Universal Detection Technology receives purchase order from the United States Army Corps of Engineers
“Universal Detection Technology, a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter-terrorism consulting and training services, reported today that it has received a purchase order for its anthrax detection equipment from the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The detection equipment is designed to check for anthrax and can return results in as little as 3 minutes.” (CNN; 17Oct08; Source:
Globe Newswire)
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/globenewswire/152364.htm
[U.S.] Government lacks security at biodefense laboratories
“A new government report warns that intruders could easily break into U.S. biodefense labs because there is an apparent lack of security. Citizens and lawmakers are now asking if it’s time for the Bush administration's Biowarfare defense program to be put on halt, saying the program has expanded too fast and security measures have not caught up. […] The most recent government study suggests that intruders could easily break into two laboratories handling organisms that could cause illnesses with no cure. The two vulnerable lab locations are Atlanta and San Antonio. The labs were not identified by the Government Accountability Office, except that they were Biosafety [Level] [BSL] -4 facilities.[…] BSL-3 and BSL-4 laboratories are those handling the most dangerous germs and toxins and requiring the most stringent security. The BSL-4 labs handle organisms that cause diseases without a cure. They include ebola, marburg, junin and lassa viruses.” (RedOrbit; 17Oct08) http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1589622/government_lacks_security_at_biodefense_laboratories/#
Bugs in the System [TX]
“As Hurricane Ike bore down on Texas last month, employees of the University of Texas Medical Branch [UTMB] –Galveston moved to secure a complex of laboratories containing some of the most dangerous germs on the planet, including Ebola, anthrax, and hantaviruses. Workers disinfected research spaces, destroyed active cultures, and locked the remaining bugs in freezers. […] ‘To my knowledge this is the only BSL [Biosafety Level] -4 that is situated in such an environmentally unstable area,’ says Edward Hammond, a biodefense watchdog. UTMB–Galveston has two Biosafety Level Four (the highest such designation) laboratories and eight BSL-3s. A third, much larger, BSL-4, part of the new Galveston National Laboratory, is slated to open in November. ‘Even if you believe in the biodefense program, you’ve got to be looking at [Hurricane Ike] and saying, what ... did we do building all this BSL-4 space in a place that you have to shut down once every year,’ Hammond says. ‘There’s a huge scientific and economic price to that.’” (Texas Observer; 17Oct08; Forrest Wilder) http://www.texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=2868&print=true
Report: Georgia State’s germ lab a serious security threat
“A Georgia State University laboratory building that contains some of the world’s deadliest germs has insufficient security to prevent an intruder from breaking into the facility, according to a report by congressional investigators released today. The GSU lab building lacks security barriers, sufficient camera monitoring and security at entrances, said the report by the Government Accountability Office. […] ‘Today’s report shows a lack of minimum standards for perimeter security at research labs handling the most dangerous agents and diseases, including some that are incurable,’ said U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce that requested the inquiry into several labs around the nation. The report also criticized the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for approving the facility’s security plan despite the weaknesses.” (The Atlanta Journal Constitution; 16Oct08; Craig
Schneider)
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/10/16/georgia_state_germ_lab.html
UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] procurements high on India's defense needs
“Jane's Information Group is reporting that India is planning to significantly upgrade its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capability over the next decade in order to enhance situational awareness along its land and maritime borders. Official sources said the army was planning to procure a large number of manportable mini- and nano-UAVs with short-range intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and laser-designation capabilities, as well as the ability to detect nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons inside enemy territory.” (SatNews; 17Oct08; Source:
Jane’s Information Group)
http://www.satnews.com/cgi-bin/story.cgi?number=526291200
Mustard gas check at ex-military site [U.K.]
“It was a top secret military site that was used to create mustard gas bombs more than 60 years ago. But Ministry of Defence officials were back at a former chemical warfare factory on the Norfolk-Suffolk border yesterday as experts began an investigation into potential ground and water contamination. The Little Heath area of Barnham, near Thetford, was used as a depot to fill mustard gas shells during the second world war and was later used to decommission the deadly weapons and destroy the toxic gas. military officials yesterday confirmed that they had begun a four- to six-week operation at the former military site, which forms part of the East England military Museum.” (Thetford and Brandon Times; 17Oct08)
http://www.thetfordandbrandontimes.co.U.K./content/tbtimes/news/story.aspx?brand=TBOnline&category=news&tBrand=TBonline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED17%20Oct%202008%2009%3A56%3A40%3A613
Gas mask handout delayed to late 2009 [Israel]
“Due to budget disputes with the Treasury, the [Israeli] Defense Ministry has been forced to postpone the distribution of gas masks to the public by at least six months to late 2009, The Jerusalem Post has learned. Last year, the Defense Ministry finished collecting gas masks from the public and in the past few weeks completed refurbishing a majority of the kits. The initial plan, a senior defense official said Wednesday, was to return the masks to the public in January. […] The gas masks are an essential component of the public's ‘protective envelope’ in the event of a chemical attack, according to [an] official. When in the hands of the public, the masks also play a role in deterring enemies from using such weapons.” (The Jerusalem Post; 16Oct08; Yaakov Katz) http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1222017545320&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter
ER staffs: gaps exist in hospital preparedness for dirty bombs
“Emergency room doctors and nurses around the nation worry that hospitals are not adequately prepared to handle casualties from a radioactive 'dirty bomb,' said researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). […] In focus groups, doctors and nurses working in emergency departments (EDs) in the Southeast, Northeast and West expressed a powerful commitment to caring for patients in the wake of a terrorist attack. But they were deeply concerned about hospital preparedness and whether ED personnel, in a dirty bomb scenario, could protect themselves and give appropriate care to contaminated patients, the researchers said. […] [P]atients would likely be a mix of contaminated, injured and contaminated and those fearful of contamination.” (Science Daily; 17Oct08; Source: University of Alabama at Birmingham) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081016162236.htm
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.
Showing posts with label atlanta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label atlanta. Show all posts
Friday, October 17, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Exercise Helps Partner Nations Overcome Cultural Barriers
By Kristen Noel
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 27, 2008 - A training exercise in the country of Georgia is helping partner nations overcome language and cultural barriers to work together more effectively in combat situations, a U.S. official said. Exercise Immediate Response 2008, taking place outside the city of Tblisi, Georgia, has united forces from several nations to participate in small arms, combat lifesaver, and situational training exercises. Countries involved include the United States, Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.
"The overall purpose of the operation is to build cooperation in the region and teach everyone involved how to work better with their coalition partners," U.S. Army Maj. Matthew Smith, commander of 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, told online journalists and bloggers July 24 via teleconference from the country of Georgia.
The 121st Infantry Regiment, which belongs to the Army National Guard, has been involved with the exercise since July 14 and will return home to Atlanta, Ga., on August 2. The experience is preparing them to deploy to Afghanistan next year, Smith said.
"We're basically focused on getting us ready to go to Afghanistan," he said. "So, we're focused at the fire-team level and just trying to get the...foundation built, if you will, for upcoming stuff that will take place over the next year."
Smith explained that the training is mainly preparation for small-arms combat operations and some civic engagement. "We use contemporary operating environment scenarios, where they might encounter improvised explosives (or) conduct some sort of civic engagement with a mayor or other leader," he said.
Counterparts from different nations work together during the exercises, which Smith said is strengthening the relationships among coalition partners and proving to be valuable practice working through language barriers.
"It's been great watching these teams develop," Smith said. "After just a couple days, they're up and running, looking like they've been training together for several years (and) learning from each other both tactically (and) culturally."
For example, he said Georgian and U.S. soldiers are teamed in combat training for engaging targets and basic medical skills for sustaining life until medics arrive.
"One of the most amazing things that I have seen to date is just watching the soldiers figure out how to communicate, regardless of the presence of an interpreter," he said.
Smith said the language barrier is actually adding value to the training experience for his battalion, rather than deterring from it. "It also exposes some of our own challenges in dealing with another force besides English-speaking forces, which our battalion will likely have to do downrange," he said.
"The other aspect of it is that Georgians, when they're operating as part of the coalition in Iraq, they'll be dealing with American soldiers on a daily basis," Smith added. "So, I think just across the board, it will help strengthen both parties for future operations."
"I think no matter where we as U.S. forces go in the world, we're going to have to learn to work better with other forces, who may not share our language or culture," Smith said. "And this has been great preparation for that – great preparation for the battalion's mission to Afghanistan next year."
(Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of the Defense Media Agency.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 27, 2008 - A training exercise in the country of Georgia is helping partner nations overcome language and cultural barriers to work together more effectively in combat situations, a U.S. official said. Exercise Immediate Response 2008, taking place outside the city of Tblisi, Georgia, has united forces from several nations to participate in small arms, combat lifesaver, and situational training exercises. Countries involved include the United States, Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.
"The overall purpose of the operation is to build cooperation in the region and teach everyone involved how to work better with their coalition partners," U.S. Army Maj. Matthew Smith, commander of 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, told online journalists and bloggers July 24 via teleconference from the country of Georgia.
The 121st Infantry Regiment, which belongs to the Army National Guard, has been involved with the exercise since July 14 and will return home to Atlanta, Ga., on August 2. The experience is preparing them to deploy to Afghanistan next year, Smith said.
"We're basically focused on getting us ready to go to Afghanistan," he said. "So, we're focused at the fire-team level and just trying to get the...foundation built, if you will, for upcoming stuff that will take place over the next year."
Smith explained that the training is mainly preparation for small-arms combat operations and some civic engagement. "We use contemporary operating environment scenarios, where they might encounter improvised explosives (or) conduct some sort of civic engagement with a mayor or other leader," he said.
Counterparts from different nations work together during the exercises, which Smith said is strengthening the relationships among coalition partners and proving to be valuable practice working through language barriers.
"It's been great watching these teams develop," Smith said. "After just a couple days, they're up and running, looking like they've been training together for several years (and) learning from each other both tactically (and) culturally."
For example, he said Georgian and U.S. soldiers are teamed in combat training for engaging targets and basic medical skills for sustaining life until medics arrive.
"One of the most amazing things that I have seen to date is just watching the soldiers figure out how to communicate, regardless of the presence of an interpreter," he said.
Smith said the language barrier is actually adding value to the training experience for his battalion, rather than deterring from it. "It also exposes some of our own challenges in dealing with another force besides English-speaking forces, which our battalion will likely have to do downrange," he said.
"The other aspect of it is that Georgians, when they're operating as part of the coalition in Iraq, they'll be dealing with American soldiers on a daily basis," Smith added. "So, I think just across the board, it will help strengthen both parties for future operations."
"I think no matter where we as U.S. forces go in the world, we're going to have to learn to work better with other forces, who may not share our language or culture," Smith said. "And this has been great preparation for that – great preparation for the battalion's mission to Afghanistan next year."
(Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of the Defense Media Agency.)
Saturday, June 28, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- June 27, 2008
Avalanche Photodiodes Target Bioterrorism Agents
“Researchers have shown that a new class of ultraviolet photodiode could help meet the U.S. military's pressing requirement for compact, reliable and cost-effective sensors to detect anthrax and other bioterrorism agents in the air.” (Medical News Today; 27June08) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112926.php
Viruses rewritten
“A gene by any other name is not quite the same, and scientists could exploit that fact to develop new vaccines for viral diseases, research suggests. By ‘misspelling’ the genetic code of the virus that causes polio so that the virus still reproduced but did so a thousand times slower than normal, researchers created a weakened version of the virus that trained mice’s immune systems to fight off the real one.” (Science News; 26June08; Patrick Barry) http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/33671/title/Viruses_rewritten
CDC faces challenge of aging work force
“More than a quarter of workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta — and more than a third of its medical officers — will be eligible to retire in the next five years. Replacing them will be difficult because of a national shortage of public health professionals, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office.” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution; 27June08; Alison Young) http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/06/27/cdc_workers.html
NEOUCOM [Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy], KSU [Kent State University] get bioterrorism grant
“Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy and Kent State University have been awarded $6.7 million for the continued development and commercialization of a real-time pathogen detection instrument.” (Vindy; 27June08) http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/jun/27/colleges-receive-grant-for-bioterror-detection/
Smiths Detection Launches Smart Trigger For Biological Agent Detection
“Smiths Detection, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, announced the launch of SmartBio™ Sensor (SBS), a real-time detector for biological agents or airborne toxins. SBS provides a visual or audio alarm when a bio-threat is detected and classifies the agent by threat category.” (Medical News Today; 27June08) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112951.php
Arthur Galston, botanist, died on June 15th, aged 88
“If you had asked him, on one of his visits to Vietnam in those years, whether Agent Orange was directly responsible for the sarcomas, lesions and deformities, he would have replied, like the careful scientist he was, that it was hard to make a connection solid enough to stand up in a court of law. But three things he was sure of. First, Agent Orange had caused ‘an ecological disaster’ that might take decades to repair. Second, its use contravened the Geneva protocols against chemical and biological warfare. And third, he had a responsibility to speak, because this agent of horror was partly his child.” (The Economist; 26June08)
http://www.economist.com/obituary/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11613789
Iran: US should disarm chemical weapons
"‘The Islamic Republic of Iran is a main victim of chemical warfare as Iraq attacked the country for eight years using weapons of mass destruction. Iran expects the international community to bring war criminal to justice and force major powers, including the US and the occupying regime of al-Quds [Jerusalem], to take practical steps in fulfilling their international obligations, particularly concerning chemical disarmament,’ reads a statement released Friday by Iran's Foreign Ministry.” (Press TV; 27June08)
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=61673§ionid=351020101
Hanford Nuclear Services, Inc. (HNS) to sell US Patent 6805815, Unique ‘Dirty Bomb’ Cleanup Polymer
“Hanford Nuclear Services, Inc. (HNS), a leading research and advisory firm for the nuclear and environmental industries, announces the sale of US Patent 6805815, ‘Composition For Shielding Radioactivity’ through a website that offers access to patent, test data, an applications presentation, and portable deployment system information (http://hns.adventdes.com).” (STL Today; 25June08)
http://www.stltoday.com/pr/business/PR06250807471293
N. Korea declares nuclear program, but what's next?
“The Bush administration hailed North Korea's declaration of its nuclear program as a success for the multilateral diplomacy it engaged in through the Six Party Talks with South Korea, China, Japan and Russia. […] But as important as what the document says is what it doesn't say. There is no mention of how many weapons North Korea has or where they are hidden. Nor did North Korea admit to a suspected uranium enrichment program or what nuclear secrets it may have shared with Syria. Both issues are reduced in the declaration to ‘concerns’ which Pyongyang promises to address down the road.” (CNN; 27June08; Elise Labott) http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/06/26/nkorea.nuclear.negotiating/
Ensuring public safety
“Interpol is the world's largest international police organization, with 186 member countries. Created in 1923, it facilitates cross-border police co-operation, and supports and assists all organizations, authorities and services whose mission is to prevent or combat international crime. Terrorism poses a grave threat to individuals' lives and national security around the world. Interpol has therefore made available various resources to support member countries in their efforts to protect their citizens from terrorism, including bio-terrorism; firearms and explosives; attacks against civil aviation; maritime piracy; and weapons of mass destruction.”
(The New Nation; 27June08)
http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/06/27/news0679.htm
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.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- June 25, 2008
Duct tape, Biohazard labs, and Q fever
“Every once in awhile we read about a breech in the security of biomedical laboratories. Sometimes these are serious, such as when the Ebola like Marburg virus outbreak in German lab workers that killed seven people in 1967. But many barely make the front pages. The latest outbreak from biomedical laboratories occurred at the esteemed CDC laboratory in Atlanta last year, when several people came down with Q fever.” (Blogger News Network; 25June08; Nancy Reyes)
http://www.bloggernews.net/116394
Morphotek to develop bio-warfare therapy
“The U.S. Defense Department has contracted Morphotek Inc. to further develop antibody therapies for soldiers exposed to microbial biological weapons. Pennsylvania-based Morphotek was awarded $1.7 million in funding support to continue development of biologic-based monoclonal antibody therapies. Officials say the therapies are an effort to develop therapeutic mAbs to treat diseases threatening soldiers when exposed to biological warfare pathogens.” (UPI; 24June08) http://www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2008/06/24/Morphotek_to_develop_bio-warfare_therapy/UPI-16741214324946/
Smiths Detection Launches Smart Trigger for Biological Agent Detection
“Smiths Detection, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, today announced the launch of SmartBio(TM) Sensor (SBS), a real-time detector for biological agents or airborne toxins. SBS provides a visual or audio alarm when a bio-threat is detected and classifies the agent by threat category.” (Centre Daily; 25June08) http://www.centredaily.com/business/technology/story/677860.html
Training course on implementation of CWC concluded
“A training course on implementation of Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) was concluded here on Wednesday. The two-day course, which was organized by the National Committee for Banning Chemical, Biological and Poisonous Weapons (NCBCBPW) in cooperation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), aimed at elaborating capabilities of 30 participants of customs employees on dealing with chemical substances used in chemical weapons industry.” (Saba News; 25June08) http://www.sabanews.net/en/news157529.htm
Opening Address at the Global Biological-Chemical Training Event [Patricia A. McNerney, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, International Security and Nonproliferation]
“I want to join in thanking each of you for taking the time to participate in this important training conference. I know that many of you have traveled a great distance to be here today, and that each of you has an essential role to play in further promoting chemical and biological safety and security. I applaud your interest and proactive collaboration. I also thank our local hosts in Thailand, who continue to provide an invaluable resource for these regional events, as well as our Embassy staff and technical trainers, without whom this event would not be possible.” (State Department; 24June08) http://www.state.gov/t/isn/rls/rm/106214.htm
Cell’s inner workings described
“He lived in Luton, north of London. Other than that, Mohammed Junaid Babar knew him only as ‘Q.’ Babar, a key witness in the Khawaja terrorism trial, testified yesterday that in the summer of 2003 this man, known only by an initial, sent young Islamic radicals to Pakistan on ‘fact-finding missions.’ […] There were also lessons in poisoning, with Babar keeping ‘a little seed’ of ricin in his house.” (Winnipeg Sun; 25June08; Donna Casey) http://winnipegsun.com/News/Canada/2008/06/25/5978691-sun.html
Tests for poison leave Bangladeshi lawyers hooked
“The visiting Bangladeshi attorneys were certainly kept entertained when they arrived to observe proceedings in the Ennis conspiracy to murder trial in the Central Criminal Court. As the trial of Sharon Collins and Essam Eid entered its sixth week, the jury heard details of interviews with the two accused, laboratory tests for ricin poison, as well as ‘disputed charges’ on an American Express credit card registered to Clare businessman PJ Howard.”
(Herald; 24June08)
http://www.herald.ie/national-news/courts/tests-for-poison-leave-bangladeshi-lawyers-hooked-1420233.html
Ark. military arsenal finishes weapons destruction [Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas]
“A simple message in white paint adorned the last VX nerve-agent land mine that rolled through a conveyor belt on its way to incineration at the Pine Bluff Arsenal – ‘LONG TIME COMING.’ With its destruction, central Arkansas became free from the danger posed by deadly nerve agents for the first time since the 1960s, when the weapons arrived at what was once the Army's second largest stockpile in the nation.” (Forbes; 23June08; Jon Gambrell, Associated Press) http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/06/23/ap5144643.html
Mescal veteran hopes his experience will help others
“When Charles 'Roy' Curtis of Mescal realized his hearing was failing, he made an appointment with a doctor at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System. But instead of getting fitted for hearing aids, doctors discovered Curtis had a lung tumor and is likely suffering effects of Agent Orange exposure.” (Benson News; 24June08; Terri Jo Neff) http://www.bensonnews-sun.com/articles/2008/06/24/news/news07.txt
SwRI [Southwest Research Institute] awarded grant to develop nerve agent antidote
“The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command has awarded a one-year, $1.3 million grant to the Southwest Research Institute to develop and test a nerve agent antidote that can be administered with an injection. The institute is currently in the fourth year of a six-year contract to develop and test the stability of a drug that reverses symptoms caused by exposure to a chemical warfare agent.” (San Antonio Business Journal; 24June08)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2008/06/23/daily15.html
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Protection
“Mark Seed, Subhash Anand, Baljinder Kandola and Robert Fulford review the use of impermeable, permeable and semi-permeable ensembles for military and police forces high-threat situations, with particular emphasis on permeable systems, discussing the selection of fibres, fabrics and laminates, as well as processes. The armed forces and emergency services face an array of extreme conditions that necessitates they use protective clothing. Broadly defined these include threats from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) materials. Moreover, in a hostile situation the clothing may also be expected to protect against ballistic impacts, shrapnel and slashing.” (Red Orbit; 25June08; Seed, et.al.) http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1448985/chemical_biological_radiological_and_nuclear_protection/
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.
“Every once in awhile we read about a breech in the security of biomedical laboratories. Sometimes these are serious, such as when the Ebola like Marburg virus outbreak in German lab workers that killed seven people in 1967. But many barely make the front pages. The latest outbreak from biomedical laboratories occurred at the esteemed CDC laboratory in Atlanta last year, when several people came down with Q fever.” (Blogger News Network; 25June08; Nancy Reyes)
http://www.bloggernews.net/116394
Morphotek to develop bio-warfare therapy
“The U.S. Defense Department has contracted Morphotek Inc. to further develop antibody therapies for soldiers exposed to microbial biological weapons. Pennsylvania-based Morphotek was awarded $1.7 million in funding support to continue development of biologic-based monoclonal antibody therapies. Officials say the therapies are an effort to develop therapeutic mAbs to treat diseases threatening soldiers when exposed to biological warfare pathogens.” (UPI; 24June08) http://www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2008/06/24/Morphotek_to_develop_bio-warfare_therapy/UPI-16741214324946/
Smiths Detection Launches Smart Trigger for Biological Agent Detection
“Smiths Detection, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, today announced the launch of SmartBio(TM) Sensor (SBS), a real-time detector for biological agents or airborne toxins. SBS provides a visual or audio alarm when a bio-threat is detected and classifies the agent by threat category.” (Centre Daily; 25June08) http://www.centredaily.com/business/technology/story/677860.html
Training course on implementation of CWC concluded
“A training course on implementation of Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) was concluded here on Wednesday. The two-day course, which was organized by the National Committee for Banning Chemical, Biological and Poisonous Weapons (NCBCBPW) in cooperation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), aimed at elaborating capabilities of 30 participants of customs employees on dealing with chemical substances used in chemical weapons industry.” (Saba News; 25June08) http://www.sabanews.net/en/news157529.htm
Opening Address at the Global Biological-Chemical Training Event [Patricia A. McNerney, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, International Security and Nonproliferation]
“I want to join in thanking each of you for taking the time to participate in this important training conference. I know that many of you have traveled a great distance to be here today, and that each of you has an essential role to play in further promoting chemical and biological safety and security. I applaud your interest and proactive collaboration. I also thank our local hosts in Thailand, who continue to provide an invaluable resource for these regional events, as well as our Embassy staff and technical trainers, without whom this event would not be possible.” (State Department; 24June08) http://www.state.gov/t/isn/rls/rm/106214.htm
Cell’s inner workings described
“He lived in Luton, north of London. Other than that, Mohammed Junaid Babar knew him only as ‘Q.’ Babar, a key witness in the Khawaja terrorism trial, testified yesterday that in the summer of 2003 this man, known only by an initial, sent young Islamic radicals to Pakistan on ‘fact-finding missions.’ […] There were also lessons in poisoning, with Babar keeping ‘a little seed’ of ricin in his house.” (Winnipeg Sun; 25June08; Donna Casey) http://winnipegsun.com/News/Canada/2008/06/25/5978691-sun.html
Tests for poison leave Bangladeshi lawyers hooked
“The visiting Bangladeshi attorneys were certainly kept entertained when they arrived to observe proceedings in the Ennis conspiracy to murder trial in the Central Criminal Court. As the trial of Sharon Collins and Essam Eid entered its sixth week, the jury heard details of interviews with the two accused, laboratory tests for ricin poison, as well as ‘disputed charges’ on an American Express credit card registered to Clare businessman PJ Howard.”
(Herald; 24June08)
http://www.herald.ie/national-news/courts/tests-for-poison-leave-bangladeshi-lawyers-hooked-1420233.html
Ark. military arsenal finishes weapons destruction [Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas]
“A simple message in white paint adorned the last VX nerve-agent land mine that rolled through a conveyor belt on its way to incineration at the Pine Bluff Arsenal – ‘LONG TIME COMING.’ With its destruction, central Arkansas became free from the danger posed by deadly nerve agents for the first time since the 1960s, when the weapons arrived at what was once the Army's second largest stockpile in the nation.” (Forbes; 23June08; Jon Gambrell, Associated Press) http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/06/23/ap5144643.html
Mescal veteran hopes his experience will help others
“When Charles 'Roy' Curtis of Mescal realized his hearing was failing, he made an appointment with a doctor at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System. But instead of getting fitted for hearing aids, doctors discovered Curtis had a lung tumor and is likely suffering effects of Agent Orange exposure.” (Benson News; 24June08; Terri Jo Neff) http://www.bensonnews-sun.com/articles/2008/06/24/news/news07.txt
SwRI [Southwest Research Institute] awarded grant to develop nerve agent antidote
“The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command has awarded a one-year, $1.3 million grant to the Southwest Research Institute to develop and test a nerve agent antidote that can be administered with an injection. The institute is currently in the fourth year of a six-year contract to develop and test the stability of a drug that reverses symptoms caused by exposure to a chemical warfare agent.” (San Antonio Business Journal; 24June08)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2008/06/23/daily15.html
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Protection
“Mark Seed, Subhash Anand, Baljinder Kandola and Robert Fulford review the use of impermeable, permeable and semi-permeable ensembles for military and police forces high-threat situations, with particular emphasis on permeable systems, discussing the selection of fibres, fabrics and laminates, as well as processes. The armed forces and emergency services face an array of extreme conditions that necessitates they use protective clothing. Broadly defined these include threats from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) materials. Moreover, in a hostile situation the clothing may also be expected to protect against ballistic impacts, shrapnel and slashing.” (Red Orbit; 25June08; Seed, et.al.) http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1448985/chemical_biological_radiological_and_nuclear_protection/
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.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- June 23, 2008
How Smallpox Changed the World
“Smallpox epidemics continued through the 20th century until vaccination programs were regulated and implemented around the world. In 1980, the World Health Organization declared smallpox completely eradicated, but samples of the virus remain in two laboratories in the United States and Russia, prompting fears of biological warfare should the virus land in the wrong hands.” (Live Science; 23Jun08; Heather Whipps) http://www.livescience.com/history/080623-hs-smallpox.html
Enzymes made to order
“‘For the first time, we have been able to computationally design [and create] enzymes from scratch,’ says team member Daniela Röthlisberger, a biochemist at the University of Washington in Seattle. These enzymes are capable of dealing with substances for which no naturally occurring enzymes have evolved, she says. And in principle, the technique could be used to produce enzymes capable of ‘accelerating any desired reaction at all.’ The possibilities, the researchers agree, are vast and intriguing. […] Whichever industry they're used in – be it pharmaceutical, agricultural or chemical – Brown says the synthetic enzymes ‘have great potential to be used in … reducing the use of solvents and heavy metals, or degrading harmful chemicals such as pesticides and toxins.’” (Cosmos; 19Jun08; Lauren Monaghan) http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/features/online/2053/enzymes-made-order
CDC [Center for Disease Control and Prevention] action at germ lab questioned [Atlanta, Georgia]
“At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new $214 million infectious disease laboratory in Atlanta, scientists are conducting experiments on bioterror bacteria in a room with a containment door sealed with duct tape. […] The tape was applied around the edges of the door a year ago after the building's ventilation system malfunctioned and pulled potentially contaminated air out of the lab and into a ‘clean’ hallway.
Nine CDC workers were tested in May 2007 for potential exposure to the Q fever bacteria being studied in the lab […] agency officials said; the lab is safe and poses no risk to workers. The public was never at any risk because numerous security layers were in place between the lab and the outdoors, they said. Yet the duct tape remains in place. ‘It's an enhancement,’ said Patrick Stockton, CDC safety and occupational health manager, as he and four other agency officials took a reporter to see the door Wednesday. ‘We could take it off.’” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; 22Jun08; Alison Young) http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/dekalb/stories/2008/06/21/cdclab_0622.html
Norman Regional to host decontamination exercises [Norman, Oklahoma]
“Norman will be the site next week for exercises to help emergency personnel deal with accidents involving hazardous materials or bioterrorism situations that would require decontamination. […] Dozens of central Oklahoma hospital employees are expected to be in town to observe when Norman Regional Health System employees participate in decontamination training exercises Tuesday with the Norman Fire Department.
NRHS employees will be in level C suits and the fire department personnel will be in level A suits -- full decontamination gear, including head gear and a SCBA or self contained breathing apparatus in exercises at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.” (The Norman Transcript; 20Jun08; Carol Cole-Frowe)
http://www.normantranscript.com/localnews/local_story_173003327
Flora Industrial Park site [Madison County Mississippi]
“The Gulf States Bio and Agro-Defense Consortium is a coalition of public and private entities working collectively to attract the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) to Mississippi. The Consortium is comprised of the State of Mississippi, the University of Mississippi (UM), the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), Mississippi State University (MSU), Jackson State University (JSU), Tulane University, the Tulane National Primate Research Center, the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Tougaloo College, and Battelle Memorial Institute. […] Proposed NBAF Site Location [:] The proposed site is located in the Flora Industrial Park in Madison County, Mississippi. […] The portion under consideration for the NBAF currently has no tenants or physical structures and is approximately 150 acres.” (The Clarion Ledger; 20Jun08; DHS) http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080620/NEWS/80620050
Exercise prepares county for outbreak [Van Wert County, Ohio]
“The northwest region of Ohio, which is comprised of 18 counties, was involved in tabletop and functional exercises in preparation for an instance of pandemic flu. All 18 county health departments, emergency management agencies and almost all of the hospitals and in those counties participated. […] ‘This would be during a pandemic influenza, lets say if the bird flu would mutate - a type of flu that we do not have a vaccine for,’ said Hoffman of this year's focus. ‘We probably wouldn't have a vaccine for at least six months. It would be a very grand scale - a lot of death, a lot of illness. Any health care facility would breach their surge capacity.’ […] In such a situation, gravely ill patients or those needing emergency medical attention might be seen in the emergency department, but Hoffman said they could expect to wait six to eight hours.” (Times Bulletin; 21Jun08; Jill Dewert)
http://timesbulletin.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=147419&TM=5606.901
Here’s to your health! Open house at new facility [Pittsburgh County, Pennsylvania]
“It’s a year late, one contractor defaulted and another had to scramble to get the job finished, but the new Pittsburg County Health Department was the center of attention Friday as more than 200 people attended an open house. The 31,000 square foot structure, located across the street from the McAlester Regional Health Center on Strong Boulevard, is designed to offer a wide range of services. Dignitaries and just regular folks were given the grand tour during the event.” (McAlester News-Capital; 21Jun08; John Yates) http://www.mcalesternews.com/local/local_story_173153103.html
Mock Emergency Drill Tested Many Agencies' Response [Sebring, Florida]
“Wednesday's emergency preparedness drill at the Agri-Civic Center was only practice, but almost 200 volunteers and county employees acted like the mock exercise was real. […] Orange cards describing their roles were given to some volunteers who became belligerent or non-compliant, while others were unable to speak English, and some had special needs and many had mobility issues and trouble walking. […] The drill spilled over into the Emergency Operations Center, the county administration building and Florida Hospital Heartland Division campus in Sebring, Lake Placid and Wauchula. Several scenarios were created to give county workers a chance to put long-practiced plans into action. Terrorists were supposed to have planted anthrax poison at the local car race track in the water misting system used to cool race fans. Florida Hospital Heartland Division had an unbelievable string of bad luck: A fire broke out, a bomb was discovered, a tornado touched down, the flow of oxygen and gas was turned off and the morgue filled up during the exercise at the Sebring hospital.” (Red Orbit; 19Jun08; Bill Rettew Jr) http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1441595/mock_emergency_drill_tested_many_agencies_response/
Elk Grove man sentenced for toxic threats
“A former nuclear engineer and attorney who sent threatening letters containing fake poisons to local political officials and businesses was sentenced Friday to 51 months in federal prison. Michael Lee Braun, 53, of Elk Grove was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Edward Garcia, and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and $43,715 in reimbursement for law enforcement and hazardous material cleanup efforts. Braun sent letters that contained threats and a white powder, which he asserted was ‘poison’and a ‘death powder’ and recipients feared might contain anthrax or some other weapon of mass destruction. Laboratory analysis showed it to be baking soda. He pleaded guilty to four counts on April 11.” (Sacramento Business Journal; 20Jun08; Mark Anderson) http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2008/06/16/daily71.html?jst=b_ln_hl
Staged protest at biolab site not much of a hit with police [Boston, Massachusetts]
“Maryann Colella, 21, and Leeanne McHugh, 22, were placed in a police vehicle at 609 Albany St., the site of the proposed biolab, after officers charged them with disturbing the peace and damage to property via graffiti. Police said they responded to a complaint about a small group of females throwing dummy bodies into the street. According to the report, one young woman at the scene, wearing white and red makeup on her face to simulate blood, lay on the sidewalk while a second female outlined her body in chalk. Meanwhile, police said, passing pedestrians and motorists slowed to rubberneck.”(Boston Globe; 22Jun08; Marc Larocque) http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/06/22/staged_protest_at_biolab_site_not_much_of_a_hit_with_police/
ECU professor receives federal grant for research
“An East Carolina University professor, in collaboration with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Springs, Md., has been awarded more than $400,000 by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense to study antibacterial activity. […] Due to their improved drug-like properties and increased stability, the peptides may be used to treat infections that are the result of bacterial, biological warfare agents – an area of research being examined by the WRAIR [Walter Reed Army Institute of Research].” (The Daily Reflector; 23Jun08) http://www.reflector.com/local/content/news/stories/2008/06/23/ecunotes.html
Academy grad's glow points way to award
“Myrtle Beach's Leah Baker, a 2008 graduate of the Academy of the Arts Science and Technology in Carolina Forest, won a national award for her Public Health DVD entry. The 18-year-old environmental science major simulated the theoretical spread of disease for her senior mastery project that recently earned a $2,500 award in the Labs Are Vital Scholarship contest promoted on Facebook. […] Early one morning before her classmates arrived, Baker dusted a door handle at the academy with some harmless fluorescent powder that glows under black light. A few hours later, she checked every student's hands to see how far the pseudo germ had traveled. ‘Based on the schoolwide experiment, if the disease were real, all of Horry County would be infected in 14 days,’ said Baker.” (Myrtle Beach Online; 22Jun08; Jan A. Igoe) http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/123/story/494972.html
Syria, North Korea helped Iran nuclear programme: report
“Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is having second thoughts about helping Iran with its controversial nuclear programme, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported Saturday, quoting unspecified intelligence reports. […] Der Spiegel, which did not elaborate on al-Assad's reported change of heart, also said Iran, Syria and North Korea had apparently been cooperating in the production of chemical weapons. It cited an explosion near the Syrian city of Aleppo in July 2007, during which many were reported to have died when quantities of mustard gas and the nerve agent Sarin escaped. In addition to 15 Syrian military officials, dozens of Iranian ‘rocket scientists’ and three North Koreans were among those killed, the magazine said.” (The Earth Times; 21Jun08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/213997,syria-north-korea-helped-iran-nuclear-programme-report.html
State [Colorado] sets own deadline for mustard destruction
“Colorado officials told the Department of Defense this week to get rid of its mustard agent stockpile in Pueblo County by 2017, the same deadline set in recent legislation authored by some members of the state’s congressional delegation. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a compliance order on Wednesday requiring the Defense Department to destroy its entire stockpile at the Pueblo Chemical Depot by 2017, six years earlier than the current target date of 2023.” (The Pueblo Chieftan; 21Jun08; John Norton) http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/06/21/news/local/doc485cb7926a528215719979.txt
Chemicals Blamed for Gulf War Ills
“An academic report released in March cites chemicals in pesticides, weapons and drugs used to counter nerve gas as causes of a wide variety of ailments reported by Persian Gulf War veterans. ‘Enough studies have been conducted and the results shared to be able to say with considerable confidence that there is a link between chemical exposure [and the ailments],’ Dr. Beatrice Golomb told the (San Diego) Union-Tribune. Golomb, an associate professor at the University of California- San Diego, wrote the report, which was published March 10 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. She analyzed findings from more than two dozen studies of U.S., Australian and European Persian Gulf War vets exposed to chemicals such as the nerve agent sarin.” (Red Orbit; 19Jun08; Tim Dyhouse) http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1440444/chemicals_blamed_for_gulf_war_ills/
Are we ready? Simulated chemical attack tests response [Gaylord, Michigan]
“The voice from Otsego County 9-1-1 Central Dispatch came crackling through at 1000 hours with a message over the scanner beginning and ending with ‘THIS IS AN EXERCISE.’ The message, for emergency responders, was all part of a disaster drill informing them of a terrorist incident in which the nerve gas Sarin had been released during preparations for a concert at the Otsego County Fairgrounds. ‘THIS IS AN EXERCISE.’ With the dispatch delivered, emergency personnel from across the county sprang into action beginning a three-hour, full-scale exercise Monday morning to gauge emergency response plans and procedures in the face of a chemical terrorism threat.” (Gaylord Herald Times; 18Jun08; Michael Jones) http://www.gaylordheraldtimes.com/articles/2008/06/18/news/top_stories/doc48590511789aa161728186.txt
Hill AFB [Utah] conducting readiness exercises
“Hill Air Force Base will conduct readiness exercises today through Friday. Airmen of the 388th Fighter Wing, 419th Fighter Wing, 75th Air Base Wing and Ogden Air Logistics Center will participate in an Operational Readiness Exercise. It will test the base's ability to deploy quickly and operate in a chemical combat environment.” (Deseret News;23Jun08)
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700237208,00.html
Police squads in chemical boiler suits have raided a suspected crystal meth factory in Paddington.
“Originally cops thought the man was making a chemical weapon, or 'dirty bomb' - using the house as a bomb factory. José Eduardo Vieira, 29, will appear before Westminster Magistrates charged with producing a class A drug.” (The London Daily News; 20Jun08) http://www.thelondondailynews.com/police-raid-paddington-crystal-meth-factory-p-836.html
This is only a test: Are we prepared? [West Virginia]
“Mineral County was one of 25 counties that participated in this statewide emergency drill.~ Officials from the 911 Center, Emergency Operation Center, RACEY, CERT out of Piedmont ( a community emergency response team), Mineral County Sheriff, West Virginia State Police, Keyser Fire Department and EMS, Health Department, Department of Highways (DOH), the Medical Reserve Corps and Animal Control were on hand for two days to discuss and plan for this type of emergency.~ The Mineral County Board of Education and the National Guard were on hand for telephone communications. In this particular scenario Red Cross was unavailable. ‘This is our first time doing a statewide drill and I think everyone involved did pretty well,’ said Andrew Root, Mineral County Health Department R.S., administrator.” (Mineral Daily News-Tribune; 23Jun08; Elaine Blaisdell) http://www.newstribune.info/news/x1003971963/This-is-only-a-test-Are-we-prepared
Britain Sends Information on Suspect to the U.S.
“The government of Britain has turned over classified material to American military prosecutors at Guantánamo Bay about a British prisoner’s allegations that he was interrogated and tortured in Morocco after secretly being taken there by the C.I.A., according to the British Foreign Office. […] Binyam Mohamed, was charged by American military prosecutors last month with conspiracy and material support for terrorism, and the Foreign Office said in a letter to his lawyer that the evidence it gave to the Pentagon could be ‘exculpatory and relevant.’ […] In the charges filed against Mr. Mohamed, prosecutors said that he underwent training at several camps run by Al Qaeda in Afghanistan in 2001, in preparation for terrorist attacks in the United States, including the detonation of a so-called dirty bomb.” (The New York Times; 21Jun08; Raymond Bonner) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/21/world/europe/21gitmo.html
FBR, PNRA to jointly combat nuclear trafficking
“The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Un-derstanding (MoU) to promote cooperation against illicit trafficking of radioactive and nuclear materials. Member Customs, FBR, Mahmood Alam, and Member Executive, Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Shakil-ur-Rehman, singed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations. The MoU explains that the world today is facing a growing international threat of illicit trafficking of radioactive and nuclear materials, which present a grave hazard to national and international security.” (The News-International; 23Jun08; Mehtab Haider) http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=119932
Bush fails to appoint a nuclear terror czar
“Ten months after Congress passed a law establishing a White House coordinator for preventing nuclear terrorism, President Bush has no plans to create the high-level post any time soon, according to the National Security Council.” (Boston Globe; 22Jun08; Bryan Bender) http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/06/22/bush_fails_to_appoint_a_nuclear_terror_czar/
Security lacking at nuclear weapons sites in Europe: US report
“Most European air force bases that house US nuclear bombs are failing to meet security requirements to protect the weapons, according to an internal US Air Force investigation. The air bases often fall short of US Defense Department (DOD) standards, with fencing, lighting and buildings in need of repair and security guards lacking sufficient training and experience, said the document, obtained by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS). The 30-member air force team looking at the safety of nuclear weapons said that ‘inconsistencies in personnel, facilities, and equipment provided to the security mission by the host nation were evident as the team traveled from site to site’ in Europe. ‘A consistently noted theme throughout the visits was that most sites require significant additional resources to meet DOD security requirements,’ said the report, titled ‘Air Force Blue Ribbon Review of Nuclear Weapons Policies and Procedures.’ At some bases, military conscripts with less than a year of active duty experience were assigned the task of guarding the weapons against theft, the report said.” (Agence France Presse; 21Jun08) http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ilTADjyg56JIknjap6wfjSEdHNTQ
Britain re-investigating umbrella killing
“British police are taking a new look at one of their most notorious Cold War cases -- the 1978 killing of a Bulgarian dissident with a poisoned umbrella. A group of senior detectives from the Metropolitan Police flew to Bulgaria last month to interview witnesses and examine documents in archives, The Independent reported. Dnevnik, a Bulgarian newspaper, reported that one of those they sought to interview was Vladimir Todorov, a former head of the Secret Police.” (United Press International; 20Jun08) http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/06/20/Britain_re-investigating_umbrella_killing/UPI-55311213992113/
OPCW Director-General Addresses Seminar on Middle East Security and WMD Non-Proliferation/Disarmament
“The OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, visited Paris, France on 19 June 2008 to address a seminar organised by the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) entitled ‘Middle East Security and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Non-Proliferation/Disarmament.’ Addressing the issue of ‘Confidence Building Measures (CBMs): Benefiting from Previous Experiences,’ […] he stressed that prompt accession to the Convention would contribute to the goal of establishing a WMD-free zone in the Middle East and add a strong building block to the edifice of regional peace and mutual security.” (OPCW News; 20Jun08; Johan de Wittlaan)
http://www.opcw.org/pressreleases/2008/News13_2008.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.
“Smallpox epidemics continued through the 20th century until vaccination programs were regulated and implemented around the world. In 1980, the World Health Organization declared smallpox completely eradicated, but samples of the virus remain in two laboratories in the United States and Russia, prompting fears of biological warfare should the virus land in the wrong hands.” (Live Science; 23Jun08; Heather Whipps) http://www.livescience.com/history/080623-hs-smallpox.html
Enzymes made to order
“‘For the first time, we have been able to computationally design [and create] enzymes from scratch,’ says team member Daniela Röthlisberger, a biochemist at the University of Washington in Seattle. These enzymes are capable of dealing with substances for which no naturally occurring enzymes have evolved, she says. And in principle, the technique could be used to produce enzymes capable of ‘accelerating any desired reaction at all.’ The possibilities, the researchers agree, are vast and intriguing. […] Whichever industry they're used in – be it pharmaceutical, agricultural or chemical – Brown says the synthetic enzymes ‘have great potential to be used in … reducing the use of solvents and heavy metals, or degrading harmful chemicals such as pesticides and toxins.’” (Cosmos; 19Jun08; Lauren Monaghan) http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/features/online/2053/enzymes-made-order
CDC [Center for Disease Control and Prevention] action at germ lab questioned [Atlanta, Georgia]
“At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new $214 million infectious disease laboratory in Atlanta, scientists are conducting experiments on bioterror bacteria in a room with a containment door sealed with duct tape. […] The tape was applied around the edges of the door a year ago after the building's ventilation system malfunctioned and pulled potentially contaminated air out of the lab and into a ‘clean’ hallway.
Nine CDC workers were tested in May 2007 for potential exposure to the Q fever bacteria being studied in the lab […] agency officials said; the lab is safe and poses no risk to workers. The public was never at any risk because numerous security layers were in place between the lab and the outdoors, they said. Yet the duct tape remains in place. ‘It's an enhancement,’ said Patrick Stockton, CDC safety and occupational health manager, as he and four other agency officials took a reporter to see the door Wednesday. ‘We could take it off.’” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; 22Jun08; Alison Young) http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/dekalb/stories/2008/06/21/cdclab_0622.html
Norman Regional to host decontamination exercises [Norman, Oklahoma]
“Norman will be the site next week for exercises to help emergency personnel deal with accidents involving hazardous materials or bioterrorism situations that would require decontamination. […] Dozens of central Oklahoma hospital employees are expected to be in town to observe when Norman Regional Health System employees participate in decontamination training exercises Tuesday with the Norman Fire Department.
NRHS employees will be in level C suits and the fire department personnel will be in level A suits -- full decontamination gear, including head gear and a SCBA or self contained breathing apparatus in exercises at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.” (The Norman Transcript; 20Jun08; Carol Cole-Frowe)
http://www.normantranscript.com/localnews/local_story_173003327
Flora Industrial Park site [Madison County Mississippi]
“The Gulf States Bio and Agro-Defense Consortium is a coalition of public and private entities working collectively to attract the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) to Mississippi. The Consortium is comprised of the State of Mississippi, the University of Mississippi (UM), the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), Mississippi State University (MSU), Jackson State University (JSU), Tulane University, the Tulane National Primate Research Center, the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Tougaloo College, and Battelle Memorial Institute. […] Proposed NBAF Site Location [:] The proposed site is located in the Flora Industrial Park in Madison County, Mississippi. […] The portion under consideration for the NBAF currently has no tenants or physical structures and is approximately 150 acres.” (The Clarion Ledger; 20Jun08; DHS) http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080620/NEWS/80620050
Exercise prepares county for outbreak [Van Wert County, Ohio]
“The northwest region of Ohio, which is comprised of 18 counties, was involved in tabletop and functional exercises in preparation for an instance of pandemic flu. All 18 county health departments, emergency management agencies and almost all of the hospitals and in those counties participated. […] ‘This would be during a pandemic influenza, lets say if the bird flu would mutate - a type of flu that we do not have a vaccine for,’ said Hoffman of this year's focus. ‘We probably wouldn't have a vaccine for at least six months. It would be a very grand scale - a lot of death, a lot of illness. Any health care facility would breach their surge capacity.’ […] In such a situation, gravely ill patients or those needing emergency medical attention might be seen in the emergency department, but Hoffman said they could expect to wait six to eight hours.” (Times Bulletin; 21Jun08; Jill Dewert)
http://timesbulletin.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=147419&TM=5606.901
Here’s to your health! Open house at new facility [Pittsburgh County, Pennsylvania]
“It’s a year late, one contractor defaulted and another had to scramble to get the job finished, but the new Pittsburg County Health Department was the center of attention Friday as more than 200 people attended an open house. The 31,000 square foot structure, located across the street from the McAlester Regional Health Center on Strong Boulevard, is designed to offer a wide range of services. Dignitaries and just regular folks were given the grand tour during the event.” (McAlester News-Capital; 21Jun08; John Yates) http://www.mcalesternews.com/local/local_story_173153103.html
Mock Emergency Drill Tested Many Agencies' Response [Sebring, Florida]
“Wednesday's emergency preparedness drill at the Agri-Civic Center was only practice, but almost 200 volunteers and county employees acted like the mock exercise was real. […] Orange cards describing their roles were given to some volunteers who became belligerent or non-compliant, while others were unable to speak English, and some had special needs and many had mobility issues and trouble walking. […] The drill spilled over into the Emergency Operations Center, the county administration building and Florida Hospital Heartland Division campus in Sebring, Lake Placid and Wauchula. Several scenarios were created to give county workers a chance to put long-practiced plans into action. Terrorists were supposed to have planted anthrax poison at the local car race track in the water misting system used to cool race fans. Florida Hospital Heartland Division had an unbelievable string of bad luck: A fire broke out, a bomb was discovered, a tornado touched down, the flow of oxygen and gas was turned off and the morgue filled up during the exercise at the Sebring hospital.” (Red Orbit; 19Jun08; Bill Rettew Jr) http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1441595/mock_emergency_drill_tested_many_agencies_response/
Elk Grove man sentenced for toxic threats
“A former nuclear engineer and attorney who sent threatening letters containing fake poisons to local political officials and businesses was sentenced Friday to 51 months in federal prison. Michael Lee Braun, 53, of Elk Grove was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Edward Garcia, and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and $43,715 in reimbursement for law enforcement and hazardous material cleanup efforts. Braun sent letters that contained threats and a white powder, which he asserted was ‘poison’and a ‘death powder’ and recipients feared might contain anthrax or some other weapon of mass destruction. Laboratory analysis showed it to be baking soda. He pleaded guilty to four counts on April 11.” (Sacramento Business Journal; 20Jun08; Mark Anderson) http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2008/06/16/daily71.html?jst=b_ln_hl
Staged protest at biolab site not much of a hit with police [Boston, Massachusetts]
“Maryann Colella, 21, and Leeanne McHugh, 22, were placed in a police vehicle at 609 Albany St., the site of the proposed biolab, after officers charged them with disturbing the peace and damage to property via graffiti. Police said they responded to a complaint about a small group of females throwing dummy bodies into the street. According to the report, one young woman at the scene, wearing white and red makeup on her face to simulate blood, lay on the sidewalk while a second female outlined her body in chalk. Meanwhile, police said, passing pedestrians and motorists slowed to rubberneck.”(Boston Globe; 22Jun08; Marc Larocque) http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/06/22/staged_protest_at_biolab_site_not_much_of_a_hit_with_police/
ECU professor receives federal grant for research
“An East Carolina University professor, in collaboration with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Springs, Md., has been awarded more than $400,000 by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense to study antibacterial activity. […] Due to their improved drug-like properties and increased stability, the peptides may be used to treat infections that are the result of bacterial, biological warfare agents – an area of research being examined by the WRAIR [Walter Reed Army Institute of Research].” (The Daily Reflector; 23Jun08) http://www.reflector.com/local/content/news/stories/2008/06/23/ecunotes.html
Academy grad's glow points way to award
“Myrtle Beach's Leah Baker, a 2008 graduate of the Academy of the Arts Science and Technology in Carolina Forest, won a national award for her Public Health DVD entry. The 18-year-old environmental science major simulated the theoretical spread of disease for her senior mastery project that recently earned a $2,500 award in the Labs Are Vital Scholarship contest promoted on Facebook. […] Early one morning before her classmates arrived, Baker dusted a door handle at the academy with some harmless fluorescent powder that glows under black light. A few hours later, she checked every student's hands to see how far the pseudo germ had traveled. ‘Based on the schoolwide experiment, if the disease were real, all of Horry County would be infected in 14 days,’ said Baker.” (Myrtle Beach Online; 22Jun08; Jan A. Igoe) http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/123/story/494972.html
Syria, North Korea helped Iran nuclear programme: report
“Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is having second thoughts about helping Iran with its controversial nuclear programme, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported Saturday, quoting unspecified intelligence reports. […] Der Spiegel, which did not elaborate on al-Assad's reported change of heart, also said Iran, Syria and North Korea had apparently been cooperating in the production of chemical weapons. It cited an explosion near the Syrian city of Aleppo in July 2007, during which many were reported to have died when quantities of mustard gas and the nerve agent Sarin escaped. In addition to 15 Syrian military officials, dozens of Iranian ‘rocket scientists’ and three North Koreans were among those killed, the magazine said.” (The Earth Times; 21Jun08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/213997,syria-north-korea-helped-iran-nuclear-programme-report.html
State [Colorado] sets own deadline for mustard destruction
“Colorado officials told the Department of Defense this week to get rid of its mustard agent stockpile in Pueblo County by 2017, the same deadline set in recent legislation authored by some members of the state’s congressional delegation. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a compliance order on Wednesday requiring the Defense Department to destroy its entire stockpile at the Pueblo Chemical Depot by 2017, six years earlier than the current target date of 2023.” (The Pueblo Chieftan; 21Jun08; John Norton) http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/06/21/news/local/doc485cb7926a528215719979.txt
Chemicals Blamed for Gulf War Ills
“An academic report released in March cites chemicals in pesticides, weapons and drugs used to counter nerve gas as causes of a wide variety of ailments reported by Persian Gulf War veterans. ‘Enough studies have been conducted and the results shared to be able to say with considerable confidence that there is a link between chemical exposure [and the ailments],’ Dr. Beatrice Golomb told the (San Diego) Union-Tribune. Golomb, an associate professor at the University of California- San Diego, wrote the report, which was published March 10 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. She analyzed findings from more than two dozen studies of U.S., Australian and European Persian Gulf War vets exposed to chemicals such as the nerve agent sarin.” (Red Orbit; 19Jun08; Tim Dyhouse) http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1440444/chemicals_blamed_for_gulf_war_ills/
Are we ready? Simulated chemical attack tests response [Gaylord, Michigan]
“The voice from Otsego County 9-1-1 Central Dispatch came crackling through at 1000 hours with a message over the scanner beginning and ending with ‘THIS IS AN EXERCISE.’ The message, for emergency responders, was all part of a disaster drill informing them of a terrorist incident in which the nerve gas Sarin had been released during preparations for a concert at the Otsego County Fairgrounds. ‘THIS IS AN EXERCISE.’ With the dispatch delivered, emergency personnel from across the county sprang into action beginning a three-hour, full-scale exercise Monday morning to gauge emergency response plans and procedures in the face of a chemical terrorism threat.” (Gaylord Herald Times; 18Jun08; Michael Jones) http://www.gaylordheraldtimes.com/articles/2008/06/18/news/top_stories/doc48590511789aa161728186.txt
Hill AFB [Utah] conducting readiness exercises
“Hill Air Force Base will conduct readiness exercises today through Friday. Airmen of the 388th Fighter Wing, 419th Fighter Wing, 75th Air Base Wing and Ogden Air Logistics Center will participate in an Operational Readiness Exercise. It will test the base's ability to deploy quickly and operate in a chemical combat environment.” (Deseret News;23Jun08)
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700237208,00.html
Police squads in chemical boiler suits have raided a suspected crystal meth factory in Paddington.
“Originally cops thought the man was making a chemical weapon, or 'dirty bomb' - using the house as a bomb factory. José Eduardo Vieira, 29, will appear before Westminster Magistrates charged with producing a class A drug.” (The London Daily News; 20Jun08) http://www.thelondondailynews.com/police-raid-paddington-crystal-meth-factory-p-836.html
This is only a test: Are we prepared? [West Virginia]
“Mineral County was one of 25 counties that participated in this statewide emergency drill.~ Officials from the 911 Center, Emergency Operation Center, RACEY, CERT out of Piedmont ( a community emergency response team), Mineral County Sheriff, West Virginia State Police, Keyser Fire Department and EMS, Health Department, Department of Highways (DOH), the Medical Reserve Corps and Animal Control were on hand for two days to discuss and plan for this type of emergency.~ The Mineral County Board of Education and the National Guard were on hand for telephone communications. In this particular scenario Red Cross was unavailable. ‘This is our first time doing a statewide drill and I think everyone involved did pretty well,’ said Andrew Root, Mineral County Health Department R.S., administrator.” (Mineral Daily News-Tribune; 23Jun08; Elaine Blaisdell) http://www.newstribune.info/news/x1003971963/This-is-only-a-test-Are-we-prepared
Britain Sends Information on Suspect to the U.S.
“The government of Britain has turned over classified material to American military prosecutors at Guantánamo Bay about a British prisoner’s allegations that he was interrogated and tortured in Morocco after secretly being taken there by the C.I.A., according to the British Foreign Office. […] Binyam Mohamed, was charged by American military prosecutors last month with conspiracy and material support for terrorism, and the Foreign Office said in a letter to his lawyer that the evidence it gave to the Pentagon could be ‘exculpatory and relevant.’ […] In the charges filed against Mr. Mohamed, prosecutors said that he underwent training at several camps run by Al Qaeda in Afghanistan in 2001, in preparation for terrorist attacks in the United States, including the detonation of a so-called dirty bomb.” (The New York Times; 21Jun08; Raymond Bonner) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/21/world/europe/21gitmo.html
FBR, PNRA to jointly combat nuclear trafficking
“The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Un-derstanding (MoU) to promote cooperation against illicit trafficking of radioactive and nuclear materials. Member Customs, FBR, Mahmood Alam, and Member Executive, Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Shakil-ur-Rehman, singed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations. The MoU explains that the world today is facing a growing international threat of illicit trafficking of radioactive and nuclear materials, which present a grave hazard to national and international security.” (The News-International; 23Jun08; Mehtab Haider) http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=119932
Bush fails to appoint a nuclear terror czar
“Ten months after Congress passed a law establishing a White House coordinator for preventing nuclear terrorism, President Bush has no plans to create the high-level post any time soon, according to the National Security Council.” (Boston Globe; 22Jun08; Bryan Bender) http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/06/22/bush_fails_to_appoint_a_nuclear_terror_czar/
Security lacking at nuclear weapons sites in Europe: US report
“Most European air force bases that house US nuclear bombs are failing to meet security requirements to protect the weapons, according to an internal US Air Force investigation. The air bases often fall short of US Defense Department (DOD) standards, with fencing, lighting and buildings in need of repair and security guards lacking sufficient training and experience, said the document, obtained by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS). The 30-member air force team looking at the safety of nuclear weapons said that ‘inconsistencies in personnel, facilities, and equipment provided to the security mission by the host nation were evident as the team traveled from site to site’ in Europe. ‘A consistently noted theme throughout the visits was that most sites require significant additional resources to meet DOD security requirements,’ said the report, titled ‘Air Force Blue Ribbon Review of Nuclear Weapons Policies and Procedures.’ At some bases, military conscripts with less than a year of active duty experience were assigned the task of guarding the weapons against theft, the report said.” (Agence France Presse; 21Jun08) http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ilTADjyg56JIknjap6wfjSEdHNTQ
Britain re-investigating umbrella killing
“British police are taking a new look at one of their most notorious Cold War cases -- the 1978 killing of a Bulgarian dissident with a poisoned umbrella. A group of senior detectives from the Metropolitan Police flew to Bulgaria last month to interview witnesses and examine documents in archives, The Independent reported. Dnevnik, a Bulgarian newspaper, reported that one of those they sought to interview was Vladimir Todorov, a former head of the Secret Police.” (United Press International; 20Jun08) http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/06/20/Britain_re-investigating_umbrella_killing/UPI-55311213992113/
OPCW Director-General Addresses Seminar on Middle East Security and WMD Non-Proliferation/Disarmament
“The OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, visited Paris, France on 19 June 2008 to address a seminar organised by the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) entitled ‘Middle East Security and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Non-Proliferation/Disarmament.’ Addressing the issue of ‘Confidence Building Measures (CBMs): Benefiting from Previous Experiences,’ […] he stressed that prompt accession to the Convention would contribute to the goal of establishing a WMD-free zone in the Middle East and add a strong building block to the edifice of regional peace and mutual security.” (OPCW News; 20Jun08; Johan de Wittlaan)
http://www.opcw.org/pressreleases/2008/News13_2008.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.
Friday, May 16, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- May 16, 2008
Partnership helps Navajo prepare for emergencies
“It’s difficult to prepare for a disaster when you’ve been taught that you’re not even supposed to talk about such an eventuality. But the Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management and Work Force Development are teaming together to hire members of the community and train them to deal — on a community level — with potential disaster situations such as this past winter’s snow and mud emergencies. […] ‘We’re trying to move the Navajo Nation in a direction where they can be able to manage their own situations,’ from hazardous materials accident to bioterrorism, Jimson Joe, executive director of Emergency Management, said Wednesday.” (The Gallup Independent; Kathy Helms; 16May08) http://www.gallupindependent.com/2008/May/051508emergencies.html
Bioterror defenses in lobbying crunch
“The government’s program to defend the country against bioterrorism attacks has become embroiled in a lobbying war, as rival biotechnology companies seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts turn to influential K Street hired guns. The Bush administration’s $5.6 billion Project BioShield has come under heavy criticism in the wake of contracting problems that led to delays in the purchase of vaccines designed to protect against biological weapons.” (Politico; 15May08; Samuel Loewenberg) http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10351.html
CDC biolab not ready after 2 1/2 years [Atlanta, Georgia]
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new maximum-security laboratories in Atlanta were supposed to open in the fall of 2005. But the suite of Biosafety Level 4 labs — designed to contain the world's most dangerous germs — still haven't been certified as ready to operate. The $214 million building they're in was completed 2 1/2 years ago. CDC officials say nothing is amiss. But the delays have raised concerns about potential construction or design flaws in labs destined to handle smallpox and Ebola viruses.”
(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; 15May08; Alison Young)
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2008/05/15/cdclabs_0515.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13
No clear terror threat in cyanide case [Oklahoma]
“The FBI claims a Texas man told an informant he had a 25-gallon drum with enough cyanide inside to ‘kill a city.’ What he apparently didn't have was a plan to carry out an attack. Jeffrey Don Detrixhe, 38, of Higgins, Texas, was arrested this week in southeastern Oklahoma on a complaint of possession or transfer of a chemical weapon following an FBI sting in which an informant claimed he saw Detrixhe bring home an approximately 4-foot tall drum with cyanide in it.” (Dallas News; 15May08; Jeff Latzke, Associated Press) http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D90MCSB00.html
Germany: clean-up of World War I poison-gas plant finished [Hallschlag]
“The clean-up of a former plant which made horrific German poison-gas shells used in the First World War is complete after 20 years of work, an official told legislators Thursday. The Espagit factory in Hallschlag, Rhineland Palatinate state accidentally exploded in 1920 when an estimated 20,000 poison-gas shells were on the premises. The debris meant the site was an ecological disaster area for decades.” (The Earth Times; 15May08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205689,germany-clean-up-of-world-war-i-poison-gas-plant-finished.html
Exchangites hear incinerator update [Anniston Army Depot, Alabama]
“On Aug. 9, 2003, the incinerator at the Anniston Army Depot became operational and the number of chemical weapons stockpiled at the site has been dropping ever since. The goal of the men and women working for Westinghouse at the facility is to dispose of every chemical weapon before August of 2013. The company has been incentivized to finish before the treaty date, which is April 29 of 2012. We’re working hard to beat that date, said Bob Love of Westinghouse when he spoke to the Jacksonville Exchange Club on May 8.” (The Jacksonville News; 14May08; Jennifer Bacchus) http://www.jaxnews.com/news/2008/jn-localnews-0514-jbacchus-8e14m3607.htm
DEPOT: Problem shuts down chemical weapons incinerator [Hermiston, Oregon]
“Incineration at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Depot Facility has been temporarily stopped as officials investigate why smoke filled part of a furnace area early today [May 14]. The incident happened at 7 a.m. in the furnace area of the liquid incinerator, where VX nerve agent was being burned for disposal, said depot spokesman Bruce Henrickson. No one was injured and there was no danger to the environment or the community, Henrickson said.” (Tri-City Herald; 14May08; Franny White) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/184016.html
Blocked pipes blamed for [Hermiston] Oregon weapons depot smoke
“Blocked pipes have been blamed for smoke that filled a small area of an incinerator plant at the Umatilla Chemical Depot in Hermiston Wednesday. The depot is disposing of deadly VX nerve agent left over from the Cold War. It burned its stockpile of sarin nerve gas, even more deadly, earlier. Depot spokesman Bruce Henrickson said the smoke was in the furnace room of Incinerator No. 1 after some strainers became plugged, leading to an overheating in the pipe system. He said no chemical agent was released.” (Oregon Live; 14May08; Associated Press) http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-24/1210796047237480.xml&storylist=orlocal
High toxin levels found in groundwater at Mie Pref. plant
“The Yokkaichi municipal government inspected a local plant operated by leading chemical manufacturing firm Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha Ltd. on Thursday, after groundwater at the site was found to contain 500 times the acceptable levels of arsenic, and excessive amounts of other toxins. Harmful substances at concentrations greater than those approved by the central government were found by in each of the six observation wells tested by the Osaka-based firm at the Mie Prefecture plant, according to the municipal government. […] Meanwhile, Ishihara Sangyo announced Wednesday that it violated a chemical weapons law by producing the highly toxic chemical phosgene at the same manufacturing plant in 2005 and 2006, without reporting its activities to the central government.” (Yomiuri Shimbun; 16May08) http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080516TDY02301.htm
Computer held by [Abdullah] Khadr's sister contains al-Qaeda files, RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] say
“The RCMP say they have uncovered a treasure trove of al-Qaeda files from a computer once held by Abdullah Khadr's sister, including ‘some sort of military operational plan to infiltrate Burma,’ according to court files seen by The Globe and Mail. In February, 2005, Zaynab Khadr left Pakistan to return to Canada, where she has never been arrested or charged with a crime. Still, the Mounties claim she left behind ‘two large metal containers’ in Pakistan that they searched once they were shipped to Canada on June 15, 2005. Court documents filed in one of her brother's cases show the Mounties say they found a hard drive that includes ‘material dealing with bomb making, ricin, techniques of assassination, chemicals, poisons, silencers, etc; incoming and outgoing e-mails of Zaynab Khadr.’” (Globe and Mail; 15May08; Colin Freeze) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080515.wkhadrzaynab15/BNStory/National/home
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.
“It’s difficult to prepare for a disaster when you’ve been taught that you’re not even supposed to talk about such an eventuality. But the Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management and Work Force Development are teaming together to hire members of the community and train them to deal — on a community level — with potential disaster situations such as this past winter’s snow and mud emergencies. […] ‘We’re trying to move the Navajo Nation in a direction where they can be able to manage their own situations,’ from hazardous materials accident to bioterrorism, Jimson Joe, executive director of Emergency Management, said Wednesday.” (The Gallup Independent; Kathy Helms; 16May08) http://www.gallupindependent.com/2008/May/051508emergencies.html
Bioterror defenses in lobbying crunch
“The government’s program to defend the country against bioterrorism attacks has become embroiled in a lobbying war, as rival biotechnology companies seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts turn to influential K Street hired guns. The Bush administration’s $5.6 billion Project BioShield has come under heavy criticism in the wake of contracting problems that led to delays in the purchase of vaccines designed to protect against biological weapons.” (Politico; 15May08; Samuel Loewenberg) http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10351.html
CDC biolab not ready after 2 1/2 years [Atlanta, Georgia]
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new maximum-security laboratories in Atlanta were supposed to open in the fall of 2005. But the suite of Biosafety Level 4 labs — designed to contain the world's most dangerous germs — still haven't been certified as ready to operate. The $214 million building they're in was completed 2 1/2 years ago. CDC officials say nothing is amiss. But the delays have raised concerns about potential construction or design flaws in labs destined to handle smallpox and Ebola viruses.”
(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; 15May08; Alison Young)
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2008/05/15/cdclabs_0515.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13
No clear terror threat in cyanide case [Oklahoma]
“The FBI claims a Texas man told an informant he had a 25-gallon drum with enough cyanide inside to ‘kill a city.’ What he apparently didn't have was a plan to carry out an attack. Jeffrey Don Detrixhe, 38, of Higgins, Texas, was arrested this week in southeastern Oklahoma on a complaint of possession or transfer of a chemical weapon following an FBI sting in which an informant claimed he saw Detrixhe bring home an approximately 4-foot tall drum with cyanide in it.” (Dallas News; 15May08; Jeff Latzke, Associated Press) http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D90MCSB00.html
Germany: clean-up of World War I poison-gas plant finished [Hallschlag]
“The clean-up of a former plant which made horrific German poison-gas shells used in the First World War is complete after 20 years of work, an official told legislators Thursday. The Espagit factory in Hallschlag, Rhineland Palatinate state accidentally exploded in 1920 when an estimated 20,000 poison-gas shells were on the premises. The debris meant the site was an ecological disaster area for decades.” (The Earth Times; 15May08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205689,germany-clean-up-of-world-war-i-poison-gas-plant-finished.html
Exchangites hear incinerator update [Anniston Army Depot, Alabama]
“On Aug. 9, 2003, the incinerator at the Anniston Army Depot became operational and the number of chemical weapons stockpiled at the site has been dropping ever since. The goal of the men and women working for Westinghouse at the facility is to dispose of every chemical weapon before August of 2013. The company has been incentivized to finish before the treaty date, which is April 29 of 2012. We’re working hard to beat that date, said Bob Love of Westinghouse when he spoke to the Jacksonville Exchange Club on May 8.” (The Jacksonville News; 14May08; Jennifer Bacchus) http://www.jaxnews.com/news/2008/jn-localnews-0514-jbacchus-8e14m3607.htm
DEPOT: Problem shuts down chemical weapons incinerator [Hermiston, Oregon]
“Incineration at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Depot Facility has been temporarily stopped as officials investigate why smoke filled part of a furnace area early today [May 14]. The incident happened at 7 a.m. in the furnace area of the liquid incinerator, where VX nerve agent was being burned for disposal, said depot spokesman Bruce Henrickson. No one was injured and there was no danger to the environment or the community, Henrickson said.” (Tri-City Herald; 14May08; Franny White) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/184016.html
Blocked pipes blamed for [Hermiston] Oregon weapons depot smoke
“Blocked pipes have been blamed for smoke that filled a small area of an incinerator plant at the Umatilla Chemical Depot in Hermiston Wednesday. The depot is disposing of deadly VX nerve agent left over from the Cold War. It burned its stockpile of sarin nerve gas, even more deadly, earlier. Depot spokesman Bruce Henrickson said the smoke was in the furnace room of Incinerator No. 1 after some strainers became plugged, leading to an overheating in the pipe system. He said no chemical agent was released.” (Oregon Live; 14May08; Associated Press) http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-24/1210796047237480.xml&storylist=orlocal
High toxin levels found in groundwater at Mie Pref. plant
“The Yokkaichi municipal government inspected a local plant operated by leading chemical manufacturing firm Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha Ltd. on Thursday, after groundwater at the site was found to contain 500 times the acceptable levels of arsenic, and excessive amounts of other toxins. Harmful substances at concentrations greater than those approved by the central government were found by in each of the six observation wells tested by the Osaka-based firm at the Mie Prefecture plant, according to the municipal government. […] Meanwhile, Ishihara Sangyo announced Wednesday that it violated a chemical weapons law by producing the highly toxic chemical phosgene at the same manufacturing plant in 2005 and 2006, without reporting its activities to the central government.” (Yomiuri Shimbun; 16May08) http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080516TDY02301.htm
Computer held by [Abdullah] Khadr's sister contains al-Qaeda files, RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] say
“The RCMP say they have uncovered a treasure trove of al-Qaeda files from a computer once held by Abdullah Khadr's sister, including ‘some sort of military operational plan to infiltrate Burma,’ according to court files seen by The Globe and Mail. In February, 2005, Zaynab Khadr left Pakistan to return to Canada, where she has never been arrested or charged with a crime. Still, the Mounties claim she left behind ‘two large metal containers’ in Pakistan that they searched once they were shipped to Canada on June 15, 2005. Court documents filed in one of her brother's cases show the Mounties say they found a hard drive that includes ‘material dealing with bomb making, ricin, techniques of assassination, chemicals, poisons, silencers, etc; incoming and outgoing e-mails of Zaynab Khadr.’” (Globe and Mail; 15May08; Colin Freeze) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080515.wkhadrzaynab15/BNStory/National/home
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.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- January 30, 2008
Georgia lab workers exposed to bioterror agent
“Hundreds of laboratory workers across the country — including 57 in Georgia — were potentially exposed to a weakened bioterrorism agent when samples were mishandled as part of a voluntary readiness test, state and federal health officials said. At 16 of Georgia's 27 clinical labs participating in the test, workers failed to follow proper handling procedures and were potentially exposed to a vaccine strain of Brucella abortus RB51. Brucella bacteria, which are classified as a bioterrorism agent, primarily infect animals, but also can sicken people. […] Officials at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is investigating, said that while such tests are important, the widespread handling problems illustrate the need for hospital and other private labs to establish and follow safety procedures when working with suspected bioterrorism agents.” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 30Jan08, Alison Young) http://www.ajc.com/wednesday/content/news/stories/2008/01/29/labfailure_0130.html
New Decontamination System Kills Anthrax Rapidly
“[…] Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) in collaboration with Austin-based Stellar Micro Devices, Inc. (SMD) have developed prototypes of a rapid, non-disruptive and less expensive method that could be used to decontaminate bioterrorism hazards in the future. Using flat panel modules that produce X-rays and ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light simultaneously, the researchers can kill anthrax spores in two to three hours without any lingering effects. The system also has the ability to kill anthrax spores hidden in places like computer keyboards without causing damage.” (Georgia Tech Research Institute, 29Jan08, Abby Vogel)
http://www.gatech.edu/news-room/release.php?id=1687
Questions arise over UW [University of Wisconsin]-Madison germs research “Ebola virus. Bird flu. Botulinum toxin. The monkey version of AIDS.
Bacteria that cause tuberculosis, a lung infection, and listeriosis, a food-borne disease. UW-Madison scientists, like those at most major universities, study dozens of dangerous germs. A biosafety office and a faculty committee review the research to make sure it is safe, but discrepancies can lead some to question the oversight. Critics cried foul after the National Institutes of Health said some of Yoshihiro Kawaoka's Ebola research must be done in a lab with the highest biosafety standards, overruling the campus committee's approval of a lower-level lab. Now Kawaoka is carrying out different Ebola work in a lab with an even lower classification, and the university hasn't consulted the NIH. […] The issue of biosafety oversight came up last week, when Kawaoka reported that he had removed a gene from the deadly Ebola virus to create a version he and others say is safe to use in most labs.” (Wisconsin State Journal, 29Jan08, David Wahlberg)
http://www.madison.com/wsj/topstories/269952
New Livermore [California] facility to detect West Nile, anthrax
“A newly constructed laboratory equipped to handle deadly airborne pathogens such as anthrax [bacteria], bird flu [viruses] and West Nile virus began operating Friday at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The new Biosafety Level 3 lab allows scientists to test detection devices being developed at the lab against the pathogens they are designed to detect. Previously, testing had to be done elsewhere, or with less dangerous strains of the microorganisms. The DOE released its final environmental impact assessment for the Biosafety Level 3 lab Monday, which found there was no significant impact.” (InsideBayArea.com, 29Jan08, Betsy Mason)
http://origin.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/localnews/ci_8107631
EU defends controversial Baltic gas pipeline
“EU energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs has defended controversial plans to build a gas pipeline beneath the Baltic Sea, connecting Russia and Germany, amid growing environmental concerns over the project. […] The commissioner was speaking at a public hearing organised by the European Parliament in response to concerns over the pipeline's impact on the Baltic Sea. According to Krzysztof Maczkowski, a Polish national and a petitioner campaigning for a land alternative, the proposed natural gas pipeline could disturb WWII chemical weapons dumped in the Baltic Sea and endanger public health as well as flora and fauna in all coastal states in the region.” (EU Observer, 30Jan08, Renata Goldirova) http://euobserver.com/9/25560
[Blue Grass Army] Depot stockpile passes inspection
“The Blue Grass Army Depot chemical weapon stockpile successfully passed its annual inspection last week that was administered by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) headquartered in The Netherlands. The inspectors came from several different countries, including South Korea, and conducted an inspection of all chemical weapons stored and monitored by the Blue Grass Chemical Activity, which is a separate entity located inside the depot to ensure the proper storage, maintenance and disposal qualifications are being met. The inspection is conducted to make sure that those working for Blue Grass Chemical Activity are meeting requirements set by the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).”
(Richmond Register, 29Jan08, Ronica Shannon) http://www.richmondregister.com/localnews/local_story_029084537.html
NNSA [National Nuclear Security Administration] Provides Aerial Radiation Detection Training to Chicago Police Department
“The federal government's experts in detecting radiation are partnering with Chicago's police department in a pilot effort to train local law enforcement officers to use advanced detection methods. The aerial radiation detection training will be provided by the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) this week. […] In conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), NNSA will train the police aviation unit on radiation detection. The course is designed to prepare law enforcement officers to conduct a radiological surveillance mission using a radiation detection system mounted on a helicopter. This system detects gamma radiation and will help locate a potential dirty bomb or other radiological source. This training is a part of a joint NNSA/DNDO pilot project that could later be expanded to cover additional cities.”
(NNSA, 29Jan08)
http://www.nnsa.doe.gov/docs/newsreleases/2008/PR_2008-01-29_NA-08-07.htm
Assessing the dirty bomb threat
“Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has placed Romania on a list of countries named as likely sources of ‘dirty bomb’ material for terrorists. But Romanian officials tell ISN Security Watch that terrorists are unlikely to get their hands on nuclear material here, and point to other, much deadlier, threats. In an interview with the Arab daily al Hayat on 10 January, ElBaradei stated that ‘many’ of some 100 nuclear material trafficking incidents (no time frame was mentioned) had involved Romania, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Those incidents, the IAEA chief said, concerned only the smuggling of materials limited in capacity and power. While admitting that terrorist groups might find it almost impossible to acquire an actual nuclear bomb, ElBaradei speculated that they could obtain nuclear material for tainting conventional explosives to build ‘dirty bombs.’” (ISN, 30Jan08, Anca Paduraru)
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=18583
Agawam [Massachusetts] man charged with toxin threat on courthouse
“An Agawam man who was being held on a federal firearms charge allegedly mailed letters to the prosecutor and a newspaper threatening to attack a federal building in Springfield with a weapon of mass destruction, according to a nine-count indictment unsealed this week. Federal authorities investigated the threats that Michael A. Crooker made while in custody in July 2004 and found a quantity of the toxin ricin, which had been processed for use as a biological weapon, the indictment said. They also found castor beans and rosary peas, the plants from which ricin and the toxin abrin are extracted, respectively.” (The Boston Globe, 30Jan08, Jonathan Saltzman) http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/30/agawam_man_charged_with_toxin_threat_on_courthouse/
Logan [International Airport] looks for new ways to catch terrorists
“After terrorists hijacked two planes out of Logan International Airport and crashed them into New York’s World Trade Center in 2001, well-meaning and entrepreneurial vendors and inventors started coming forward with products and ideas to improve airport and port security. Some of the ideas initially proposed just didn’t work. So, with no vetting process in place, in 2002 the Massachusetts Port Authority formed the Center of Excellence to test and evaluate them. A wealth of potential technological advances was at play, and MassPort could offer an airport, cargo container terminal and its own experience to put ideas to the test. […] Massport […] is planning a pilot program with the Coast Guard to deploy what’s known as a passive Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. Its developer claims the instrument can detect chemical weapons and […] biohazards based on their molecular structure. The Coast Guard would use it to check cargo containers headed into the port of Boston.” (Boston Herald, 30Jan08, Donna
Goodison)
http://news.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1069914&srvc=home&position=also
Work on chemical sensor wins honor
“A sensor developed by a University of Maine professor to detect the presence of dangerous chemical and biological agents has been chosen as one of the National Science Foundation [NSF]’s notable achievements for 2008. John Vetelino, a professor of electrical and computer engineering who joined the UMaine faculty in 1969, is regarded as one of the world’s leading researchers in the field of sensor technology. […] About four years ago, NSF funding allowed him and his research team to focus on development of a sensing element for certain chemical and biological agents that pose a serious health threat in high concentrations.”
(MaineToday.com, 29Jan08, Portland Press Herald) http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/021405.html
Feds in dark on Ottawa's emergency response plans
“The federal government needs to come up with money and some direct agreements with the City of Ottawa to ensure emergency preparedness in its own back yard, the Senate committee on national security and defence was told yesterday. Four of Ottawa's key emergency managers appearing before the committee yesterday said the relationship between the federal government and Ottawa officials is not defined and the ground rules are not set, which could spell trouble in a serious emergency. If there were to be a biological or chemical dirty bomb attack on Ottawa, the federal government might expect that MPs and senators would get preferred first treatment by Ottawa's emergency staff, but there's no such agreement, said John Ash, manager of Ottawa's emergency management office.” (National Post, 29Jan08, Patrick Dare)
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=271929
Peru’s Police ready to face eventual chemical threat during APEC [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum]
“Peru’s National Police (PNP) is ready to face an eventual terrorist threat with chemical and biological weapons during the Leaders Summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum to be held in Peru in November, said today the head of APEC General Command Ricardo Benavides Rodríguez. This morning the Government presented the first brigade to face emergencies of mass destruction weapons, internationally known as NBC (Nuclear, biological and chemical), which operates in Peru.” (Andina,
28Jan08)
http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=8ChQre6yxxQ=
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