist group, adheres to an anti-western ideology, opposes secular rule in Uzbekistan and seeks to replace the current regime with a government based on Islamic law. In addition to conducting suicide attacks in Uzbekistan, the IJU has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan.

Muhtorov allegedly has sworn allegiance to the IJU, stating he was ready for any task, even with the risk of dying. The alleged activities of Muhtorov highlight the continued interest of extremists residing in the United States to join and support overseas terrorists.

The government does not allege that Muhtorov was plotting attacks against any targets inside the United States.

The defendant is charged by criminal complaint with one count of providing and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, specifically provision and attempted provision of personnel to the IJU. If convicted, Muhtorov faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in cities across the country. The investigation was also aided by the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

Muhtorov is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Holloway.

The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- August 22, 2008

North Carolina wants out, but [San Antonio] still pushing for bio-defense lab
“[…] while elected officials in North Carolina recently notified federal officials of their opposition to having the facility built in Butner (one of the finalist sites) due to unanswered environmental concerns, Texas political officials continue to push hard for their entry — a Texas Research Park site located just west of San Antonio. Local leaders contend that the Alamo City, which already is home to a high-risk bio lab, has the expertise and experience to safely support the proposed DHS facility.” (San Antonio Business Journal; 22Aug08; W. Scott Bailey and Catherine
Dominguez)
http://washington.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2008/08/25/story1.html

Universal Detection Technology [UDT] Comments on Reports of ‘White Powder’ Scare at McCain's Denver Headquarters [Manchester, New Hampshire]
“John McCain's headquarters in suburban Denver were evacuated on Thursday after a worker opened a threatening letter and discovered white powder inside. A McCain spokesman told the Associated Press that a similar letter was sent to a McCain office in Manchester, N.H. He did not know if it also contained a powder. Linda Watson, a spokeswoman for Sky Ridge Medical Center in suburban Centennial, Co., said four workers from the office drove themselves to the hospital. She said they underwent decontamination procedures, but showed no signs or symptoms of exposure to a toxic substance.” (Market Watch; 22Aug08; UDT) http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/universal-detection-Technology -comments-reports/story.aspx?guid=%7BBFBE8C5F-924D-490D-B883-69F51D3855FC%7D&dist=hppr

New hazardous materials notification in place [Granite City, Illinois]
“The Emergency Management Agency has added new software to relay information about incidents to the 40-member Hazardous Response Team scattered across Madison County. Agency Coordinator Larry Ringering said the new system allows the county to send specifics in e-mail messages and cell phones to members, who then respond whether they can head to the scene. That real-time response feature, Ringering said, allows the county to figure out how many team members are en route to a scene.” (Granite City Press Record; 22Aug08; Chris Coates) http://granitecitypress-record.stltoday.com/articles/2008/08/22/news/sj2tn20080822-0820cvj-hazmat0000.ii1.txt

Colorado State: Animal Diseases and Traceability
“One possible way to combat spread of contagious diseases is through animal traceability. Ability to rapidly identify locations where an animal has been affects the ability to isolate, trace, and arrest spread of the disease. Animal traceability systems are rapidly developing throughout the world, and the U.S. is behind many other countries in this development. Efforts to develop animal ID systems in the U.S. were launched prior to the initial BSE [bovine spongiform encephalopathy] discovery, but they gained considerable momentum afterwards. […] The objective of this study was to determine the economic implications of improvements in animal ID systems on a hypothetical FMD [Foot & Mouth Disorder] outbreak in southwest Kansas. Specifically, a disease spread model was used to determine the probable spread of a hypothetical FMD outbreak. Results from the disease spread model were integrated into an economic framework to determine the economic impacts. […] In general, as traceability levels were increased, consumer and producer losses associated with a FMD outbreak become smaller.” (Cattle Network; 22Aug08; Dustin Pendell, Colorado State University)
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/Content.asp?ContentID=246957

U.S. Military Suspending Activities at Labs
“The U.S. Military has suspended some activities at bio-research labs following the suicide of a Fort Detrick scientist. Officials say the measure is part of an effort to review safety rules for handling some of the world's most deadly germs and toxins. Investigators say doctor Bruce Ivins worked with anthrax during his employment at Fort Detrick.” (Your 4 State; 22Aug08; Angelique Gonzalez)
http://your4state.com/content/fulltext/?cid=27101

Critics say monitors sniffing Denver air don't make us safe
“Every night and day, monitors placed on rooftops across Denver are sniffing the air for biological weapons, including anthrax, the plague and smallpox. […] The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will not say how many monitors have been placed in Denver or where they are located. Filters are collected at least once a day from the monitors and the samples are analyzed at the state lab in Lowry. The samples are tested for six dangerous pathogens that could pose a health threat if aerosolized and released to the environment. […]Denver is one of 30 cities participating in the pilot program since it began in 2003. […] The BioWatch program was largely criticized this summer by some of the participating states and in a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Among other things, critics say it takes too long, up to 36 hours, for labs to get test results. In an actual bio-attack, that would be too late for some people.” (9 News Colorado; 22Aug08; Deborah Sherman)
http://www.9news.com/seenon9news/article.aspx?storyid=98120&catid=509

FDA Unleashes Mass Irradiation of Spinach, Lettuce and Other Vegetables
“The FDA has announced that beginning today, spinach and lettuce sold across the United States may now be secretly irradiated before it reaches grocery store shelves. What's ‘secret’ about it? The FDA previously decided that irradiation warning stickers would not be required on any food items because it would be ‘too confusing to consumers.’ […] Radiation, of course, destroys delicate phytochemicals in plants -- the very phytochemicals protecting consumers against cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, inflammation and other diseases. Microwaving broccoli, for example, destroys up to 98% of its anti-cancer nutrients.” (Natural News; 22Aug08; Mike Adams) http://www.naturalnews.com/023945.html

Rapid Test for Pathogens Developed By K-State [Kansas] Researchers Could Be Used to Detect Diseases Used By Bioterrorists
“Traditionally, it takes days and multiple lab workers to screen a sample of soil, water or feces for just one pathogen. Additional time is then needed to look for resistance to antibiotics. The new test developed at K-State simultaneously looks for multiple diseases and antibiotic resistance, reducing the time it takes from sampling to diagnosis to about
24 hours. […] So far they can detect as many as 557 genes, making it possible for them to screen for 40 different species of bacteria, 1,200 serotypes of Salmonella, five common serotypes of E. coli, and resistance to the 45 most common antibiotics used to treat human and animal illnesses caused by these pathogens.” (eMedia World; 21Aug08; Kansas State University)
http://www.emediaworld.com/press_release/release_detail.php?id=141296

Army research on invisibility not science fiction
“Dr. Richard Hammond, a theoretical physicist who works in Optical Physics and Imaging Science at the U.S. Army's Research Office, participated in a blogger's roundtable to discuss the developments in the field of negative index materials research and meta materials. Developing research in these areas is making light reflect in ways it never has before - with extraordinary effect. […] ‘If you're out on the battlefield and you see a cloud coming, or you suspect there might be an aerosol chemical or biological warfare being used against you, it's very difficult to quickly detect what the material is,’ said Hammond. With the new meta materials being developed, however, the ability exists to see things smaller than the wavelength of light - something that has never been done before, according to Hammond. Utilizing meta materials in the creation of a new lens may allow Soldiers to be able to see pathogens and viruses that are currently impossible to detect with any visual device.” (US Army News; 21Aug08; Lindy Kyzer) http://www.army.mil/-news/2008/08/21/11813-army-research-on-invisibility-not-science-fiction/

Chilling E-Mail Details 'Dangerous' Triple Murder Case [Riverside County, California]
“The Riverside County Sheriff's department is looking into possible connections between a triple murder in 1981 and murder-suicide in 2005 that claimed six lives. […] Three people were murdered execution style in a Rancho Mirage home on July 1st, 1981. There were never any arrests. The victims included Cabazon Indian Vice Chairman Fred Alvarez. Family members say he was going to blow the whistle on a business partnership between defense contractor Wackenhut Services and the Cabazon Indians to build machine guns and biological weapons for Central American countries.”
(KESQ; 20Aug08; Nathan Baca)
http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=8874668&nav=9qs0GRhY

India getting ready to face biological war from terrorists
“India Friday released its biological disaster management guidelines with a focus on preparing for biological warfare from terrorists using bacteria and viruses. The guidelines also emphasise developing a medical network to handle critical situations. […] The guidelines also speak of establishing an early warning system and coordination between public health medical care and intelligence agencies to prevent bio-terrorism. NDMA Vice-chairman N.C. Vij, a retired Army chief, said besides bio-terrorism, the guidelines also focus on several problems like bird flu, plague and other such pandemics.” (Bombay News; 22Aug08)
http://www.bombaynews.net/story/397738

McConnell and Chandler visit Army Depot
“The destruction of the chemical weapons at the Blue Grass Army Depot has loomed over the heads of Sen. Mitch McConnell and Congressman Ben Chandler since both men entered office. Now well into their political careers, the Kentucky lawmakers said Thursday they are pleased with the progress of the construction of a facility that will destroy the chemical weapons. McConnell, R-Ky., and Chandler, D-Ky., who last year successfully pushed for a 2017 deadline of the weapons disposal, addressed the public after a tour of the depot’s Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant.”
(Lexington Herald-Leader; 22Aug08; Ashlee Clark) http://www.kentucky.com/211/story/497763.html

Army reports small sodium hydroxide spills on depot roadway [Umatilla Chemical Depot, Oregon]
“A tanker truck delivering sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) accidentally spilled a small amount of the caustic solution on a paved depot roadway. Sodium hydroxide or ‘lye’ is a common industrial chemical used in soap, laundering, and oven and drain cleaners. At the UMCDF, it’s used to neutralize acid gases in the UMCDF Pollution Abatement System (PAS) and to decontaminate demilitarization machines. Depot personnel trained in dealing with hazardous materials spills responded promptly. They remediated two small spills, each about two feet in diameter and less than a gallon each.” (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency; 21Aug08; Bruce Hendrickson)
http://www.cma.army.mil/fndocumentviewer.aspx?docid=003678681

Depot detects trace of mustard chemical agent vapor during routine storage area monitoring [Umatilla Chemical Depot, Oregon]
“A depot chemical operations monitoring crew detected trace amounts of HD mustard chemical agent vapor today inside a depot storage structure that houses bulk containers. The trace of mustard chemical agent vapor was detected during routine monitoring. The vapor is likely due to a leaking bulk container or ‘ton container.’ There is no danger to the public or environment. The storage structure, commonly called an ‘igloo,’ has a passive filtration system that prevents chemical agent vapor from escaping outside the structure.” (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency; 21Aug08)
http://www.cma.army.mil/fndocumentviewer.aspx?docid=003678683

VIASPACE Subsidiary's $750,000 Army Contract for Robotic Detection of Chemical Warfare Agents and Explosives Featured in Defense News
“VIASPACE Inc. […] subsidiary Ionfinity has been awarded a $750,000 Phase II contract for its proposal entitled ‘Advanced Robotic Detection of Chemical Agents, Toxic Industrial Gases, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED)s for Force Health Protection’ submitted to the Army Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program. […] Ionfinity's goal is to complete the process -- sampling, ionizing, analyzing -- in about six seconds. Ionfinity expects to have completed field demonstrations and be ready to begin production in about two years.” (Your Defense News; 21Aug08; PRnewswire)
http://www.yourdefencenews.com/news_item.php?newsID=9236

Residents demand execution of Chemical Ali
“Residents in northern Sulaimaniya province sent a letter to the Iraqi government calling for the execution of ‘Chemical Ali’ and others for war crimes. […]Residents also called on the Iraqi government to compensate family members of the Anfal victims. Iraqi authorities in February said Majid would hang ‘in a matter of days.’ He allegedly suffered a heart attack in April due to a hunger strike and was returned to a U.S.
detention facility.” (Middle East Times; 22Aug08; United Press
International)
http://www.metimes.com/Security/2008/08/21/residents_demand_execution_of_chemical_ali/ffbd/

British court backs claim by Guantanamo detainee
“A British court yesterday said that a terror suspect being held at Guantanamo Bay had a credible argument that the United States had illegally spirited him away to Morocco and that he was tortured there. […] Because the American government would not turn over the information, the British government had an obligation to turn over potentially exculpatory material in its files, the court ruled. […] Mohamed, 30, a British resident before his arrest, told British intelligent agents in April 2002, that he had seen instructions on a website on how to make a bomb. ‘Part of the instructions included adding bleach to uranium 238 in a bucket and rotating it around one's head for 45 minutes,’ Mohamed told the agents, according to the court's judgment. Mohamed said he had concluded that the instructions were a ‘joke.’ […] Mohamed faces a trial by an American Military commission on several charges of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism, including the detonation of a ‘dirty bomb.’” (Boston Globe; 22Aug08; Raymond Bonner, NYT) http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2008/08/22/british_court_backs_claim_by_guantanamo_detainee/

Press ‘one’ for nuclear attack
“According to China Radio International the Academy of Military Medical Sciences in Beijing has opened a 24 hour hotline ‘providing advice and technical support in the event of attacks by nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.’” (Shanghai ist; 23Aug08) http://shanghaiist.com/2008/08/23/press_one_for_nuclear_attack.php

Proposed FBI guidelines allow investigation sans suspicion
“Attorney General Michael Mukasey has agreed to postpone implementation of new FBI guidelines, after four Democratic senators raised concerns in a letter Wednesday about proposed changes that they say could permit the FBI to launch investigations of American citizens without any individualized basis for suspicion. The letter, signed by Sens. Russ Feingold (D-WI), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), concerned a draft of the Attorney General's Guidelines governing criminal and intelligence inquiries by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The draft itself has not been made public, though The New York Times reports that the guidelines could be released next month.” (Ars Technica; 22Aug08; Julian Sanchez) http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080822-proposed-fbi-guidelines-allow-investigation-sans-suspicion.html

Gains with Russia feared as casualty
“Washington officials shouldn’t let anger over Russia’s occupation of Georgia spoil nearly a generation of cooperation on programs to destroy Cold War-era stockpiles of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons scattered across Russia and its former republics, experts cautioned. ‘The temptation has certainly been in the past – especially from Congress – to lash out at these kind of cooperative programs under the mistaken perception that these are favors to Russia,’ said Laura Holgate, senior vice president for Russia-new independent states programs at the Nuclear Threat Initiative. The main program was created by Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and then-Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., 16 years ago and has deactivated, destroyed or locked up thousands of warheads and hundreds of bombers, vials of anthrax and other germs that can be used in warfare, and facilities that made chemical weapons.” (Jouranl Gazette; 21Aug08; Sylvia A. Smith) http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080821/NEWS03/808210429/1002/LOCAL

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.

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- June 6, 2008

Bush Overstated Iraq Evidence, Senators Report
“The report was released Thursday after years of partisan squabbling, and it represented the close of five years of investigations by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence into the use, abuse and faulty assessments of intelligence leading to the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. That some Bush administration claims about the Iraqi threat turned out to be false is hardly new. But the report, based on a detailed review of public statements by Mr. Bush and other officials, was the most comprehensive effort to date to assess whether policy makers systematically painted a more dire picture about Iraq than was justified by the available intelligence.” (New York Times; 06Jun08; Mark Mazzetti & Scott Shane) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/middleeast/06intel.html?hp

Grand exploits of a China scholar [Joseph Needham]
“A committed socialist and Communist sympathizer, Needham lent his authority to a dubiously documented investigation whose report, issued in 1952, concluded that the United States had used biological weapons in Manchuria and North~Korea. Blacklisted by the Americans well into the 1970s and denounced for his political naïveté by the British establishment, Needham retreated into the scholarly realm, where his accomplishments did much to restore his good~name.” (International Herald Tribune; 05Jun08; Alida Becker) http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/07/arts/IDLEDE7.php

Fake disaster helps agencies to prepare [Lumberton, North Carolina]
“During the drill, some ‘victims’ moaned in pain while others begged for help as members of the Environmental Hydrogeological Consultants Inc. Hazardous Waste team from Red Springs walked among bodies. […] Only supervisors from agencies that handle emergency situations were made aware of Wednesday’s exercise. Organizers said they wanted the event to be as real as possible. […] Each victim had a card listing injuries and any other health issues.” (The Fayetteville Observer; 05Jun08; Venita Jenkins) http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=295870

Bioterrorism: Smallpox and Biotech Companies
“In order to encourage companies to develop drugs against Smallpox and other biological weapons, Congress passed the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (the Bioterrorism Act), which President Bush signed into law June 12, 2002. Thereafter, Project Bioshield Act of 2005 was passed into law. These two acts undertook measures to induce the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry to come up with new drugs to combat bioterrorism and biological warfare.” (Seeking Alpha; 05Jun08; Ketan Desai) http://seekingalpha.com/article/80152-bioterrorism-smallpox-and-biotech-companies

Nation’s First Public Health Ready State Enhances Incident Command and Critical Resource Visibility [Idaho]
“East Idaho Public Health District has implemented the Previstar Continual Preparedness System (CPS) to enhance their preparedness and response capabilities. […] The district installed Previstar’s latest software release, CPS 5.1. The new release includes CPS 5.0 current suite of planning, response, and recovery capabilities, but now users can customize their user interface based on organizational and ICS roles, enable CPS server-to-server information sharing, utilize CAP [Common Alerting Protocol] messaging, and have more streamlined resource management. Tammy Cox, Director, Health Preparedness, Promotion, and Surveillance, was part of a team that studied a range of software offerings before determining that Previstar was the partner of choice. ‘It took us two years to find the right software. […]’” (Previstar; 05Jun08; Joe Gordon) http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080605005700&newsLang=en

Brucella abortus S19 genome sequenced; points toward virulence genes
“Researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech and the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, and collaborators at 454 Life Sciences of Branford, Conn., have sequenced the genome of Brucella abortus strain S19. […] Scientists have long wanted to know what genetic features make strain S19 suitable for use as a vaccine in cattle because it may hold the secret as to why other Brucella strains cause disease and trigger the abortion of developing embryos in livestock. The researchers have discovered a group of 24 genes that are linked to virulence by making comparisons of the newly available S19 genome sequence to previously sequenced genomes of two virulent strains of B. abortus. The paper ‘Genome sequence of Brucella abortus vaccine strain S19 compared to virulent strains yields candidate virulence genes’ was published recently in PLoS One (May 2008, Volume 3, Issue 5, e2193).” (Eureka Alert; 05Jun08; Barry Whyte)
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/vt-bas060508.php

AlphaVax Continues to Expand the Use of Its [smallpox] Vaccine Platform
“AlphaVax, Inc. recently received notification from the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the granting institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that it has been awarded a second grant to continue development of a smallpox vaccine based on AlphaVax's proprietary vector platform. The grant will support additional studies in rodents and non-human primates to further characterize the high-level protection observed previously in these species.” (The Earth Times; 06Jun08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/alphavax-continues-to-expand-the-use-of-its-vaccine-platform,423527.shtml

Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists Annual Conference Begins June 8 In Denver [Colorado]
“The top epidemiologists in the nation and U.S. territories are set to gather in Denver, Colorado June 8-12 for the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) 2008 Annual Conference. […] This year's conference theme is ‘Public Health Epidemiology: Adapting to a Changing World.’” (The Earth Times; 06Jun08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/council-of-state-and-territorial,423151.shtml


[Computer Sciences Corporation] CSC's DynPort Vaccine Company to Continue Plague Vaccine Development
“DynPort Vaccine Company LLC (DVC), a CSC company, has been notified by the Department of Defense (DoD) that all future funding for advanced development of plague vaccine will be allocated to the existing DVC contract […] According to the decision, DVC will continue development of a recombinant plague vaccine candidate, rF1V, up to and including possible licensure by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The vaccine candidate is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials.” (The Earth Times;
05Jun08)
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/cscs-dynport-vaccine-company-to-continue-plague-vaccine-development,421494.shtml

India to test vaccine against anthrax
“Around 20 vials of the vaccine Biothrax has just reached Central Drug Laboratory (Kasauli) which will test the vaccine's potency and sterility. Each vile contains 10 doses of the vaccine. […]’The vaccine can't be injected to all civilians but only to the first responders to reach the spot of attack, like the military and laboratory workers who may enter or re-enter contaminated areas. Countries are now preparing such battalions and vaccinating them in advance so that they develop complete immunity against anthrax before such an attack occurs. Inhalation anthrax is the most lethal form with fatality rates reaching up to 90%,’ [Joseph Chettiar of the Hyderabad-based distributor] added.” (The Times of India; 05Jun08; Kounteya Sinha) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India_to_test_vaccine_against_anthrax/articleshow/3100835.cms

Bioterrorism conference held [Brussels, Belgium]
“A bioterrorism countermeasures conference was held Thursday in Brussels that was designed to elevate threat awareness among officials in Europe. […] The conference was designed as an effort to reduce the threat of biological terrorism through opening a dialogue about effective biodefense measures. Presenters included Tom Waytes, Emergent BioSolutions vice president of medical affairs, among others. Emergent manufactures the only anthrax vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.” (United Press International; 06Jun08)
http://www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2008/06/06/Bioterrorism_conference_held/UPI-39731212772918/

Gas leak in China contained phosgene - Russian ministry
“A recent gas leak in northeast China near the Russian border that killed three people contained phosgene, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday citing environmental experts. ‘An expert evaluation confirmed that the leak contained phosgene gas,’ Andrei Nesterenko said, adding that eight people had been poisoned as a result of the leak. […] Earlier Friday, a Russian emergencies ministry spokeswoman quoted Chinese authorities as saying the chemical leak in the town of Qiqihar in the Heilongjiang province was no threat to the environment. Irina Andrianova quoted the Chinese general consulate in the Russian Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk as saying that on June 5 a cylinder containing unidentified gas ‘disintegrated’ causing a gas leak. […] The official quoted the Chinese side as saying that air, water and soil samples taken immediately after the accident contained no contaminants.” (RIA Novosti; 06Jun08) http://en.rian.ru/world/20080606/109426611.html

Pakistan: New wave of violence a bid to undermine president
“According to political analysts, the violence suddenly flared up after former Prime Minister and party leader, Nawaz Sharif, called for Musharraf to be accountable for his so-called ‘crimes’ including what is known as the Lal Masjid Massacre, or the Red Mosque Massacre. The Red Mosque Massacre was a bloody conflict between Pakistani security forces and students who barricaded themselves inside the Red Mosque and demanded Sharia law in July 2007. At least 100 people died when security forces stormed the mosque in a bid to end the siege and flush out pro-Taliban militants from the complex. Retired general Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani then demanded Musharraf's execution for using chemical weapons (phosphorous grenades) during the Lal Masjid operation and supporting the Bush Administration in its War on Terror.” (AND Kronos; 06Jun08; Syed Saleem Shahzad)
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.2231529027

Army: U.S. chemical weapons incineration on track [Anniston, Alabama]
“[…] now, more than half the nation's aging cache of 31,500 tons of nerve agents and mustard gas has been burned or chemically neutralized at seven sites with no major accidents in the 18 years since the program began. […] Officials say the most deadly chemicals were destroyed first and almost all the risk to residents has been eliminated. […] Critics still challenge the safety of the program, arguing the incinerators scattered across the United States belch unknown amounts of deadly chemicals on an unsuspecting public. The incinerators heat the agents and their containers at thousands of degrees, then run the exhaust through pollution-removing filters and afterburners.” (Post-Bulletin; 05Jun08; Jay Reeves, AP)
http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=49&a=346092

New detector uses nanotubes to sense deadly gases
“Using carbon nanotubes, MIT chemical engineers have built the most sensitive electronic detector yet for sensing deadly gases such as the nerve agent sarin. […] The technology, which could also detect mustard gas, ammonia and VX nerve agents, has potential to be used as a low-cost, low-energy device that could be carried in a pocket or deployed inside a building to monitor hazardous chemicals. […] The nanotube sensors require very little power--about 0.0003 watts. One sensor could run essentially forever on a regular battery. ‘It's something that could sit in the corner of a room and you could just forget about it,’ Strano said. […] The lead author of the paper is Chang Young Lee, a graduate student in chemical engineering. Richa Sharma, another MIT graduate student in chemical engineering, is also an author of the paper. Adarsh Radadia and Richard Masel at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed the microcolumn technology.” (Physorg; 06Jun08) http://www.physorg.com/news131977245.html

Emergency Drill Tests Response [Pueblo, Colorado]
“An explosion of weapons containing half-century-old mustard agent sending a plume of deadly gas across the prairie. That was the scenario presented Wednesday morning to just about every emergency agency in Pueblo County. Fortunately, the mustard agent accident was mostly virtual but the school bus-tanker truck accident involved a more realistic setup on the grounds of an airport industrial park plant where such an accident could really happen. It was the annual Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program exercise, giving local agencies a chance to test their ability to work together and respond to an emergency. Federal funds are provided to communities like Pueblo that have chemical weapons stockpiles to set up response systems. As Wednesday's exercise showed, that preparedness extends beyond just accidents at the Pueblo Chemical Depot.” (Red Orbit; 05Jun08; John Norton) http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1418596/emergency_drill_tests_response/

'Poison cloud from chemical plant could've been prevented'
“On April 14, a white cloud of azinphos methyl, an organophosphorus pesticide related to chemical warfare agents devoloped during World War Two, swept out of the Machteshim factory, over the regional council's office and into the surrounding area. The regional council workers were rushed into protective shelters after the cloud passed through and were sent home later in the day, many of them feeling ill. […] According to the committee's report, the factory lost electrical power at around 10:30 in the morning, at which time the management decided to destroy the Azinphos Methyl being prepared, because without proper temperature and pressure conditions the compound becomes a toxic gas. […] the management attempted to deal with the problem internally. Rigging a makeshift procedure took so long that the compound in two of the containers being transferred to the neutralizing machine underwent a phase change, thus causing the cloud, as well as a stream of pollutants into the surrounding area, discovered by the committee during an inspection.” (The Jerusalem Post; 04Jun08; Ehud Zion Waldoks) http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1212041481558&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Suspected terrorists talked about making homemade chemical weapons:
wiretap
“The alleged ringleaders of a suspected terror plot to attack Canadian targets talked about making homemade chemical weapons from a ‘mujahed cookbook’ and worried about being ‘sitting ducks’ for police, wiretaps played in a courtroom Friday suggested. While going through a Tim Hortons drive-thru, the wiretapped conversations of the alleged ringleaders of the so-called ‘Toronto 18’ talk about Arabic books that give step-by-step instructions on making homemade weapons. […] Eighteen men and youth were arrested two years ago in Canada's largest anti-terrorism operation since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Defence lawyers have since questioned the strength of the case after charges against seven of the accused men were stayed, whittling the Toronto 18 down to 11. Defence lawyer Mitchell Chernovsky has said the alleged plot was nothing more than a fantasy.” (Canadian Press; 06Jun08) http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jA3I0FFw4RmF3cY593VtRAuWibDg

Radioactive material devices to be installed at Port of Hueneme [California]
“Devices intended to detect dangerous radioactive material in cargo containers coming into the United States will be installed at the Port of Hueneme by February or March of next year, a federal official in charge of the project said. […] The toll booth-like devices already have been installed at the 22 largest seaports in the United States, accounting for
98 percent of all containerized cargo coming into the country, [Todd Hoffman, director of U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport] said.” (Ventura County Star; 05Jun08; José L.
Sánchez Jr.)
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/jun/05/no-headline---nxxphradiation06/

Ethiopian to be charged with war crimes
“A Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detainee will be charged with war crimes for allegedly participating in a plot to detonate a ‘dirty bomb,’ the Pentagon said. Binyam Mohammed, 29, of Ethiopia, allegedly was part of an al-Qaida plot to use the bomb and blow up apartment buildings in the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday. […] His attorneys say Mohammed was arrested in Pakistan in 2002 and taken by the CIA to Morocco where he was beaten, hung from poles during long interrogation sessions and cut in his genitals by a scalpel, the Times reported.” (United Press International; 04Jun08) http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/06/04/Ethiopian_to_be_charged_with_war_crimes/UPI-98461212582141/

Kazakhstan holds exercise to hone response to nuclear terrorism threat [Almaty]

“Kazakhstan's army held a large-scale military exercise Friday as part of a U.S.-backed program to prevent the use of radioactive materials by terrorists. More than 900 troops and emergency personnel took part in organizing the mock terrorist siege at a nuclear research facility near the Central Asian country's largest city, Almaty.” (The Union Tribune;
06Jun08)
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20080606-0950-kazakhstan-terrorexercise.html

Botox - man's new best friend
“It's one of the world's most popular cosmetic treatments, the ‘no scalpel’ anti-aging cosmetic treatment that smoothes the foreheads of everyone from stressed executives to youth-obsessed celebrities. It is, of course, Botox, a type of botulinum toxin first developed in 1946 as a tool of biological warfare, and later used to treat cerebral palsy in children. […] Although national figures don't exist, anecdotal evidence suggests that the number of Kiwi men using Botox is steadily increasing. Not as much as in the UK, however, where Botox for men is such big business (one-fifth of all patients are now men) […] Men, however, often need a higher dose of Botox than women, as they generally have stronger and larger facial muscles.” (New Zealand Herald; 07Jun08; Sharon Stephenson)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10514613

Local responders brush up on skills: Military conducts hazmat training
“Boyle and the 21 other members of the Seventh WMD Civil Response Team from Fort Leonard Wood were in Columbia this week for a four-day training class that ended yesterday. The Civil Response Team, a full-time National Guard unit in existence since 1999, is capable of responding across the state to potential chemical, biological and nuclear threats. The sessions offered an opportunity for the military unit to train and pass tips along to first responders, who would be first on the scene of a possible threat.
Firefighters from across the state, including three from Columbia, participated in the training run by Army contractor Dugway Proving Ground of Utah.” (Columbia Tribune; 06Jun08; Joe Meyer) http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Jun/20080606News004.asp

Terrorism's Two Front War
“The main question: is al-Qaeda still a disciplined organization with a central command or a loose network of self-directed amateurs? […] The dispute isn't purely academic -- al-Qaeda's current form and function will determine the course of future American counter-terrorism policy. If al-Qaeda has morphed into a virtual organization of amateur homegrown jihadis, quelling them becomes a largely internal matter best left to law enforcement. But if al-Qaeda still has a central command and a robust global network, they are capable of attacks that match -- and may surpass -- the horror of September 11th. Overcoming this threat means bringing the diverse instruments of American military, economic, and political power to bear. As each perspective warrants a vastly different strategic approach, the question of al-Qaeda's present state has provoked fierce debate.[…] Al-Qaeda's affiliate organizations have also wreaked havoc in the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia. It is important to emphasize that these organizations have only an ideological connection to their supposed patron -- but are just as dangerous. While never a major player in Iraq's factional game, al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) seized the world's attention through a slew of bombings, massacres, and even low-grade chemical warfare employing chlorine.” (Huffington Post; 04Jun08; Adam
Elkus)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-elkus/terrorisms-two-front-war_b_105304.html

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.

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- May 30, 2008

Biological weapons defense to be studied at UC [University of Cincinnati]
“University of Cincinnati researchers will use a $1.3 million Department of Defense grant to look for a new way to kill the bugs most likely to be used in biological weapons. Researchers led by Sergey Grinshpun will use the three-year grant to try to create a self-contained compound that would counteract biological bombs made of anthrax or other dangerous microorganisms. The compound would be released into the air immediately after a biological weapon is triggered, Grinshpun said.” (Enquirer; 29May08; Peggy O’Farrell)
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080529/NEWS01/805290385/1056/COL02

Camera keeps eye on traffic [Oak Ridge, Illinois]
“Observant drivers passing through the Oak Ridge intersection of Illinois Avenue and Robertsville Road might notice small white cylinders attached to the bottom of the traffic lights dangling above. The casing holds a camera equipped with a fish-eye lens. One thing is for sure. The camera sees them. […] Aldis [Inc., the Oak Ridge company where the product known as GridSmart is being perfected for planned introduction sometime next year] is working with local software firm Cadre 5 to enable the system to be connected to sensors, such as biological or chemical warfare agent detectors, for homeland security applications.” (KnoxvilleBiz; 30May08; Larisa Brass) http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/may/30/camera-keeps-eye-on-traffic/

China eager to show it can handle Olympics and crisis
“Amid a massive relief and reconstruction effort pulling resources to central China's earthquake-ravaged Sichuan province, Chinese officials said preparations for the Summer Olympics remain on track. […] Officials provided few details on how the government would deal with a bioterrorism attack or other situations necessitating mass evacuations during the Games. But they continued to show great concern about the possibility of bad weather.” (Los Angeles Times; 29May08; Ching-Ching Ni) http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-olympics29-2008may29,0,4910819.story

Singapore DTA 2008 Focused on Unmanned Vehicles
“Singapore is considering buying unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), Navy Chief Rear Adm. Chew Men Leong said in the keynote speech at the Defense Technology Asia (DTA) 2008 show, held here May 22-23. […] Its above-water sensors can perform coastal and harbor surveillance; electronic warfare; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR); and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive detection.” (Defense News; 29May08; Wendell Minnick) http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3552725&c=ASI&s=SEA

Umatilla, Ore., weapons disposal to resume in June
“Officials say the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility will resume munitions disposal in early June. The work at the Eastern Oregon plant stopped on May 14 after smoke filled part of a liquid incinerator. Officials say they learned the smoke erupted after pipes in the pollution abatement system inadvertently plugged.” (KTVZ; 29May08; Associated Press)
http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=8396211

Colo. gets $35 million from Army, Shell for arsenal cleanup
“Colorado will get $35 million to help clean up and restore a former nerve gas and chemical manufacturing site near Denver that had been deemed one of the most polluted in the country. Shell Oil Co., which made pesticides and other chemicals at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, will provide $21 million in cash and land under an agreement announced Thursday to settle a 25-year-old state lawsuit. The Army and the federal government are providing the rest. […] The Army manufactured chemical weapons at the 27-square-mile site northeast of Denver starting in 1942. Shell leased part of the land and produced chemicals there until 1982. Cleanup began in 1985.” (San Diego Union Tribune; 29May08; Ivan Moreno) http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20080529-1355-wst-arsenallawsuit.html

District Briefing: Spring Valley Weapons Search to Continue
“The cleanup of World War I chemical weapons buried under the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest Washington could last three more years, as crews search for more shells and remove tainted soil, officials said yesterday. […] The Spring Valley cleanup began in 1993, after a construction crew uncovered buried shells from a former testing ground for chemical weapons near American University.” (Washington Post; 30May08; Elissa Silverman) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/29/AR2008052903624.html

Coin-sized sensor can detect bombs
“An Air Force Office of Scientific Research-funded team has created an inexpensive sensor the size of a penny that detects bombs made with improvised peroxide explosive devices. […] UAVs and micro UAVs can use the technology in remote sensing for protecting facilities from chemical warfare agents when investigating chemical properties of a vapor cloud.” (Air Force Materiel Command; 30May08; Maria Callier)
http://www.afmc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123100812

PACE [Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly] Urges Disclosing Info on Chemical Arms Buried in Baltic
“The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) appealed to the United States, the United Kingdom and NATO on Thursday to immediately declassify information on chemical weapons which were apparently buried in the Baltic Sea after World War Two. The appeal followed a report to a meeting of the PACE Standing Committee in Stockholm on Thursday, on chemical munitions that belonged to Nazi Germany but were taken over by the United States, United Kingdom and Soviet Union after the war and were dumped in the Baltic in the late 1940's, the chief Russian delegate to PACE, Konstantin Kosachyov, told Interfax by telephone from the Swedish capital.” (Red Orbit; 29May08) http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1408791/pace_urges_disclosing_info_on_chemical_arms_buried_in_baltic/

Chemical arms: Watchdog wants states to reveal WWII dumps
“Europe's top rights watchdog has urged the United Kingdom, United States and NATO to reveal locations of chemical munitions dumped in the Baltic Sea after World War Two. The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) has called for them to immediately declassify information on the locations of sites where chemical munitions were dumped when the war ended. A resolution adopted by the body on Thursday calls for information to allow a detailed study of the current condition of these chemical weapons, and the risk they pose to the marine environment.” (ADN Kronos;
30May08)
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.2210414400

The Not-So-Ugly American
“McCain reached across the aisle to work with Al Gore in co-sponsoring the Iran-Iraq Arms Non-Proliferation Act in 1992, went against fellow Republicans in backing ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and supported ratification of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). […] Moreover, there are grounds for optimism about McCain’s willingness to live with the constraints on U.S. behavior that are inherent in international law, whether the acceptance of CWC [Chemical Weapons Convention] challenge inspections or (one day) the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.” (The Atlantic; 29May08; James Gibney) http://thecurrent.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/05/post-19.php

Clive Stafford Smith: Why has the Government forsaken Binyam Mohamed?
“It seems likely that the US military will soon seek to prosecute Binyam Mohamed in a military tribunal that fails to meet internationally recognised legal standards. British officials have condemned the tribunals, and the former lord justice Steyn referred to them as ‘kangaroo courts.’ The British Government has strongly opposed Mr Mohamed being put on trial in such an unfair process, and has demanded that he be returned home to London.” (The Independent; 30May08) http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/clive-stafford-smith-why-has-the-government-forsaken-binyam-mohamed-836746.html

Nations Endorse Strengthened Effort on Containing Weapons' Spread
“On the eve of the fifth anniversary of a major counterproliferation effort, representatives from 88 countries endorsed a declaration to strengthen their ability to prevent or intercept the illicit transfer of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Following a senior-level conference in Washington May 27-29, Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) partners said they will continue to work together to prevent the proliferation by air, land or sea of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), related delivery systems and technology. They also are seeking cooperation from industry to prevent the proliferation of such weapons to and from states and groups of concern.” (News Blaze; 30May08; Jacquelyn S. Porth) http://newsblaze.com/story/20080530070144tsop.nb/newsblaze/WORLDNEW/World-News.html

Al-Qaeda's terrifying vision of a devastated America in the wake of a nuclear attack “Washington is laid to waste. The Capitol is a blackened, smoking ruin.
The White House has been razed. Countless thousands are dead. This is the apocalyptic scene terrorists hope to create if they ever get their hands on a nuclear bomb. The computer-generated image below was posted on an Islamic extremists' website yesterday. […] Last night FBI sources said Al Qaeda was desperate to get its hands on a weapon of mass destruction, be it nuclear, chemical, or biological.” (Daily Mail; 30May08; Barry Wigmore) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1022840/Al-Qaedas-terrifying-vision-devastated-America-wake-nuclear-attack.html

Morocco's Anti-Terrorism Efforts Dismantle al-Qaeda Cell and Earn US Praise
“Morocco's anti-terrorism campaign continued to yield tangible results with last week's arrest of a group of suspected al-Qaeda extremists planning attacks in North Africa and Europe. Morocco's international partners, including the United States, praised Morocco's efforts as a model for combating terrorism in the region and around the world. On May 19, Moroccan authorities arrested the 11 suspected terrorists in Nador and Fez, who reportedly were planning attacks on tourist destinations and government facilities in Belgium as well as targets in Morocco. These arrests resulted from the on-going intelligence sharing and cooperation between Morocco, Spain, Belgium, and others to stop the spread of regional terrorist threats, most recent by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). […] Also, last week, Morocco joined the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), the U.S.-led international effort to combat the transfer and production of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.” (PR Newswire;
29May08)
http://sev.prnewswire.com/aerospace-defense/20080529/DC2373829052008-1.html

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.