CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- December 10, 2008

Cutbacks affecting U.S. health preparedness: report
“Previous progress made in preparing to deal with disease outbreaks, natural disasters and bioterrorism in the United States is being threatened by the economic crisis and budget cuts, a new report contends. The sixth annual ‘Ready or Not?’ report, released Tuesday by Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, also found that major gaps remain in many critical areas of emergency preparedness, including food safety and rapid disease detection, MarketWatch reported. Ten key indicators were used to score states on their health preparedness. […] Twenty-four states and D.C. don't have the capacity to deliver and receive lab specimens, such as suspected bioterror agents or new disease outbreak samples, on a 24/7 basis, the report added.” (U.S. News & World Report; 10Dec08; Source: MarketWatch) http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/12/10/health-highlights-dec-10--2008.html

Chemical waste to be sent to Texas
“Approximately 8,000 gallons of GB (Sarin) neutralized waste will be sent from the Blue Grass Army Depot [Kentucky] to Port Arthur, Texas, in late January or February following a recent federal ruling in favor of the Army. ‘The situation in Kentucky is that there are leaking containers of GB (Sarin) agent contaminated liquid that must be destroyed immediately and there is no capacity to deal with the resultant liquids at this site,’ said Craig Williams, director of the Berea-based Chemical Weapons Working Group. The coalition is focused on safe elimination of the nation’s chemical weapons stockpiles that fought successfully to prevent chemical agent VX hydrolysate from being shipped to Ohio and New Jersey from an Army facility in Indiana. […] [The] disposal plant [in Texas] will include a separate treatment capability to handle the neutralized materials from their stores of GB, VX and Mustard agent when operations begin.” (Richmond Register; 09Dec08) http://www.richmondregister.com/localnews/local_story_344082221.html

Fire dept raises elite force to combat terror attacks [India]
“The terror attack in Mumbai has prompted the state government to make security arrangements for dealing with a similar situation. The state fire department is raising a 180-member strong Search and Rescue Team (SRT), which will be pressed into service in case of a terror attack such as a shooting spree, a bomb blast or unleashing poisonous gas for mass annihilation […], P S Katiresan, Principal Secretary, fire department told The Indian Express. ‘The force will be prepared to deal not just with terror attacks but also situations like a biological warfare or even an ordinary building collapse,’ the official said.” (The Indian Express; 10Dec08; Sabyasachi Bandopadhyay) http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Fire-dept-raises-elite-force-to-combat-terror-attacks/396537/

[International Herald Tribune columnist] Roger Cohen: A U.S.-Iranian conversation [about chemical weapons]
“The United States and Iran are talking to each other about the elimination of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. […] The discussions […] are proceeding within the framework of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. […] Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini, an Iranian deputy foreign minister, […] said: ‘As the last victim of chemical weapons, the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly believes that promoting international peace and security is subject to the realization of a world free from the threat and existence of weapons of mass destruction.’ […] The Middle East has been the one area where the OPCW has had limited success precisely because of mistrust over weapons of mass destruction. Israel, Egypt and Syria have not joined the treaty.”
(International Herald Tribune; 10Dec08; Roger Cohen) http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/10/opinion/edcohen.php

OPCW [Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons] Director-General Visits the Geneva Centre for Security Policy
“On 9 December 2008 the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, visited the Geneva Centre for Security Policy to address participants in the International Training Course in Security Policy on ‘The Chemical Weapons Convention: A Case of Effective Multilateralism.’ […] In his address, the Director-General outlined the role of the States Parties, which is based on equal rights and obligations. He noted that possessor States are destroying their declared stockpiles of chemical weapons according to the stipulated deadlines of the Convention, and underscored that States Parties are required to ensure that with their jurisdiction chemistry is only used for peaceful purposes. Director-General Pfirter also provided details on the commitment of States Parties to provide assistance in the event any other State Party is threatened or attacked with chemical weapons.” (OPCW website; 09Dec08) http://www.opcw.org/news/news/article/opcw-director-general-visits-the-geneva-centre-for-security-policy/

National Guard [FL] takes part in terrorism drill
“Members of the National Guard spent the Tuesday doing a major drill to prepare for a possible terrorist attack. The drill was part of a two-day conference on national preparedness put on by Florida Tech. Members of the guard said the recent terror attacks in Mumbai, India show they need to be ready for any possible attack in America.
The attack simulated the explosion of a dirty bomb.” (Central Florida News; 10Dec08) http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2008/12/9/national_guard_takes_part_in_terrorism_drill.html

Obama to face nuclear weapons decision
“The Bush administration wants to build the first U.S. nuclear warheads since the Cold War, but Congress demanded the decision wait until an assessment of U.S. nuclear weapons is completed in 2009, USA Today reported Tuesday. The outcome will determine whether eight nuclear research and manufacturing facilities nationwide focus on maintaining existing warheads or gear up for new production, the newspaper said. ‘This is not just a decision about the future of U.S. nuclear weapons, but about how the United States will address the challenges of ... nuclear terrorism, nuclear proliferation and our entire 21st-century nuclear strategy,’ said Clark Murdock, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The challenges of nuclear warhead production have percolated for some time, Murdoch said, ‘and the Obama administration is going to have to deal with them.’” (United Press International; 09Dec08) http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/12/09/UPI_NewsTrack_TopNews/UPI-58301228842223/

[Sarah] Palin, other U.S. governors [were] sent suspicious powder: FBI
“Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate, and seven other U.S. governors have received letters with a suspicious white powder, according to the FBI. Since Monday, ‘at least eight letters containing a suspicious white powder have been received by the offices of governors around the country,’ Robert Casey, special agent in charge for the FBI in Dallas, […]. ‘The white powder substance has been field screened and the tests have met with negative results. The white powder substance has been forwarded to local laboratories for further testing,’ the statement said. The letters, all postmarked from Dallas, Texas, were sent to governors' offices in Rhode Island, Michigan, Mississippi, Alabama, Minnesota, Montana, Missouri as well as Alaska, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.” (Agence France-Presse; 10Dec08) http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gH6bcWz0kF42BScx1TmeGCt_kzIQ

Police: powder sent to Hagerstown [MD] law office of former judge brought back memories of bombing
“An envelope containing white powder was delivered to the downtown Hagerstown law office of attorney John Corderman, a former judge who was injured in a bombing incident nearly 20 years ago, Lt. Mike King said Wednesday. King said the powder was tested and came up negative for anthrax and was found to be harmless. […] King said Police believe the powder was sent to Corderman by an inmate at North Branch Correctional Institution near Cumberland, Md.” (The Herald Mail; 10Dec08; Dan Dearth) http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=211959&format=html

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

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- November 14, 2008

Drive-by flu shots [Las Vegas, Nevada]
“With a record 140 million flu vaccinations expected to be administered this year in the U.S., hospitals and health clinics from Norwood, Mass., to Randolph County, Ala., have started offering drive-by shootings, using concern about the regular old flu to help prep for outbreaks of potentially far graver diseases like avian flu and anthrax. The curbside care is simple: you pull up, read about the risks and sign a consent form, then bare your bicep and get a shot--all without leaving the driver's seat. In October in Lynchburg, Va., the Central Virginia Health District's first drive-by clinic served 300 patients in 3 1/2 hours. That's less than 45 seconds per vaccination (and no time cooped up in a room with possible germ spreaders). But critics say that the process is dangerous and that the last place you want to be if something goes wrong is speeding down the highway. […] Still, Dr. Kerry Gateley, Central Virginia's health director, says doctors' offices dole out the shots almost as quickly. The biggest risk, he adds, may be that some drivers get woozy after the shot.” (Time; 13Nov08; Laura Fitzpatrick) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1858892,00.html

Disease laboratory prepares for germs [Columbia, Missouri]
“Scientists at the University of Missouri won’t have to wait much longer to study infectious diseases such as anthrax, rabbit fever, West Nile virus and Q fever. Campus officials will dedicate MU’s Regional Biocontainment Laboratory on Saturday, though the official opening won’t be for another couple of months, said George Stewart, chairman of MU’s Department of Veterinary Pathology. […] MU received $13.4 million for the lab, MU spokesman Christian Basi said, and contributed about $4.6 million to complete construction, said Deborah Anderson, associate director of the Regional Biocontainment Lab. Laboratories designated Level 3 - a reference to its security status - house ‘significant’ airborne infectious pathogens for which there are vaccines or treatments, Stewart said.” (Columbia Tribune; 13Nov08; Jenna Youngs) http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Nov/20081113News006.asp

Joint exercise responds to 'anthrax' discovery [North Platte, Nebraska]
“At approximately 2:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, members of the North Platte Fire Department Hazardous Materials team and the 72nd Civil Support National Guard unit out of Lincoln responded to an anthrax discovery at a local college dorm. Or, at least, that was the training scenario. […] The scenario entailed a missing persons report and the possible presence of an unknown chemical inside the fire station, which was set up as a mock university dormitory. Firefighters discovered suspicious materials and made a methodical search of the area along side members of the 72nd. After donning complete hazmat gear, the teams began monitoring the air for suspicious chemicals as they slowly searched the area […].” (North Platte Telegraph; 13Nov08; Mark Young) http://www.nptelegraph.com/articles/2008/11/13/news/50001069.txt

More than just flu shots at clinic [Rapid City, South Dakota]
“The city's mass vaccination clinic also provided volunteers and health professionals with training for the day that thousands could need medical aid in a future disaster. Fighting a public health menace, today and tomorrow, was the two-pronged purpose of the second annual clinic. It is part of South Dakota's Child Influenza Immunization Initiative. […] If the community ever needed mass inoculations or medications because of an epidemic, pandemic, natural disaster, chemical warfare or bioterrorism, the emergency point-of-dispensing system used at the mass clinic could be expanded to vaccinate 100,000 people over a 48-hour period, Kirchgesler said. ‘We've planned for 5,000 to 6,000 students. If we were to exceed that, we do have access to an additional 2,000 units of vaccine,’ [Rapid City Department of Fire & Emergency Services Capt. Mark Kirchgesler] said. […] Sioux Falls has had such two clinics, and other communities are planning theirs, he [Kirchgesler] said. ‘There's a plan throughout the state.’” (Rapid City Journal; 13Nov08; Jomay Steen) http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/11/13/news/local/doc491bc3354c273346533058.txt

Army: EPA's polluted site designation for Ft. Detrick [Maryland] area unnecessary
“The Army says it is unnecessary for the federal Environmental Protection Agency to add to a list of the nation's most polluted places an old Fort Detrick dump site that has tainted private wells and yielded live pathogens from biodefense labs. […] Fort Detrick is home to the military's biological warfare defense program. Workers there dumped industrial chemicals and biological wastes in unlined trenches at Area B from the 1940s through the 1960s, before such practices were outlawed. […] In 2004, the Army finished removing about 3,500 tons of contaminated soil, drums, laboratory vials and cylinders from four trenches at Area B, but lacked funding to clean up the ground water. Since then, contamination levels in the ground water have fallen sharply, installation spokesman Chuck Gordon said in April. During that operation, workers found small vials of live pathogens including E. coli and the microbes that cause pneumonia, tuberculosis and the livestock disease brucellosis. They also found a non-pathogenic form of anthrax.” (Baltimore Sun; 12Nov08; Source: AP) http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-army1112,0,619484.story

Leak detected at depot [Blue Grass Army Depot, Kentucky]
“A leak was detected Thursday in a M55 rocket holding the nerve agent GB at the Blue Grass Army Depot, officials said. The leak comes a day after crews began neutralizing 157 gallons of GB, also known as sarin, in a plan called Operation Swift Solution. Thursday's leak was unrelated to the neutralizing plan, which will destroy sarin that is stored in three steel ton containers at the depot. […] The low-level sarin vapor that was detected was confined to the tube and didn't seep into the igloo in which the rockets are kept, said Richard Sloan, spokesman for Blue Grass Chemical Activity, the agency that oversees chemical weapons at the depot. The rocket will be overpacked in a leak-proof container and stored in another igloo containing similar GB munitions in the next few days, Sloan said.” (Lexington Herald-Leader; 13Nov08; Ashlee Clark) http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/591243.html

The things he [the author] carried [through airport security]
“Because the TSA’s security regimen seems to be mainly thing-based—most of its 44,500 airport officers are assigned to truffle through carry-on bags for things like guns, bombs, three-ounce tubes of anthrax, Crest toothpaste, nail clippers, Snapple, and so on—I focused my efforts on bringing bad things through security in many different airports, primarily my home airport, Washington’s Reagan National, the one situated approximately 17 feet from the Pentagon, but also in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago, and at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport […] During one secondary inspection […] I was wearing under my shirt […] a ‘Beerbelly,’ a neoprene sling that holds a polyurethane bladder and drinking tube. […] [which] contained two cans’ worth of Bud Light at the time of the inspection. It went undetected.” (Atlantic; Nov08; Jeffrey Goldberg) http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/airport-security

Strike anywhere at al-Qaida
“On Monday, the New York Times revealed that in the spring of 2004, Donald Rumsfeld, then the US secretary of defence, signed a secret order providing the US military with a mandate and fast-track approvals mechanism to launch raids against al-Qaida terrorists in countries outside the ‘conflict zones’ of Iraq and Afghanistan. […] The number of special forces operations launched by the US military against al-Qaida targets under the new authority appears not to have been that high: the number of such raids not previously publicly disclosed was less than a dozen. […] [I] n a speech in the British Parliament on October 31, Michael Chertoff, the US homeland security secretary, argued: ‘[…] There are areas of the world that are ungoverned or ungovernable but nevertheless technically within the sovereignty of boundaries. Does that mean we simply have to allow terrorists to operate there, in kind of badlands, where they can plan, they can set up laboratories, they can experiment with chemical weapons and with biological weapons?’ […] The Obama administration is likely to reiterate these arguments in order to keep every option on the table in the hunt for Bin Laden.” (Guardian; 12Nov08; Paul Cruickshank) http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/nov/12/barack-obama-al-qaida

Joy to the world: holiday cards for 'any soldier'
“This holiday season, Americans can send soldiers and wounded troops greeting cards — even if they don’t know their names. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the anthrax attacks, the Pentagon required that mail addressed to ‘any soldier’ be returned to the sender, leaving Americans without a way to send mail to soldiers whose names they didn’t know. […] But for a second year, an American Red Cross program is allowing the public to send holiday greeting cards that aren’t addressed to a particular soldier. The cards will be screened, sorted and distributed to military hospitals and bases nationally and overseas in time for the holidays. […] To speed delivery, mailers should not send care packages, money or any inserts, including glitter. […] In a voluntary effort, the mail service provider Pitney Bowes Inc. will screen the cards for hazardous material, and the Red Cross will sort through the cards to ensure the contents are appropriate.” (Associated Press; 12Nov08; Christine Simmons) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gaaFaQDRe6yR7RES41omQtzXtCAwD94D977O0

EDA [European Defence Agency] hosts a chemical, biological and radiological agents exercise [Namur, Belgium]
“The European Defence Agency hosts an exercise on how to deal better with the effects of Chemical, Biological and Radiological or Nuclear (CBRN) agents, in Jambes, Namur, from 11 to 13 November, bringing together about 100 experts from its participating Member States. […] Having worked for two years to develop procedures and practices, they are now being put into practice at a high level headquarters based exercise. military experts from across the European Union are gathered to refine these procedures and to exchange ideas on the best way to address an attack of this nature. Although primarily focused on deployed operations, the exercise takes the opportunity to share ideas on homeland defence from different European institutions and other agencies. Representatives from NATO are also sharing their experiences and ensuring that their work goes hand in hand with that the European Defence Agency.” (European Defence Agency News; 12Nov08)
http://www.eda.europa.eu/newsitem.aspx?id=428

Five passports are lost in the post every day by Home Office raising fears they're falling into criminal hands
“Figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats reveal that between 2001 and 2007, government officials lost 12,200 passports in the post. Since February 2004, when the Identity and Passport Service - a Home Office agency - ditched Royal Mail and awarded a multi-million-pound contract to a courier service to deliver the documents, 3,000 have gone missing. […] Blank passports are particularly desirable to fraudsters as they can be used to create an entirely new identity, and used to open bank accounts, obtain thousands of pounds in credit and access public services. But security experts have also warned that if the documents fell into the hands of terrorists and other criminals, they would yield a host of technological secrets and allow fraudsters to produce their own versions. […] Dhiren Barot, an al-Qaeda chief convicted of plotting to kill thousands of Londoners with a radioactive 'dirty bomb', was issued with nine British passports - two using false identities and seven in his own name before his arrest in August 2004.” (Daily Mail; 12Nov08; Ian Drury) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1085160/FIVE-passports-lost-post-day-Home-Office-raising-fears-theyre-falling-criminal-hands.html

3 Pa. [Pennsylvania] courthouses receive anthrax scare letters
“Identical letters sent to three Pennsylvania county courthouses this week mentioned anthrax but did not contain the poisonous substance. The letters were received in Jefferson and Pike counties on Tuesday and Schuylkill County on Wednesday, said Reggie Wade, spokesman for U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Philadelphia. […] Wade said there have been about 19,000 incidents in which unknown substances, threats or anthrax references have been sent through the mail since fatal anthrax mailings targeted media organizations and Congress in October 2001. All have been false alarms or hoaxes.” (Fulton County News; 13Nov08; Source: AP) http://www.fultoncountynews.com/news/2008/1113/church_news/111.html

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

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- November 10, 2008

Flu shots on the menu at Sandwich [MA] drive-through clinic
“Add a flu shot to the conveniences you can get at a drive-through. […] Officials hope to get patients in and out within 20 minutes without ever leaving their cars, Sandwich Health Director David Mason said. […] Patients getting a shot will park in a holding area for 15 minutes before they're allowed to drive away. The holding period is a requirement whenever flu shots are administered, Mason said. […] Initially, cities and towns were required to come up with dispensing plans to deal with a potential bioterrorism attack like anthrax, according to Mary Clark, director of the Emergency Preparedness Bureau for the state Department of Public Health. But the plans will also be useful in the event of a pandemic flu, Clark said.” (Cape Cod Times; 10Nov08; George Brennan)
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081110/NEWS/811100305

Risk versus reward [biolab in Galveston, TX]
Hurricane Ike was a vivid reminder of Galveston's vulnerability as a home for the world's deadliest substances, but officials say [the] new center is secure […] Environmentalists and some Galveston community leaders have raised concerns about the $176 million, seven-story lab where researchers will study the world's deadliest viruses and bacteria, such as anthrax, Ebola and the plague. Yet, […] the building, with an exterior of precast concrete and hurricane-resistant windows, stands on 800 pylons that have been driven 120 feet into the ground to ensure stability. Two massive generators are housed 30 feet above sea level. The new lab, which should become fully operational by the middle of next year, was built next to a smaller biolab that opened on campus in 2004. Hurricane Ike left both labs unscathed.” (Houston Chronicle; 08Nov08; Eric Berger) http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/health/6101518.html

For sale: Pfizer's Terre Haute [IN] factory
“Nine months after halting production of its inhaled insulin and idling more than 600 workers at a plant near Terre Haute, drugmaker Pfizer Inc. is putting the massive factory up for sale. […] The company has owned the plant for 60 years. Pfizer bought the facility from the U.S. government in 1948, which had built it to make materials for biological warfare, a project that was never completed. […] More than half of the property's buildings have been newly built to pharmaceutical standards.” (IndyStar; 10Nov08; John Russell) http://www.indystar.com/article/20081110/BUSINESS/81110032/1003

Arsenal: final disposal nears [AK]
“The fourth and final disposal campaign of stockpiled chemical weapons at the Pine Bluff Arsenal [AK] may begin as early as December. The destruction on an undisclosed number of one-ton containers of mustard agent […] will follow the June completion of a campaign by which more than 9,000 VX (nerve agent) landmines were destroyed. Previous campaigns included the disposal of nearly 20,000 VX rockets and more than 90,000 GB (nerve agent) rockets.” (Pine Bluff Commercial; 09Nov08; Wes Clement) http://www.pbcommercial.com/articles/2008/11/09/news/news2.txt

Army to begin destroying container that leaked GB [sarin]
“Army officials this week will begin an operation to destroy a corroded container responsible for a large nerve agent leak at a chemical weapons storage site in Kentucky. Operation Swift Solution is scheduled to start Wednesday at Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond. The container that leaked in August 2007 as well as two others that hold the deadly agent GB will be neutralized using a mobile unit from Maryland. […] Operation Swift Solution is a precursor to destruction of the larger stockpile of Cold War-era weapons stored at the depot. A current schedule has those weapons set to be destroyed by 2017.” (Kentucky.com; 10Nov08; Source: Associated Press) http://www.kentucky.com/471/story/587263.html

UAE ratifies international agreement on peaceful resolution of conflict
“The UAE today become a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) following its ratification of the1907 international convention for the peaceful resolution of conflict. The UAE's ratified document to that effect was presented here by Ali Thani Al-Suwaidi, UAE Ambassador to the Netherlands and UAE's Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), to the head of the international convention department at the Foreign Ministry of the Netherlands here in Lahai. The UAE's membership brings to 109 the members of the PCA.” (Emirates News Agency; 06Nov08)
http://wam.org.ae/servlet/Satellite?c=WamLocEnews&cid=1225447286945&p=1135099400124&pagename=WAM%2FWamLocEnews%2FW-T-LEN-FullNews

States complete radiation detection drill
“Authorities in nine states and the District of Columbia this week completed an extended exercise aimed at testing their combined ability to deal with a possible nuclear or radiological threat to the southeastern United States, the U.S. Homeland Security Department said. The Oct. 23 to Nov. 5 exercise, Southern Exposure, ‘marked the culmination’ of the Southeast Transportation Corridor Pilot program, which was intended to boost regional nuclear detection and response capabilities through training, improved communications technology and emergency protocols. Local, state and federal officials in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, the Carolinas and the nation’s capital ‘participated in a coordinated threat stream that targeted military bases, activities and infrastructure, and some entities conducted multiple exercises during this period to evaluate the full suite of detection capabilities currently in place,’ according to a Homeland Security press release.” (Global Security Newswire; 07Nov08) http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20081107_5287.php

Tokyo conducts nation's first 'dirty bomb' drill
“The Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Friday conducted Japan's first drill against a ‘dirty bomb.’ The drill, conducted jointly with the Metropolitan Police Department, the Ground Self-Defense Force and the Tokyo Fire Department, drew about 1,000 people to the international exhibition center at Tokyo Big Sight in Koto Ward. The drill was based on the assumption that radioactive materials were smuggled into Japan and detonated at an event hall. After the imaginary explosion, members of the GSDF and the fire department were deployed to the scene wearing protective suits to rescue the ‘victims.’” (Japan Times; 08Nov08; Source: Kyodo News) http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20081108a9.html

Envelope with white powder forces evacuation of 3 floors of Burbank [CA] office building
“Three floors of a commercial office building in Burbank were evacuated Friday after an envelope containing an unidentified white powder was opened. The powder turned out to be harmless. […] A hazardous materials [team] sent to the scene determined the substance was not hazardous, after it was examined and tested negative for anthrax, police said.” (Daily News Wire Service; 07Nov08)
http://www.dailynews.com/antelopevalley/ci_10928969

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

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- November 5, 2008

U.S. snaps up [Bacillus Anthracis] scanner
“Clients included hazardous materials teams in major American cities and US defence agencies, [Andrew Rudge] said. Existing technologies and products took between 30 minutes and three days to do the same job and destroyed the sample so it could not be tested further. […] ‘It's simple to use analysis begins with the press of a single button and it returns a spores detected or no spores detected result within minutes. That saves both time and money in terms of disruptions and evacuations, because security staff get immediate feedback on whether they are dealing with a hoax or the real thing.’ [according to Veritide chief executive officer Andrew Rudge] […] There were plans to extend the Scout's detection capability to include other dangerous biological threats such as ricin.” (The Press, New Zealand; 05Nov08; Rebecca Todd) http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4749967a6530.html

Media makes infectious diseases seem much worse
“Popular media coverage of infectious diseases makes them seem worse than they are, according to a new Canadian study. Diseases that surface frequently in the print media -like bird flu - are considered more serious than similar diseases that do not receive the same kind of coverage, such as yellow fever, according to the research. ‘The media tend to focus on rare and dramatic events,’ said Meredith Young, co-author and graduate in the department of psychology, neuroscience & behaviour, McMaster University. […] ‘Another interesting aspect of the study is when we presented factual information about the diseases along with the names of them, the media effect wasn't nearly as strong,’ said Karin Humphries a co-author [of the study].” (Microsoft News; 04Nov08; Source: Indo-Asian News Service) http://lifestyle.in.msn.com/health/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1692100

Flu clinic becomes emergency drill [Frederick County, Maryland]
“Monday's flu clinic took the form of an emergency preparedness drill, and more than 360 health department employees and a handful of other county agencies participated to help ensure the county is ready for a medical emergency. Jurisdictions are required to hold preparedness drills every year to retain their funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said Barbara Rosvold, the health department's public health preparedness and response director. For most people, a flu pandemic is the first type of medical emergency that comes to mind, but the department would activate the same response system during situations such as a smallpox outbreak or anthrax exposure. […] The drill also put to the test the department's emergency communication systems, including landlines, cell phones, TalkAbouts and 800-megahertz radios. Amateur radios were used this year for the first time; the radios proved to be the most reliable form of communication in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Rosvold said.” (Frederick News-Post; 04Nov08; Ashley Andyshak)
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1510393

Select agent, man [discusses removal of citrus greening bacteria from select agent list]
“Just in time for the $20 million citrus greening research push from the Florida Department of Citrus and the Florida Citrus Production Research Advisory Council, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has agreed to take the citrus greening bacteria off the federal Bioterrorism Select Agent list. […] The greening bacteria was put on the list before it became endemic in Florida precisely to prevent its introduction into the U.S.
Once it became endemic, that served no further purpose […] Effective Nov.17, all three strains of the greening bacteria will not be on the select agent list. […] Now scientists conducting greening research can expand their efforts free of the strict constraints of the Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002.” (Ledger; 03Nov08; Kevin Bouffard)
http://citruspulpwash.theledger.com/default.asp?item=2280985

Scientists slam FBI anthrax probe [of Bruce Ivins] “
It was an open-and-shut case, the FBI said. But three months after agents pinned the post-9/11 anthrax mailings on Army scientist Bruce Ivins - who committed suicide as the FBI closed in on him - his former colleagues have approached a lawyer to sue the feds for fingering the wrong man, The Post has learned. […] The move by the Army scientists comes on the heels of a Senate Judiciary Committee demand for an independent review of the case following a hearing with FBI Director Robert Mueller in which committee members called the bureau's case an ‘open matter.’ The bureau has named a panel of independent scientists to review the evidence against Ivins - a probe that will take six to 18 months. Sen. Patrick Leahy, a target of the 2001 anthrax attacks, said at the Judiciary Committee hearings that he doubted Ivins, who worked at Fort Detrick, Md., could have acted alone and that he believes ‘there are others who could be charged with murder.’”
(Military.com; 03Nov08; Source: New York Post) http://www.military.com/news/article/scientists-slam-fbi-anthrax-probe.html?col=1186032310810

Man [Fernando Gomez] dies from anthrax exposure [Hackney, London]
“The Health Protection Agency has announced the death of a patient who inhaled anthrax. The Agency is now carrying out an investigation to identify where the anthrax originated from. A team wearing protective clothing will carry out tests at the deceased man’s workshop in Hackney, London. […] The HPA has also been following up any contacts of the patient who may have been explosed [sic] to the anthrax spores by being in the same room as the patient, when animal skins were being prepared to be made into drums (believed to be the source of the contamination).” (OnMedica News; 04Nov08)
http://www.onmedica.com/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=8472a1ab-d054-43ae-9313-2885177a3268

How dangerous is drum making? [relating to anthrax exposure]
“A second drum maker in two years has died after apparently inhaling anthrax spores from animal skins. What are the risks of this seemingly safe job? Fernando Gomez had been in intensive care for more than a week after handling animal skins at his drum-making workshop in London. But his condition deteriorated over the weekend and the 35-year-old died from inhalation anthrax on Sunday night. Two years earlier, Christopher Norris, a craftsman from Scotland, died after inhaling anthrax. But are these cases a coincidence or a cause for alarm? In the UK, the death of Mr. Gomez is the second case in more than 30 years. Across the world, there are four other known cases since 1974 of drum makers dying from anthrax.” (BBC; 03Nov08)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7706239.stm

Expert: Egypt modernizing Army, but committed to peace
“Egypt's military is gradually doing away with dated Soviet equipment and replacing them with superior American F-16 fighter jets, Apache combat helicopters and Abrams tanks, according to arms control expert Prof. Yiftah Shapir of Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Securities Studies. […] As for unconventional weapons, Egypt may have researched and produced chemical warfare agents and stockpiled mustard and nerve agents, although this has not been confirmed. It is thought to possess 190 scud-type missiles. […] Shapir said he was not overly concerned by reports of Egyptian military drills in which Israel was the simulated enemy. ‘There is no military force other than Israel on their borders, so the drills are simulated with Israel in mind. Every Army undergoes drills and builds up plans. The Egyptian Army is looking at Israel's capabilities, not its intentions. Egypt believes Israel is fully interested in safeguarding the status quo, and Israel believes the same of Egypt. But the Egyptian military cannot ignore its next door neighbor's military and act as if it is neutral,’ Shapir said. He added that Israel, too, trained for scenarios involving the Egyptian military. ‘We can't expect things to be any different,’ he said. ‘We are not in the European Union. Before the current era, and before the world wars, European powers held drills with their neighbors in mind.’” (Jerusalem Post; 02Nov08; Yaakov Lappin) http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1225199631823&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

OPCW Director-General addresses the Sixty-Third Session of the United Nations General Assembly
“On 3 November 2008, the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter addressed the 63rd Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, on the theme ‘Cooperation between the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).’ […] he gave an overview of the progress made in the destruction of declared chemical weapons. He noted that the OPCW had verified the destruction of more than 41% of the total stockpiles declared by six States Parties and that two of the six declared possessors — Albania and A State Party — had completely fulfilled their destruction obligations under the Convention. […] Director-General Pfirter also referred to the importance of developing the industry verification regime in a manner that is responsive to the need of ensuring the long term validity of the Convention’s non-proliferation objectives. […] Director-General Pfirter further drew attention to the Organisation’s international cooperation and assistance programmes, including periodic field exercises for the delivery of assistance in case of use of chemical weapons that the OPCW carries out in collaboration with the UN and other international organisations. He informed the UN General Assembly that the next such exercise is scheduled to be held in Tunisia in 2010.” (OPCW News; 04Nov08) http://www.opcw.org/news/news/article/opcw-director-general-addresses-the-sixty-third-session-of-the-united-nations-general-assembly/

Attorneys file suit to stop burning at Umatilla Chemical Depot
“Attorneys for the Government Accountability Project have filed a lawsuit to stop a plan by Oregon agencies to incinerate the Umatilla Chemical Depot's cache of World War Two mustard agent. The suit was filed in the Multonomah County, Ore., state circuit court by the watchdog group's attorneys on behalf of Hermiston-based GASP, the Oregon Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club and six Umatilla County and Morrow County residents. […] The Government Accountability Project, or GAP, is concerned that some of the mustard agent is contaminated with mercury and other hazardous wastes. It believes the mercury would not be fully captured by the filter systems currently in place or planned for the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility. Department of Environmental Quality […] has given approval for using enhanced carbon filters for incineration of mustard gas after the department studied options. […] More than 60 percent of the chemical agent stockpile at the depot is mustard agent, according to GAP. However, the Army has identified containers contaminated with mercury and they comprise 16 percent of the total.” (Tri-City Herald; 04Nov08; Annette Cary)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1406/story/372918.html

A learning experience at mock disaster [Blue Grass Army Depot, Kentucky]
“Twenty-seven observers from across the country came to observe Madison County’s emergency response personnel in a mock disaster scenario. […] A ton bulk agent container filled with GB nerve agent byproducts was being transported to the depot’s demilitarization building (which, in reality, is in the process of being constructed) where it was to be destroyed. During the transport, the container was spilled and nerve agent was released. […] While workers were cleaning the spill and filtering the nerve agent vapors from the igloo, another storage igloo at the depot was struck by lightening, causing a small fire inside the igloo. […] All workers and volunteers performed very well in each scenario to make sure the community remained safe, [Carl] Richards [county EMA director] said. […] Various schools throughout Richmond and Berea participated by practicing the ‘shelter-in-place’ drill where students and faculty are to go to the closest place that can be sealed off from outside air and has few or no windows.” (Richmond Register; 30Oct08; Ronica Shannon) http://www.richmondregister.com/homepage/local_story_304082725.html?keyword=leadpicturestory

PharmAthene initiates Phase I study of nerve agent bioscavenger
“The randomized, placebo-controlled, third-party double-blind, dose escalating Phase I clinical trial will study Protexia administered intramuscularly at one and two time points in healthy human volunteers. Approximately 32 subjects will participate in the study, comprised of healthy male and female volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 years who are willing to give informed consent and are in general good health. […] The primary endpoint of the study is an evaluation of the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity of escalating single doses of Protexia given intramuscularly in healthy human volunteers. […] Protexia, which is produced in the milk of transgenic goats, is a recombinant version of human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), which has been shown to be effective in animal models in preventing toxicity from exposure to chemical nerve agents.” (Pharmaceutical Business Review;
30Oct08)
http://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/article_news.asp?guid=33DAABC4-56C7-4A68-BA5F-DBE60B23D339

Detecting illicit nuclear materials takes layered approach
“The nuclear threat is something we really have to pay attention to, said Mike Johnson, mission area manager for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Of all the types of terrorist attacks that could involve nuclear material, the most likely is a ‘dirty bomb' that is composed of a source of radiation surrounded by a conventional explosive such as TNT. Furthermore, Johnson said, the approach to preventing such an attack has to be layered. […] Part of DNDO's mission is to test, recommend and buy detection equipment for government agencies such as Customs and Border Patrol as well as the Coast Guard. The agency is pretty satisfied with the current state of cargo security at points of entry along the nation's borders, Johnson told an audience of Homeland Security practitioners and technology providers at the 10th annual Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness in Chicago last week. The DNDO's next focus will be to improve cargo screening of small private planes and yachts coming into the United States through non-points of entry.” (Government Technology; 04Nov08; Corey McKenna) http://www.govtech.com/gt/427950?topic=117680

CIA officers could face torture trial in Britain
“British officials are considering bringing criminal charges against senior CIA officers for the abduction and torture of a British resident now incarcerated at Guantanamo. […] In April 2002, Binyam Mohamed was arrested in Karachi, Pakistan after attempting to board a flight to London with a fake British passport. American authorities informed British counterparts Mohamed was plotting to build and detonate a ‘dirty bomb.’ […] Lawyers representing Mr. Mohamed have sued, on Mohamed's behalf, British intelligence forces for their part in his detention and purported torture. British judges overseeing the case and having received secret evidence, have become increasingly critical of U.S. conduct and are now considering charging American forces for their culpability in Mr. Mohamed's abuse.” (Examiner; 03Nov08; Jay McDonough) http://www.examiner.com/x-243-Progressive-Politics-Examiner~y2008m11d3-torture

Cases against detainees have thinned
“The six Algerians were scooped up in Bosnia and shuttled to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in early 2002. Days later, President Bush proclaimed in his State of the Union address that the men had been plotting to blow up the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo. The case would seem to be an easy victory for the Bush administration, which is preparing to defend the men's lengthy detentions in landmark federal court proceedings scheduled to begin this week. But the government is backpedaling. The charges of plotting to blow up the embassy have been dropped. […] The government recently also has withdrawn allegations that another detainee is linked to a high-profile ‘dirty bomb’ plot. Together, the legal moves raise questions about the government's claims over the years that it has disrupted imminent terrorism threats.” (Washington Post; 02Nov08; Del Quentin Wilber) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/01/AR2008110102018.html?hpid=topnews

The horror of U.S. depleted uranium in Iraq threatens the world
“Doctors in Iraq have estimated that birth defects have increased by 2-6 times, and 3-12 times as many children have developed cancer and leukemia since 1991. Moreover, a report published in The Lancet in 1998 said that as many as 500 children a day are dying from these sequels to war and sanctions and that the death rate for Iraqi children under 5 years of age increased from 23 per 1000 in 1989 to 166 per thousand in 1993. […] On hearing that [depleted uranium] DU had been used in the Persian Gulf in 1991, the UK Atomic Energy Authority sent the Ministry of Defense a special report on the potential damage to health and the environment. It said that it could cause half a million additional cancer deaths in Iraq over 10 years. […] Britain and America not only used DU in this year’s Iraq war, they dramatically increased its use — from a minimum of 320 tons in the previous war (1991) to a minimum-of 1500 tons in this one (2003).”
(Tehran Times; 01Nov08)
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=181303

Mercy [hospital in Roseburg, Oregon] uses grant dollars to prepare for disasters
“For the simulation exercise, Ray was a bus driver who was injured when a bomb exploded on the bus he was driving. The 48-year-old was the only patient the Umpqua Community College students had to treat, but he was involved in a mass-casualty incident, and the students had to respond accordingly. The exercise Thursday morning gave the students and Mercy Medical Center staff a chance to show state and federal Department of Human Services officials how several years of grant dollars have been used. […] The hospital has used grant funding to purchase decontamination shelters, portable ventilators, isolation gowns and chemical resistant suits, among other gear, that could be used by staff responding to various chemical exposures, from anthrax to pesticide, Bones said. The money has also purchased satellite phones and other communication equipment that would likely be needed for security and incident command in a natural disaster, she said. […] The training not only prepares the staff for local emergencies, but also provides preparation for regional and statewide emergencies, DePew said.” (News-Review; 03Nov08; Marissa Harshman) http://www.nrtoday.com/article/20081103/NEWS/810319920/1063/NEWS&ParentProfile=1055&title=Mercy%20uses%20grant%20dollars%20to%20prepare%20for%20disasters

Canada Preparing for WMD Strikes at 2010 Olympics
“The threat of WMD attacks has long been a focus of the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit, a group overseen by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The team would not reveal any of its specific preparations for such incidents, threats that it said have taken high priority since Vancouver was awarded the 2010 Olympics four years ago. […] More than 100 Canadian emergency responders and military personnel this week were briefed on potential attacks at the Olympics that could involve deadly materials such as ricin, mustard blister agent, sarin nerve agent or radiological and nuclear substances. They were also provided information on ‘multithreat detection systems’ capable of scanning for WMD ingredients across large areas.” (NTI: Global Security Newswire; 30Oct08) http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20081030_6762.php

FBI investigating envelopes of white powder in Ocala [Florida]
“The FBI is investigating the mailing of several envelopes containing white powder in Marion County. […] On Monday, local fire rescue teams responded to schools, churches, libraries, a day care center, funeral home and the county elections office. All had received suspicious envelopes. Similar mailings are expected to be delivered on Tuesday. Marion County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Heather Danenhower says it appears the envelopes were sent by the same mailer, using what’s believed to be a fake Ocala return address and the name Osama bin Laden, which was misspelled.” (Ledger; 04Nov08; Source: AP)
http://www.theledger.com/article/20081104/NEWS/811040248/-1/WIRE04?Title=FBI_Investigating_Envelopes_of_White_Powder_in_Ocala

[Indy] Star locked down after letter labeled 'anthrax' arrives [Indianapolis, Indiana]
“Several hundred employees at The Indianapolis Star were locked down for more than two hours late Monday afternoon while Police and health officials investigated a mysterious envelope that arrived at the newspaper's Downtown office. The mailing, which had a return address under the name MK Publishing in Sacramento, Calif., was similar to anthrax hoax mailings that have been sent to newspapers across the country. […] Monday, representatives from the Marion County Health Department and Indianapolis Fire Department tested samples of the substance for radioactivity and toxic industrial chemicals, both of which were negative, said Jeff Larmore, manager of hazardous materials with the Health Department. The building lockdown ended about 7:15 p.m. Larmore said that because the threat was similar to others that have taken place and the substance was not released, the risk of exposure was minimal.” (Indy Star; 04Nov08; Francesca Jarosz) http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081104/NEWS02/811040380

[Florida] State senator [Evelyn Lynn, Rep., Dist. 7] victim of white powder hoax
“Sen. Evelyn Lynn [FL] is the latest victim in the white powder hoax, officials here said earlier today. Lynn received an envelope at her post office box address in Ormond Beach on Monday, but had not actually looked at it until this morning when she arrived at her Daytona Beach office, Police and fire officials said. Police investigator Jimmie Flynt said Lynn never opened the envelope, but realized something was amiss when she held it up to the light. […] Godawa said the powdery substance inside the envelope sent to Lynn was ‘non-threatening.’ Recently, white powder-filled envelopes were sent to Rep. Tom Feeney's offices in Port Orange, Orlando and Titusville. The FBI is also investigating the mailing of several envelopes containing white powder in Marion County.” (News-Journal Online; 04Nov08; Lyda Longa) http://www.news-journalonline.com/newsjournalonline/breakingnews/powder110408.htm

Patrick Swayze unhurt in Berwyn [Illinois] Police hazmat scare
“The arrival of a parcel of suspect white powder led Berwyn Police to quarantine four employees and a Comcast employee who brought the package into the station Tuesday. But Hollywood actor Patrick Swayze, who happened to be in the west suburban station house filming a movie, didn't come into contact with the powder, which Police later determined was corn starch. The incident began at 3:35 p.m., when the Comcast worker entered the Berwyn Police Department headquarters with a box that was leaking a white powder, Police Chief William Kushner said.” (Chicago Tribune; 04Nov08; Joseph Ruzich) http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/11/patrick-swayze-unhurt-in-berwyn-police-hazmat-scare.html

Letter received by The [Providence] Journal tested negative for anthrax
“Test results confirmed a package that was labeled anthrax and mailed to The Providence Journal last week was sugar, the FBI said today. test results for a similar letter received by the Newport Daily News were negative for anthrax or other biological agents, said Annemarie Beardsworth, a state Department of Health spokeswoman. The Providence Journal and Newport Daily News are among more than three dozen media outlets around the country that have received hoax letters containing packets of sugar that were labeled anthrax. A California man was arrested last week on three counts of sending hoax anthrax threats by mail. […] Keyser, 66, had already been interviewed by the FBI in January 2007 for allegedly sending a package containing a small aerosol can labeled ‘Anthrax,’ along with a compact disc, to the Sacramento News and Review newspaper, according a criminal complaint filed Thursday in federal court, the Associated Press reported.” (Providence Journal; 03Nov08; Maria Armental)
http://newsblog.projo.com/2008/11/hoax-letter-rec.html#422524

Pioneer Press [Minnesota] receives envelope labeled anthrax
“Saint Paul Police and the FBI are investigating another envelope containing a suspicious white powder labeled ‘anthrax’ that was mailed to the St. Paul Pioneer Press this weekend. […] The incident follows a string of anthrax scares at other newspapers across the country, including the Minneapolis Star Tribune. […] Pete Crum of the Saint Paul Police department says the department is working with the FBI, the Postal Inspector and the Minnesota Department of Health to test the powder. ‘The Saint Paul Police and fire responded to the Pioneer Press building. Initial tests showed it to be sugar. It will be sent on to the department of health for further testing,’ said Crum.” (Minnesota Public Radio; 02Nov08) http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/11/02/pioneer_press_envelope_labeled_anthrax/

Bail set at $25K for Calif. anthrax scare suspect
“A federal judge has set bond at $25,000 for the man suspected of mailing more than 120 hoax anthrax letters nationwide. U.S. Magistrate Kimberly Mueller said the bond for 66-year-old Marc M. Keyser must be co-signed by Keyser's sister and brother-in-law. Mueller also barred Keyser from any activities intended to draw responses to a biochemical hazard. […] ‘He appears to think he has a right to go on a mission to call attention to this issue,’ [Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin] Wagner said, referring to biohazard threats. ‘I think his motivation is to generate traffic to his Web site and sell his book.’ […] Keyser's next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 19.” (Google News; 01Nov08; Source: AP) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gOEvESecTFU0-uVQs-DC7jC19V0gD945QK7G0

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

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- October 24, 2008

Homeland Security lab like biodefense battleship
“The Department of Homeland Security's new laboratory building, […] resembles a battleship being readied for war against biological weapons. […] The $143 million National Biodefense and Analysis Countermeasures Center, […] with 50,000 square feet of high-security lab space, is part of a biodefense campus taking shape at Fort Detrick, already home to the military's top germ research facility. […] When it opens next spring, the Homeland Security lab and its 140 scientists and technicians will give the government new tools for predicting biological attacks and identifying perpetrators of ‘bio-crimes.’ It will provide the FBI with a forensic capability it lacked after the 2001 anthrax mailings, which killed five people.” (Hometown Annapolis; 23Oct08) http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2008/10_23-21/REG

Disease notification heads for standardization
“State epidemiologists and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are on their way to creating a national standard list of health conditions that public health authorities should be notified about. The working list has 68 diseases such as typhoid, AIDS, E. coli infection and anthrax. Now the epidemiologists, through their association, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, and the CDC are working to specify the point at which notification of a disease should occur and what information should be supplied for each disease. For example, reports of animal rabies should include the species of animal. For some other diseases, the patient’s nationality might be valuable information. […] Work is finished for about half the diseases on the list.” (Global Health IT; 23Oct08; Nancy Ferris) http://www.govhealthit.com/online/news/350640-1.html

Minn. [MN] prison hospital receives white powder
“The Minnesota Health Department is testing some suspicious white powder that was sent to a federal prison hospital in Rochester. The Federal Medical Center received an envelope with the powder Thursday morning, prompting a response from the Fire Department's hazardous materials team. The envelope was received in the center's mailroom, and no inmates came in contact with the substance, said prison spokesman Dan Cansino.” (West Central Tribune; 23Oct08; Source: Associated Press)
http://www.wctrib.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D940EDPO2

Biosafety laboratories: Congress investigates perimeter security
“BSL-4 labs handle the world’s most dangerous agents and diseases. In fact, of the four BSL designations, only BSL-4 labs can work with agents for which no cure or treatment exists. GAO was asked to perform a systematic security assessment of key perimeter security controls at the nation’s five operational BSL-4 labs. […] While three labs [of the five total] had all or nearly all of the key security controls GAO assessed--features such as perimeter barriers, roving armed guard patrols, and magnetometers in use at lab entrances--two labs demonstrated a significant lack of these controls. […] Although the presence of the security controls GAO assessed does not automatically ensure a secure perimeter, having most controls provides increased assurance that a strong perimeter security system is in place and reduces the likelihood of unauthorized intrusion.” (Canada Free Press; 24Oct08; Jim Kouri) http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/5780

Mail warns financial institutions of ‘payback’
“Threatening letters containing a suspicious white powder mailed to three U.S. financial institutions warn ‘it's payback time,’ according to a text released by the FBI on Thursday. More than 50 letters, with identical or similar threatening language, were sent to Chase Bank offices, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the U.S. Office of Thrift Supervision, the FBI said. ‘Steal tens of thousands of people's money and not expect repercussions (sic). It's payback time. What you just breathed in will kill you within 10 days. Thank (redacted) and the FDIC for your demise,’ said the text posted on the FBI Web site. […] All the letters were mailed from the city in the Texas panhandle, the FBI said.” (Reuters; 23Oct08; JoAnne Allen)
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE49N03Q20081024

9/11 commission heads: U.S. 'vulnerable' to terrorist attack
“Today, almost seven years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the threat of a new, major terrorist attack on the United States is ‘still very real,’ and the country is ‘still dangerously vulnerable,’ according to a new bi-partisan, independent report that will be released on Wednesday. Authored by former members of the federal government's 9/11 Commission and independent experts, the report by the Partnership for a Secure America evaluates progress made by the Bush administration to safeguard the United States against weapons of mass destruction. It gives the administration an overall grade of ‘C’ for its efforts to prevent nuclear Terrorism, chemical Terrorism and biological Terrorism.” (NBC San Diego; 23Oct08) http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/green/9_11_Commission_Heads__U_S___Vulnerable__to_Terrorist_Attack.html

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

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- September 12, 2008

Cross-Contamination of Clinical Specimens with Bacillus anthracis During a Laboratory Proficiency Test -- Idaho, 2006
“On July 18, 2006, the Utah Department of Health notified epidemiologists at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare that Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent for anthrax, had been isolated from a patient. On the same day, the Idaho epidemiologists were notified by the Idaho Bureau of Laboratories of a specimen from a second patient received for anthrax testing. The two reports resulted briefly in alerts to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and precautionary treatment of one of the patients […] Subsequent investigation revealed that, during July 2006, the Idaho Bureau of Laboratories had been conducting a sentinel laboratory proficiency testing exercise among Idaho's hospital laboratories. The exercise included specimens with the Sterne strain of B. anthracis, a nonvirulent strain. […] This report is the first to describe cross-contamination of clinical specimens with B. anthracis during laboratory proficiency sample testing. The Idaho Bureau of Laboratories regularly conducts proficiency testing surveys with participating sentinel laboratories.” (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; 12Sep08) http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5736a3.htm

[Governor Sonny] Perdue [R-GA], lawmakers press Georgia's case for biolab
“Gov. Sonny Perdue joined with most of Georgia's congressional delegation to present a united front in the state's bid to win a national biodefense lab near the University of Georgia. […] In a press conference on Capitol Hill, the leaders said Athens [Georgia] will win the project if the competition is judged on merits. The $450 million Homeland Security project would house at least 300 lab-related jobs, with research focused on some of the most lethal biological threats, including deadly animal diseases and bioterrorism threats through the nation's food supply.”
(Ledger-Enquirer; 11Sep08; Source: AP)
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/251/story/438481.html

Senator [Pat] Roberts [D-KS] secures $268,305 in funds to improve food security
“Senator Pat Roberts [Kansas] today announced the Ford County [Kansas] Sheriff's Office will receive $268,305 in funding he secured in the Departments of Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2008, to improve food security. The funding will allow the Ford County Sheriff's Office to assess and strengthen terrorism prevention activities and response capabilities. Additional attention will be given to criminal activity in agriculture, especially those incidents that could represent potential indicators of terrorist activity.” (Cattle Network; 11Sep08)
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/Content.asp?ContentID=251690

[Lone Star] College to offer free flu shots at drive-through event [Montgomery, Texas]
“Free flu shots will be available to adults who push up their sleeves and roll down their car windows on Saturday, October 11, at a drive-through flu shot clinic at Lone Star College-Montgomery [Texas]. […] The department’s public health preparedness division plans and coordinates the response to adverse events like disease outbreaks and bioterrorism attacks. ‘Events like the drive-through flu shot clinic are great opportunities to see how well we’re prepared to respond to health emergency in our county,’ said Emily Llinás, assistant director at the health department. In addition to helping the public, the drive-through event will serve as an exercise for health department staff and volunteers. Volunteers are a major component of public health preparedness plans, Llinás said.” (Woodlands Online; 11Sep08; Steve Scheffler)
http://woodlandsonline.com/npps/story.cfm?nppage=26822

Suspicious Powder Found on Eve of 9/11: Coleman A. Young Municipal Building Quarantined [Detroit, Michigan]
“A suspicious package made its way to the executive suite on the 11th floor of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Building – The Office of the Mayor. Could it be Anthrax? City staffers were quarantined for just under 3 hours after the envelope was found in the executive suite of outgoing Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. […] The general manager of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, Greg McDuffee said that the Detroit Fire Department was called on Wednesday evening following the discovery of the dubious package. McDuffee said that fewer than a dozen staffers were quarantined inside the 11th floor suite. He also said that Mayor Kilpatrick wasn’t inside the building […].” (My TV 20; 11Sep08) http://www.tv20detroit.com/news/local/28255504.html

White powder found in letter to Star-Banner [Ocala, Florida]
“A Star-Banner receptionist opened an envelope addressed to the newspaper Thursday morning to find a line of white powder in the bottom but no letter inside. The envelope - reminiscent of anthrax attacks and scares from 2001 and 2002 - could be a ‘copycat’ item, said Ocala police Lt. Dan Wilson. […] Ocala Fire Rescue paramedics responded and were treating the receptionist, Eliud Rodriguez, at his desk in the Star-Banner foyer. The police Department Intelligence Unit was on scene. Wilson said the small orange envelope - which lay for a time outside the building in a plastic bag - would not be handled by evidence technicians until the Health Department had taken it for testing. Fire Rescue officials soon packaged the envelope in larger bags and a white bucket for the Health Department.”
(Gainesville Sun; 11Sep08; Joe Byrnes, Star-Banner) http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080911/NEWS/809110241/1014/entertainment02&title=Envelope_with_white_powder_delivered_to_Star_Banner

Center for Health and Homeland Security Hosts Forum to Discuss Anthrax Case [at University of Maryland] “A forum held Sept. 10 at the University of Maryland School of Law shed light on the case from the perspectives of science and journalism. The event, ‘Did the Researcher Do It? The FBI's Anthrax Case Against Dr. Ivins,’ was the eighth annual Sept. 11 commemoration presented by the Center for Health and Homeland Security (CHHS). Scott Shane, a reporter from The New York Times, and Claire Fraser-Liggett, PhD, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (SOM) and the director of the Institute of Genome Sciences at the SOM, served as panelists.”
(University of Maryland News; 11Sep08; Nick Alexopulos)
http://www.oea.umaryland.edu/communications/news/?ViewStatus=FullArticle&articleDetail=4535

At UCF [University of Central Florida], genetically modified plants show promise as vaccine
“The University of Central Florida researcher [Henry Daniell] is working on a new kind of vaccine grown inside plant cells, crushed into powder and swallowed as a capsule. He recently had success in animal tests of his vaccine for bubonic plague. […] ‘What we have developed is a totally new platform; it's a revolutionary approach,’ said Daniell, who receives funding from the National Institutes of Health and others for his research. […] most [vaccines] are expensive and hard to manufacture. In rare cases, the vaccines themselves cause the disease or severe reactions. That's why Daniell and others are working on new types that reduce the risks and expense. The need has become more urgent in recent years amid fear of bioterrorism and natural outbreaks such as bird flu. Daniell's approach relies on selected genes from the bacteria or viruses -- not the whole pathogens. At a basic level, genes are the recipes for proteins. Researchers have found that the immune system can be provoked by just a few proteins from the invader.” (Orlando Sentinel; 10Sep08; Robyn Shelton) http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/health/orl-vaccines1008sep10,0,1419005.story

State checking powder in letter [Peabody, Massachusetts]
“A powder found in an envelope received by a resident of 17 Page St. has been sent to a state laboratory for analysis. Fire Chief Steve Pasdon called in the regional hazardous-materials team to handle the contents of the letter after police and fire officials responded to the Page Street home around 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for Fire Marshal Stephen Coan, yesterday did not know how long it would take for the lab to identify the material. police Lt. Dennis Bonaiuto said yesterday that the hazmat team tested the air inside the home and no hazardous material was detected.” (Salem News; 10Sep08; Matthew K. Roy) http://www.salemnews.com/punews/local_story_253231822.html

Germ attack worries [U.S. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Michael] Chertoff
“Michael Chertoff, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said he doesn’t think an attack with a weapon of mass destruction is imminent, ‘but is one I think remains out there, particularly a biological threat.’ He said a biological attack would be especially problematic because ‘it can’t be necessarily detected. It can be carried in a very small vial. You could theoretically infect somebody and send an infected person to a country and create a biological weapon that way.’” (Journal Gazette; 11Sep08; Sylvia A. Smith) http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080911/NEWS03/809110328/1002/LOCAL

Diluted nerve agent to be destroyed at Blue Grass depot [Davenport, Kentucky]
“The government next month hopes to begin destroying diluted nerve agent at Kentucky's Blue Grass Army Depot. The 157 gallons of agent, known as GB, was involved in the depot's largest leak of chemical weapons material last year. The chemical neutralization of the GB, called ‘Operation Swift Solution,’ will mark the first destruction of chemical weapons material at the facility near Richmond.” (Courier-Journal; 11Sep08; James R. Carroll)
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080911/NEWS01/809110407/1008/NEWS01

[Veterans’] illness 'due to stress, not Gulf War syndrome'
“Many of the nearly 2000 Australian veterans of the first Gulf War came home complaining of myriad strange illnesses: chronic fatigue, headaches and dizziness, memory problems and muscle and joint pain. The troops have consistently argued that their health problems were caused by a chemical cocktail of pesticides used to kill sand flies and pills they were given to protect them against nerve gas. But according to research from Monash University's Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, the evidence from several countries, including Australia, does not back up veterans' claims. Adelaide psychiatrist and trauma expert Sandy McFarlane, who was part of the original study team, said there was no evidence of a unique syndrome in those veterans compared with troops from other campaigns. […] Professor McFarlane said Gulf War veterans had suffered significantly more physical and psychological symptoms than other veterans. This indicated the soldiers […] had a condition known as somatic distress -- where their psychological illness brought on by extreme stress made them physically sick -- not Gulf War syndrome.” (The Australian; 12Sep08; Julie Ann-Davies) http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24332917-31477,00.html

Berlin protests comments by US ambassador to Sweden
“According to the Friday issue of the daily Handelsblatt, a senior German Foreign Ministry official presented an official protest to the US embassy in Berlin about an op-ed piece written by US ambassador to Sweden, Michael M Wood, that was published in a Stockholm newspaper. Citing the example of Russian-energy consumer Ukraine, the article suggested that the pipeline posed a security threat to the region in that it would allow Moscow to use energy as a means to gain political leverage. The German Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the Handelsblatt report. In Sweden, the project has also been criticized by some lawmakers over environmental concerns, including potential hazards posed by chemical weapons dumped in the sea after World War Two.” (Earth Times; 11Sep08; Source: Handelsblatt) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/231214,report-berlin-protests-comments-by-us-ambassador-to-sweden--summary.html

U.S. to scan incoming air cargo
“The Homeland Security Department will put all incoming air cargo through radiation detectors at the nation's airports to try to prevent terrorists from smuggling radioactive bombs into the U.S. […] The new initiative aims to close what the 9/11 Commission's final report called a major security vulnerability -- cargo on airplanes as a potential avenue for terrorism. Any cargo shipped on passenger planes will also be scanned. Detectors will begin checking packages this week at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C. Arriving cargo -- whether from Pakistan or Peoria -- will be driven through giant detectors called Radiation Portal Monitors. […] There is no specific threat information indicating terrorists are trying to smuggle radiological material into the country on commercial or cargo planes. But Secretary Michael Chertoff says he is concerned about weapons of mass destruction getting into the country by air or by boat.” (Daily Record; 11Sep08; Mimi Hall)
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080911/UPDATES01/809110403

terrorism: What the next President will face
“On the seventh anniversary of the September 11th attacks, what is the nature of the terrorist threat against the United States and other nations of the world and how should the next President address that threat upon taking office in January 2009? These questions are at the center of a special volume of The Annals edited by Richard A. Clarke, as well as in a series of interviews with terrorism experts featured in the volume conducted by Philadelphia Inquirer foreign policy columnist Trudy Rubin […] On September 11, 2008, the Philadelphia Inquirer will post the series of in-depth podcasts of columnist Trudy Rubin interviewing several of the volume's authors.” (Red Orbit; 11Sep08) http://www.redorbit.com/news/politics/1551954/terrorism_what_the_next_president_will_face/

Book by Brian Michael Jenkins explores nuclear terrorism
“In a new book, Will Terrorists Go Nuclear?, leading terrorism expert Brian Michael Jenkins explores both the risks and history of nuclear terrorism, and warns that terrorist may not even need to acquire such weapons to order to perpetrate ‘nuclear terror. Upon close examination, nuclear terrorism turns out to be a world of truly worrisome pieces of truth,’ Jenkins says. ‘It also is a world of fantasies, nightmares, hoaxes, scams and stings where it is hard to separate truth from myth. I wrote the book to help the public identify where the myths end and the reality begins.’ […] A nuclear attack by terrorists is not inevitable and the nation must do all that is rationally possible to prevent such an event by improving intelligence, international cooperation and teaching the public how to react should such a dreadful event occur. But, Jenkins argues, the fear of nuclear terrorism should not cause the nation to become intolerant and frightened.” (Eureka Alert; 10Sep08; Warren Robak) http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-09/rc-bbb091008.php

Nuclear threat from terrorists rising, ex-senator [Sam Nunn, D-GA] says
“The likelihood that terrorists will be able to target the United States with a nuclear weapon is increasing, a former senator testified before a congressional committee Wednesday. Former Sen. Sam Nunn says he's concerned about nuclear materials in Pakistan, citing political instability. ‘The risk of a nuclear weapon being used today, in my view, is growing and not receding,’ former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn told the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terror, a bipartisan panel that aims to prevent terrorist attacks. The commission met in New York, just a few blocks from the site of the World Trade Center […] ‘Terrorists are clearly seeking nuclear weapons,’ said Nunn, who heads the Nuclear Threat Initiative. ‘There can be little doubt that if they acquire weapons, they will use them.’ […] ‘Russia has the greatest quantity of nuclear weapons and material, but Pakistan, in my view, is the greatest danger because of the great instability in that country,’ Nunn said. Nunn said Pakistan keeps its nuclear arms under heavy guard, but political instability in the country and beliefs that al Qaeda has reconstituted itself in the Pakistani mountains raise concerns.” (CNN;
10Sep08)
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/10/wmd.congress/

Orem [Utah,] man's [Castor] bean plant investigated
“A startled homeowner [Lincoln Fuqua] got a visit from Orem police Tuesday afternoon. They were interested in a plant that he was growing by his mailbox in the front yard. They were so interested that they put a call into Homeland Security. No, it wasn’t marijuana. It was a castor bean plant. […] And when he saw the castor bean seeds this spring at his favorite nursery in Orem, he remembers snapping some up and thinking, ‘Hey, I’m going to grow some this year because they’re beautiful.’ Fuqua has a background in chemistry and is well aware that terrorists have used them to make Ricin. But he never dreamed that someone would think that he might be a terrorist. […] Orem police have not given us their verdict on the castor bean plant, but it is not illegal. In fact, only the District of Columbia ‘strongly discourages’ the sale of castor bean seeds.” (ABC 4; 10Sep08; Brent Hunsaker) http://www.abc4.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=f2396fa3-c730-457d-825c-257c263a831c

Bulgaria keeping 'umbrella killing' probe open: Chief [Investigator Boiko Naydenov]
“Bulgaria is to keep open its probe of the ‘umbrella killing’ in London of dissident Georgy Markov in 1978, the head of the country's investigation service, Boiko Naydenov, told AFP Wednesday. Initially, the investigation was to have been closed this week when a 30-year statute of limitations expired. But Naydenov said that, because the probe concerned both Markov's death and an attempt the same year to kill another Bulgarian dissident in Paris, Vladimir Kostov, a lengthier timeframe could be applied, allowing the case to remain open. He said that where there is a killing or attempted killing of two or more people, ‘then there is a 35-year statute of limitations, which can be prolonged further if the case has been interrupted.’” (Agence Presse France; 11Sep08) http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jbwyP6kEgBpglz7FmckQPdf_DCzg

Fresh intrigue surrounds a Cold War murder [of Georgy Markov]
“A Bulgarian journalist, Hristo Hristov, is releasing a book - ‘The Double Life of Agent Piccadilly’ - that he says demonstrates how the communist regime eliminated one of its most eloquent opponents. […] Based on the first outside look at previously classified state security documents, Hristov concludes that Markov was killed by one Francesco Gullino, a sometime smuggler arrested twice in Bulgaria and given the choice of jail or becoming an agent. Based in Copenhagen with cover as an art dealer, Gullino was active until 1990 and received two Bulgarian state medals ‘for services to security and public order,’ Hristov says. In 1993, Gullino was briefly detained and questioned by the British and Danish police in Copenhagen, and has not been seen or heard of since. […] the Bulgarian authorities have officially broadened the inquiry to include a suspected assassination attempt on Vladimir Kostov, a Bulgarian defector in Paris who suffered a poison pellet attack two weeks before Markov - and survived. The murder investigation by Scotland Yard also remains active, with British police officers traveling abroad to make several known inquiries this year.” (International Herald Tribune; 10Sep08; Matthew Brunwasser)
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/10/europe/sofia.php

Pakistan accuses US military over cross-border terror campaign
“In an unusually tough statement, General Ashfaq Kayani, Chief of Army Staff, said that there was ‘no agreement or understanding with the coalition forces whereby they are allowed to conduct operations on our side of the border’. Pakistan would defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity ‘at all costs’, he said. […] Seven years on from 9/11 the failure to find bin Laden — combined with increasing awareness that the terrorist group is spreading its influence into North and East Africa and is pressing ahead with trying to develop chemical, biological and radiological devices — is forcing a rethink of how to confront the threat. […] Al-Qaeda remains obsessed with using commercial airliners for attacks, but of greatest concern are the signs of its interest in developing chemical, biological and radiological devices. The terrorists have already used lorries packed with explosives and chemicals in attacks in Iraq, and are known to be experimenting with anthrax.” (Times Online; 12Sep08; Michael Evans & Zahid Hussain) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4735471.ece

Fox Valley [Wisconsin] Fire Department evolve following events of 9-11
“At Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue's main station on Columbia Avenue in downtown Neenah, firefighters were checking apparatus, doing maintenance and replenishing supplies as officers set the weekly training schedules that can consume up to 15 percent or more of the firefighters' work each year. […] Since 9-11, there are more perceived threats than ever before. Training has changed markedly since the terrorist attacks. Hansen said the basic firefighting class now includes sections on a wide and ominous range of hazardous materials. Training used to focus on chlorine gas, ammonia leaks and gas spills. Now, nerve gas, blister agents and biological weapons also are included. All department members, including the 43 paid on-call firefighters at Grand Chute, must have a minimum 150 hours of training a year. [Michael] Sipin [Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue] said the 68 firefighters on that department average 330 hours of training a year.”
(Post-Crescent; 11Sep08; John Lee)
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080911/APC0101/809110482/1003/APC01

Universal Detection Technology to Present at the 3rd Annual Gulf Coast terrorism Conference [Sarasota, Florida]
“[…] [T]he 3rd annual Gulf Coast Terrorism Conference [is] scheduled to be held in Sarasota, Florida. The presentation will cover the latest detection technologies for the detection of CBRN threats. The attendees of the conference include local, state and federal first responder and law enforcement officials. […] Security Solutions International (SSI), the host of the conference, is committed to bringing the know-how of the world's leading experts in counter-terrorism and security to practical application in a wide variety of custom seminars and courses. The event is attended by participants from the US Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, New Orleans Police Department, Orlando Police Department, Lebanon Police Department, Florida Department of Health, and the US Supreme Court.” (Earth Times; 10Sep08)
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/universal-detection-technology-to-present,536208.shtml

Progress seen in Maine plan to fight terror
“Seven years after terrorists embarked from the Portland airport on their mission to fly into the World Trade Center, top federal and state officials say Maine is better prepared for a terrorist attack, but no one thinks it is fully ready. […] [Governor John] Baldacci [D-ME] kicked off National Preparedness Month in Maine at a training session held in the Emergency Operations Center at the Maine Emergency Management Agency. He urged Mainers to plan for any sort of disaster, man-made or natural, by creating their own individualized emergency supply kit and developing a plan of what they would do to cope with a disaster. […] Baldacci said MEMA [Maine Emergency Management Agency] has developed a Web site, www.maineprepares.com, that has information on what a disaster plan should include and a checklist for developing a disaster preparedness kit.” (Bangor Daily News; 10Sep08; Mal Leary)
http://www.bangornews.com/detail/50422.html

[Mayor Michael] Bloomberg [R-New York City]: New York short-changed on terrorism prevention funds
“‘The federal government needs to do more to help us protect our city,’ New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the first public hearing of the nine-member Congressional Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and terrorism Wednesday in New York. […] The mayor said New York City is still the number one target of terrorists from around the world, yet for bioterrorism prevention funding it ranks 21st out of 54 eligible states and cities in the amount of funding provided in 2008. […] ‘Because of the anthrax episodes in 2001, New York is one of only a handful of places in the nation that's ever experienced a bio-terror attack. Yet in Fiscal Year 2008, we received $2.72 per capita, putting us an incredible 21st out of 54 eligible states and cities.’ [said Mayor Bloomberg].” (Environment News Service; 10Sep08) http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/sep2008/2008-09-11-01.asp

Terrorism: Intelligence the weak point in defeating Al-Qaeda, says expert [Abdel Bari Atwan]
“Penetrating Al-Qaeda is the key challenge for American and other western intelligence services, according to author and commentator Abdel Bari Atwan. […] ‘The United States is well prepared against an Al-Qaeda attack in terms of security at airports and other sensitive sites,’ Atwan told Adnkronos International (AKI). ‘But intelligence remains a real problem - penetrating Al-Qaeda is extremely difficult, because of geography, loyalty and ideology,’ Atwan stated. […] ‘Al-Qaeda's field commanders are under the direct supervision of its leadership. So it could go back to outside attacks,’ said Atwan. ‘It is now more capable of carrying out similar attacks (to the 9/11 attacks on US cities), but with different means. ’ Dirty bombs, chemical or biological weapons - these are easier than hijacking aeroplanes,’ he said. […] Pakistan's new President, Asif Ali Zardari, is ‘too weak’ to have a major role in the US-led fight against militants believed to be hiding out in the region bordering Afghanistan.” (Adn Kronos International; 11Sep08)
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.2476639575

U.S. scrambles for N. Korean clues
“Following his failure to show up at a parade Tuesday marking North Korea's founding 60 years ago, U.S. officials said Tuesday that they believe Kim has suffered a stroke. While his condition is unclear—as so many things in that closed society are—they are scrambling to figure out what is actually going on there and make contingency plans. […] ‘The bottom line is, if Kim dies, we potentially have a serious problem,’ said Joel Wit, a former U.S. diplomat and one of the authors of the 1994 nuclear agreement with Pyongyang. ‘There could be the collapse of the central government, civil war between different factions, large-scale refugee flows, increasing instability of the security of weapons of mass destruction and pressures on all surrounding countries to intervene.’ […] The biggest worry for the U.S. if the North Korean government were to collapse: What would happen to the regime's cache of weapons of mass destruction? Pyongyang, which test-fired a nuclear weapon in October 2006, is believed by U.S. intelligence agencies to have enough fuel for several nuclear weapons and is also thought to have an arsenal of chemical weapons.” (Chicago Tribune; 10Sep08; Bay Fang) http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-korea-kim_nu_10sep10,0,5223701.story

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.