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.
Showing posts with label boston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boston. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- November 21, 2008
Are we safer since 9/11? A special report investigates
“[…] A special report for Reader's Digest by ProPublica, an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest, suggests [that] despite some $48 billion in federal spending on biodefense—including a new nationwide network of research labs and a $1 billion detection system called BioWatch operating in more than 30 cities-the nation may be just as vulnerable to an attack today as it ever was. Indeed, some biodefense experts warn, we may be less safe. […] Frustrated weapons-proliferation experts complain that biodefense programs are haphazard and disorganized, […] [and] government programs have heightened the level of danger by vastly increasing the number of researchers and labs authorized to handle deadly substances. […] Brian Finlay, a senior associate at the Henry L. Stimson Center, a nonpartisan think tank, puts it bluntly: ‘There's no question that the proliferation of bioresearch is leaving us less secure by the day.’” (Reader’s Digest; 20Nov08; Marcus Stern & Adam Piore) http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/are-we-safer-since-911-a-special-report-investigates/article106961.html
Georgia launches disaster mental health web site
“The Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) is proud to launch a new web site that addresses the effects that natural and man-made disasters can have on citizens’ mental and behavioral health. The Disaster Mental Health web site georgiadisaster.info contains information, recommendations and guidance on how to handle personal and community crisis situations, as well as how to bounce back from a crisis. The web site was developed by the University of West Georgia in collaboration with DHR’s Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases (MHDDAD) and the Division of Public Health (PH) using federal funds from the Bioterrorism Health Community Preparedness Program.” (Emax Health; 21Nov08; Source: Georgia Department of Human Resources) http://www.emaxhealth.com/2/7/26784/georgia-launches-disaster-mental-health-web-site.html
Boston [MA] launches flu shot tracking
“Using technology originally developed for mass disasters, Boston disease trackers are […] creating a citywide registry of everyone who has had a flu vaccination. The resulting vaccination map would allow swift intervention in neighborhoods left vulnerable to the fast-moving respiratory illness. Infectious disease specialists in Boston and elsewhere predicted that the registry approach could prove even more useful if something more sinister strikes: a bioterrorism attack or the long-feared arrival of a global flu epidemic. In such crises, the registry could be used to track who received a special vaccine or antidote to a deadly germ.” (Boston Globe; 21Nov08; Stephen Smith) http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/11/21/boston_launches_flu_shot_tracking/
Md. lawmakers consider anthrax investigation commission “
U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings’ Washington, D.C., office was shuttered in 2001 after anthrax spores were found, so he’s ‘very sensitive’ to the investigation into the crime, he said. Now, Cummings said he supports a review of the investigation. U.S. Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., proposed legislation in September to create a congressional commission to investigate the attacks and the federal government’s response. ‘Whatever we have to do to get to the bottom of this anthrax issue, we need to do it,’ Cummings said. Holt’s bipartisan commission would mirror the 9/11 commission and make recommendations on how to prevent such attacks and respond to future bioterrorism threats.” (Boston Examiner; 21Nov08; Sara Michael)
http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/local/112108emsANTHRAX.html
In disaster drill, King County [WA] tries out temporary hospital
“Seattle & King County and dozens of local groups turned an exhibition hall at Seattle Center into an emergency health-care center. […] The Seattle Center Exhibition Hall — along with the adjacent opera house at McCaw Hall — can hold 250 cots. The site is equipped to provide portable oxygen and IV drips, among other services. That's a fraction of the almost 60,000 King County residents who might have to be hospitalized during a severe influenza pandemic. […] If the virus behind the epidemic of bird flu in Asia and Europe becomes easily transmittable among humans, caring for infected or exposed persons largely ‘will be up to their families,’ said Michael Loehr, manager of emergency preparedness for Public Health.” (Seattle Times; 19Nov08; Kyung M. Song)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008408399_emergency19m.html
[General Electric] Global Research to create ‘biotic man’ [NY]
“GE [General Electric] Global Research scientists will spend the next two years making a ‘biotic man’ for the U.S. military, which would deploy the technology to counter biological warfare attacks. […] The technology will also show how those agents respond to new antibiotic and antiviral drug therapies. […] GE will adapt its Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic software tool, which Niskayuna scientists developed in 2005, for the Defense Department’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency. That medical software creates computational models that show a drug’s response in the body before clinical trials. The modified software will be part of the Defense Department’s Transformational Medical Technologies Initiative.” (Daily Gazette; 21Nov08)
http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2008/nov/21/1121_biotic/
PharmAthene [MD] signs deal with Israeli firm to market biodefense drugs
“PharmAthene Inc. has signed a deal with Medison Pharma Ltd. to commercialize its biodefense drugs in Israel. […] PharmAthene will handle manufacturing of the vaccines and treatments, developed to guard against bioterrorism — a threat to Israeli citizens even before the deaths from anthrax exposure that were seen in the U.S. in the days after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. PharmAthene CEO David P. Wright said in a statement the deal with Medison Pharma underscores ‘the importance of procuring next-generation biodefense products to protect [Israel’s] military and civilian populations from the threat of biological and chemical warfare.’” (Bizjournals.com; 19Nov08; Robert J. Terry; Source: Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/11/17/daily37.html?brthrs=1
Concerns about chemicals [CA]
“The Transportation Security Administration last week announced new regulations it said would make rail shipments of sensitive chemicals more secure, thereby reducing the risk of toxic gas releases. The new rules will establish protocols to handle and transfer materials such as chlorine and anhydrous ammonia. And this week the Center for American Progress, which describes itself as a nonpartisan research institute, released a report […] [which] contends that the threat of a terrorist attack on one of these plants can be substantially reduced by requiring them to convert to different kinds of chemicals or more secure processes. Nine such plants are identified in California […]. The report says that more than 4.5million people would be in the ‘vulnerability zone’ in a worst-case toxic chemical release.” (Los Angeles Daily Breeze Editorial; 19Nov08)
http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_11026854
OPCW [Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons] Director-General addresses the Peace and Security Council of the African Union
“The OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, visited Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 19 November 2008 to address the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) on the status of implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the work of the OPCW, and to meet with senior AU officials. In the address to the PSC, Director-General Pfirter expressed deep appreciation for Africa’s strong support for the CWC and his gratitude to African States Parties for their active contribution in advancing the goals of the Convention. Underlining the strong relationship between the OPCW and African countries, he reiterated the commitment of the OPCW to further strengthen cooperation with the AU.”
http://www.opcw.org/news/news/article/opcw-director-general-addresses-the-peace-and-security-council-of-the-african-union-and-meets-the-ch/
United States [NNSA] joins NATO at nuclear emergency response workshop
“The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) supported an international nuclear emergency response workshop that ended today in Brussels, Belgium. More than 60 representatives from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), NATO member countries, the European Union, the United States and the former Soviet Union participated. ‘This workshop shows that the world is united in its efforts to combat nuclear terrorism,’ said Joseph Krol, NNSA associate administrator for emergency operations at the exercise.” (National Nuclear Security Administration; 20Nov08)
http://www.nnsa.energy.gov/news/2211.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.
“[…] A special report for Reader's Digest by ProPublica, an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest, suggests [that] despite some $48 billion in federal spending on biodefense—including a new nationwide network of research labs and a $1 billion detection system called BioWatch operating in more than 30 cities-the nation may be just as vulnerable to an attack today as it ever was. Indeed, some biodefense experts warn, we may be less safe. […] Frustrated weapons-proliferation experts complain that biodefense programs are haphazard and disorganized, […] [and] government programs have heightened the level of danger by vastly increasing the number of researchers and labs authorized to handle deadly substances. […] Brian Finlay, a senior associate at the Henry L. Stimson Center, a nonpartisan think tank, puts it bluntly: ‘There's no question that the proliferation of bioresearch is leaving us less secure by the day.’” (Reader’s Digest; 20Nov08; Marcus Stern & Adam Piore) http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/are-we-safer-since-911-a-special-report-investigates/article106961.html
Georgia launches disaster mental health web site
“The Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) is proud to launch a new web site that addresses the effects that natural and man-made disasters can have on citizens’ mental and behavioral health. The Disaster Mental Health web site georgiadisaster.info contains information, recommendations and guidance on how to handle personal and community crisis situations, as well as how to bounce back from a crisis. The web site was developed by the University of West Georgia in collaboration with DHR’s Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases (MHDDAD) and the Division of Public Health (PH) using federal funds from the Bioterrorism Health Community Preparedness Program.” (Emax Health; 21Nov08; Source: Georgia Department of Human Resources) http://www.emaxhealth.com/2/7/26784/georgia-launches-disaster-mental-health-web-site.html
Boston [MA] launches flu shot tracking
“Using technology originally developed for mass disasters, Boston disease trackers are […] creating a citywide registry of everyone who has had a flu vaccination. The resulting vaccination map would allow swift intervention in neighborhoods left vulnerable to the fast-moving respiratory illness. Infectious disease specialists in Boston and elsewhere predicted that the registry approach could prove even more useful if something more sinister strikes: a bioterrorism attack or the long-feared arrival of a global flu epidemic. In such crises, the registry could be used to track who received a special vaccine or antidote to a deadly germ.” (Boston Globe; 21Nov08; Stephen Smith) http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/11/21/boston_launches_flu_shot_tracking/
Md. lawmakers consider anthrax investigation commission “
U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings’ Washington, D.C., office was shuttered in 2001 after anthrax spores were found, so he’s ‘very sensitive’ to the investigation into the crime, he said. Now, Cummings said he supports a review of the investigation. U.S. Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., proposed legislation in September to create a congressional commission to investigate the attacks and the federal government’s response. ‘Whatever we have to do to get to the bottom of this anthrax issue, we need to do it,’ Cummings said. Holt’s bipartisan commission would mirror the 9/11 commission and make recommendations on how to prevent such attacks and respond to future bioterrorism threats.” (Boston Examiner; 21Nov08; Sara Michael)
http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/local/112108emsANTHRAX.html
In disaster drill, King County [WA] tries out temporary hospital
“Seattle & King County and dozens of local groups turned an exhibition hall at Seattle Center into an emergency health-care center. […] The Seattle Center Exhibition Hall — along with the adjacent opera house at McCaw Hall — can hold 250 cots. The site is equipped to provide portable oxygen and IV drips, among other services. That's a fraction of the almost 60,000 King County residents who might have to be hospitalized during a severe influenza pandemic. […] If the virus behind the epidemic of bird flu in Asia and Europe becomes easily transmittable among humans, caring for infected or exposed persons largely ‘will be up to their families,’ said Michael Loehr, manager of emergency preparedness for Public Health.” (Seattle Times; 19Nov08; Kyung M. Song)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008408399_emergency19m.html
[General Electric] Global Research to create ‘biotic man’ [NY]
“GE [General Electric] Global Research scientists will spend the next two years making a ‘biotic man’ for the U.S. military, which would deploy the technology to counter biological warfare attacks. […] The technology will also show how those agents respond to new antibiotic and antiviral drug therapies. […] GE will adapt its Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic software tool, which Niskayuna scientists developed in 2005, for the Defense Department’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency. That medical software creates computational models that show a drug’s response in the body before clinical trials. The modified software will be part of the Defense Department’s Transformational Medical Technologies Initiative.” (Daily Gazette; 21Nov08)
http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2008/nov/21/1121_biotic/
PharmAthene [MD] signs deal with Israeli firm to market biodefense drugs
“PharmAthene Inc. has signed a deal with Medison Pharma Ltd. to commercialize its biodefense drugs in Israel. […] PharmAthene will handle manufacturing of the vaccines and treatments, developed to guard against bioterrorism — a threat to Israeli citizens even before the deaths from anthrax exposure that were seen in the U.S. in the days after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. PharmAthene CEO David P. Wright said in a statement the deal with Medison Pharma underscores ‘the importance of procuring next-generation biodefense products to protect [Israel’s] military and civilian populations from the threat of biological and chemical warfare.’” (Bizjournals.com; 19Nov08; Robert J. Terry; Source: Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/11/17/daily37.html?brthrs=1
Concerns about chemicals [CA]
“The Transportation Security Administration last week announced new regulations it said would make rail shipments of sensitive chemicals more secure, thereby reducing the risk of toxic gas releases. The new rules will establish protocols to handle and transfer materials such as chlorine and anhydrous ammonia. And this week the Center for American Progress, which describes itself as a nonpartisan research institute, released a report […] [which] contends that the threat of a terrorist attack on one of these plants can be substantially reduced by requiring them to convert to different kinds of chemicals or more secure processes. Nine such plants are identified in California […]. The report says that more than 4.5million people would be in the ‘vulnerability zone’ in a worst-case toxic chemical release.” (Los Angeles Daily Breeze Editorial; 19Nov08)
http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_11026854
OPCW [Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons] Director-General addresses the Peace and Security Council of the African Union
“The OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, visited Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 19 November 2008 to address the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) on the status of implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the work of the OPCW, and to meet with senior AU officials. In the address to the PSC, Director-General Pfirter expressed deep appreciation for Africa’s strong support for the CWC and his gratitude to African States Parties for their active contribution in advancing the goals of the Convention. Underlining the strong relationship between the OPCW and African countries, he reiterated the commitment of the OPCW to further strengthen cooperation with the AU.”
http://www.opcw.org/news/news/article/opcw-director-general-addresses-the-peace-and-security-council-of-the-african-union-and-meets-the-ch/
United States [NNSA] joins NATO at nuclear emergency response workshop
“The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) supported an international nuclear emergency response workshop that ended today in Brussels, Belgium. More than 60 representatives from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), NATO member countries, the European Union, the United States and the former Soviet Union participated. ‘This workshop shows that the world is united in its efforts to combat nuclear terrorism,’ said Joseph Krol, NNSA associate administrator for emergency operations at the exercise.” (National Nuclear Security Administration; 20Nov08)
http://www.nnsa.energy.gov/news/2211.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.
Monday, October 20, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- October 20, 2008
CIA’s loss of top spies ‘catastrophic,’ says agency veteran
“Only a few months ago, Sam Faddis was running a CIA unit charged with preventing terrorists from getting nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Today, only 50, the equivalent of a full colonel at the top of his game, he has quit. […] The [CIA Operations] directorate is losing ‘25 or 30 chiefs of station’ — the top CIA representative in a country or major city — ‘or their equivalent’ at headquarters, every six months, Faddis estimates. That’s out of an estimated thousand or fewer case officers — the men and women who recruit and manage spies — worldwide. ‘The effect in any time in history would be serious,’ Faddis says, ‘but at this time, when you’re trying to rebuild the agency from the cutbacks of the Clinton years, massively trying to catch up, at a time when you really need your most experienced people to run operations and mentor the new blood coming in, it’s catastrophic.’” (CQ Politics; 17Oct08; Jeff Stein)
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=hsnews-000002976430&parm1=2&cpage=1
At [Boston University] biolab forum, divides remain deep
“They announced the project in 2003, and BU scientists and officials had initially hoped to be studying the world's deadliest germs at the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories at Boston University Medical Center by now. […] [But] after local activists and public interest groups filed a lawsuit in 2006, a federal judge found the original environmental study for the lab to be inadequate, and the state required BU to address the study's shortcomings [at a public meeting]. […] While the crowd of more than 300 shouted down panel members at several points, panel members grew frustrated that some in the community don't believe biological weapons won't be created at the lab. Panel chairman Adel Mahmoud of Princeton University reiterated that BU will not work on government classified projects there and that the development of biological weapons is unlawful. The lab's purpose ‘is to reduce damage of biological threats, or better yet, prevent them,’ he said. ‘I really, really plead with you to try to appreciate the definition of the two, because if we continue the same six years of debate we are not going to get anywhere.’” (Boston Globe; 19Oct08; Justin A. Rice) http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/10/19/at_biolab_forum_divides_remain_deep?mode=PF
Tamil Tigers launch gas attack [Sri Lanka]
“Troops and Tamil Tiger rebels were locked in intense fighting in northern Sri Lanka yesterday after government forces smashed through the ‘last major defences’ of the guerrillas, the military said. The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) launched ‘poisonous gas attacks’ to blunt the military offensive aimed at capturing the rebels' political capital of Kilinochchi, the defence ministry said in a statement. […] [The statement] said the Tigers ‘launched poisonous gas attacks’ on the troops. military sources said that the Tigers had used a type of tear gas commonly used during riot control. ‘However, troops withstood the chemical attack and beat off the terrorists,’ the ministry said.” (The Daily Star; 20Oct08; Source: AFP) http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=59520
Oil drilling could disrupt chemical weapons off N.J. coast
“The U.S. Army has admitted to dumping 64 million pounds of chemical weapons into U.S. waters from World War One until the early 1970s. Last month, Congress voted to open waters off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to oil and gas drilling - but only 50 or more miles out to sea and only if a state agrees to energy exploration off its shore. Beyond 100 miles, no state approval would be required. […] Chemical agents such as mustard gas, sarin gas, arsenic, cyanide and VX nerve gas were all dumped off the Atlantic Coast, raising questions about safety and the volatility of weapons in those dumpsites.” (The Press of Atlantic City; 19Oct08; Donna Weaver)
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/184/v-print/story/289801.html
Anti-chemical bond [anti-chemical warfare system]
“UK terahertz technology specialist TeraView will play a key role in US government-backed plans for a new anti-chemical warfare system. Cambridge-based TeraView said it will supply its continuous wave (CW) terahertz detection platform to a chemical agent detection system being developed by US engineering giant Goodrich. The Goodrich system is a high-resolution spectrometer designed to identify chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals.” (The Engineer Online; 20Oct08) http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/308446/Anti-chemical+bond.htm
Alta. [Alberta, Canada] 'prime location' for terrorists: experts
“Oil-and-gas rich Alberta has become a ‘prime location’ for terrorists looking to capitalize on shaky economic times in Canada and the United States, terrorism experts said at a national conference for emergency officials in Calgary during the weekend. ‘While Alberta might not be a first choice for mass-casualty attack terrorism, […] it certainly is a prime location for economic terrorism, because of the ability to disrupt the oil and gas industry,’ Mercedes Stephenson, a Calgary-based defence and security analyst, told reporters. Stephenson was speaking at a conference hosted for emergency first responders to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive incidents. Her remarks come as the security of energy infrastructure is under scrutiny after two B.C.
[British Columbia] pipeline explosions last week.” (Calgary Herald; 20Oct08; Jamie Konarnicki) http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/national/story.html?id=7cfeec19-d5f2-415d-beba-761a5c94f70b
Arms convention course begins [Qatar]
“Qatar's Chief of Staff Major General H E Hamad bin Ali Al Attiyah opened a basic course for personnel of the National Authorities in Asia involved in the national implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) at the [Doha] Intercontinental Hotel yesterday. The opening ceremony was attended by members of the National Committee on the Prohibition of Arms (NCPA), Qatar Armed Force's top officers and the regional delegations. The five-day conference, being organised jointly by Qatar and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), aims to assist States Parties in the region to effectively comply with their obligations under the Convention, and is designed to increase national capacities for fulfilling the objectives set out in the Article VII action plan.” (The Peninsula; 20Oct08; Mohamed Saeed) http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=October2008&file=Local_News2008102011416.xml
Spain holds exercise to hone response to nuclear attack threat
“Spanish security services on Wednesday began staging a large-scale field exercise as part of a US-backed programme to prevent the use of radioactive materials by terrorists. More than 250 representatives from 17 nations are taking part in the three-day exercise, which includes the mock deactivation of a radioactive ‘dirty bomb’ and search for radioactive material, the interior ministry said in a statement. The goal is to ‘prepare to prevent a terrorist attack with nuclear or radioactive material by intervening and neutralising it, and protect the civilian population if needed.’ The exercise is being held at a police training centre in Avila, some 150 kilometres (90 miles) west of Madrid. It is part of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear terrorism which was launched by US President George W. Bush and then Russian President Vladimir Putin at a G8 summit in July 2006.” (Space Wars; 15Oct08; Source: AFP)
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Spain_holds_exercise_to_hone_response_to_nuclear_attack_threat_999.html
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
The Biodefense Program in the Department of Public & International Affairs at George Mason University presents an evening with Major General Stephen V. Reeves, Joint Program Executive Officer for Chemical & Biological Defense, Department of Defense
"The Future of Chemical & Biological Defense"
Thursday, October 23rd
5:30pm-7:00pm
Mason Hall D3 A&B
Fairfax Campus
George Mason University
Please consult the following Website for directions and a map to GMU's Fairfax campus: http://www.gmu.edu/welcome/Directions-to-GMU.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.
“Only a few months ago, Sam Faddis was running a CIA unit charged with preventing terrorists from getting nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Today, only 50, the equivalent of a full colonel at the top of his game, he has quit. […] The [CIA Operations] directorate is losing ‘25 or 30 chiefs of station’ — the top CIA representative in a country or major city — ‘or their equivalent’ at headquarters, every six months, Faddis estimates. That’s out of an estimated thousand or fewer case officers — the men and women who recruit and manage spies — worldwide. ‘The effect in any time in history would be serious,’ Faddis says, ‘but at this time, when you’re trying to rebuild the agency from the cutbacks of the Clinton years, massively trying to catch up, at a time when you really need your most experienced people to run operations and mentor the new blood coming in, it’s catastrophic.’” (CQ Politics; 17Oct08; Jeff Stein)
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=hsnews-000002976430&parm1=2&cpage=1
At [Boston University] biolab forum, divides remain deep
“They announced the project in 2003, and BU scientists and officials had initially hoped to be studying the world's deadliest germs at the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories at Boston University Medical Center by now. […] [But] after local activists and public interest groups filed a lawsuit in 2006, a federal judge found the original environmental study for the lab to be inadequate, and the state required BU to address the study's shortcomings [at a public meeting]. […] While the crowd of more than 300 shouted down panel members at several points, panel members grew frustrated that some in the community don't believe biological weapons won't be created at the lab. Panel chairman Adel Mahmoud of Princeton University reiterated that BU will not work on government classified projects there and that the development of biological weapons is unlawful. The lab's purpose ‘is to reduce damage of biological threats, or better yet, prevent them,’ he said. ‘I really, really plead with you to try to appreciate the definition of the two, because if we continue the same six years of debate we are not going to get anywhere.’” (Boston Globe; 19Oct08; Justin A. Rice) http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/10/19/at_biolab_forum_divides_remain_deep?mode=PF
Tamil Tigers launch gas attack [Sri Lanka]
“Troops and Tamil Tiger rebels were locked in intense fighting in northern Sri Lanka yesterday after government forces smashed through the ‘last major defences’ of the guerrillas, the military said. The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) launched ‘poisonous gas attacks’ to blunt the military offensive aimed at capturing the rebels' political capital of Kilinochchi, the defence ministry said in a statement. […] [The statement] said the Tigers ‘launched poisonous gas attacks’ on the troops. military sources said that the Tigers had used a type of tear gas commonly used during riot control. ‘However, troops withstood the chemical attack and beat off the terrorists,’ the ministry said.” (The Daily Star; 20Oct08; Source: AFP) http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=59520
Oil drilling could disrupt chemical weapons off N.J. coast
“The U.S. Army has admitted to dumping 64 million pounds of chemical weapons into U.S. waters from World War One until the early 1970s. Last month, Congress voted to open waters off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to oil and gas drilling - but only 50 or more miles out to sea and only if a state agrees to energy exploration off its shore. Beyond 100 miles, no state approval would be required. […] Chemical agents such as mustard gas, sarin gas, arsenic, cyanide and VX nerve gas were all dumped off the Atlantic Coast, raising questions about safety and the volatility of weapons in those dumpsites.” (The Press of Atlantic City; 19Oct08; Donna Weaver)
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/184/v-print/story/289801.html
Anti-chemical bond [anti-chemical warfare system]
“UK terahertz technology specialist TeraView will play a key role in US government-backed plans for a new anti-chemical warfare system. Cambridge-based TeraView said it will supply its continuous wave (CW) terahertz detection platform to a chemical agent detection system being developed by US engineering giant Goodrich. The Goodrich system is a high-resolution spectrometer designed to identify chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals.” (The Engineer Online; 20Oct08) http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/308446/Anti-chemical+bond.htm
Alta. [Alberta, Canada] 'prime location' for terrorists: experts
“Oil-and-gas rich Alberta has become a ‘prime location’ for terrorists looking to capitalize on shaky economic times in Canada and the United States, terrorism experts said at a national conference for emergency officials in Calgary during the weekend. ‘While Alberta might not be a first choice for mass-casualty attack terrorism, […] it certainly is a prime location for economic terrorism, because of the ability to disrupt the oil and gas industry,’ Mercedes Stephenson, a Calgary-based defence and security analyst, told reporters. Stephenson was speaking at a conference hosted for emergency first responders to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive incidents. Her remarks come as the security of energy infrastructure is under scrutiny after two B.C.
[British Columbia] pipeline explosions last week.” (Calgary Herald; 20Oct08; Jamie Konarnicki) http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/national/story.html?id=7cfeec19-d5f2-415d-beba-761a5c94f70b
Arms convention course begins [Qatar]
“Qatar's Chief of Staff Major General H E Hamad bin Ali Al Attiyah opened a basic course for personnel of the National Authorities in Asia involved in the national implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) at the [Doha] Intercontinental Hotel yesterday. The opening ceremony was attended by members of the National Committee on the Prohibition of Arms (NCPA), Qatar Armed Force's top officers and the regional delegations. The five-day conference, being organised jointly by Qatar and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), aims to assist States Parties in the region to effectively comply with their obligations under the Convention, and is designed to increase national capacities for fulfilling the objectives set out in the Article VII action plan.” (The Peninsula; 20Oct08; Mohamed Saeed) http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=October2008&file=Local_News2008102011416.xml
Spain holds exercise to hone response to nuclear attack threat
“Spanish security services on Wednesday began staging a large-scale field exercise as part of a US-backed programme to prevent the use of radioactive materials by terrorists. More than 250 representatives from 17 nations are taking part in the three-day exercise, which includes the mock deactivation of a radioactive ‘dirty bomb’ and search for radioactive material, the interior ministry said in a statement. The goal is to ‘prepare to prevent a terrorist attack with nuclear or radioactive material by intervening and neutralising it, and protect the civilian population if needed.’ The exercise is being held at a police training centre in Avila, some 150 kilometres (90 miles) west of Madrid. It is part of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear terrorism which was launched by US President George W. Bush and then Russian President Vladimir Putin at a G8 summit in July 2006.” (Space Wars; 15Oct08; Source: AFP)
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Spain_holds_exercise_to_hone_response_to_nuclear_attack_threat_999.html
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
The Biodefense Program in the Department of Public & International Affairs at George Mason University presents an evening with Major General Stephen V. Reeves, Joint Program Executive Officer for Chemical & Biological Defense, Department of Defense
"The Future of Chemical & Biological Defense"
Thursday, October 23rd
5:30pm-7:00pm
Mason Hall D3 A&B
Fairfax Campus
George Mason University
Please consult the following Website for directions and a map to GMU's Fairfax campus: http://www.gmu.edu/welcome/Directions-to-GMU.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.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Amenities Give Soldiers Home Away From Home in Iraq
By Army Sgt. Rodney Foliente
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 30, 2008 - Although most would rather be at home, soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team here are enjoying the comforts and amenities of life at their temporary home away from home. Warhorse soldiers from 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment; Company C of the 204th Brigade Support Battalion; and the 2nd Brigade Combat Team Special Troops Battalion are based here.
"This is going to be my new home for the deployment, and it's better here than I thought," said Army Spc. Chau Nguyen, an automated logistics specialist with the special troops battalion's Headquarters and Headquarters Company.
Nguyen, who calls Boston home, said the comforts available here help the soldiers deal with being away from home.
Although the camp offers fewer amenities and on a smaller scale than most previously deployed soldiers experienced on their last tour, Camp Echo boasts more features than the Warhorse soldiers expected.
"We'll work as hard as we can to improve the quality of life here. We're at the initial phase right now, but there will be significant changes within the next six months or so," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Erin Langes, Camp Echo mayor, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
Soldiers have access to free laundry services, a free Internet cafe, a phone center, a convenience store, a coffee shop, a movie theater, a Morale, Welfare and Recreation center and a gym. Brigade officials plan to expand the MWR and gym facilities and add more equipment, enlarge the Internet café, phone centers and laundry facility and add a convenience store with concession stands.
Soldiers here live in or are moving into containerized housing units with beds, electricity and air conditioners, though most arrived expecting to live in tents for quite a while. Brigade officials are working on establishing wireless Internet availability at the housing units as well.
Hungry soldiers can fill up at the dining facility, with food available 24 hours a day.
The food is good, with a wide variety of choices available, said Army Spc. Kenneth Hill, a medic with the brigade personal security detachment team, as he played a game of billiards. Hill comes from Columbus, Ga.
"The living conditions are pretty comfortable, and everybody says the quality of life will get better," said Army Sgt. Leif Wood, a senior radar operator with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, attached to 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment.
He'd rather be home, he said, but overall there isn't much to complain about here.
"I think the family members back home should know that we're doing fine and trying to have a good time," said the Colorado Springs, Colo., resident. "They've got things you can do on your off time, and that keeps the morale up."
(Army Sgt. Rodney Foliente serves in the 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 30, 2008 - Although most would rather be at home, soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team here are enjoying the comforts and amenities of life at their temporary home away from home. Warhorse soldiers from 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment; Company C of the 204th Brigade Support Battalion; and the 2nd Brigade Combat Team Special Troops Battalion are based here.
"This is going to be my new home for the deployment, and it's better here than I thought," said Army Spc. Chau Nguyen, an automated logistics specialist with the special troops battalion's Headquarters and Headquarters Company.
Nguyen, who calls Boston home, said the comforts available here help the soldiers deal with being away from home.
Although the camp offers fewer amenities and on a smaller scale than most previously deployed soldiers experienced on their last tour, Camp Echo boasts more features than the Warhorse soldiers expected.
"We'll work as hard as we can to improve the quality of life here. We're at the initial phase right now, but there will be significant changes within the next six months or so," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Erin Langes, Camp Echo mayor, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
Soldiers have access to free laundry services, a free Internet cafe, a phone center, a convenience store, a coffee shop, a movie theater, a Morale, Welfare and Recreation center and a gym. Brigade officials plan to expand the MWR and gym facilities and add more equipment, enlarge the Internet café, phone centers and laundry facility and add a convenience store with concession stands.
Soldiers here live in or are moving into containerized housing units with beds, electricity and air conditioners, though most arrived expecting to live in tents for quite a while. Brigade officials are working on establishing wireless Internet availability at the housing units as well.
Hungry soldiers can fill up at the dining facility, with food available 24 hours a day.
The food is good, with a wide variety of choices available, said Army Spc. Kenneth Hill, a medic with the brigade personal security detachment team, as he played a game of billiards. Hill comes from Columbus, Ga.
"The living conditions are pretty comfortable, and everybody says the quality of life will get better," said Army Sgt. Leif Wood, a senior radar operator with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, attached to 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment.
He'd rather be home, he said, but overall there isn't much to complain about here.
"I think the family members back home should know that we're doing fine and trying to have a good time," said the Colorado Springs, Colo., resident. "They've got things you can do on your off time, and that keeps the morale up."
(Army Sgt. Rodney Foliente serves in the 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- August 13, 2008
Special report: War has always been a dirty 'biological' battle
“The earliest known application goes as far back as 600BC, when Assyrians poisoned enemy wells with Ergot. In 400BC, Scythian archers used to dip their arrows into a mixture of blood and manure. […] It comes therefore as little surprise that the English word ‘toxin’ is derived from the Greek word ‘toxikon’, meaning ‘arrow’. The ancient Roman and Greek armies threw dead bodies into the wells of their enemies to compromise their water supply. […] An enduring problem is that they are difficult to eradicate afterward; Gruinard Island, for example, is still heavily contaminated despite repeated attempts to clean it up. Nevertheless, after four millennia there is persistent interest in their application. They have developed from arrows to catapults to long-range missiles. Prohibitions placed upon their use have not hindered their development. We should be in no doubt that we will see them used again in conflicts around the world.”
(Irish Medical News; 11Aug08; Robert O'Sullivan) http://www.imt.ie/news/2008/08/war_has_always_been_a_dirty_bi.html
Man [Thomas Tholen] Pleads Guilty In Ricin Case
“A Utah man has pleaded guilty to charges he knew his cousin was making the deadly toxin ricin, but did not tell authorities. The ‘Salt Lake Tribune’ says 54-year-old Thomas Tholen pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges of knowing a biological agent had been illegally produced, and a count of making an untruthful statement to hide the fact. Tholen faces up to three years in prison and a 250-thousand-dollar fine when he's sentenced October 22nd. Federal prosecutors charge Tholen knew his cousin, Roger Bergendorff, was making ricin while he was staying in the basement of Tholen's Utah home.” (KXNT; 12Aug08)
http://www.kxnt.com/Man-Pleads-Guilty-In-Ricin-Case/2770488
Homeland Security rates possible sites for biolab; Manhattan among finalists
“The Homeland Security Department gave evaluation scores for 17 sites that were competing for a new laboratory to study human and animal diseases, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press. The scores from the five finalist locations are: 1. Granville County, N.C., 94[.] 2. San Antonio, 91[.] 3. Manhattan, Kan. 91[.] 4. Athens, Ga. 90[.] 5. Flora, Miss., 81.” (Topeka Capital Journal; 12Aug08) http://cjonline.com/stories/081208/kan_317613314.shtml
Advanced Life Sciences Awarded U.S. Department of Defense Biodefense Contract Valued at up to $3.8 Million
“Advanced Life Sciences Holdings […] today announced that the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) of the U.S. Department of Defense has awarded the Company a two-year contract worth up to $3.8 million to further study cethromycin as a potential broad-spectrum medical countermeasure.” (PR Newswire; 13Aug08) http://sev.prnewswire.com/health-care-hospitals/20080813/AQW04813082008-1.html
Better check on bio-labs
“The FBI spent $10 million on new genome technology to link the anthrax used in the mailings to the Fort Detrick biological weapons lab, where Ivins worked. That technology is good to have because of the complicated world we live in and the potential danger and hysteria that a mentally unstable worker with access to biological weapons could cause in our society. We also need tighter security at government labs.” (Muskogee Phoenix; 12Aug08) http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/opinion/local_story_225163332.html
[Boston University] BU wants to start training at biolab
“Boston University has asked the city for permission to start conducting training exercises at a laboratory being built to study some of the world's most dangerous germs. Construction of the $198 million National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories in the South End is scheduled to end this summer. But actual research into Ebola, plague, anthrax and other deadly biological agents is not expected to start until next year.”
(Nashua Telegraph; 13Aug08)
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/NEWS02/566266684/-1/news
Universal Detection technology Receives Purchase Order for Anthrax Detection Equipment from the State of Hawaii Emergency Medical Services
“Universal Detection technology (www.udetection.com) (OTCBB: UNDT), a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter-terrorism consulting and training services, reported today that it has received a purchase order from the state of Hawaii Emergency Medical Services for its handheld bio-detection equipment. The purchase order is for handheld devices that test for Anthrax, Ricin Toxin, Botulinum Toxin, Y. Pestis (Plague), and Staphylococcal Entertoxin B (SEB).” (Trading Markets; 12Aug08) http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1821871/
PanThera awarded $5.1M contract: the STI Industries subsidiary will develop an anti-anthrax drug
“PanThera Biopharma said yesterday it has won a $5.1 million contract for bioterrorism research. The Honolulu-based subsidiary of technology company STI Industries has been awarded a five-year contract from the National Institutes of Health, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to develop a therapeutic drug for weaponized anthrax exposure.”
(Star Bulletin; 12Aug08; Jennifer Sudick) http://starbulletin.com/2008/08/12/business/story03.html
What if the FBI is Right, about Bruce Ivins? [Editorial]
“If the FBI theory on the man responsible for the anthrax attacks of 2001 is correct, then the threat of bioterrorism is far more troubling than we have imagined. […] ‘If the Unabomber had been a biologist instead of a mathematician, could he have produced a sophisticated bioweapon?’ The answer has always been ‘No: That would require a team of individuals.’ However, if the FBI is right about Ivins, such a lone individual can produce such a weapon.” (Wall Street Journal; 12Aug08; Randall Larsen) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121850430521931913.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Our own worst bioenemy [Editorial]
“According to the CDC, infections caused by methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, kill 19,000 people a year. […] Only one of 40 staph toxins is on the priority list. There's another problem created by the priority-pathogens list. The ballooning of the biodefense program, according to Ebright, means that about 14,000 individuals are now considered qualified to work with priority pathogens. It hasn't always been easy to find qualified people for this research. In the days when the FBI was pursuing former ‘person of interest’ -- and now exonerated -- Steven J. Hatfill, one senior government scientist said of Hatfill's background, ‘You take what you can get -- not many people with his abilities show up very often.’ So where do 14,000 suddenly qualified biodefense experts come from? ‘[…] that's many more possibilities of another bizarre individual doing illicit work.’” (Los Angeles Times; 13Aug08; Wendy Orent) http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-orent13-2008aug13,0,1045104.story
Laser Energetics Successfully Completes Defense Contract With ITT
“Laser Energetics […] announced today that the Company has successfully completed the Proof-of-Concept contract worth $481,268 with ITT Corporation […] This contract supports the U.S. Army's initiative to develop an all solid-state laser for the next generation of chemical warfare agent sensor. This contract provided LEI the opportunity to design and demonstrate a high power all solid state Alexandrite pumping concept which is now part of the Laser Energetics' BrightStar(TM) product line.”
(Sun Herald; 12Aug08)
http://www.sunherald.com/prnewswire/story/743071.html
Smiths Detection and Torion Technologies Partner to Develop Highly Portable, Advanced Military & Emergency Response Chemical Threat Assessment technology “The use of Torion's proprietary toroidal technology (developed for its GUARDION-7(TM)) allows a well-established analytical technology, GC-MS (gas chromatography mass spectroscopy), to be used in a lighter and faster way than ever before. The unique size and weight of the new instrument do not compromise its ability to achieve the same high accuracy, sensitivity and selectivity of standard GC-MS technology.This technology is designed to identify a variety of substances such as Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs), Volatile and Semi Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs & SVOCs) in air and liquid samples.” (Centre Dailty; 12Aug08; David Olsen) http://www.centredaily.com/business/technology/story/771525.html
Former Sri Lankan rebel commander says LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] may use chemical weapons as last resort
“Former leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Eastern Province and the current leader of the political party TMVP, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman yesterday said that Military defeat is inevitable for the LTTE as it does not have a proper commander. […] During the briefing, he also warned that the Tigers may use chemical weapons as their last resort. He confirmed that the Tigers have the weapons but said he was not aware about the exact substance used. He confidently said that Prabhakaran would choose to use the chemical weapons as the last measure to avoid defeat.” (Sri Lankan Colombo Page; 12Aug08) http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/August12171914JR.html
Bizarre Death of the Man Who Talked Too Much [Book Review]
“In ‘The Terminal Spy’ Alan S. Cowell, a veteran foreign correspondent for The New York Times, gives an absorbing account of Mr. Litvinenko’s life and bizarre murder. Along the way he explains how Russia lost and got back its tremendous energy resources after the fall of the Soviet Union, describes how wealthy Russians have turned London into ‘Moscow-on-the-Thames’ and tries to determine if the Litvinenko murder is the harbinger of a new and especially dangerous kind of terrorism.” (New York Times; 11Aug08; Joseph Weisberg) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/12/books/12weisberg.html?ref=arts
New Terror Security Plan Would Photograph License Plates [New York]
“The NYPD is considering taking photographs of every license plate and scanning the information. An NYPD official tells Fox 5 News that the focus of Operation Sentinel is primarily for dirty bomb detection. The official also says there will be a way for drivers to register their cars so they won't be screened all the time.” (Fox News; 12Aug08; Kathy Carvajal)
http://www.myfoxny.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7190219&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
Seeking ban on highly enriched uranium in research
“Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo are calling on the federal government to ban researchers from working with highly enriched uranium - saying they don't want it fall into the hands of terrorists. Taking the substance out of civilian laboratories will diminish the chances it could be used to make a so-called dirty bomb, they said yesterday. […] Seven research centers around the country use the substance, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, which asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to institute the ban as soon as December 2009.” (Newsday; 13Aug08; Janie Lorber)
Iraqi Kurdistan: Mass Grave Discovered with 500 Dead
“The Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) has been informed that a new mass grave with 500 dead has been discovered in Iraq. […] They were either murdered during the so-called Anfal offensive under Saddam Hussein in 1987/88 or they were victims of the Barzan massacre of 1983 […] The Anfal Offensive was carried out under the leadership of Saddam Hussein’s cousin Ali Hassan Al Majid (better known under the name ‘Chemical Ali’). […] Chemical and biological weapons were also used here. The murders were aimed specifically at men of working age and boys aged between eleven and fifty years old to prevent active counter-attacks or later acts of revenge.” (Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organization; 12Aug08) http://www.unpo.org/content/view/8508/116/
Using live fish, new tool a sentinel for environmental contamination
“Researchers have harnessed the sensitivity of days-old fish embryos to create a tool capable of detecting a range of harmful chemicals. By measuring rates of oxygen use in developing fish, which are sensitive to contaminants and stressful conditions, the technology could reveal the presence of minute levels of toxic substances before they cause more obvious and substantial harm. It could be used as an early warning system against environmental contamination or even biological weapons, said Purdue University researcher Marshall Porterfield, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering.” (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News; 13Aug08; Douglas M. Main)
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=40358774
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.
“The earliest known application goes as far back as 600BC, when Assyrians poisoned enemy wells with Ergot. In 400BC, Scythian archers used to dip their arrows into a mixture of blood and manure. […] It comes therefore as little surprise that the English word ‘toxin’ is derived from the Greek word ‘toxikon’, meaning ‘arrow’. The ancient Roman and Greek armies threw dead bodies into the wells of their enemies to compromise their water supply. […] An enduring problem is that they are difficult to eradicate afterward; Gruinard Island, for example, is still heavily contaminated despite repeated attempts to clean it up. Nevertheless, after four millennia there is persistent interest in their application. They have developed from arrows to catapults to long-range missiles. Prohibitions placed upon their use have not hindered their development. We should be in no doubt that we will see them used again in conflicts around the world.”
(Irish Medical News; 11Aug08; Robert O'Sullivan) http://www.imt.ie/news/2008/08/war_has_always_been_a_dirty_bi.html
Man [Thomas Tholen] Pleads Guilty In Ricin Case
“A Utah man has pleaded guilty to charges he knew his cousin was making the deadly toxin ricin, but did not tell authorities. The ‘Salt Lake Tribune’ says 54-year-old Thomas Tholen pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges of knowing a biological agent had been illegally produced, and a count of making an untruthful statement to hide the fact. Tholen faces up to three years in prison and a 250-thousand-dollar fine when he's sentenced October 22nd. Federal prosecutors charge Tholen knew his cousin, Roger Bergendorff, was making ricin while he was staying in the basement of Tholen's Utah home.” (KXNT; 12Aug08)
http://www.kxnt.com/Man-Pleads-Guilty-In-Ricin-Case/2770488
Homeland Security rates possible sites for biolab; Manhattan among finalists
“The Homeland Security Department gave evaluation scores for 17 sites that were competing for a new laboratory to study human and animal diseases, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press. The scores from the five finalist locations are: 1. Granville County, N.C., 94[.] 2. San Antonio, 91[.] 3. Manhattan, Kan. 91[.] 4. Athens, Ga. 90[.] 5. Flora, Miss., 81.” (Topeka Capital Journal; 12Aug08) http://cjonline.com/stories/081208/kan_317613314.shtml
Advanced Life Sciences Awarded U.S. Department of Defense Biodefense Contract Valued at up to $3.8 Million
“Advanced Life Sciences Holdings […] today announced that the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) of the U.S. Department of Defense has awarded the Company a two-year contract worth up to $3.8 million to further study cethromycin as a potential broad-spectrum medical countermeasure.” (PR Newswire; 13Aug08) http://sev.prnewswire.com/health-care-hospitals/20080813/AQW04813082008-1.html
Better check on bio-labs
“The FBI spent $10 million on new genome technology to link the anthrax used in the mailings to the Fort Detrick biological weapons lab, where Ivins worked. That technology is good to have because of the complicated world we live in and the potential danger and hysteria that a mentally unstable worker with access to biological weapons could cause in our society. We also need tighter security at government labs.” (Muskogee Phoenix; 12Aug08) http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/opinion/local_story_225163332.html
[Boston University] BU wants to start training at biolab
“Boston University has asked the city for permission to start conducting training exercises at a laboratory being built to study some of the world's most dangerous germs. Construction of the $198 million National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories in the South End is scheduled to end this summer. But actual research into Ebola, plague, anthrax and other deadly biological agents is not expected to start until next year.”
(Nashua Telegraph; 13Aug08)
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/NEWS02/566266684/-1/news
Universal Detection technology Receives Purchase Order for Anthrax Detection Equipment from the State of Hawaii Emergency Medical Services
“Universal Detection technology (www.udetection.com) (OTCBB: UNDT), a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter-terrorism consulting and training services, reported today that it has received a purchase order from the state of Hawaii Emergency Medical Services for its handheld bio-detection equipment. The purchase order is for handheld devices that test for Anthrax, Ricin Toxin, Botulinum Toxin, Y. Pestis (Plague), and Staphylococcal Entertoxin B (SEB).” (Trading Markets; 12Aug08) http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1821871/
PanThera awarded $5.1M contract: the STI Industries subsidiary will develop an anti-anthrax drug
“PanThera Biopharma said yesterday it has won a $5.1 million contract for bioterrorism research. The Honolulu-based subsidiary of technology company STI Industries has been awarded a five-year contract from the National Institutes of Health, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to develop a therapeutic drug for weaponized anthrax exposure.”
(Star Bulletin; 12Aug08; Jennifer Sudick) http://starbulletin.com/2008/08/12/business/story03.html
What if the FBI is Right, about Bruce Ivins? [Editorial]
“If the FBI theory on the man responsible for the anthrax attacks of 2001 is correct, then the threat of bioterrorism is far more troubling than we have imagined. […] ‘If the Unabomber had been a biologist instead of a mathematician, could he have produced a sophisticated bioweapon?’ The answer has always been ‘No: That would require a team of individuals.’ However, if the FBI is right about Ivins, such a lone individual can produce such a weapon.” (Wall Street Journal; 12Aug08; Randall Larsen) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121850430521931913.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Our own worst bioenemy [Editorial]
“According to the CDC, infections caused by methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, kill 19,000 people a year. […] Only one of 40 staph toxins is on the priority list. There's another problem created by the priority-pathogens list. The ballooning of the biodefense program, according to Ebright, means that about 14,000 individuals are now considered qualified to work with priority pathogens. It hasn't always been easy to find qualified people for this research. In the days when the FBI was pursuing former ‘person of interest’ -- and now exonerated -- Steven J. Hatfill, one senior government scientist said of Hatfill's background, ‘You take what you can get -- not many people with his abilities show up very often.’ So where do 14,000 suddenly qualified biodefense experts come from? ‘[…] that's many more possibilities of another bizarre individual doing illicit work.’” (Los Angeles Times; 13Aug08; Wendy Orent) http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-orent13-2008aug13,0,1045104.story
Laser Energetics Successfully Completes Defense Contract With ITT
“Laser Energetics […] announced today that the Company has successfully completed the Proof-of-Concept contract worth $481,268 with ITT Corporation […] This contract supports the U.S. Army's initiative to develop an all solid-state laser for the next generation of chemical warfare agent sensor. This contract provided LEI the opportunity to design and demonstrate a high power all solid state Alexandrite pumping concept which is now part of the Laser Energetics' BrightStar(TM) product line.”
(Sun Herald; 12Aug08)
http://www.sunherald.com/prnewswire/story/743071.html
Smiths Detection and Torion Technologies Partner to Develop Highly Portable, Advanced Military & Emergency Response Chemical Threat Assessment technology “The use of Torion's proprietary toroidal technology (developed for its GUARDION-7(TM)) allows a well-established analytical technology, GC-MS (gas chromatography mass spectroscopy), to be used in a lighter and faster way than ever before. The unique size and weight of the new instrument do not compromise its ability to achieve the same high accuracy, sensitivity and selectivity of standard GC-MS technology.This technology is designed to identify a variety of substances such as Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs), Volatile and Semi Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs & SVOCs) in air and liquid samples.” (Centre Dailty; 12Aug08; David Olsen) http://www.centredaily.com/business/technology/story/771525.html
Former Sri Lankan rebel commander says LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] may use chemical weapons as last resort
“Former leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Eastern Province and the current leader of the political party TMVP, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman yesterday said that Military defeat is inevitable for the LTTE as it does not have a proper commander. […] During the briefing, he also warned that the Tigers may use chemical weapons as their last resort. He confirmed that the Tigers have the weapons but said he was not aware about the exact substance used. He confidently said that Prabhakaran would choose to use the chemical weapons as the last measure to avoid defeat.” (Sri Lankan Colombo Page; 12Aug08) http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/August12171914JR.html
Bizarre Death of the Man Who Talked Too Much [Book Review]
“In ‘The Terminal Spy’ Alan S. Cowell, a veteran foreign correspondent for The New York Times, gives an absorbing account of Mr. Litvinenko’s life and bizarre murder. Along the way he explains how Russia lost and got back its tremendous energy resources after the fall of the Soviet Union, describes how wealthy Russians have turned London into ‘Moscow-on-the-Thames’ and tries to determine if the Litvinenko murder is the harbinger of a new and especially dangerous kind of terrorism.” (New York Times; 11Aug08; Joseph Weisberg) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/12/books/12weisberg.html?ref=arts
New Terror Security Plan Would Photograph License Plates [New York]
“The NYPD is considering taking photographs of every license plate and scanning the information. An NYPD official tells Fox 5 News that the focus of Operation Sentinel is primarily for dirty bomb detection. The official also says there will be a way for drivers to register their cars so they won't be screened all the time.” (Fox News; 12Aug08; Kathy Carvajal)
http://www.myfoxny.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7190219&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
Seeking ban on highly enriched uranium in research
“Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo are calling on the federal government to ban researchers from working with highly enriched uranium - saying they don't want it fall into the hands of terrorists. Taking the substance out of civilian laboratories will diminish the chances it could be used to make a so-called dirty bomb, they said yesterday. […] Seven research centers around the country use the substance, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, which asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to institute the ban as soon as December 2009.” (Newsday; 13Aug08; Janie Lorber)
Iraqi Kurdistan: Mass Grave Discovered with 500 Dead
“The Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) has been informed that a new mass grave with 500 dead has been discovered in Iraq. […] They were either murdered during the so-called Anfal offensive under Saddam Hussein in 1987/88 or they were victims of the Barzan massacre of 1983 […] The Anfal Offensive was carried out under the leadership of Saddam Hussein’s cousin Ali Hassan Al Majid (better known under the name ‘Chemical Ali’). […] Chemical and biological weapons were also used here. The murders were aimed specifically at men of working age and boys aged between eleven and fifty years old to prevent active counter-attacks or later acts of revenge.” (Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organization; 12Aug08) http://www.unpo.org/content/view/8508/116/
Using live fish, new tool a sentinel for environmental contamination
“Researchers have harnessed the sensitivity of days-old fish embryos to create a tool capable of detecting a range of harmful chemicals. By measuring rates of oxygen use in developing fish, which are sensitive to contaminants and stressful conditions, the technology could reveal the presence of minute levels of toxic substances before they cause more obvious and substantial harm. It could be used as an early warning system against environmental contamination or even biological weapons, said Purdue University researcher Marshall Porterfield, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering.” (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News; 13Aug08; Douglas M. Main)
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=40358774
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- August 11, 2008
For anthrax victim, suicide opens questions
“In October 2001, O'Donnell was working at the big distribution center in Hamilton Township when tainted letters, whipping through sorting machines, released anthrax spores. O'Donnell, who had a nick on his neck from shaving, became infected and was quarantined at a Bucks County hospital. Eleven days ago, O'Donnell got a call from an FBI agent, telling him of the suicide of Bruce E. Ivins, a 62-year-old government scientist at Fort Detrick in Frederick, [Maryland]” (Philadelphia Inquirer; 11Aug08; Jennifer Lin) http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20080811_For_anthrax_victim__suicide_opens_questions.html
Four years after FBI raid, Dr. [Kenneth] Berry moving on with life
“Federal investigators have declared the 2001 anthrax attacks a closed matter, but four years ago this week they swarmed the Southern Tier after a supposed suspect in the case. FBI agents searched Dr. Kenneth Berry’s East Pearl Street home, his former apartment and his parents’ summer home on the New Jersey shore. […] He had been training medical professionals to respond to chemical and biological attacks since 1997. He later developed a system to respond to an anthrax attack after letters laced with the deadly substance were circulated to government officials. […] the FBI never issued any charges. Indeed, the agency never commented on any aspect of the investigation of Dr. Berry.” (Olean Times Herald; 08Aug08; Daniel LeBlanc)
http://www.oleantimesherald.com/articles/2008/08/08/news/doc489c4c14a45da935928140.txt
[Bruce] Ivins remembered for intelligence, compassion
“The Army scientist suspected in the anthrax attacks was remembered for his humor, intelligence and compassion at a memorial service Saturday. Bruce Ivins, 62, died of an apparent suicide late last month after being informed by the FBI that charges likely were being brought against him in connection with the 2001 attacks. Some mourners wept when speakers at the service talked about Ivins' many hobbies, including juggling, target shooting, practical jokes, cartoons and the weather. Colleagues recalled a talented scientist with a probing mind who loved to debate a wide variety of subjects.” (Associated Press; 09Aug08; Brian Witte) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jLj3VPY35ZCT9svDoUxs92njFYSQD92ES9J00
FBI believes anthrax scientist killed [others] with manipulated spores from Dugway lab
“Utah's Dugway Proving Ground produced one of two strains of anthrax that FBI investigators say was used in the September 2001 poison-letter campaign that killed five and injured 17. The federal investigation once again focuses attention on Utah's chemical and biological testing facility in Tooele County's west desert. […] The Utah anthrax strain, referred to in the documents as ‘Dugway Ames spores Ð 1997’ or ‘RMR Ð1029,’ was one of two that Ivins is said to have used to produce a third strain that he mailed to public officials and media outlets. The FBI documents suggest that Ivins used specialized techniques to cover his tracks once he had obtained the anthrax from Dugway while he worked at Fort Detrick. But there is no evidence in the documents showing anything untoward or illegal took place at the Utah facility.” (The Salt Lake Tribune; 08Aug08; Christopher Smart)
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10136522
Anthrax case spurred field of germ-gene sleuthing
“The anthrax killer spurred a whole new branch of science that could give the nation a head start in the next emergency - whether it's investigating more bioterrorism or even a food poisoning outbreak. It's called microbial forensic, a way of using a germ's genetics to help exonerate or incriminate much as human DNA can today. Microbes - whether bacteria like salmonella and E. coli, or viruses like HIV - have unique genetic signatures that can allow scientists to tell even the most closely related strains apart. The forensic side comes from adding crime-investigation techniques to this advanced microbiology used by disease detectives. […] If tracing a single vial of germs sounds impressive, consider: Research under way now might one day allow tracing where someone has recently traveled by the DNA of bacteria in the dirt on their shoes.” (Buffalo News; 08Aug08; Lauran Neergaard – AP) http://www.buffalonews.com/260/story/410345.html
When dinner makes you sick [Editorial]
“Growers lost $250 million this spring and summer when an outbreak of salmonella was originally linked to certain tomatoes. […] In 2006, spinach growers said an outbreak of E. coli poisoning cost them $350 million. The losses in such cases would be less if regulators required growers, processors, and retailers to maintain a traceback system with computerized records. […] Food poisoning takes a huge toll in the United States - about 5,000 deaths a year and 76 million illnesses, with 325,000 victims requiring hospitalization.” (The Boston Globe; 10Aug08) http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2008/08/10/when_dinner_makes_you_sick/
Bush pushes $1.2 billion in 2009 budget amendments
“President Bush used the congressional recess to make an unusual request for $1.2 billion in amendments to his 2009 budget proposal, including millions for investments in new technology and controversial cuts to environmental and social programs. The proposal’s biggest change is at the Health and Human Services Department, which would receive an extra $905 million for bioterrorism preparedness. The money would help develop an infrastructure for moving medical supplies and protective gear in the event of a bioterrorist attack or pandemic. Another $35 million in preparedness money would go to the Environmental Protection Agency.”
(Federal Times; 08Aug08; Gregg Carlstrom)
http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3666472
[Steven J.] Hatfill cleared of role in anthrax mailings
“Federal prosecutors on Friday officially ‘excluded’ scientist Steven J. Hatfill from involvement in the deadly 2001 anthrax mailings, formally closing the door on a costly episode that sidetracked the FBI's search for nearly five years. U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Taylor sent a letter Friday to a lawyer for Hatfill, a onetime Fort Detrick, Md., bioweapons researcher, that essentially cleared Hatfill of a crime in which he was declared ‘a person of interest’ six years ago.” (The Washington Post; 09Aug08) http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/aug/09/na-hatfill-cleared-of-role-in-anthrax-mailings/
'Sovereignty' that risks global health
“Here's a concept you've probably never heard of: ‘viral sovereignty.’ This extremely dangerous idea comes to us courtesy of Indonesia's minister of health, Siti Fadilah Supari, who asserts that deadly viruses are the sovereign property of individual nations […] the notion has morphed into a global movement […] The Non-Aligned Movement -- a 112-nation organization that is a survivor of the Cold War era -- has agreed to consider formally endorsing the concept of ‘viral sovereignty’ at its November meeting.
Indonesia argues that a nation's right to control all information on locally discovered viruses should be protected through the same mechanisms that the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization uses to guarantee poor countries' rights of ownership and patents on the seeds of its indigenous plants.” (Washington Post; 10Aug08; Richard Holbrooke and Laurie Garrett) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080802919.html
GTCbio announces its inaugural Bugs & Drugs Conference on September 22-23 in San Diego
“The Bugs & Drugs conference brings together leading experts to discuss current options available in combating these problematic pathogens and the current drugs in development that may resolve these issues. Included are discussions on various gram positive & negative drugs, contingency plans for biological weapons & disease outbreaks, novel delivery methods, regulatory aspects & clinical trial design, and novel drug developments for diseases of developing economies.” (Newswire;
08Aug08)
http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/38154/
[Oregon] Chemical Depot burns last of VX 8-inch shells
“Umatilla Chemical Agent Depot disposed of the last of the 8-inch artillery shells containing VX nerve agent and now will begin destroying VX land mines, hoping to finish those by the end of 2009. The 8-inch shells were the last of their kind in the nation's chemical weapons stockpile. The depot began processing the artillery shells July 15 and finished ahead of schedule.” (Oregon Live; 8August08) http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-26/1218233946231900.xml&storylist=orlocal
Army completes chemical stockpile neutralization at Newport [Indiana] Chemical Depot
“The United States Army Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) completed neutralization Aug. 11 of the chemical weapons stockpile of nerve agent VX at the Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (NECDF), located at Newport Chemical Depot, Ind. This achievement brings the United States one step closer to safely destroying the national stockpile of chemical weapons. […] NECDF began chemical agent destruction operations on May 5, 2005, with a stockpile of 1,269 tons of VX -- four percent of the original United States total chemical weapons stockpile. Workers destroyed the agent using a neutralization technology that mixes it with sodium hydroxide and hot water. The resulting byproduct of this process is a caustic wastewater made up of water, sodium hydroxide, and organic salts.”
(U.S. Army; 11Aug08)
http://www.army.mil/-newsreleases/2008/08/11/11573-army-completes-chemical-stockpile-neutralization-at-newport-chemical-depot/
Pakistan diplomats visit US-held terror suspect
“Pakistani diplomats have met with a woman described as a possible ‘fixer’ for al-Qaida who is being detained in New York, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani citizen educated in the United States, was captured in Afghanistan last month and taken to the United States after she allegedly tried to kill her interrogators. Two diplomats visited Siddiqui over the weekend at a detention facility in New York, ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq said. […] According to a U.S. criminal complaint, she was carrying documents containing recipes for explosives and chemical weapons and describing ‘various landmarks in the United States, including New York City.’ The complaint also alleges Siddiqui carried ‘chemical substances in gel and liquid form that were sealed in bottles and glass jars.’ It did not elaborate.” (Associated Press; 10Aug08; Sadaqat Jan) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hYUwTvvA05WY5EBzvT3wYgBRPnMwD92FF5EO0
Hands-on detection
“Smiths Detection announced recently that Amtrak has purchased additional Sabre 4000 advanced explosives detection systems to expand its capability for screening passengers, trains and stations. Using Ion Mobility Spectrometry, the hand-held system quickly detects and identifies explosives, narcotics, chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals.” (The Engineer Online; 11Aug08) http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/307492/Hands-on+detection.htm
VIASPACE Subsidiary Wins $750,000 Army contract for robotic detection of chemical warfare agents and explosives
“VIASPACE Inc. […] subsidiary Ionfinity has been awarded a $750,000 Phase II contract for its proposal entitled ‘Advanced Robotic Detection of Chemical Agents, Toxic Industrial Gases, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED)s for Force Health Protection’ submitted to the Army Small Business technology Transfer (STTR) Program. This competitively selected two year contract will result in a field demonstration of high sensitivity detection and analysis capability for chemical agents and explosives that threaten US forces.” (PR Newswire; 11Aug08) http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-11-2008/0004865205&EDATE=
Detecting the activity of a biological toxin
“Current methods of detecting ribosomal-inactivating proteins, such as antibodies employed in enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assays, are complicated and difficult to use in the field. […] Researchers from the University of California San Diego discovered a new strategy for sensing the activities of these proteins. […] Based on the results of their work, the next step is to take this probe outside of the controlled environments of the lab and see if it's possible to extend its utility to real life applications.” (ARS Technica; 11Aug08; Yun Xie) http://arstechnica.com/journals/science.ars/2008/08/11/detecting-the-activity-of-a-biological-toxin
Ricin suspect [Roger Bergendorff] had powder for decade
“An unemployed graphic designer who pleaded guilty to possessing toxic ricin said he distilled the lethal powder from the beans of a backyard castor plant in 1998 while living in San Diego and carried it with him for a decade while living in Reno, Las Vegas and near Salt Lake City. Roger Bergendorff spoke to The Associated Press Friday in an exclusive interview from a Las Vegas-area jail where he is being held pending sentencing.” (Fox 5 News; 11August08)
http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/17157171/detail.html#-
Beijing cites numerous Olympic threats
“Just over a week before the Beijing Olympics, a militant Islamic group's claims of responsibility for bombings in China have fueled unease about security. The government has assured its people and the Olympic community that heavy security will ensure a secure games. […] Stirring the latest concerns were videotaped threats purporting to be from an Islamic militant group. They surfaced last week in the name of the Turkistan Islamic Party - a group Chinese and Western terrorism experts say is an offshoot of a secessionist group from China's Central Asian frontier with ties to al-Qaida. […] One militant, identified by the Washington-based monitoring group IntelCenter as commander Seyfullah [said] ‘Our aim is to target the most critical points related to the Olympics. We will try to attack Chinese central cities severely using the tactics that have never been employed,’” (BND; 10Aug08; Charles Hutzler -AP) http://www.bnd.com/306/story/412864.html
Al-Qaida said to lose key WMD operative
“The killing of an al-Qaida chemical weapons expert in a missile strike two weeks ago on a Pakistani border village has dealt a heavy blow to the terrorist group's ambitions to build weapons of mass destruction, a former CIA case officer says. Abu Khabab al-Masri was dubbed by terrorism analysts as al-Qaida's ‘mad scientist.’ His most notorious work, recorded on videotape, showed dogs being killed in poison gas experiments in Afghanistan when the Taliban ruled. […] l-Qaida confirmed his death days after the July 28 attack by unmanned drones on a tribesman's compound in the village of Azam Warsak in South Waziristan. Al-Masri, whose real name is Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, got his chemical weapons training in the Egyptian army before defecting to the militant Islamic Jihad group […]” (Associated Press; 10Aug08; Kathy Gannon)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hLBUfMvM_1Y6FerHOF8u4lwgHsFQD92EU8LG2
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.
“In October 2001, O'Donnell was working at the big distribution center in Hamilton Township when tainted letters, whipping through sorting machines, released anthrax spores. O'Donnell, who had a nick on his neck from shaving, became infected and was quarantined at a Bucks County hospital. Eleven days ago, O'Donnell got a call from an FBI agent, telling him of the suicide of Bruce E. Ivins, a 62-year-old government scientist at Fort Detrick in Frederick, [Maryland]” (Philadelphia Inquirer; 11Aug08; Jennifer Lin) http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20080811_For_anthrax_victim__suicide_opens_questions.html
Four years after FBI raid, Dr. [Kenneth] Berry moving on with life
“Federal investigators have declared the 2001 anthrax attacks a closed matter, but four years ago this week they swarmed the Southern Tier after a supposed suspect in the case. FBI agents searched Dr. Kenneth Berry’s East Pearl Street home, his former apartment and his parents’ summer home on the New Jersey shore. […] He had been training medical professionals to respond to chemical and biological attacks since 1997. He later developed a system to respond to an anthrax attack after letters laced with the deadly substance were circulated to government officials. […] the FBI never issued any charges. Indeed, the agency never commented on any aspect of the investigation of Dr. Berry.” (Olean Times Herald; 08Aug08; Daniel LeBlanc)
http://www.oleantimesherald.com/articles/2008/08/08/news/doc489c4c14a45da935928140.txt
[Bruce] Ivins remembered for intelligence, compassion
“The Army scientist suspected in the anthrax attacks was remembered for his humor, intelligence and compassion at a memorial service Saturday. Bruce Ivins, 62, died of an apparent suicide late last month after being informed by the FBI that charges likely were being brought against him in connection with the 2001 attacks. Some mourners wept when speakers at the service talked about Ivins' many hobbies, including juggling, target shooting, practical jokes, cartoons and the weather. Colleagues recalled a talented scientist with a probing mind who loved to debate a wide variety of subjects.” (Associated Press; 09Aug08; Brian Witte) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jLj3VPY35ZCT9svDoUxs92njFYSQD92ES9J00
FBI believes anthrax scientist killed [others] with manipulated spores from Dugway lab
“Utah's Dugway Proving Ground produced one of two strains of anthrax that FBI investigators say was used in the September 2001 poison-letter campaign that killed five and injured 17. The federal investigation once again focuses attention on Utah's chemical and biological testing facility in Tooele County's west desert. […] The Utah anthrax strain, referred to in the documents as ‘Dugway Ames spores Ð 1997’ or ‘RMR Ð1029,’ was one of two that Ivins is said to have used to produce a third strain that he mailed to public officials and media outlets. The FBI documents suggest that Ivins used specialized techniques to cover his tracks once he had obtained the anthrax from Dugway while he worked at Fort Detrick. But there is no evidence in the documents showing anything untoward or illegal took place at the Utah facility.” (The Salt Lake Tribune; 08Aug08; Christopher Smart)
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10136522
Anthrax case spurred field of germ-gene sleuthing
“The anthrax killer spurred a whole new branch of science that could give the nation a head start in the next emergency - whether it's investigating more bioterrorism or even a food poisoning outbreak. It's called microbial forensic, a way of using a germ's genetics to help exonerate or incriminate much as human DNA can today. Microbes - whether bacteria like salmonella and E. coli, or viruses like HIV - have unique genetic signatures that can allow scientists to tell even the most closely related strains apart. The forensic side comes from adding crime-investigation techniques to this advanced microbiology used by disease detectives. […] If tracing a single vial of germs sounds impressive, consider: Research under way now might one day allow tracing where someone has recently traveled by the DNA of bacteria in the dirt on their shoes.” (Buffalo News; 08Aug08; Lauran Neergaard – AP) http://www.buffalonews.com/260/story/410345.html
When dinner makes you sick [Editorial]
“Growers lost $250 million this spring and summer when an outbreak of salmonella was originally linked to certain tomatoes. […] In 2006, spinach growers said an outbreak of E. coli poisoning cost them $350 million. The losses in such cases would be less if regulators required growers, processors, and retailers to maintain a traceback system with computerized records. […] Food poisoning takes a huge toll in the United States - about 5,000 deaths a year and 76 million illnesses, with 325,000 victims requiring hospitalization.” (The Boston Globe; 10Aug08) http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2008/08/10/when_dinner_makes_you_sick/
Bush pushes $1.2 billion in 2009 budget amendments
“President Bush used the congressional recess to make an unusual request for $1.2 billion in amendments to his 2009 budget proposal, including millions for investments in new technology and controversial cuts to environmental and social programs. The proposal’s biggest change is at the Health and Human Services Department, which would receive an extra $905 million for bioterrorism preparedness. The money would help develop an infrastructure for moving medical supplies and protective gear in the event of a bioterrorist attack or pandemic. Another $35 million in preparedness money would go to the Environmental Protection Agency.”
(Federal Times; 08Aug08; Gregg Carlstrom)
http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3666472
[Steven J.] Hatfill cleared of role in anthrax mailings
“Federal prosecutors on Friday officially ‘excluded’ scientist Steven J. Hatfill from involvement in the deadly 2001 anthrax mailings, formally closing the door on a costly episode that sidetracked the FBI's search for nearly five years. U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Taylor sent a letter Friday to a lawyer for Hatfill, a onetime Fort Detrick, Md., bioweapons researcher, that essentially cleared Hatfill of a crime in which he was declared ‘a person of interest’ six years ago.” (The Washington Post; 09Aug08) http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/aug/09/na-hatfill-cleared-of-role-in-anthrax-mailings/
'Sovereignty' that risks global health
“Here's a concept you've probably never heard of: ‘viral sovereignty.’ This extremely dangerous idea comes to us courtesy of Indonesia's minister of health, Siti Fadilah Supari, who asserts that deadly viruses are the sovereign property of individual nations […] the notion has morphed into a global movement […] The Non-Aligned Movement -- a 112-nation organization that is a survivor of the Cold War era -- has agreed to consider formally endorsing the concept of ‘viral sovereignty’ at its November meeting.
Indonesia argues that a nation's right to control all information on locally discovered viruses should be protected through the same mechanisms that the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization uses to guarantee poor countries' rights of ownership and patents on the seeds of its indigenous plants.” (Washington Post; 10Aug08; Richard Holbrooke and Laurie Garrett) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080802919.html
GTCbio announces its inaugural Bugs & Drugs Conference on September 22-23 in San Diego
“The Bugs & Drugs conference brings together leading experts to discuss current options available in combating these problematic pathogens and the current drugs in development that may resolve these issues. Included are discussions on various gram positive & negative drugs, contingency plans for biological weapons & disease outbreaks, novel delivery methods, regulatory aspects & clinical trial design, and novel drug developments for diseases of developing economies.” (Newswire;
08Aug08)
http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/38154/
[Oregon] Chemical Depot burns last of VX 8-inch shells
“Umatilla Chemical Agent Depot disposed of the last of the 8-inch artillery shells containing VX nerve agent and now will begin destroying VX land mines, hoping to finish those by the end of 2009. The 8-inch shells were the last of their kind in the nation's chemical weapons stockpile. The depot began processing the artillery shells July 15 and finished ahead of schedule.” (Oregon Live; 8August08) http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-26/1218233946231900.xml&storylist=orlocal
Army completes chemical stockpile neutralization at Newport [Indiana] Chemical Depot
“The United States Army Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) completed neutralization Aug. 11 of the chemical weapons stockpile of nerve agent VX at the Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (NECDF), located at Newport Chemical Depot, Ind. This achievement brings the United States one step closer to safely destroying the national stockpile of chemical weapons. […] NECDF began chemical agent destruction operations on May 5, 2005, with a stockpile of 1,269 tons of VX -- four percent of the original United States total chemical weapons stockpile. Workers destroyed the agent using a neutralization technology that mixes it with sodium hydroxide and hot water. The resulting byproduct of this process is a caustic wastewater made up of water, sodium hydroxide, and organic salts.”
(U.S. Army; 11Aug08)
http://www.army.mil/-newsreleases/2008/08/11/11573-army-completes-chemical-stockpile-neutralization-at-newport-chemical-depot/
Pakistan diplomats visit US-held terror suspect
“Pakistani diplomats have met with a woman described as a possible ‘fixer’ for al-Qaida who is being detained in New York, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani citizen educated in the United States, was captured in Afghanistan last month and taken to the United States after she allegedly tried to kill her interrogators. Two diplomats visited Siddiqui over the weekend at a detention facility in New York, ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq said. […] According to a U.S. criminal complaint, she was carrying documents containing recipes for explosives and chemical weapons and describing ‘various landmarks in the United States, including New York City.’ The complaint also alleges Siddiqui carried ‘chemical substances in gel and liquid form that were sealed in bottles and glass jars.’ It did not elaborate.” (Associated Press; 10Aug08; Sadaqat Jan) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hYUwTvvA05WY5EBzvT3wYgBRPnMwD92FF5EO0
Hands-on detection
“Smiths Detection announced recently that Amtrak has purchased additional Sabre 4000 advanced explosives detection systems to expand its capability for screening passengers, trains and stations. Using Ion Mobility Spectrometry, the hand-held system quickly detects and identifies explosives, narcotics, chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals.” (The Engineer Online; 11Aug08) http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/307492/Hands-on+detection.htm
VIASPACE Subsidiary Wins $750,000 Army contract for robotic detection of chemical warfare agents and explosives
“VIASPACE Inc. […] subsidiary Ionfinity has been awarded a $750,000 Phase II contract for its proposal entitled ‘Advanced Robotic Detection of Chemical Agents, Toxic Industrial Gases, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED)s for Force Health Protection’ submitted to the Army Small Business technology Transfer (STTR) Program. This competitively selected two year contract will result in a field demonstration of high sensitivity detection and analysis capability for chemical agents and explosives that threaten US forces.” (PR Newswire; 11Aug08) http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-11-2008/0004865205&EDATE=
Detecting the activity of a biological toxin
“Current methods of detecting ribosomal-inactivating proteins, such as antibodies employed in enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assays, are complicated and difficult to use in the field. […] Researchers from the University of California San Diego discovered a new strategy for sensing the activities of these proteins. […] Based on the results of their work, the next step is to take this probe outside of the controlled environments of the lab and see if it's possible to extend its utility to real life applications.” (ARS Technica; 11Aug08; Yun Xie) http://arstechnica.com/journals/science.ars/2008/08/11/detecting-the-activity-of-a-biological-toxin
Ricin suspect [Roger Bergendorff] had powder for decade
“An unemployed graphic designer who pleaded guilty to possessing toxic ricin said he distilled the lethal powder from the beans of a backyard castor plant in 1998 while living in San Diego and carried it with him for a decade while living in Reno, Las Vegas and near Salt Lake City. Roger Bergendorff spoke to The Associated Press Friday in an exclusive interview from a Las Vegas-area jail where he is being held pending sentencing.” (Fox 5 News; 11August08)
http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/17157171/detail.html#-
Beijing cites numerous Olympic threats
“Just over a week before the Beijing Olympics, a militant Islamic group's claims of responsibility for bombings in China have fueled unease about security. The government has assured its people and the Olympic community that heavy security will ensure a secure games. […] Stirring the latest concerns were videotaped threats purporting to be from an Islamic militant group. They surfaced last week in the name of the Turkistan Islamic Party - a group Chinese and Western terrorism experts say is an offshoot of a secessionist group from China's Central Asian frontier with ties to al-Qaida. […] One militant, identified by the Washington-based monitoring group IntelCenter as commander Seyfullah [said] ‘Our aim is to target the most critical points related to the Olympics. We will try to attack Chinese central cities severely using the tactics that have never been employed,’” (BND; 10Aug08; Charles Hutzler -AP) http://www.bnd.com/306/story/412864.html
Al-Qaida said to lose key WMD operative
“The killing of an al-Qaida chemical weapons expert in a missile strike two weeks ago on a Pakistani border village has dealt a heavy blow to the terrorist group's ambitions to build weapons of mass destruction, a former CIA case officer says. Abu Khabab al-Masri was dubbed by terrorism analysts as al-Qaida's ‘mad scientist.’ His most notorious work, recorded on videotape, showed dogs being killed in poison gas experiments in Afghanistan when the Taliban ruled. […] l-Qaida confirmed his death days after the July 28 attack by unmanned drones on a tribesman's compound in the village of Azam Warsak in South Waziristan. Al-Masri, whose real name is Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, got his chemical weapons training in the Egyptian army before defecting to the militant Islamic Jihad group […]” (Associated Press; 10Aug08; Kathy Gannon)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hLBUfMvM_1Y6FerHOF8u4lwgHsFQD92EU8LG2
CNS ChemBio-WMD terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Life-Saving Surgeries in Boston Await Iraqi Child
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Stacy Niles
Special to American Forces Press Service
June 19, 2008 - When she was born, doctors didn't expect her to live a week, but a 1-year-old Iraqi girl is defying the odds. Noor Majeed overcame her initial prognosis, but without proper care, she still could die.
But surgeons at Children's Hospital in Boston have agreed to donate their services to help her, and a donor in Cambridge, Mass., donated $100,000 for her medical care. Noor's surgery is scheduled for June 30.
Noor was born with "bladder exstrophy," a rare congenital disease in which the bladder protrudes outside the abdominal wall. It occurs once in every 30,000 to 50,000 births, most often in boys. Separation of the pelvic bones also accompanies the condition, which often is associated with other birth defects. Surgery to repair bladder exstrophy usually is performed within the first 48 hours after birth.
The care required to correct bladder exstrophy is unavailable in Iraq. In addition to surgery to repair the bladder, Noor also needs orthopedic surgery on her pelvis and hips, as well as reconstructive and corrective procedures, said Capt. Michael Mullaly, an operating room nurse with 912th Forward Surgical Team. Mullaly was attached to 948th FST as an operating room nurse when Noor began treatment in the medical facility here.
Doctors from 948th Forward Surgical Team first saw Noor in February. Without treatment, her ailments could be catastrophic, they said. Both conditions are rare in the United States, and the causes for both are unknown, said Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Paul Brisson, general and pediatric surgeon with 948th FST.
"When Noor was born ... and when I saw her condition, ... I wished to die," Zainab Najy, Noor's mother, said. "I felt hopeless and helpless, ... and because of the lack of adequate care that can treat her and because of our financial situation, we could not afford to help her. I was expecting her to die at any moment. I even told my mother that I don't want to get attached to her, because I thought she would die soon."
But as days went by, the child's mother continued, Noor kept fighting and stayed alive. "I was hurt all the time as I watched other children walking and playing, ... but Noor can't even sit or walk. My life became filled with depression, sadness and pain," she said.
"I was so sad and depressed," she continued, "but now, I am happy because I feel that Noor will live, and all this is made possible by the American people ... and the American troops and the medical staff who helped us save Noor's life."
Neseer M. Jemeel, Noor's father, said he was desperate over his daughter's suffering and the fact that he couldn't do anything about it. "The Iraqi doctors could not help her," he said. "That's why we came [to U.S. Army doctors]."
Though he had once lost hope, the child's father said, he's happy now. "I feel safe, because [the Americans] are caring," he said. "They care about children [and] mothers. They know life is valuable, and they are true human beings."
When Noor and her mother arrive in Boston, they will be greeted by a friendly face. Mullaly, an operating room nurse at St. Vincent's Hospital in Worcester, Mass., plans to meet them when they land.
"It can be overwhelming," Mullaly said of traveling to a new country where you know no one and don't speak the language. "I think a familiar face would make it easier."
Mullaly has seen Noor on five occasions. "I'm pretty vested in this case," he said. "I'm attached to this baby."
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Stacy Niles serves with the 214th Fires Brigade Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
June 19, 2008 - When she was born, doctors didn't expect her to live a week, but a 1-year-old Iraqi girl is defying the odds. Noor Majeed overcame her initial prognosis, but without proper care, she still could die.
But surgeons at Children's Hospital in Boston have agreed to donate their services to help her, and a donor in Cambridge, Mass., donated $100,000 for her medical care. Noor's surgery is scheduled for June 30.
Noor was born with "bladder exstrophy," a rare congenital disease in which the bladder protrudes outside the abdominal wall. It occurs once in every 30,000 to 50,000 births, most often in boys. Separation of the pelvic bones also accompanies the condition, which often is associated with other birth defects. Surgery to repair bladder exstrophy usually is performed within the first 48 hours after birth.
The care required to correct bladder exstrophy is unavailable in Iraq. In addition to surgery to repair the bladder, Noor also needs orthopedic surgery on her pelvis and hips, as well as reconstructive and corrective procedures, said Capt. Michael Mullaly, an operating room nurse with 912th Forward Surgical Team. Mullaly was attached to 948th FST as an operating room nurse when Noor began treatment in the medical facility here.
Doctors from 948th Forward Surgical Team first saw Noor in February. Without treatment, her ailments could be catastrophic, they said. Both conditions are rare in the United States, and the causes for both are unknown, said Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Paul Brisson, general and pediatric surgeon with 948th FST.
"When Noor was born ... and when I saw her condition, ... I wished to die," Zainab Najy, Noor's mother, said. "I felt hopeless and helpless, ... and because of the lack of adequate care that can treat her and because of our financial situation, we could not afford to help her. I was expecting her to die at any moment. I even told my mother that I don't want to get attached to her, because I thought she would die soon."
But as days went by, the child's mother continued, Noor kept fighting and stayed alive. "I was hurt all the time as I watched other children walking and playing, ... but Noor can't even sit or walk. My life became filled with depression, sadness and pain," she said.
"I was so sad and depressed," she continued, "but now, I am happy because I feel that Noor will live, and all this is made possible by the American people ... and the American troops and the medical staff who helped us save Noor's life."
Neseer M. Jemeel, Noor's father, said he was desperate over his daughter's suffering and the fact that he couldn't do anything about it. "The Iraqi doctors could not help her," he said. "That's why we came [to U.S. Army doctors]."
Though he had once lost hope, the child's father said, he's happy now. "I feel safe, because [the Americans] are caring," he said. "They care about children [and] mothers. They know life is valuable, and they are true human beings."
When Noor and her mother arrive in Boston, they will be greeted by a friendly face. Mullaly, an operating room nurse at St. Vincent's Hospital in Worcester, Mass., plans to meet them when they land.
"It can be overwhelming," Mullaly said of traveling to a new country where you know no one and don't speak the language. "I think a familiar face would make it easier."
Mullaly has seen Noor on five occasions. "I'm pretty vested in this case," he said. "I'm attached to this baby."
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Stacy Niles serves with the 214th Fires Brigade Public Affairs Office.)
Thursday, May 08, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News-May 7, 2008
BU [Boston University] Biolab Safety Study Could Delay Project
“An elite panel of scientists is urging the federal government to take a deeper look at the safety of a proposed biolab that would study the world's most dangerous germs. The recommendation comes from the National Research Council. If the government takes the advice, the lab's opening would be delayed, though officials were uncertain how long.” (WCVB; 05May08; Associated Press) http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/16159355/detail.html
Annual Conference on Vaccine Research to Highlight Not Only Health Benefits But Also Economic Gains
“[A]ccording to Dr. David E. Bloom, a labor economist at the Harvard School of Public Health. […] ‘A healthier population is a cornerstone of a vibrant and growing economy,’ […] The three-day conference is the world's largest scientific meeting devoted exclusively to research on vaccines and related technologies for disease prevention and treatment. This year, scientists will present findings about the efficacy of a high-dose influenza vaccine for the elderly as well as advances on novel vaccines to combat everything from smoking to bio-terrorism to the spread of avian influenza (H5N1) on poultry farms. […] U.S. Army researchers will also report success in mouse experiments with a four-in-one vaccine to protect against anthrax, botulism, plague and staphylococcus -- all of which might be used as bioterrorism agents.” (The Earth Times; 05May08; Jennifer Corrigan)
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/annual-conference-on-vaccine-research,378948.shtml
New Schools, Jail To Raise County Budget [Dunn, North Carolina]
“Harnett County Manager Neil Emory submitted a proposed county budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year during the board of commissioners meeting Monday. […] Requests were approved from Emergency Services to accept Bioterrorism Development grants for equipment upgrades and a heating and air conditioning system. The commissioners also approved requests to accept a grant for the Dunn Police Department Communications Center to upgrade its emergency medical dispatch system […]. ” (Daily Record; 06May08; Brian Haney)
http://www.dunndailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=96587&TM=42674.89
Albemarle Optimizes Smallpox Drug Candidate For SIGA
“Two American companies are teaming up for second-round test-phase production of a FDA-designated ‘fast track’ drug candidate to treat smallpox, a deadly virus that is feared to be able to reach people through acts of bio-warfare or bio-terrorism. Albemarle Corporation […] was selected by SIGA Technologies […] to provide scale-up and manufacturing services for ST-246, SIGA's leading smallpox antiviral candidate.”
(Medical News Today; 06May08; Albemarle Corporation) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106344.php
[Florida] Supreme Court Hears Arguments In Anthrax Death Lawsuit
“The federal government and a private laboratory have no duty under state law to protect the public from lethal materials, their lawyers argued Monday in a lawsuit over the anthrax death of a supermarket tabloid staffer in 2001. […] Robert Stevens, a photo editor for publisher American Media Inc., died Oct. 5, 2001, after being exposed to anthrax […] His wife, Maureen Stevens, sued the government and Battelle Memorial Institute, a research company in Columbus, Ohio, alleging they were also the source of the anthrax strain that killed her husband.” (National Broadcasting Company; 05May08; Associated Press) http://www.nbc4.com/news/16166595/detail.html
VaxGen sells vaccine for anthrax to rival [Emergent BioSolutions]
“VaxGen, the South San Francisco company that has been reduced to a shadow of its former self after losing an $877.5 million federal contract to develop an anthrax vaccine, announced Monday that it has sold the experimental vaccine to its chief rival. Emergent BioSolutions of Rockville, Md.” (Mercury News; 06May08; Steve Johnson)
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_9167617
Joint efforts to minimise [sic] biological risks sought
“Dr David Heyman, former senior adviser at the White House and the US Secretary of Energy, [gave] a lecture [in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.] titled ‘Managing Biological Risks: A Comprehensive, Interdisciplinary and International Approach’. […] Dr. [Gerald L.] Epstein stated, ‘The deliberate misuse of biology for harm challenges the existing mechanism for the international cooperation and international governance. In the past, the principal cause of concern was the threat of state-of-the-art biological weapons programmes but today, concern about deliberate biological threats has broadened to include the bioterrorism.’ ‘So, unitedly we need to lower this threat.’ He emphasised on the need for cooperation among all local and government bodies and communities of the world to reduce the biological threats.” (Khaleej Times; 06May08; Anwar Ahmad)
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2008/May/theuae_May203.xml§ion=theuae&col
CWC Review Conference Avoids Difficult Issues
“The second review conference for the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) only barely avoided failure. The meeting, which took place April 7-18 in The Hague, had to be suspended at midnight of the last day, and diplomats worked until the early morning of April 19 to reach agreement. […] Several diplomats contacted by Arms Control Today agreed that, given the procedural difficulties, finding consensus on the final document was a success in itself but conceded that agreement was only possible at the price of avoiding contentious issues and copying large sections from the final document of the first CWC review conference in 2003.” (Arms control Today; 06May08; Oliver Meier) http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2008_05/CWC.asp
Should Israel Close Dimona? The Radiological Consequences of a Military Strike on Israel’s Plutonium-Production Reactor
“Today, multiple factors may drive Israel’s adversaries to hit the plant: its perceived centrality to Israel’s nuclear weapons program, revenge for Israeli strikes on neighboring states, Dimona’s symbolic significance as one of the Jewish state’s most valued assets, and, most disturbingly, an attack to intentionally release the radioactive contents of the plant as a weapon of war or terrorism. […] An accord, defenses, or mutual vulnerability acting as a deterrent to attack would not provide a guarantee that plants will be immune from military or even terrorist strikes in such an unstable part of the world. This ought to raise the question whether the planned growth of plants, many orders of magnitude larger than Dimona, should go forward. Until the region resolves its political differences, nuclear energy planners ought to take a second look. In the meantime, Israel would do well to reflect whether, given its own reactor vulnerability, keeping Dimona operating is worth the risk.” (Arms Control Association; 05May08; Bennet Ramburg) http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2008_05/Dimona.asp
Would they? Could~they?
“The ‘Would they? Could they?’ debate in regard to nuclear terrorism is an old one. There has been a lot written about whether terrorists want to use nuclear weapons and, if they do, whether they have the technological capability to ‘make it so.’ […] A PhD student at King’s, Simen Ellingsen, has come up with what I think is a rather clever way of summarising this debate: in the form of a graph […] Generally, authors who think terrorists could, think they would […].” (Arms Control Wonk; 06May08; James Acton) http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/1877/would-they-could-they
China's PLA says ready to handle any emergency during Olympics
“China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has said it is fully gearing itself up to handle any emergency during the Beijing Olympics with its plans that included preventing potential nuclear, biological or chemical attacks. [… ] ‘Helicopters, combat aircraft, ships, surface-to-air missiles and anti-chemical weapons will be used’, Tian Yixiang, Director of the Team, was quoted as saying by the PLA Daily. Terrorism has been identified by China as the ‘biggest threat’ to the Olympics and it said recently that it had uncovered terror plots targeting the Games.” (Chennai Online; 06May08; Raghavendra) http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=%7B1A2C3221-28E0-440A-9558-3210C565E2BA%7D&CATEGORYNAME=INTER
More than 150 States have reported on moves to keep WMDs from terrorists – UN
“As of the end of April, more than half of United Nations Member States have submitted assessments to the Security Council regarding efforts to keep nuclear, chemical and biological weapons out of the hands of terrorists and black marketeers, it was announced today. Over 150 nations have fulfilled their reporting responsibilities, Ambassador Jorge Urbina of Costa Rica, the chair of the Security Council committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) by non-State actors, particularly terrorists, told the Council today.” (UN News Centre; 06May08) http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26586&Cr=&C1=
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.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- March 7, 2008
NIH [National Institutes of Health] forms panel to advise agency on BU [Boston University] biolab
“The National Institutes of Health has created a ‘blue ribbon panel,’ including experts on infectious diseases, public health, biodefense and environmental justice, to advise the agency during ongoing reviews of public safety and environmental issues posed by a Boston University laboratory designed to study the world's deadliest germs. In November, another panel of scientists, the National Research Council, concluded that the NIH had failed to adequately address the potential risks to the South End and Roxbury neighbors of the Biosafety Level-4 lab if germs escaped from the facility on the Boston Medical Center campus. The panel will hold its first public meeting next Thursday, March 13 […].” (Boston Globe, 06Mar08)
http://www.boston.com/news/health/blog/2008/03/nih_forms_panel.html
Weapons Labs Biological Research Raises Concerns
“Two U.S. nuclear weapons labs are opening biological research labs capable of studying more dangerous pathogens, raising concerns about the U.S. ability to meet demands for transparency in line with the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). On Jan. 25, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory began operating a new Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) research lab. In addition, Los Alamos National Laboratory is scheduled to complete a federally mandated environmental study on a similar lab in August 2008, enabling the lab to begin operations soon thereafter, if the study findings are favorable. […] Each national laboratory currently operates BSL-2 labs, and the new facilities mark the first time either laboratory has conducted or will conduct BSL-3 studies on-site.” (Arms Control today, March 2008, Jeremy Patterson) http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2008_03/WeaponsLabs.asp
Salt Plains still digging for answers
“The big question is: When will the crystal digging area at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge [in Oklahoma] reopen? The answer is: No one knows. The area has been closed since last April after about 134 vials of blistering solutions used in military chemical warfare training kits were un-earthed about a mile from the public entrance to the crystal digging site. Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge Manager Jon Brock told about 30 people attending a town hall meeting Thursday a search of more than 300 sites identified during a geophysical survey last September will be investigated beginning next week. The search is estimated to take about five weeks.” (Enid News & Eagle, 07Mar08, Cass Rains) http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_067011139.html
Sea-Dumped Chemical Weapons: An Old Problem Resurfaces
“[…] The issue [of sea-dumped chemical weapons] is global in nature and has the potential to affect many littoral nations. Chemical weapons and other surplus munitions were dumped in many of the world’s large bodies of water, including the Baltic Sea, the North Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Indian Ocean, the North Sea, the North and South Pacific Oceans, the Tasman Sea, and the White Sea. The bulk of dumped chemical weapons were deposited in the aftermath of the two World Wars when vast quantities of munitions were seized from defeated enemies or rendered surplus by the end of the conflict. Rather than attempt to maintain huge stockpiles of chemical weapons of uncertain utility for an indefinite period, the decision was made to eliminate the weapons in the most efficient way possible. Although some weapons were eliminated by detonation, open-pit burning, or simple release into the atmosphere, the majority were loaded into ships that were then scuttled or offloaded in designated areas.” (WMD Insights, March 2008, Markus K. Binder) http://wmdinsights.com/I23/I23_G1_Sea-DumpedChemicalWeapons.htm
Looking Back: The Continuing Legacy of Old and Abandoned Chemical Weapons
“Nearly 66 million artillery shells containing chemical weapons were fired during World War I. At least 40 different compounds were weaponized for use on the battlefield. Now, nearly a century later, hundreds of World War I- and World War II-era shells are recovered annually from the European battlefields, mostly in Belgium and France. Nor is the concrete legacy of chemical warfare confined to Europe. Such aged chemical weapons affect countries as far as China. The 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) requires that chemical-weapon possessors meet the treaty’s overall deadline for destruction: April 29, 2012. However, the treaty established particular definitions for such ‘old’ and ‘abandoned’ chemical weapons as well as different destruction and financing requirements. With the treaty’s second review conference scheduled to meet in The Hague in April, states-parties should assess how well the verification of the destruction of such obsolete chemical arms is proceeding.” (Arms Control Today, March 2008, John Hart) http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2008_03/Lookingback.asp
House Bill Important First Step Toward Permanent Chemical Security Regulations
“Today, the House Committee on Homeland Security approved the ‘Chemical Anti-Terrorism Act of 2008.’ ACC [American Chemistry Council] continues to be a strong proponent for federal chemical security regulations and our members have set the standard by voluntarily investing more than $5 billion to enhance security through ACC's Responsible Care Security Code. American Chemistry Council President & CEO Jack N. Gerard issued the following statement: ‘The chemical security bill passed by the House Committee on Homeland Security is an important first step toward establishing a permanent federal regulatory framework for chemical security.’” [Statement continues at the link below.] (PR Newswire, 06Mar08, American Chemistry Council) http://sev.prnewswire.com/chemical/20080306/DC1601706032008-1.html
Fight Over Chemical Ali’s Execution
“The Iraqi government is refusing to execute the Saddam Hussein henchman and cousin known as ‘Chemical Ali’ unless the death sentences of two other Saddam-era officials also are approved. The dispute pits the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki against the three-member presidential council, which moved last week to block the two other executions in what was seen as a possible attempt to appease minority Sunni Arabs. The standoff underscores the often unclear lines of authority in Iraq and is another blow to Iraq's beleaguered judicial system.” (ABC News; 05Mar08; Sameer N. Yacoub and Anna Johnson, AP)
http://www.abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=4391406
News Analysis: Chemical Weapons Parlay’s Outcome Uncertain
“During April 7-18, representatives of 183 states-parties of the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) will meet in The Hague for the second time to review the operation of the treaty and to find ways to adapt it for the future. Although there is likely to be broad agreement that the treaty has registered significant accomplishments in its first decade in operation, it is not clear if there is sufficient political will to tackle current diplomatic, technological, and economic challenges. Moreover, the meeting could be affected by tensions between developed and developing countries and between the United States and Iran that have hampered other multilateral talks.” (Arms Control Today, March 2008, Oliver Meier) http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2008_03/NewsAnalysis.asp?print
Advances in Science and Technology and the Chemical Weapons Convention
“With the second review conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) approaching in April, a raft of studies have appeared making clear that fundamental changes in science and technology are affecting the implementation of the treaty and that it must be adapted to take account of them. The most significant development is the revolution in the life sciences and related technologies, including a growing overlap between chemistry and biology. There is a vastly increased understanding of the functioning of biological systems as a result of the mapping of the human and other genomes as well as of advances in structural biology and the study of proteins (proteomics). Information technology and engineering principles are increasingly integrated into biology. The intersection between chemistry and biology has further expanded thanks in part to the automation of synthesis and screening of chemical compounds enabling laboratories to assess vast numbers of new chemical structures and a much-enhanced understanding of how certain ‘chemicals of biological origin’ act. Technological advances supplement these trends, for example, providing for more efficient means of delivering biologically active chemicals to target populations or targeting organs and receptors within an organism.” (Arms Control Today, March 2008, Ralf Trapp) http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2008_03/Trapp.asp?print
Understanding Ricin
“[…] The Las Vegas incident is the latest in a line of ricin-related episodes stretching back decades. The toxin first made news in 1978, when Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov died after assassins injected ricin into his leg on a London street. Ricin returned to the front pages in the 1990s, when several militia groups in the United States were found to be plotting to use it as a weapon. Ricin again made news after 9/11, when traces of it were mailed to then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and others in Washington (no one was harmed in those still-unsolved cases) and when former secretary of state Colin Powell claimed in his now infamous speech to the United Nations Security Council in February 2003 that Saddam Hussein was using ricin as one of his weapons of mass destruction. Ricin, which is poisonous if inhaled, injected, or ingested, is in its purest form about 500 times more powerful than cyanide—and about 1,000 times less powerful than botulinum, the most lethal toxin known to man. […] Jonathan Tucker, a senior fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, specializes in chemical and biological weapons issues and is an expert on ricin. […] Tucker spoke to Newsweek's Jamie Reno about the latest ricin scare in Las Vegas and shared some background and history of the toxin both in the United States and around the world.” [Interview excerpts follow at the link below.] (Newsweek, 06Mar08, Jamie Reno)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/119641
New Insights Into How Plant Toxin Ricin Kills Cells Could Help Scientists Develop Drugs To Counteract Poisonings
“A powerful plant toxin widely feared for its bioterrorism potential may one day be tamed using findings about how the toxin attacks cells. The findings may also help scientists combat food poisoning episodes such as those recently caused by bacteria-tainted produce and ground meat. Biotechnology researchers at Rutgers University have discovered that ricin, extracted from abundant castor beans, kills cells by a previously unrecognized activity that appears to work in concert with its ability to damage protein synthesis. While those earlier known effects still harm cells, it's the newly discovered and more stealthy activity that the researchers now believe delivers the knockout punch.” (Medical News Today, 07Mar08)
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/99853.php
Origin of ricin [in Las Vegas] still a mystery
“If only Roger Bergendorff could say why vials of deadly ricin, guns and a copy of the The Anarchist Cookbook were found in his Las Vegas motel room. Instead, the struggling graphic artist remained hospitalized Thursday, unconscious and on a ventilator, unable to describe how he and his beloved dog became the focus of a toxic mystery still puzzling investigators. ‘At this stage of the investigation, he could be a perpetrator. He could be a victim. He could be both,’ said FBI agent David Staretz.” (Houston Chronicle; 06Mar08; Ken Ritter, AP) http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5599953.html
Remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security Fifth Year Anniversary
“[…] Before September 11th, we did not scan cargo entering our seaports for radiation and we did not require advance information about every shipment destined for the United States. But today, we scan almost 100 percent of cargo for radiation at our seaports so that we can prevent dangerous weapons from entering the country. We’ve also deployed our Customs and Border Protection officers overseas to work with their foreign counterparts so that we can inspect cargo before it leaves to come to the United States. Before September 11th, we did not have national chemical security standards to protect chemical plants from attacks or to make sure that dangerous chemicals did not fall into the wrong hands. Today, with authority given to us by Congress, we have implemented tough new chemical security standards that will protect chemical facilities as well as chemicals in transit, while ensuring that the products safely reach their intended destinations.” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security Press Release, 06Mar08) http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/speeches/sp_1204896171375.shtm
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.
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