CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- December 5, 2008

Senators confident in biodefense labfunding
“Kansas' two U.S. senators said Thursday the nation's struggling economy shouldn't hinder federal funding of the new $450 million national biothreat laboratory at Kansas State University […], which would study foot-and-mouth disease and other pathogens. […] Plans to build the lab come as the federal government's budget deficit soars amid a national recession. The NBAF lab is expected to generate about 1,500 construction jobs and a payroll of $25 million to $30 million for more than 500 employees, including 300 researchers, once it's completed by 2015. [Senator Pat] Roberts said he was confident the government would fund the laboratory.” (San Jose Examiner; 04Dec08; Carl Manning; Source: Associated Press)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1726359%7ESenators_confident_in_biodefense_labfunding.html

Is ethics a showstopper at synthetic biology?
“Synthetic biology promises to enable cheap, lifesaving new drugs to treat the 350-500 million people who suffer from malaria, and to create innovative biofuels that can help solve the world's energy problems. But the science and its applications are raising questions: […] Are synthetic biology researchers unintentionally equipping terrorists with frightening new biological weapons? […] Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, will explore unresolved synthetic biology ethical questions at a January 8 program with Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies Chief Science Advisor Andrew Maynard. Dr. Caplan is at the forefront of ethicists, theologians, scientists, engineers, government leaders and civil society groups working to weigh synthetic biology's potential risks and benefits.” (Medical News Today; 04Dec08; Colin Finan; Source: Project on Emerging Technologies) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/131732.php

In Cambridge [MA], a biotech balancing act
“City officials want Cambridge [MA] to remain the biotech capital of the world, but residents are wondering if the risk is worth it. Neighbors have specifically expressed concerns for labs that are categorized under biosafety level 3, labs known for performing work with infectious agents — anthrax and other airborne pathogens — that may cause potentially lethal diseases as a result of exposure. Level 4 biohazard labs — known as the most stringent — are currently not allowed in Cambridge under a city ordinance. City councilors are expected to officially ban Level 4 labs from Cambridge in February.
Cambridge resident Marilyn Wellons said her concern lies in people’s well-being and the fear of potential biological warfare. ‘It is only reasonable to look at these things with extreme caution,’ she said.” (Cambrige Chronicle; 03Dec08; Jillian Fennimore) http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x776469603/In-Cambridge-a-biotech-balancing-act

Sen. Salazar [D-CO] to Pentagon: Pueblo chemical weapons destruction delay is ‘unacceptable and must be corrected’
“United States Senator Ken Salazar [CO] sent a letter to Under Secretary of Defense John Young regarding the recent announcement by the Department of Defense that it expects completion of chemical weapons destruction at the Pueblo Chemical to be delayed 23 months because of a funding shortfall. […] ‘Just a few months ago the Department of Defense reported that they expected to be able to meet the 2017 deadline that we set for destroying the munitions stored at the Pueblo Chemical Depot,’ said Sen. Salazar. ‘[…] Now the Pentagon is saying that their funding request was too low and the project will be delayed. This is unacceptable and the Department of Defense needs to act swiftly to correct the problem. I fully expect the Pentagon to update its funding profile and its 2010 budget request to ensure that the weapons are safely destroyed by the 2017 deadline.’” (Senator Salazar Congressional Press Release; 03Dec08) http://salazar.senate.gov/news/releases/081203puebchem.htm

New [chemical warfare] decontamination ‘wipe’ developed
“Researchers led by an Indian-American scientist have developed a decontamination ‘wipe’ to clean up toxic chemical warfare agents as part of a study to develop a system to counter biological terror attacks. Seshadri Ramkumar along with other researchers at The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH) at Texas Tech University comes out with the product at a time when a Congressionally mandated study has warned of a chemical-biological attack in the world in next five years. The evaluation of the Nonwoven dry wipe product ‘Fibertec,’ was performed as part of a study by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory using mustard gas and other toxic chemicals.” (The Hindu News Update Service; 04Dec08)
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/008200812041301.htm

UAE is committed to chemical weapons convention
“The UAE will remain committed to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons (Chemical Weapons Convention) out of its belief that Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) are still posing a real threat to international peace and security. H.E. Ali Thani Al Suwaidi Ambassador of United Arab Emirates to Netherlands and Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), told the 13th Conference of the States Parties about series of measures taken by the UAE for implementing the convention. He spelt out the legislative and administrative measures adopted to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention.” (UAE Daily News;
03Dec08) http://www.uaedailynews.com/uae/4329.html

As threat of germ [and nuclear] warfare looms, commission devises plan
“‘World at Risk,’ a report issued Tuesday by the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, recommends that the U.S. try to inhibit the global development of biological weapons and work with Pakistan to eliminate terrorist strongholds […]. […] The commissioners met Wednesday with Vice President-elect Joe Biden to advise the transition team on how to reduce the risk. […] Despite 132 pages of detailed reporting, the panel left some issues untouched—which has irked security experts. Ben Friedman, a defense specialist at the libertarian Cato Institute, criticized the report for failing to analyze the motives of states who want biological and nuclear weapons. Based on his research, Friedman thinks Iran and North Korea want WMD because the U.S. is hostile toward them and they want to feel secure. ‘What strikes me is that they come out with this screaming headline, but there’s not much analysis I see in the report that justifies it,’ he said.” (Medill Washington Reports; 03Dec08; Sara Sargent)
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=108951

EU hosts global health security initiative talks
“Hosted by the European Commission, ministers from the United States, Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan plus Mexico agreed to continue to make a concerted effort to share best practices in border management, improve crisis communications, and further cooperate on drugs and vaccines development which would include virus sample sharing for influenza pandemic preparedness. European Health Commissioner, Androulla Vassiliou, who chaired the meeting, [said] […] ‘In an ever more interdependent world, it is vital to collaborate closely with our partners to improve global rapid alerting and response systems on threats related to chemical, biological and radio-nuclear agents, pandemic influenza or wider health issues such as safety of the food chain and product safety […]. I have today invited all GHSI partners to participate in a preparedness exercise which the Commission plans to organize in 2010.’” (Business Wire; 05Dec08; Source: European Commission) http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20081205005592&newsLang=en

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- December 3, 2008

Government recommends Kansas for biodefense lab
“The federal government has recommended a site in Kansas for a new $450 million laboratory to study biological threats like anthrax and foot-and-mouth disease, congressional lawmakers and staff said today. The Department of Homeland Security’s choice of Manhattan, Kan., beat out intense competition from other sites in Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas. […] Besides foot-and-mouth disease, researchers also would study African swine fever, Japanese encephalitis, Rift Valley fever and the Hendra and Nipah viruses. Other finalist sites were Flora, Miss.; Athens, Ga.; Butner, N.C.; and San Antonio.” (Boston Herald; 03Dec08; Source: Associated Press)
http://news.Bostonherald.com/news/national/central/view/2008_12_03_Government_recommends_Kansas_for_biodefense_lab/srvc=home&position=recent

7 revolutions for global sustainability
“By the year 2050, the world population, estimated to top 9 billion, will require twice as much food as today, and water demand will double […]. Sustainability will rely on […] seven ‘revolutions,’ driving forces that will dictate global change […]. The seven revolutions include: population and demographics, resource management, Technology, information, economic integration, conflict and the challenge of governance. […] He [Erik Peterson, senior vice president, Center for Strategic and International Studies] said conflict, the sixth revolution, will be less between countries than within countries. He also said the lesson of 9/11 is that even ‘the most powerful military power in the world can be vulnerable. Terrorist groups have no return address.’ He said bioterrorism could be a significant danger.” (Delta Farm Press; 03Dec08; Ron Smith) http://deltafarmpress.com/news/global-sustainability-1203/

Biological weapons convention members meet
“Member nations to the Biological Weapons Convention are meeting this week in Geneva, the United Nations announced. The annual states parties session began yesterday and is scheduled to end Friday; it follows discussions that took place at an experts meeting in August. Participants will seek to develop a report that promotes movement in two particular areas: ‘National, regional and international measures to improve biosafety and biosecurity, including laboratory safety and security of pathogens and toxins’; and ‘Oversight, education, awareness raising and adoption and/or development of codes of conduct with the aim of preventing misuse in the context of advances in bioscience and biotechnology research with the potential of use for purposes prohibited by the convention.’” (Global Security Newswire; 02Dec08; Source: UN press releases) http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20081202_1754.php

Iran blasts production of biological weapons by convention members
“Iranian ambassador to the UN Office in Geneva Alireza Moayyeri criticized cooperation on biological weapons among some members of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) with other countries. Speaking at the (BWC) member states annual meeting, Moayyeri emphasized on the necessity of international acceptance of the convention and called for curbing such relations which could lead to proliferation of biological weapons. […] According to the Iranian students’ news agency, he also pointed to the current process for implementation of the convention and said such a trend could not be employed instead of multilateral talks for organizing a legal binding document to strengthen the convention. The Iranian official also called for those countries which prevent such talks to obey the international community's demand for arrangement of the accord. The US is the major opponent against the negotiations.” (Fars News Agency; 03Dec08)
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8709131101

Chemical Ali’ [Hassan al-Majid] sentenced to hang
“Saddam Hussein's notorious cousin ‘Chemical Ali’ Hassan al-Majid received a second death sentence Tuesday, this time for crushing a Shiite uprising after Iraq's defeat in the 1991 Gulf War. Al-Majid, once among the most feared members of Saddam's regime, muttered ‘thanks be to God’ as chief judge Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa declared him guilty and imposed the sentence. The trial began in August 2007. Al-Majid already faces the gallows after being convicted last year for his role in the killing of tens of thousands of Kurds in the late 1980s — in which chemical weapons were used against civilians.” (Houston Chronicle; 02Dec08; Source: Associated Press)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/6143903.html

Sarin leak found at Madison [KY] depot
“Army officials detected a GB vapor leak Monday from an M55 rocket stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County [KY]. Inspectors discovered the leak during routine monitoring. The leak did not pose a threat, according to a news release from Blue Grass Chemical Activity, the agency that oversees chemical weapons storage at the depot.” (Lexington Herald Leader; 02Dec08) http://www.kentucky.com/178/story/612584.html

[UN Secretary-General] Ban calls for continued efforts to eliminate scourge of chemical weapons
“Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appealed for continued action to press ahead with disarmament efforts regarding chemical weapons, noting the positive steps that have already been taken towards eliminating the scourge. Addressing the 13th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention at The Hague, Netherlands, he said it was ‘encouraging’ that nearly half of the stockpiles of chemical agents declared by the six possessor States have been verifiably destroyed. ‘I call upon all possessor States to complete their destruction according to the required deadlines,’ he said in a message delivered by Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.” (United Nations; 02Dec08) http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=29166&Cr=disarmament&Cr1=chemical+weapon

China urges chemical weapons owners to destroy stockpiles by 2012 deadline
“Countries which possess chemical weapons should do their utmost to comply with the 2012 deadline for the destruction of their chemical weapons, Chinese ambassador Zhang Jun said Tuesday at an annual meeting of the states parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in The Hague. Zhang, China's ambassador to the Netherlands and permanent representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), said that the speedy and complete destruction of chemical weapons within the time frame stipulated by the CWC is the fundamental objective of the convention.” (ISRIA; 03Dec08) http://www.isria.info/RESTRICTED/D/2008/DECEMBER_4/diplo_03december2008_62.htm

New leadership planned to fight WMD terrorism [U.S.]
“President-elect Barack Obama plans to appoint a new White House official to coordinate efforts to prevent terrorists from obtaining nuclear or biological weapons, advisers say, giving the highest priority to thwarting a catastrophic attack that a bipartisan panel warns could come in the next five years. Naming a top deputy whose sole mission is to oversee the government's wide-ranging programs to stop such an attack would mark a significant break with the Bush administration, which in resisting such a post has maintained that US efforts to reduce nuclear stockpiles and safeguard deadly pathogens are adequate.” (Boston Globe; 03Dec08; Brian Bender)
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/12/03/new_leadership_planned_to_fight_wmd_terrorism/

Mumbai attack swift, precise
“Like the Sept. 11 attacks in America, the Mumbai terrorist assault last week began with a hijacking. Islamic militants seized a private fishing boat at sea rather than commercial jetliners, according to U.S. counterterrorism officials. […] Could it happen here? U.S. officials say the answer, unfortunately, is yes. […] DHS [Department of Homeland Security] announced a ‘small-vessel security strategy’ last April to focus on ports and coastal waterways, and it has held four regional small-vessel ‘security summits’ this year. […] Technology is improving for detecting radiological devices that might arrive at seaports. But defense is thin against bioterrorism, and almost nonexistent against seaborne gunmen of the sort that terrorized Mumbai.” (Denver Post; 02Dec08; David Ignatius)
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_11122305

Saudi Arabia: The Kingdom supports disarmament of weapons of mass-destruction
“Saudi ambassador to [the] Netherlands and permanent representative at the organization of banning chemical weapons Waleed al-Khureiji has reiterated the Kingdom's inalienable stand as regards disarmament of weapons of mass-destruction […]. […] He called on the international community to put pressure on Israel until it approves the agreement of banning chemical weapons and signs the treaty of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. He noted that Israel is the sole country in the Middle East which has failed to sign the treaty […].” (ISRIA; 03Dec08) http://www.isria.info/RESTRICTED/D/2008/DECEMBER_4/diplo_03december2008_11.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.

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- August 15, 2008

Cost of planned biolab increases $200 million
“The projected cost of a bioterrorism laboratory for animal diseases sought by Georgia and five other states has shot up at least $200 million, according to new estimates by the Department of Homeland Security. The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility received congressional authorization for $451 million just two years ago, but DHS now says the facility will cost at least $648 million and as much as $939 million, depending on where it is located.” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; 15Aug08; Ken Foskett) http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/printedition/2008/08/15/biolab.html

Nashville [Tennessee]: High risk, less funds?
“Because of the infrastructure, critical financial and transportation hubs and population the region has been designated a high priority and potential target by the Department of Homeland Security. But the high-risk label might actually mean Nashville gets less money to prepare responses for terrorist attacks and natural disasters. The $1.8 million grant the city and surrounding counties will get this year from the federal Homeland Security agency is a substantial cut from the $2.2 million the area drew from the state's pot of Homeland Security money last year, when it didn't get it's own dedicated funding. Tennessee, as a whole, is expected to get $20.8 million from the federal government.” (Tennessean; 15Aug08; Kate Howard)
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080815/NEWS01/808150419/1006

Anthrax scientist Bruce Ivins slipped under the radar because of FBI obsession
“Law enforcement documents unsealed by a federal judge last week, along with other materials reviewed by The Times, show that within a few months of the mailings, FBI leaders were positioned to know important details spotlighting Ivins […] Security records […] revealing that Ivins […] had spent hours in a fortified ‘hot suite’ during late nights and weekends leading up to and surrounding the mailings. […] analysis by outside scientists […] reporting that anthrax powder recovered from the mailings most likely came from Ft. Detrick […] Ivins, recruited to assist the FBI, had failed in February 2002 to provide an anthrax sample […] requested by a bureau agent.[…] As for Hatfill, the former Ft. Detrick researcher with no record of access at any time to anthrax, FBI and Justice Department officials have declined to say why the investigation stayed focused on him for so long.” (LA Times; 15Aug08; David Willman)
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-anthrax15-2008aug15,0,6139854.story?page=1

Plum Island [Massachusetts] may not get nod [for biolab]
“The federal government’s environmental assessment of whether or not Plum Island Animal Disease Center is a suitable site for a planned new facility devoted to the study of biological terrorism — specifically, diseases communicable to both animals and humans — was vetted on Tuesday night in Greenport. However, Department of Homeland Security representatives said in interviews that while the island is a candidate, it is not likely to be chosen. Elected officials have requested that Plum Island be allowed to continue its current research after the new biological terrorism facility is built, but it does not appear that Homeland Security will take those requests seriously.” (The East Hampton Star; 14Aug08; Jennifer Landes) http://www.easthamptonstar.com/dnn/Home/News/PlumIsland/tabid/6315/Default.aspx

Sandia researcher develops inference technique that estimates how many people will fall sick in an epidemic
“Sandia National Laboratories/California researcher Jaideep Ray […] figured out a way to determine the number of people likely to be infected and die from noncommunicable illnesses like anthrax — ailments that could be caused by a potential bioterrorist attack — as well as communicable diseases like smallpox. […] in the middle of 2007 successfully developed a model that could infer the characteristics of a bioterrorism-related epidemic of a noncommunicable disease like anthrax. These inferences were drawn from observations of people with symptoms of anthrax exposure collected over the first three to five days of an epidemic. He is within a few months of refining a computer model that would do the same for communicable diseases.” (All American Patriots; 14Aug08) http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/science/48749327-sandia-researcher-develops-inference-technique-estimates-how-many-people-will-fa

Nano vaccine for hepatitis B produces strong
“Sciences at the University of Michigan report that a novel, needle-less method for getting an immunity-stimulating agent into the body has proved non-toxic and able to produce strong, sustained immune responses in animal studies. The vaccine is based on a super-fine emulsion of oil, water and surfactants placed in the nose. […] Baker’s team has published earlier studies affirming the promise of nasal nanoemulsions as a strategy for smallpox, influenza, anthrax and HIV vaccines. The nanoemulsion technology is patented by U-M and licensed to Ann Arbor-based NanoBio Corporation.
Baker is a founder and equity holder of NanoBio.” (Media Newswire; 15Aug08) http://media-newswire.com/release_1070955.html

KU Med [Kansas University Medical Center] researchers share anthrax discovery
“Kansas University Medical Center researchers, along with researchers from Harvard Medical School, the University of Missouri-Kansas City and William Jewell College, have made a discovery that could be used to eventually prevent anthrax infections from harming humans. Although it is known that anthrax is comprised of three proteins, the discovery specifically looks at the structure of the protective antigen pore protein, which is responsible for the delivery of toxins in human cells, according to a press release. […] This discovery could eventually lead to prevent anthrax infections from even taking place, rather than requiring a vaccine.” (Lawrence Journal-World; 15Aug08)
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/aug/15/ku_med_researchers_share_anthrax_discovery/?city_local

FBI serves warrant after Frederick County PL [Public Library] surrenders PCs in anthrax case
“Though the director of the Frederick County Public Libraries (FCPL), MD, last week acceded to the request by the FBI for two library computers without requesting a warrant, the FBI yesterday requested and got a search warrant to search those computers, which it alleged were used by Bruce Ivins, the anthrax scientist and suspect who committed suicide last week. […] While using the computers, Ivins was seen to examine e-mail accounts and look at a web site ‘dedicated to the Anthrax Investigation.’” (Library Journal; 14Aug08; Elizabeth Ferrari)
http://www.libraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=talkbackCommentsFull&talk_back_header_id=6548278&articleid=CA6585613

Hair doesn't match anthrax suspect, fuels speculation
“A hair sample taken from a Princeton, N.J., mailbox linked to the 2001 anthrax attacks does not match that of Army scientist Bruce E. Ivins, leading to speculation about whether the federal government identified the right suspect. […] ‘I think it's going to be one of the great conspiracy theories, like whether we landed on the moon or whether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone’ in assassinating President Kennedy, said Edward Lake, a retired Wisconsin computer specialist whose Web site has for years been one of the most comprehensive repositories for analysis on the anthrax case.” (Washington Post; 14Aug08; Derek Kravitz) http://voices.washingtonpost.com/washingtonpostinvestigations/2008/08/hair_doesnt_match_anthrax_susp.html

Nasal drug boosts Hep[atitis] B immunity
“Scientists at the University of Michigan and NanoBio Corp, found that a single dose of the nasal vaccine triggered a protective response in animals roughly 450 times greater than that achieved by currently approved human vaccines. The study, reported in the journal PLoS One, has critical implications for developing countries where hepatitis B presents a serious health threat, said lead author Dr James Baker Jr. [who said] ‘The same vaccine platform has also been shown to elicit significant immune responses in animal studies with influenza, anthrax, smallpox, RSV and HIV.’” (Pharmacy Europe; 15Aug08; NanoBioCorp)
http://www.pharmacyeurope.net/default.asp?title=NasaldrugboostsHepBimmunity&page=article.display&article.id=12964

Chemical scare in New Zealand PM's office
“Staff from New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark's office had to be evacuated after an envelope containing white powder was opened yesterday. […] Ambulances and fire engines were called and three office staff and a security officer were examined after the incident but none appeared to be suffering any ill effects. The powder has still not been identified.” (Radio Australia; 14Aug08)
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200808/s2334807.htm?tab=pacific

The assassination of General Mohammed Suleiman
“On August 1, 2008, Syrian general Mohammed Suleiman was gunned down on the beach near the Syrian city of Tartous. Only after five days […] Syrian officials […] reported that the general had indeed been assassinated and that an investigation was underway […] Meantime, journalists and commentators have proposed different theories regarding the identity of the assassin and the reasons for the attack. […] The various sources […] have differing agendas and therefore perforce have offered varying accounts. Western intelligence sources have posited that he was involved in the Syrian nuclear project; American intelligence sources have tied Suleiman to transfers of chemical weapons from Iraq to Syria in 2003 on the eve of the US invasion of Iraq […]” (Canadian Free Press; 15Aug08; Amir Kulick)
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/4481

US Navy charges Iraq camp guards with abuse
“Six sailors working as prison camp guards in Iraq face courts martial for abusing detainees, some of whom were sealed in a cell with pepper spray, the U.S. Navy said on Thursday. […] ‘Two detainees suffered minor abrasions as a result of the alleged assaults, eight others were confined overnight in a detainee housing unit which was sprayed with riot control agent and then the ventilation secured,’ the Navy said in a statement. […] Use of pepper spray in warfare is banned by international treaties on chemical weapons, but many governments say members of their armed forces are permitted to use it in war zones for law enforcement duties.”
(Reuters; 14Aug08; Peter Graff)
http://www.reuters.com/article/middleeastCrisis/idUSLE258216

Sister: Man found dead at Denver hotel 'not a terrorist'
“The Canadian man found dead next to a jar of cyanide in a Denver hotel room had schizophrenia, his family says, lending credence to the theory that he may have died of suicide. The FBI and haz-mat teams got involved in the incident because cyanide can be used to make chemical weapons, and the foreign national had arrived in Denver shortly before the start of the Democratic National Convention. […] Sodium chloride is an ideal ingredient for making a chemical weapon but also is found in rat poison and such things as gold-plated watches. The tell-tale odor of almonds indicated to investigators that Dirie may have died from exposure to cyanide. Investigators still want to know why so much of it — about a pound in crystal form — was found in the room.” (Rocky Mountain News; 14Aug08; Bill Scanlon)
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20080814/NEWS/422595806/1062

State won't distribute anti-nerve gas drug with gas mask kits
“Authorities will no longer include an anti-nerve gas drug in safety kits distributed in the event of a nuclear or chemical emergency, the state announced Thursday. The Defense Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command will remove injections of atropine from home safety kits that will be distributed to the public beginning in early 2009. The move is designed to cut costs of replenishing stockpiles of the kits. […] The defense ministry said that should Israel be threatened with a chemical weapons attack, the drug would be distributed to the general public via health maintenance organizations and at hand-out points throughout the country. ‘Logistically, it would be very easy,’ said a defense official. ‘We could distribute everything within two days and it would prevent the need to trouble the public by dragging it to refresher stations that also cost a lot of money.’” (Haaretz; 14Aug08; Yuval Azoulay) http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1011863.html

Kulongoski says exercise showed Oregon not prepared for terrorism
“If terrorists decided to attack Oregon today, the state wouldn't be adequately prepared. That's what Gov. Ted Kulongoski said came from an exercise called Top Officials or TOPOFF that was carried out last October. The 4th TOPOFF exercise simulated an attack on Portland with a dirty bomb that contained radioactive material. Governor Ted Kulongoski spoke Wednesday at an Anti-terrorism Conference, along with the U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and other federal and state officials. Kulongoski said the state learned a number of things from TOPOFF, perhaps most importantly, that the state's public safety communications systems are dangerously out of date.” (OPB News; 13Aug08; Christina Neuhaus) http://news.opb.org/article/2810-kulongoski-says-exercise-showed-oregon-not-prepared-terrorism/

Amplifying small molecules
“Mirkin and graduate student Hyo Jae Yoon achieved their PCR-inspired small-molecule detection system by using a supramolecular complex that recognizes acetate and catalyzes a reaction that generates more acetate. […] Under basic conditions, acetate displaces the thioethers, opening the complex and forming a cavity capable of catalyzing an acyl transfer reaction between pyridyl carbinol and acetic anhydride. The reaction is coupled to a fluorescent readout with a pH-sensitive dye. The catalyzed reaction generates more acetate, which in turn activates more catalyst in a cascade of reactions. The method's applicability is limited only by ‘the creativity of a chemist trying to design a structure to recognize a molecule of interest,’ Mirkin says. Such molecules of interest could range from chemical weapons and biological toxins to neurotransmitters and small-molecule disease markers.” (Chemical & Engineering News; 14Aug08; Celia Henry Arnaud) http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/86/i33/8633notw4.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.

Pentagon Memorial Nears Full Bloom

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

June 12, 2008 - The morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Jim Laychak sat in his Alexandria, Va., home watching televised coverage of the attacks on the World Trade towers. Then he heard his windows shake. "I said to myself, 'I bet that's the Pentagon,'" he recalled in an interview today.

Moments later, a news reporter confirmed Laychak's fears: The Defense Department headquarters -- where Laychak's father, uncle and two brothers worked -- had been hit.

When terrorist hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon that day, Laychak lost his younger brother, David. Since then, Laychak has been committed to ensuring the world does not forget his brother or the other 183 people who died in the attack -- 59 passengers and crewmembers aboard the aircraft and 125 servicemembers and civilian workers.

His vision has culminated in the Pentagon Memorial, a two-acre site near the point of impact that will contain 184 illuminated benches and lighted reflecting pools when construction wraps up this August ahead of the Sept. 11, 2008, dedication.

In a ceremony on the memorial grounds today, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England joined Laychak in helping plant one of the dozens of paperbark maple trees that will shade the cantilever benches, each of which is engraved with a victim's name.

Using a pair of silver shovels that shone bright against the sun, England and Laychak heaped dirt around the base of a paperbark today, two years after the memorial's groundbreaking.

"This is a memorial for the families, it's a memorial for everyone here at the Pentagon, and it's a memorial for everyone in America, because this will be the first memorial to really remember those that were killed on 9/11," England said.

"Every single person we lost -- here at the Pentagon especially -- was an individual, a lot of them serving their country right here, and on the airplane, people who were going about the business of freedom everyday, just traveling," he added.

Laychak, who serves as president of the Pentagon Memorial Fund, said the initial vision for the project was to build a place where families could gain peace and solace.

"I think the idea of the trees and the water kind of creates that special place for people to come ... and remember what happened that day and think about how it's changed our lives and what we're doing differently going forward," he said.

As he described the day that inspired the memorial, Laychak became choked up. "It's a day that obviously I'll never forget and one that's still with me," he said after regaining his composure. "It's tough to think about when you think about it. But we have this place now."

The branches of the tree the two men planted today reaches over a bench dedicated to Navy Electronics Technician First Class Ronald J. Hemenway.

"His parents actually made a visit here for the first time over this past Memorial Day," said Jean Barnak, the Pentagon Memorial project manager. "They came to see the park and see their son's memorial in it."

Before returning to their home in Kansas, Hemenway's family revealed to memorial staff that their son, a 37-year-old Navy Command Center staffer at the time of the attack, was one of five victims whose remains were never found.

"As a result, this place is as significant and meaningful as it is to all of the families," Barnak said, "and I think they see it as this sort of tangible place they where they can come."