By Marine Corps Sgt. Trent M. Lowry
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 15, 2008 - In a line of Marines from Team Tank, Regimental Combat Team 1, one man stood out in his gray digital uniform as he participated in a combat-marksmanship program shoot. Army Sgt. Shane M. White, 22, an information systems specialist with 4th Psychological Operations Group, based in Fallujah, Iraq, was participating in the shoot with the Marines at the invitation of their company first sergeant, 1st Sgt. Joseph C. Gray, who also happens to be White's father.
The soldier and his Marine dad reunited here for three days. It was the first time in more than a year that they'd seen each other.
"The last time I saw my son was last September, for one day, at his wedding," said Gray, who has been in Iraq since April on his second deployment here.
"It's hard trying to find time for us to take leave at the same time," explained White, here on his first deployment.
Gray has been a Marine for more than 18 years and is assigned with Alpha Company, 1st Tank Battalion, at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif. While deployed, Alpha Company goes by the moniker Team Tank. White is in his third year as a soldier, based at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Though the news that White had joined the Army came as a surprise to Gray and his wife, Gina, it wasn't as much for his choice of service, but his decision to leave his studies at the University of South Florida.
"I've never pressured him to be a Marine," Gray said. "Did I want him to be a Marine? Not as much as I wanted him to be happy."
What makes White happy is working with computers, and though he considered the Marines, he said, the only service that would guarantee a military occupational specialty in the computer field was the Army. White was studying information systems in college, but said he felt compelled to postpone his scholarly pursuits.
"There has been someone in my family at least three generations back who has enlisted in an armed service," White said. "I grew up thinking I would enlist at some point, and I was just ready."
The two men's units prepared for deployments at different times, which has made it difficult for father and son to see each other. Gray said the two have seen each other about four days in the past four years.
White's unit learned of the brief window of opportunity he had to see his father – since Team Tank is always on the move – and graciously allowed the soldier a short break from his duties to fly to Al Asad. Gray served as the event planner for this visit, taking his son out to the CMP shoot, and then the next day, letting him fire a round from a tank's main gun.
"We don't get a lot of exposure to weapons," White said, referring to his computer specialty with the Army. "We don't get combat-arms missions; [we are] combat support."
"Which is how his mom prefers it," Gray added.
Both Gray and White have made favorable impressions with their units. Gray, serving with Alpha Company since June 2007, leads with the mind set that mission accomplishment and troop welfare are interdependent.
"If you're really in tune with the Marines and the issues they're dealing with, you can keep the morale high," said Gray, originally from Ripley, Ohio. "These Marines are doing the most proficient, professional and tactically patient job of any Marines I've worked with."
"He cares a lot about the Marines and takes a personal interest in their welfare and well-being," said Marine Corps Capt. Peter L. Schnurr, Team Tank company commander, from Voorhees, N.J. "Most are around the same age as [White], so I think that directly relates to how he cares about the troops in the company."
Team Tank operates in austere conditions and is based in Fallujah, but is never in a forward-operating base or combat outpost for more than a few weeks at a time. Its mission, to help rid the country of foreign fighters by sweeping in remote areas outside of populated areas, often calls for the nomadic Marines to live out of their vehicles.
"By him keeping the troops' spirits up, it makes my job easier, especially during the operations we've been doing this deployment," Schnurr said. "He directly impacts our ability to stay out in the field for weeks at a time and still do what the [commanding general] wants us to do."
White's accomplishments have affected his unit in similarly significant ways.
"Recently, White developed and created a Web site on the [secure network] to disseminate programs and products," said Army Staff Sgt. Edward L. Fourquet, 27, communications section noncommissioned officer in charge with 4th Psychological Operations Group. "His effort eliminated the previous method and saved the unit more than $4 million of satellite equipment and airtime."
Fourquet noted that White has earned numerous Soldier of the Month awards from various command levels and has been consistently promoted above the soldiers in his grade.
"He performs way above his maturity and age level and excels compared to his peers," Fourquet said. "White's an excellent soldier and phenomenal NCO."
Gray said that his son hasn't just made an impression on the Army, but also has inspired other young people.
"He's had a huge impact on all [his siblings'] lives as a big brother," said Gray. "They all admire him immensely."
According to Gray, despite his popularity at home, White rarely hears a "hooah," the Army's motivational cry. His younger siblings – Skylinn, 18, Richard, 13, and Emma, 11 – prefer the "ooh rah" of their father's service. Emma also tells White his hair is too long, Gray said.
The two servicemembers have now gone their separate ways, planning to rejoin as a family in California after the new year. But this short visit was something that father and son will always remember.
"This visit has been memorable, and we're hoping that it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing, in that neither one of us returns to Iraq [at the same time as the other]," Gray said. "There's enough stress on his mother to have both of us here at the same time."
(Marine Corps Sgt. Trent M. Lowry serves with Regimental Combat Team 5.)
Showing posts with label computer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label computer. Show all posts
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Sailors Take on Nontraditional Roles in Afghanistan
By Navy Lt. Neil Myers
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 29, 2008 - In a perfect world, military personnel on deployment always would be assigned to jobs within their specialties. But it's not a perfect world, and some sailors assigned to provincial reconstruction teams are serving in general service positions, meaning prior military training is not required. With the robust nature of the PRT mission in Afghanistan's Konar province, some sailors find themselves contributing to the mission in ways they never imagined.
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Shawn Simmons, a ship's serviceman from Sherman, Texas, stationed onboard the USS Kauffman in Norfolk, Va., is one such sailor. He was the ship's barber and storekeeper before he deployed to Afghanistan. Now, he is the PRT's computer network technician.
"I maintain the networks for PRT Konar and all units stationed at Camp Wright," said Simmons, who helps to manage the classified and unclassified intranet. He provides computer security and maintains the Internet access for the PRT. He also maintains Armed Forces Network, telephone and satellite systems.
"My PRT teammates call me the combat barber," said Simmons, who is also a licensed Humvee driver. He qualified as an expert marksman on the MK19 and 240B machine guns during pre-deployment training at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Brian Johnson, an engineman from South Bend, Ind., is another such sailor. He is stationed at Little Creek, Va., onboard Landing Craft Assault Craft 85 and is a member of the hovercraft light crew.
Assigned to the PRT as a driver, Johnson spends his off-duty time fighting improvised explosive devices, the nemesis of drivers in the combat theater, as a counter-IED systems technician. He also maintains communications equipment.
"I learned [area communications] systems by reading the service manuals and [on the job training] from the field service representative," Johnson said. "After about a month, I was ready to work on my own."
Navy Chief Petty Officer Jeremy Andrews is Simmons' and Johnson's division chief. He runs the communications shop for the PRT. Andrews -- a reservist from Portland, Ore. -- works as a commercial airplane pilot when he's not mobilized, flying out of a civilian airport in Texas.
"Back home, I'm a pilot for American Eagle," Andrews said. "Here, I supervise sailors in a one-stop [information technology] shop." It is hardly a desk job, said Simmons, who together with Johnson augments PRT Konar's security force by driving Humvees and handling weapons.
"I'm always helping out wherever I can," Simmons said. "I enjoyed being the ship's barber. Here, I was given the chance to work in IT, so I did it."
His fellow sailor agreed.
"I feel this job is important, and I'm glad I can help," Johnson said. "It motivates me knowing that what I do helps people to stay alive and contributes to the mission."
The capabilities these sailors provide allow Camp Wright to function as a regional IT support center, providing service to units from the surrounding areas. Andrews recalled a recent occasion in which this support proved crucial.
"A unit arrived at [5 a.m.] with a bad GPS system that rendered them mission incapable," said Andrews. "After hours of troubleshooting, we identified the problem and reconfigured their GPS. They were excited and very thankful. Helping people - that's what I love about this job." And the PRT appreciates their contributions, the PRT commander said.
"I'm proud of the soldiers and sailors at PRT Konar," Navy Cmdr. Daniel Dwyer said. "Many of them are working far outside where they normally work back at their home unit. They exhibit flexibility and commitment to helping the team and supporting the mission any way they can. I commend them for rising to the challenge."
(Navy Lt. Neil Myers serves with the Konar Provincial Reconstruction Team.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 29, 2008 - In a perfect world, military personnel on deployment always would be assigned to jobs within their specialties. But it's not a perfect world, and some sailors assigned to provincial reconstruction teams are serving in general service positions, meaning prior military training is not required. With the robust nature of the PRT mission in Afghanistan's Konar province, some sailors find themselves contributing to the mission in ways they never imagined.
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Shawn Simmons, a ship's serviceman from Sherman, Texas, stationed onboard the USS Kauffman in Norfolk, Va., is one such sailor. He was the ship's barber and storekeeper before he deployed to Afghanistan. Now, he is the PRT's computer network technician.
"I maintain the networks for PRT Konar and all units stationed at Camp Wright," said Simmons, who helps to manage the classified and unclassified intranet. He provides computer security and maintains the Internet access for the PRT. He also maintains Armed Forces Network, telephone and satellite systems.
"My PRT teammates call me the combat barber," said Simmons, who is also a licensed Humvee driver. He qualified as an expert marksman on the MK19 and 240B machine guns during pre-deployment training at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Brian Johnson, an engineman from South Bend, Ind., is another such sailor. He is stationed at Little Creek, Va., onboard Landing Craft Assault Craft 85 and is a member of the hovercraft light crew.
Assigned to the PRT as a driver, Johnson spends his off-duty time fighting improvised explosive devices, the nemesis of drivers in the combat theater, as a counter-IED systems technician. He also maintains communications equipment.
"I learned [area communications] systems by reading the service manuals and [on the job training] from the field service representative," Johnson said. "After about a month, I was ready to work on my own."
Navy Chief Petty Officer Jeremy Andrews is Simmons' and Johnson's division chief. He runs the communications shop for the PRT. Andrews -- a reservist from Portland, Ore. -- works as a commercial airplane pilot when he's not mobilized, flying out of a civilian airport in Texas.
"Back home, I'm a pilot for American Eagle," Andrews said. "Here, I supervise sailors in a one-stop [information technology] shop." It is hardly a desk job, said Simmons, who together with Johnson augments PRT Konar's security force by driving Humvees and handling weapons.
"I'm always helping out wherever I can," Simmons said. "I enjoyed being the ship's barber. Here, I was given the chance to work in IT, so I did it."
His fellow sailor agreed.
"I feel this job is important, and I'm glad I can help," Johnson said. "It motivates me knowing that what I do helps people to stay alive and contributes to the mission."
The capabilities these sailors provide allow Camp Wright to function as a regional IT support center, providing service to units from the surrounding areas. Andrews recalled a recent occasion in which this support proved crucial.
"A unit arrived at [5 a.m.] with a bad GPS system that rendered them mission incapable," said Andrews. "After hours of troubleshooting, we identified the problem and reconfigured their GPS. They were excited and very thankful. Helping people - that's what I love about this job." And the PRT appreciates their contributions, the PRT commander said.
"I'm proud of the soldiers and sailors at PRT Konar," Navy Cmdr. Daniel Dwyer said. "Many of them are working far outside where they normally work back at their home unit. They exhibit flexibility and commitment to helping the team and supporting the mission any way they can. I commend them for rising to the challenge."
(Navy Lt. Neil Myers serves with the Konar Provincial Reconstruction Team.)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Face of Defense: Soldier Donates Money, R&R Time to Needy
By Army Spc. Evan D. Marcy
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 27, 2008 - Whether it involves time with their families, their personal comforts or even their lives, the duty of soldiers eventually requires sacrifice. Certain soldiers, though, go beyond that call of duty and give more. Army Spc. Timothy Roy of 5th Signal Command's C Company, 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, has made it his personal endeavor to provide his time and money for those in need.
During his two-week rest and recuperation leave while serving a 15-month deployment in Iraq, Roy and his parents volunteered their time preparing and serving meals at a soup kitchen and shelter near their home in New Hampshire. He also donated $1,000 to the soup kitchen and convinced a large corporation to match his contribution.
"My parents always taught me to put others before myself," Roy said.
He also became involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation by donating $3,000 to grant a wish that was tied to his own interests in computers. His donation was matched with a 17-year-old girl afflicted with lupus, a life-threatening, inflammatory disease. She used the money to buy computer equipment, allowing her to continue her education from home.
"What Specialist Roy did was really remarkable, and shows how much of a good guy he really is," Army 1st Sgt. John Willis, C Company, 44th ESB, said. "Soldiers usually take deployment money and spend it on themselves. I was surprised by how much money came out of his pocket."
Roy said he hoped to set an example. "I figured if people saw me giving back, it would encourage them to do the same," he said. "When they see a soldier trying to give back, when they are already selflessly serving their country, they want to be a part of it as well."
The specialist said it simply feels good to give. "To know that you can make a profound difference in someone's life is a wonderful feeling," said Roy. "I got a letter of thanks from the first child and her mother that I sponsored [through Make-A-Wish], and she said she was moved to tears by my kindness. There's no feeling like that; it's hard to put in words how that made me feel."
This year, Roy is sponsoring another wish through the foundation, and he persuaded the Macy's department store chain to contribute as well. Together, they are providing a small haven for a girl who needs weekly medical treatments.
"We're giving her the room makeover of her dreams," Roy said. "She's always shared a bedroom, and her older sister just moved out, so were making her a place she can call her own."
Roy found another way to give back to the community through a classmate from high school who now teaches at an elementary school in Connecticut. During his deployment, the 5th Signal specialist and students are sharing letters, which provides "an educational experience for them; they are learning about Iraq and what the soldiers are doing here to make things better," Roy explained. "They ask the most innocent questions."
Because the children had never met a soldier, Roy made a three-hour drive to visit them while on R&R leave from Iraq.
"I spent the day with them, answering questions and playing at recesses," he recalled. "It was a great experience. It only takes a few minutes every couple of weeks to write a small letter ... to let them know how things are going. They looked at me with such awe. I was really touched to be a part of their lives."
Roy's first deployment was in 1999 while assigned to the 110th Military Intelligence Battalion, which went into Bosnia as part of a NATO peacekeeping force.
"There were bullet holes everywhere, and I saw a lot of burned-down houses," Roy remembered. "The kids would come up and ask for money. I talked a lot to our translator about the country. Everyone liked us being there; it felt good. We were down there for a good cause. I've spoken to Bosnian forces serving with us here; they said it's gotten a lot better."
While deployed to Iraq, Roy, an information technology specialist, is assigned to the Technical Control Facility help desk on Camp Echo, near Diwaniyah. His role is to manage and troubleshoot Internet, phones and switches, while also providing configuration changes throughout the camp.
Also located at his installation is a provincial reconstruction team, which he said "does a great job of helping poverty in Iraq."
"They go out, meet people personally and give back in a real way to these local communities," he said. "The PRT at Camp Echo has a program to rebuild schools [and] the local infrastructure, while also giving school children brand new laptops."
To the many folks he has touched, Roy could be considered a one-man PRT. For him, it's simply a personal duty to help out the needy.
(Army Spc. Evan D. Marcy serves with the 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 27, 2008 - Whether it involves time with their families, their personal comforts or even their lives, the duty of soldiers eventually requires sacrifice. Certain soldiers, though, go beyond that call of duty and give more. Army Spc. Timothy Roy of 5th Signal Command's C Company, 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, has made it his personal endeavor to provide his time and money for those in need.
During his two-week rest and recuperation leave while serving a 15-month deployment in Iraq, Roy and his parents volunteered their time preparing and serving meals at a soup kitchen and shelter near their home in New Hampshire. He also donated $1,000 to the soup kitchen and convinced a large corporation to match his contribution.
"My parents always taught me to put others before myself," Roy said.
He also became involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation by donating $3,000 to grant a wish that was tied to his own interests in computers. His donation was matched with a 17-year-old girl afflicted with lupus, a life-threatening, inflammatory disease. She used the money to buy computer equipment, allowing her to continue her education from home.
"What Specialist Roy did was really remarkable, and shows how much of a good guy he really is," Army 1st Sgt. John Willis, C Company, 44th ESB, said. "Soldiers usually take deployment money and spend it on themselves. I was surprised by how much money came out of his pocket."
Roy said he hoped to set an example. "I figured if people saw me giving back, it would encourage them to do the same," he said. "When they see a soldier trying to give back, when they are already selflessly serving their country, they want to be a part of it as well."
The specialist said it simply feels good to give. "To know that you can make a profound difference in someone's life is a wonderful feeling," said Roy. "I got a letter of thanks from the first child and her mother that I sponsored [through Make-A-Wish], and she said she was moved to tears by my kindness. There's no feeling like that; it's hard to put in words how that made me feel."
This year, Roy is sponsoring another wish through the foundation, and he persuaded the Macy's department store chain to contribute as well. Together, they are providing a small haven for a girl who needs weekly medical treatments.
"We're giving her the room makeover of her dreams," Roy said. "She's always shared a bedroom, and her older sister just moved out, so were making her a place she can call her own."
Roy found another way to give back to the community through a classmate from high school who now teaches at an elementary school in Connecticut. During his deployment, the 5th Signal specialist and students are sharing letters, which provides "an educational experience for them; they are learning about Iraq and what the soldiers are doing here to make things better," Roy explained. "They ask the most innocent questions."
Because the children had never met a soldier, Roy made a three-hour drive to visit them while on R&R leave from Iraq.
"I spent the day with them, answering questions and playing at recesses," he recalled. "It was a great experience. It only takes a few minutes every couple of weeks to write a small letter ... to let them know how things are going. They looked at me with such awe. I was really touched to be a part of their lives."
Roy's first deployment was in 1999 while assigned to the 110th Military Intelligence Battalion, which went into Bosnia as part of a NATO peacekeeping force.
"There were bullet holes everywhere, and I saw a lot of burned-down houses," Roy remembered. "The kids would come up and ask for money. I talked a lot to our translator about the country. Everyone liked us being there; it felt good. We were down there for a good cause. I've spoken to Bosnian forces serving with us here; they said it's gotten a lot better."
While deployed to Iraq, Roy, an information technology specialist, is assigned to the Technical Control Facility help desk on Camp Echo, near Diwaniyah. His role is to manage and troubleshoot Internet, phones and switches, while also providing configuration changes throughout the camp.
Also located at his installation is a provincial reconstruction team, which he said "does a great job of helping poverty in Iraq."
"They go out, meet people personally and give back in a real way to these local communities," he said. "The PRT at Camp Echo has a program to rebuild schools [and] the local infrastructure, while also giving school children brand new laptops."
To the many folks he has touched, Roy could be considered a one-man PRT. For him, it's simply a personal duty to help out the needy.
(Army Spc. Evan D. Marcy serves with the 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion.)
Monday, August 25, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- August 25, 2008
Biodefense campus [Ft. Detrick] tenants prepare security plans
“Officials at the new biodefense labs under construction at Fort Detrick are working on their own security plans as the Army reviews its security procedures following revelations that the 2001 anthrax mailings may have been an inside job. […] Video surveillance and two-man rules, barring researchers from working in the labs alone, are among the security measures officials for both the Department of Homeland Security and NIAID said are either planned or are being considered for their labs. […] The Department of Homeland Security's National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center is scheduled to open next year […]” (Frederick News-Post; 25Aug08; Justin M. Palk)
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=598&sid=1465881
FBI's Anthrax Analysis
“FBI Officials and scientific experts revealed more information about the scientific experiments used to study anthrax spores disseminated in 2001 mailings at a briefing held on Aug 18. The briefing aimed to ease speculation about the bureau's conclusions. […] Hassell says the experimental data need to be validated through a peer review process. He tells C&EN that the FBI has a publication plan, and the process is already under way. Speaking of the science, he adds, ‘We are hoping to get as much as we can into peer-reviewed journals.’” (Chemical & Engineering News; 25Aug08; Rochelle Bohaty) http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/86/i34/8634notw1.html
Jail inmate [Marc Harold Ramsey] charged in McCain office threat
“Tests showed the white powder wasn't anthrax or any other lethal substance, but authorities had not determined what it was. Prosecutors said Marc Harold Ramsey, 39, sent a letter to McCain's office in the south Denver suburb of Centennial reading, ‘If you are reading this, then you are already dead!’ The letter was signed Akeem Ramsey El, but the return address on the envelope had Ramsey's name and ‘Arapahoe County Detention Facility.’ […] The Secret Service — which provides protection to the candidates — said a separate scare triggered by a letter sent to a McCain campaign office in Manchester, N.H., was a false alarm.” (AP; 23Aug08) (Last article on page)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iNxTApa2sQRu0Xx99P3jt2bEXw7gD92NS8QG1
Fairway [Medical Technologies] awarded Navy contract to help develop detection devices
“Fairway Medical Technologies Inc. has received a $900,000, three-year contract from the Department of the Navy to apply its optoacoustic technology to the real-time detection of blood-borne pathogens and biological warfare agents under battlefield conditions. […] The research is intended to develop a rugged battlefield instrument capable of detecting chemical and biological agents such as anthrax, plague and smallpox with speed and accuracy, Glickman said.” (Houston Business Journal; 22Aug08; Monica Perin) http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2008/08/18/daily57.html
Weapons destruction deadline looks like a reality [Blue Grass Depot, Kentucky]
“Elected officials from Washington, D.C., on down to the local city and county levels gathered to hear reports from U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, D-Sixth District, who toured the construction sites at the depot […] ‘We (he and McConnell) are both going to work very, very hard to see that it is achievable. That doesn’t mean it will happen, but I can assure you that we’re all going to work together.[…]’ The lawmakers declined to comment on two recent leaks of mustard gas at the depot, but Williams said they were minor and did not concern him.” (Richmond Register; 21Aug08; Ronica Shannon) http://www.richmondregister.com/homepage/local_story_234222136.html?keyword=leadpicturestory
[Vermilion County] County combines departments
“Already approved by the Vermilion County Board’s Personnel and Executive committees, the plan calls for combining the county’s technology Services and the Danville/Vermilion County Emergency Management Agency into one unit. […] Saving money is of the utmost importance right now as the county faces running EMA without the benefit of funding from the Chemical Stockpile Elimination Program. The county received the funds because of the proximity of the U.S. Chemical Depot in Newport, Ind.” (Commercial News; 25Aug08; Brian L. Huchel) http://www.commercial-news.com/local/local_story_238114557.html
Padilla's Egyptian connection facing prison or trial
“Mohamed Hesham Youssef figures he'll rot in an Egyptian desert prison, a dual citizen detained without charge, unless he agrees to stand trial in the United States on charges of supporting al-Qaida. His one-time friend and Cairo roommate, Jose Padilla, and two other men were convicted last year in Miami on terrorism charges. Youssef was critical to that case, even though he was thousands of miles away, because of FBI recordings of phone conversations between him and the other defendants. Prosecutors in the U.S. consider Youssef at worst a terrorist, at best a supporter of Islamic extremists. He's being held indefinitely at a prison in Al Kharga. […] He's accused in Miami of being a recruit for a North American cell that provided money, fighters and supplies to al-Qaida and other terror groups around the world. The most serious conspiracy charge carries a possible life sentence. […] Swartz, the lawyer for Hassoun, said Youssef could explain a great deal if he stood trial and could back up claims that the men were only trying to assist and defend Muslims suffering in war zones.” (Chicago Tribune; 22Aug08; Curt Anderson, AP) http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-padilla-egyptianconne,0,7693325.story
UK terror case ripples abroad
“The terror suspect, Binyam Mohammed, an Ethiopian resident of Britain, claims he was pressured into making a false confession after being subject to torture. […] He is accused of planning to set off a ‘dirty bomb’ containing radioactive material in the United States. He faces trial by military commission in Guantanamo Bay, where he has been since 2004, and could face the death penalty. […] The British government has been at odds with Washington for the past year over the Mohammed case. Even though he has never become a UK citizen, he has the right to live in Britain and London has asked for him to be returned to Britain, a request rejected by the Bush administration.” (The National; 24Aug08; Alan Philps)
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20080824/FOREIGN/838132966/1002&profile=1002
Swiss engineers, a nuclear black market and the CIA
“The president of Switzerland stepped to a podium in Bern in May and read a statement confirming rumors that had swirled through the capital for months. The government, he acknowledged, had indeed destroyed a huge trove of computer files and other material documenting the business dealings of a family of Swiss engineers suspected of helping smuggle nuclear technology to Libya and Iran. […] The Swiss president, Pascal Couchepin, took no questions. But he asserted that the files - which included an array of plans for nuclear arms and technologies, among them a highly sophisticated Pakistani bomb design - had been destroyed so that they would never fall into terrorist hands.” (International Herald Tribune; 25Aug08; William J. Broad and David E. Sanger) http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/25/europe/nuke.php
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.
“Officials at the new biodefense labs under construction at Fort Detrick are working on their own security plans as the Army reviews its security procedures following revelations that the 2001 anthrax mailings may have been an inside job. […] Video surveillance and two-man rules, barring researchers from working in the labs alone, are among the security measures officials for both the Department of Homeland Security and NIAID said are either planned or are being considered for their labs. […] The Department of Homeland Security's National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center is scheduled to open next year […]” (Frederick News-Post; 25Aug08; Justin M. Palk)
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=598&sid=1465881
FBI's Anthrax Analysis
“FBI Officials and scientific experts revealed more information about the scientific experiments used to study anthrax spores disseminated in 2001 mailings at a briefing held on Aug 18. The briefing aimed to ease speculation about the bureau's conclusions. […] Hassell says the experimental data need to be validated through a peer review process. He tells C&EN that the FBI has a publication plan, and the process is already under way. Speaking of the science, he adds, ‘We are hoping to get as much as we can into peer-reviewed journals.’” (Chemical & Engineering News; 25Aug08; Rochelle Bohaty) http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/86/i34/8634notw1.html
Jail inmate [Marc Harold Ramsey] charged in McCain office threat
“Tests showed the white powder wasn't anthrax or any other lethal substance, but authorities had not determined what it was. Prosecutors said Marc Harold Ramsey, 39, sent a letter to McCain's office in the south Denver suburb of Centennial reading, ‘If you are reading this, then you are already dead!’ The letter was signed Akeem Ramsey El, but the return address on the envelope had Ramsey's name and ‘Arapahoe County Detention Facility.’ […] The Secret Service — which provides protection to the candidates — said a separate scare triggered by a letter sent to a McCain campaign office in Manchester, N.H., was a false alarm.” (AP; 23Aug08) (Last article on page)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iNxTApa2sQRu0Xx99P3jt2bEXw7gD92NS8QG1
Fairway [Medical Technologies] awarded Navy contract to help develop detection devices
“Fairway Medical Technologies Inc. has received a $900,000, three-year contract from the Department of the Navy to apply its optoacoustic technology to the real-time detection of blood-borne pathogens and biological warfare agents under battlefield conditions. […] The research is intended to develop a rugged battlefield instrument capable of detecting chemical and biological agents such as anthrax, plague and smallpox with speed and accuracy, Glickman said.” (Houston Business Journal; 22Aug08; Monica Perin) http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2008/08/18/daily57.html
Weapons destruction deadline looks like a reality [Blue Grass Depot, Kentucky]
“Elected officials from Washington, D.C., on down to the local city and county levels gathered to hear reports from U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, D-Sixth District, who toured the construction sites at the depot […] ‘We (he and McConnell) are both going to work very, very hard to see that it is achievable. That doesn’t mean it will happen, but I can assure you that we’re all going to work together.[…]’ The lawmakers declined to comment on two recent leaks of mustard gas at the depot, but Williams said they were minor and did not concern him.” (Richmond Register; 21Aug08; Ronica Shannon) http://www.richmondregister.com/homepage/local_story_234222136.html?keyword=leadpicturestory
[Vermilion County] County combines departments
“Already approved by the Vermilion County Board’s Personnel and Executive committees, the plan calls for combining the county’s technology Services and the Danville/Vermilion County Emergency Management Agency into one unit. […] Saving money is of the utmost importance right now as the county faces running EMA without the benefit of funding from the Chemical Stockpile Elimination Program. The county received the funds because of the proximity of the U.S. Chemical Depot in Newport, Ind.” (Commercial News; 25Aug08; Brian L. Huchel) http://www.commercial-news.com/local/local_story_238114557.html
Padilla's Egyptian connection facing prison or trial
“Mohamed Hesham Youssef figures he'll rot in an Egyptian desert prison, a dual citizen detained without charge, unless he agrees to stand trial in the United States on charges of supporting al-Qaida. His one-time friend and Cairo roommate, Jose Padilla, and two other men were convicted last year in Miami on terrorism charges. Youssef was critical to that case, even though he was thousands of miles away, because of FBI recordings of phone conversations between him and the other defendants. Prosecutors in the U.S. consider Youssef at worst a terrorist, at best a supporter of Islamic extremists. He's being held indefinitely at a prison in Al Kharga. […] He's accused in Miami of being a recruit for a North American cell that provided money, fighters and supplies to al-Qaida and other terror groups around the world. The most serious conspiracy charge carries a possible life sentence. […] Swartz, the lawyer for Hassoun, said Youssef could explain a great deal if he stood trial and could back up claims that the men were only trying to assist and defend Muslims suffering in war zones.” (Chicago Tribune; 22Aug08; Curt Anderson, AP) http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-padilla-egyptianconne,0,7693325.story
UK terror case ripples abroad
“The terror suspect, Binyam Mohammed, an Ethiopian resident of Britain, claims he was pressured into making a false confession after being subject to torture. […] He is accused of planning to set off a ‘dirty bomb’ containing radioactive material in the United States. He faces trial by military commission in Guantanamo Bay, where he has been since 2004, and could face the death penalty. […] The British government has been at odds with Washington for the past year over the Mohammed case. Even though he has never become a UK citizen, he has the right to live in Britain and London has asked for him to be returned to Britain, a request rejected by the Bush administration.” (The National; 24Aug08; Alan Philps)
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20080824/FOREIGN/838132966/1002&profile=1002
Swiss engineers, a nuclear black market and the CIA
“The president of Switzerland stepped to a podium in Bern in May and read a statement confirming rumors that had swirled through the capital for months. The government, he acknowledged, had indeed destroyed a huge trove of computer files and other material documenting the business dealings of a family of Swiss engineers suspected of helping smuggle nuclear technology to Libya and Iran. […] The Swiss president, Pascal Couchepin, took no questions. But he asserted that the files - which included an array of plans for nuclear arms and technologies, among them a highly sophisticated Pakistani bomb design - had been destroyed so that they would never fall into terrorist hands.” (International Herald Tribune; 25Aug08; William J. Broad and David E. Sanger) http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/25/europe/nuke.php
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, August 18, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- August 15, 2008
Cost of planned biolab increases $200 million
“The projected cost of a bioterrorism laboratory for animal diseases sought by Georgia and five other states has shot up at least $200 million, according to new estimates by the Department of Homeland Security. The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility received congressional authorization for $451 million just two years ago, but DHS now says the facility will cost at least $648 million and as much as $939 million, depending on where it is located.” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; 15Aug08; Ken Foskett) http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/printedition/2008/08/15/biolab.html
Nashville [Tennessee]: High risk, less funds?
“Because of the infrastructure, critical financial and transportation hubs and population the region has been designated a high priority and potential target by the Department of Homeland Security. But the high-risk label might actually mean Nashville gets less money to prepare responses for terrorist attacks and natural disasters. The $1.8 million grant the city and surrounding counties will get this year from the federal Homeland Security agency is a substantial cut from the $2.2 million the area drew from the state's pot of Homeland Security money last year, when it didn't get it's own dedicated funding. Tennessee, as a whole, is expected to get $20.8 million from the federal government.” (Tennessean; 15Aug08; Kate Howard)
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080815/NEWS01/808150419/1006
Anthrax scientist Bruce Ivins slipped under the radar because of FBI obsession
“Law enforcement documents unsealed by a federal judge last week, along with other materials reviewed by The Times, show that within a few months of the mailings, FBI leaders were positioned to know important details spotlighting Ivins […] Security records […] revealing that Ivins […] had spent hours in a fortified ‘hot suite’ during late nights and weekends leading up to and surrounding the mailings. […] analysis by outside scientists […] reporting that anthrax powder recovered from the mailings most likely came from Ft. Detrick […] Ivins, recruited to assist the FBI, had failed in February 2002 to provide an anthrax sample […] requested by a bureau agent.[…] As for Hatfill, the former Ft. Detrick researcher with no record of access at any time to anthrax, FBI and Justice Department officials have declined to say why the investigation stayed focused on him for so long.” (LA Times; 15Aug08; David Willman)
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-anthrax15-2008aug15,0,6139854.story?page=1
Plum Island [Massachusetts] may not get nod [for biolab]
“The federal government’s environmental assessment of whether or not Plum Island Animal Disease Center is a suitable site for a planned new facility devoted to the study of biological terrorism — specifically, diseases communicable to both animals and humans — was vetted on Tuesday night in Greenport. However, Department of Homeland Security representatives said in interviews that while the island is a candidate, it is not likely to be chosen. Elected officials have requested that Plum Island be allowed to continue its current research after the new biological terrorism facility is built, but it does not appear that Homeland Security will take those requests seriously.” (The East Hampton Star; 14Aug08; Jennifer Landes) http://www.easthamptonstar.com/dnn/Home/News/PlumIsland/tabid/6315/Default.aspx
Sandia researcher develops inference technique that estimates how many people will fall sick in an epidemic
“Sandia National Laboratories/California researcher Jaideep Ray […] figured out a way to determine the number of people likely to be infected and die from noncommunicable illnesses like anthrax — ailments that could be caused by a potential bioterrorist attack — as well as communicable diseases like smallpox. […] in the middle of 2007 successfully developed a model that could infer the characteristics of a bioterrorism-related epidemic of a noncommunicable disease like anthrax. These inferences were drawn from observations of people with symptoms of anthrax exposure collected over the first three to five days of an epidemic. He is within a few months of refining a computer model that would do the same for communicable diseases.” (All American Patriots; 14Aug08) http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/science/48749327-sandia-researcher-develops-inference-technique-estimates-how-many-people-will-fa
Nano vaccine for hepatitis B produces strong
“Sciences at the University of Michigan report that a novel, needle-less method for getting an immunity-stimulating agent into the body has proved non-toxic and able to produce strong, sustained immune responses in animal studies. The vaccine is based on a super-fine emulsion of oil, water and surfactants placed in the nose. […] Baker’s team has published earlier studies affirming the promise of nasal nanoemulsions as a strategy for smallpox, influenza, anthrax and HIV vaccines. The nanoemulsion technology is patented by U-M and licensed to Ann Arbor-based NanoBio Corporation.
Baker is a founder and equity holder of NanoBio.” (Media Newswire; 15Aug08) http://media-newswire.com/release_1070955.html
KU Med [Kansas University Medical Center] researchers share anthrax discovery
“Kansas University Medical Center researchers, along with researchers from Harvard Medical School, the University of Missouri-Kansas City and William Jewell College, have made a discovery that could be used to eventually prevent anthrax infections from harming humans. Although it is known that anthrax is comprised of three proteins, the discovery specifically looks at the structure of the protective antigen pore protein, which is responsible for the delivery of toxins in human cells, according to a press release. […] This discovery could eventually lead to prevent anthrax infections from even taking place, rather than requiring a vaccine.” (Lawrence Journal-World; 15Aug08)
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/aug/15/ku_med_researchers_share_anthrax_discovery/?city_local
FBI serves warrant after Frederick County PL [Public Library] surrenders PCs in anthrax case
“Though the director of the Frederick County Public Libraries (FCPL), MD, last week acceded to the request by the FBI for two library computers without requesting a warrant, the FBI yesterday requested and got a search warrant to search those computers, which it alleged were used by Bruce Ivins, the anthrax scientist and suspect who committed suicide last week. […] While using the computers, Ivins was seen to examine e-mail accounts and look at a web site ‘dedicated to the Anthrax Investigation.’” (Library Journal; 14Aug08; Elizabeth Ferrari)
http://www.libraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=talkbackCommentsFull&talk_back_header_id=6548278&articleid=CA6585613
Hair doesn't match anthrax suspect, fuels speculation
“A hair sample taken from a Princeton, N.J., mailbox linked to the 2001 anthrax attacks does not match that of Army scientist Bruce E. Ivins, leading to speculation about whether the federal government identified the right suspect. […] ‘I think it's going to be one of the great conspiracy theories, like whether we landed on the moon or whether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone’ in assassinating President Kennedy, said Edward Lake, a retired Wisconsin computer specialist whose Web site has for years been one of the most comprehensive repositories for analysis on the anthrax case.” (Washington Post; 14Aug08; Derek Kravitz) http://voices.washingtonpost.com/washingtonpostinvestigations/2008/08/hair_doesnt_match_anthrax_susp.html
Nasal drug boosts Hep[atitis] B immunity
“Scientists at the University of Michigan and NanoBio Corp, found that a single dose of the nasal vaccine triggered a protective response in animals roughly 450 times greater than that achieved by currently approved human vaccines. The study, reported in the journal PLoS One, has critical implications for developing countries where hepatitis B presents a serious health threat, said lead author Dr James Baker Jr. [who said] ‘The same vaccine platform has also been shown to elicit significant immune responses in animal studies with influenza, anthrax, smallpox, RSV and HIV.’” (Pharmacy Europe; 15Aug08; NanoBioCorp)
http://www.pharmacyeurope.net/default.asp?title=NasaldrugboostsHepBimmunity&page=article.display&article.id=12964
Chemical scare in New Zealand PM's office
“Staff from New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark's office had to be evacuated after an envelope containing white powder was opened yesterday. […] Ambulances and fire engines were called and three office staff and a security officer were examined after the incident but none appeared to be suffering any ill effects. The powder has still not been identified.” (Radio Australia; 14Aug08)
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200808/s2334807.htm?tab=pacific
The assassination of General Mohammed Suleiman
“On August 1, 2008, Syrian general Mohammed Suleiman was gunned down on the beach near the Syrian city of Tartous. Only after five days […] Syrian officials […] reported that the general had indeed been assassinated and that an investigation was underway […] Meantime, journalists and commentators have proposed different theories regarding the identity of the assassin and the reasons for the attack. […] The various sources […] have differing agendas and therefore perforce have offered varying accounts. Western intelligence sources have posited that he was involved in the Syrian nuclear project; American intelligence sources have tied Suleiman to transfers of chemical weapons from Iraq to Syria in 2003 on the eve of the US invasion of Iraq […]” (Canadian Free Press; 15Aug08; Amir Kulick)
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/4481
US Navy charges Iraq camp guards with abuse
“Six sailors working as prison camp guards in Iraq face courts martial for abusing detainees, some of whom were sealed in a cell with pepper spray, the U.S. Navy said on Thursday. […] ‘Two detainees suffered minor abrasions as a result of the alleged assaults, eight others were confined overnight in a detainee housing unit which was sprayed with riot control agent and then the ventilation secured,’ the Navy said in a statement. […] Use of pepper spray in warfare is banned by international treaties on chemical weapons, but many governments say members of their armed forces are permitted to use it in war zones for law enforcement duties.”
(Reuters; 14Aug08; Peter Graff)
http://www.reuters.com/article/middleeastCrisis/idUSLE258216
Sister: Man found dead at Denver hotel 'not a terrorist'
“The Canadian man found dead next to a jar of cyanide in a Denver hotel room had schizophrenia, his family says, lending credence to the theory that he may have died of suicide. The FBI and haz-mat teams got involved in the incident because cyanide can be used to make chemical weapons, and the foreign national had arrived in Denver shortly before the start of the Democratic National Convention. […] Sodium chloride is an ideal ingredient for making a chemical weapon but also is found in rat poison and such things as gold-plated watches. The tell-tale odor of almonds indicated to investigators that Dirie may have died from exposure to cyanide. Investigators still want to know why so much of it — about a pound in crystal form — was found in the room.” (Rocky Mountain News; 14Aug08; Bill Scanlon)
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20080814/NEWS/422595806/1062
State won't distribute anti-nerve gas drug with gas mask kits
“Authorities will no longer include an anti-nerve gas drug in safety kits distributed in the event of a nuclear or chemical emergency, the state announced Thursday. The Defense Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command will remove injections of atropine from home safety kits that will be distributed to the public beginning in early 2009. The move is designed to cut costs of replenishing stockpiles of the kits. […] The defense ministry said that should Israel be threatened with a chemical weapons attack, the drug would be distributed to the general public via health maintenance organizations and at hand-out points throughout the country. ‘Logistically, it would be very easy,’ said a defense official. ‘We could distribute everything within two days and it would prevent the need to trouble the public by dragging it to refresher stations that also cost a lot of money.’” (Haaretz; 14Aug08; Yuval Azoulay) http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1011863.html
Kulongoski says exercise showed Oregon not prepared for terrorism
“If terrorists decided to attack Oregon today, the state wouldn't be adequately prepared. That's what Gov. Ted Kulongoski said came from an exercise called Top Officials or TOPOFF that was carried out last October. The 4th TOPOFF exercise simulated an attack on Portland with a dirty bomb that contained radioactive material. Governor Ted Kulongoski spoke Wednesday at an Anti-terrorism Conference, along with the U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and other federal and state officials. Kulongoski said the state learned a number of things from TOPOFF, perhaps most importantly, that the state's public safety communications systems are dangerously out of date.” (OPB News; 13Aug08; Christina Neuhaus) http://news.opb.org/article/2810-kulongoski-says-exercise-showed-oregon-not-prepared-terrorism/
Amplifying small molecules
“Mirkin and graduate student Hyo Jae Yoon achieved their PCR-inspired small-molecule detection system by using a supramolecular complex that recognizes acetate and catalyzes a reaction that generates more acetate. […] Under basic conditions, acetate displaces the thioethers, opening the complex and forming a cavity capable of catalyzing an acyl transfer reaction between pyridyl carbinol and acetic anhydride. The reaction is coupled to a fluorescent readout with a pH-sensitive dye. The catalyzed reaction generates more acetate, which in turn activates more catalyst in a cascade of reactions. The method's applicability is limited only by ‘the creativity of a chemist trying to design a structure to recognize a molecule of interest,’ Mirkin says. Such molecules of interest could range from chemical weapons and biological toxins to neurotransmitters and small-molecule disease markers.” (Chemical & Engineering News; 14Aug08; Celia Henry Arnaud) http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/86/i33/8633notw4.html
CNS ChemBio-WMD terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Criminal Intelligence Analysis Course
The Anderson Police Department, SC, is hosting an intensive 5-day Criminal Intelligence Analysis Course for intelligence officers and crime and intelligence analysts from August 18th to August 22nd 2008. The course will be presented by the Alpha Group Center for Crime and Intelligence Analysis and taught by Warren Sweeney, a thirty-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and former Intelligence Analysis Coordinator for the RCMP Canadian Police College in Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
This will be a "hands-on" course that takes a "learn-by-doing," practical approach to training. Students will actually perform tasks associated with intelligence analysis work. Each participant will also receive a copy of The Intelligence Analyst's Sourcebook. Written by Warren Sweeney, this manual explains how to conduct, prepare, and present intelligence to enhance the investigative and decision-making process.
Participants will be taught how to turn data into information; how to distinguish differences between Tactical, Strategic, and Operational Intelligence; how to overcome resistance to the intelligence process, how to establish links between people, organizations, and events; how to chart events, commodity flow, and activities within the criminal organization; how to present intelligence effectively in oral and written reports; how to use the power of the computer to assist the intelligence function; and money laundering secrets and techniques.
Tuition for the course is $525 and includes the week of instruction, the text, and related course materials. The course also fulfills the requirements of the California Department of Justice Certified Crime and Intelligence Analysis Program and may be used for Certification purposes. It is beneficial, but not required, to bring a laptop computer with you, which will permit the installation of a graphics program: ABC SnapGraphics 1.0.
To obtain a course brochure or to register for the course, please contact Katie Brown, Anderson County Sheriff's Office, 305 Camson Rd, Anderson SC 29625. You may also register by phone by calling Ms Brown at (864) 222-6601, or by faxing your registration form to her at (864) 260-4354. email contact is kgbrown@andersonsheriff.com. or Diana Olson of the Alpha Group at (909) 484-2169 or contact by e-mail at: crimecrush@aol.com.
Additional information about the content of the course can also be found on the Alpha Group website at www.alphagroupcenter.com
This will be a "hands-on" course that takes a "learn-by-doing," practical approach to training. Students will actually perform tasks associated with intelligence analysis work. Each participant will also receive a copy of The Intelligence Analyst's Sourcebook. Written by Warren Sweeney, this manual explains how to conduct, prepare, and present intelligence to enhance the investigative and decision-making process.
Participants will be taught how to turn data into information; how to distinguish differences between Tactical, Strategic, and Operational Intelligence; how to overcome resistance to the intelligence process, how to establish links between people, organizations, and events; how to chart events, commodity flow, and activities within the criminal organization; how to present intelligence effectively in oral and written reports; how to use the power of the computer to assist the intelligence function; and money laundering secrets and techniques.
Tuition for the course is $525 and includes the week of instruction, the text, and related course materials. The course also fulfills the requirements of the California Department of Justice Certified Crime and Intelligence Analysis Program and may be used for Certification purposes. It is beneficial, but not required, to bring a laptop computer with you, which will permit the installation of a graphics program: ABC SnapGraphics 1.0.
To obtain a course brochure or to register for the course, please contact Katie Brown, Anderson County Sheriff's Office, 305 Camson Rd, Anderson SC 29625. You may also register by phone by calling Ms Brown at (864) 222-6601, or by faxing your registration form to her at (864) 260-4354. email contact is kgbrown@andersonsheriff.com. or Diana Olson of the Alpha Group at (909) 484-2169 or contact by e-mail at: crimecrush@aol.com.
Additional information about the content of the course can also be found on the Alpha Group website at www.alphagroupcenter.com
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
U.S. Airmen Teach Iraqis Western-Style Command, Control
By Air Force Staff Sgt. Shawn J. Jones
Special to American Forces Press Service
June 11, 2008 - U.S. airmen are teaching command-and-control techniques to their counterparts at the Iraqi air operations center at Camp Victory here. The operations center is the hub that controls all Iraqi air force missions, where mission planners analyze weather conditions, intelligence and the status of their aircraft to make decisions regarding the command and control of air operations within the rebuilding country.
A team of 10 U.S. Air Force advisors from the Coalition Air Force Training Team are teaching Western-style command-and-control structure to the Iraqis, most of whom are more familiar with Soviet-style command structure.
"In the Soviet style of managing command and control, it was very rigid," said Air Force Lt. Col. Gary Kubat, the top advisor at the Iraqi air operations center. "Any decisions that were made had to be made by the top."
Western command and control encourages more information sharing throughout command channels so airmen aren't totally reliant on the highest levels of leadership to get things done. Kubat said he has spent the past year encouraging Iraqis to empower their mid-level commanders to make more decisions that are appropriate for their level.
In its position between the Iraqi air force's top leaders and the tactical units that perform the missions, the operations center fulfills a key role in Western-style command and control. For the Iraqis, the changes in command structure initially were as foreign as the U.S. airmen who were teaching them.
"When it first started out, there weren't a lot of Iraqis looking to do command and control," the colonel said. "They didn't quite understand that they had decisions to make at this level. When anything would happen, they would push it up the leadership chain and expect somebody else to make the decision."
Change is starting to take effect at the operations center.
"Now as we have been moving along, they have been aggressively taking on more and more of that decision making at lower levels," Kubat said .
The growing capabilities of the operations center are illustrated by the increasing number of missions flown by Iraqi airmen. Last year, the Iraqi air force flew fewer than 100 missions per week. In past three months, the average weekly number of flights has jumped to 271, with a record of 383 flown in mid-April. So far this year, the Iraqi air force has flown more than 5,000 missions in support of the global war on terror, including combat operations in Basra, Mosul and Sadr City.
The operations center also controls noncombat missions that contribute to the security of the Iraqi people and their democratic government. This year, Iraqi surveillance aircraft exposed smugglers who were damaging the government's oil pipeline. Additionally, other Iraqi aircraft flew above a religious pilgrimage, discouraging terrorist groups from attacking them.
"This, in turn, tends to makes the population a little bit happier with their government, because things are becoming more stable," Kubat said. "While they may not recognize the direct impact of the air force, they're seeing their government as an entity become more secure, more stable and providing for their needs."
The public's improved confidence in the government should make things tougher on terrorist insurgents.
"They are less likely to rebel against their government or provide aid to the people who are causing the problem," Kubat said.
Though they've experienced plenty of progress at the operations center throughout the past year, the advisors have had to overcome many challenges. Cultural differences are the most visible hurdle to teaching Western methods of airpower to the Iraqis.
Kubat said strong relationships with their Iraqi counterparts play a substantial role in the advisors' ability to teach command–and-control structure. An earnest appreciation of Iraqi social etiquette can go a long way toward improving the relationships between the airmen, he noted.
"We have a different sense of timeline in the West," Kubat said. "We tend to be a little more brusque, a little more up-front." Iraqis typically prefer to get to know a person before they become comfortable in working or conducting business together, he said.
Another challenge facing the advisors is the significant technology gap between the two nations' airmen. While much U.S. Air Force business is accomplished on computers, the Iraqis more commonly rely on paper or verbal dialogue. This forces the advisors to innovate, adjusting their systems and programs that would normally run on a computer into a manner that is more accessible to the Iraqi airmen's work culture.
"Very often we'll scratch our heads and say, 'Yeah, that could work,' and it actually ends up working more effectively than what we would have put in place," Kubat said.
The operations center, like the Iraqi air force, will expand rapidly over the course of the next few years. While only 12 Iraqis work there now, that number will soar to 88 within a year, and finding the right airmen to staff the opening is a considerable challenge.
"Right now, what you have is a military where previous air force officers have come in from the old regime, and they've been vetted and are trustworthy, and they've been taken into senior leadership positions," the colonel said.
These senior-level airmen have military experience, but they are not yet comfortable with the Western style of command and control, he explained. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are plenty of new, inexperienced Iraqi airmen who are eager to serve as junior officers while they learn on the job.
Unfortunately, there is a wide chasm between the senior and junior officers. There are very few suitable mid-level officers with experience, because Iraqi airmen were not being developed during the time between the first Gulf War and the current war.
As the senior officers draw nearer to retirement age, the lack of mid-level leadership to take their place will be a tough challenge for the Iraqi air force and U.S. advisors, Kubat said.
Another challenge is integrating Iraqi air force operations with coalition operations. Not only must the center learn a completely new way of doing business, it must learn quickly so it can integrate Iraqi air force activities into the coalition's air missions.
Kubat said the challenge of implementing a Western-style air force can be overcome, but it should not be rushed.
"Change here isn't going to happen anywhere near as fast as what Americans like. That's not the mentality here in the Middle East," he said. "Things take time."
The advisors plan to stick around until the mission is accomplished.
"The Iraqi airmen, and especially their chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Kamal Barzanjy, are especially grateful for the expertise and sacrifice the Coalition Air Force Training Team advisors are giving," said Maj. Gen. Brooks Bash, CAFTT commander. "They know they have a long road ahead to develop a robust command-and-control capacity, but they are confident, because the advisors will be with them every step of the way."
(Air Force Staff Sgt. Shawn J. Jones serves with U.S. Air Forces Central Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
June 11, 2008 - U.S. airmen are teaching command-and-control techniques to their counterparts at the Iraqi air operations center at Camp Victory here. The operations center is the hub that controls all Iraqi air force missions, where mission planners analyze weather conditions, intelligence and the status of their aircraft to make decisions regarding the command and control of air operations within the rebuilding country.
A team of 10 U.S. Air Force advisors from the Coalition Air Force Training Team are teaching Western-style command-and-control structure to the Iraqis, most of whom are more familiar with Soviet-style command structure.
"In the Soviet style of managing command and control, it was very rigid," said Air Force Lt. Col. Gary Kubat, the top advisor at the Iraqi air operations center. "Any decisions that were made had to be made by the top."
Western command and control encourages more information sharing throughout command channels so airmen aren't totally reliant on the highest levels of leadership to get things done. Kubat said he has spent the past year encouraging Iraqis to empower their mid-level commanders to make more decisions that are appropriate for their level.
In its position between the Iraqi air force's top leaders and the tactical units that perform the missions, the operations center fulfills a key role in Western-style command and control. For the Iraqis, the changes in command structure initially were as foreign as the U.S. airmen who were teaching them.
"When it first started out, there weren't a lot of Iraqis looking to do command and control," the colonel said. "They didn't quite understand that they had decisions to make at this level. When anything would happen, they would push it up the leadership chain and expect somebody else to make the decision."
Change is starting to take effect at the operations center.
"Now as we have been moving along, they have been aggressively taking on more and more of that decision making at lower levels," Kubat said .
The growing capabilities of the operations center are illustrated by the increasing number of missions flown by Iraqi airmen. Last year, the Iraqi air force flew fewer than 100 missions per week. In past three months, the average weekly number of flights has jumped to 271, with a record of 383 flown in mid-April. So far this year, the Iraqi air force has flown more than 5,000 missions in support of the global war on terror, including combat operations in Basra, Mosul and Sadr City.
The operations center also controls noncombat missions that contribute to the security of the Iraqi people and their democratic government. This year, Iraqi surveillance aircraft exposed smugglers who were damaging the government's oil pipeline. Additionally, other Iraqi aircraft flew above a religious pilgrimage, discouraging terrorist groups from attacking them.
"This, in turn, tends to makes the population a little bit happier with their government, because things are becoming more stable," Kubat said. "While they may not recognize the direct impact of the air force, they're seeing their government as an entity become more secure, more stable and providing for their needs."
The public's improved confidence in the government should make things tougher on terrorist insurgents.
"They are less likely to rebel against their government or provide aid to the people who are causing the problem," Kubat said.
Though they've experienced plenty of progress at the operations center throughout the past year, the advisors have had to overcome many challenges. Cultural differences are the most visible hurdle to teaching Western methods of airpower to the Iraqis.
Kubat said strong relationships with their Iraqi counterparts play a substantial role in the advisors' ability to teach command–and-control structure. An earnest appreciation of Iraqi social etiquette can go a long way toward improving the relationships between the airmen, he noted.
"We have a different sense of timeline in the West," Kubat said. "We tend to be a little more brusque, a little more up-front." Iraqis typically prefer to get to know a person before they become comfortable in working or conducting business together, he said.
Another challenge facing the advisors is the significant technology gap between the two nations' airmen. While much U.S. Air Force business is accomplished on computers, the Iraqis more commonly rely on paper or verbal dialogue. This forces the advisors to innovate, adjusting their systems and programs that would normally run on a computer into a manner that is more accessible to the Iraqi airmen's work culture.
"Very often we'll scratch our heads and say, 'Yeah, that could work,' and it actually ends up working more effectively than what we would have put in place," Kubat said.
The operations center, like the Iraqi air force, will expand rapidly over the course of the next few years. While only 12 Iraqis work there now, that number will soar to 88 within a year, and finding the right airmen to staff the opening is a considerable challenge.
"Right now, what you have is a military where previous air force officers have come in from the old regime, and they've been vetted and are trustworthy, and they've been taken into senior leadership positions," the colonel said.
These senior-level airmen have military experience, but they are not yet comfortable with the Western style of command and control, he explained. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are plenty of new, inexperienced Iraqi airmen who are eager to serve as junior officers while they learn on the job.
Unfortunately, there is a wide chasm between the senior and junior officers. There are very few suitable mid-level officers with experience, because Iraqi airmen were not being developed during the time between the first Gulf War and the current war.
As the senior officers draw nearer to retirement age, the lack of mid-level leadership to take their place will be a tough challenge for the Iraqi air force and U.S. advisors, Kubat said.
Another challenge is integrating Iraqi air force operations with coalition operations. Not only must the center learn a completely new way of doing business, it must learn quickly so it can integrate Iraqi air force activities into the coalition's air missions.
Kubat said the challenge of implementing a Western-style air force can be overcome, but it should not be rushed.
"Change here isn't going to happen anywhere near as fast as what Americans like. That's not the mentality here in the Middle East," he said. "Things take time."
The advisors plan to stick around until the mission is accomplished.
"The Iraqi airmen, and especially their chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Kamal Barzanjy, are especially grateful for the expertise and sacrifice the Coalition Air Force Training Team advisors are giving," said Maj. Gen. Brooks Bash, CAFTT commander. "They know they have a long road ahead to develop a robust command-and-control capacity, but they are confident, because the advisors will be with them every step of the way."
(Air Force Staff Sgt. Shawn J. Jones serves with U.S. Air Forces Central Public Affairs.)
Friday, June 06, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- June 6, 2008
Bush Overstated Iraq Evidence, Senators Report
“The report was released Thursday after years of partisan squabbling, and it represented the close of five years of investigations by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence into the use, abuse and faulty assessments of intelligence leading to the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. That some Bush administration claims about the Iraqi threat turned out to be false is hardly new. But the report, based on a detailed review of public statements by Mr. Bush and other officials, was the most comprehensive effort to date to assess whether policy makers systematically painted a more dire picture about Iraq than was justified by the available intelligence.” (New York Times; 06Jun08; Mark Mazzetti & Scott Shane) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/middleeast/06intel.html?hp
Grand exploits of a China scholar [Joseph Needham]
“A committed socialist and Communist sympathizer, Needham lent his authority to a dubiously documented investigation whose report, issued in 1952, concluded that the United States had used biological weapons in Manchuria and North~Korea. Blacklisted by the Americans well into the 1970s and denounced for his political naïveté by the British establishment, Needham retreated into the scholarly realm, where his accomplishments did much to restore his good~name.” (International Herald Tribune; 05Jun08; Alida Becker) http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/07/arts/IDLEDE7.php
Fake disaster helps agencies to prepare [Lumberton, North Carolina]
“During the drill, some ‘victims’ moaned in pain while others begged for help as members of the Environmental Hydrogeological Consultants Inc. Hazardous Waste team from Red Springs walked among bodies. […] Only supervisors from agencies that handle emergency situations were made aware of Wednesday’s exercise. Organizers said they wanted the event to be as real as possible. […] Each victim had a card listing injuries and any other health issues.” (The Fayetteville Observer; 05Jun08; Venita Jenkins) http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=295870
Bioterrorism: Smallpox and Biotech Companies
“In order to encourage companies to develop drugs against Smallpox and other biological weapons, Congress passed the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (the Bioterrorism Act), which President Bush signed into law June 12, 2002. Thereafter, Project Bioshield Act of 2005 was passed into law. These two acts undertook measures to induce the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry to come up with new drugs to combat bioterrorism and biological warfare.” (Seeking Alpha; 05Jun08; Ketan Desai) http://seekingalpha.com/article/80152-bioterrorism-smallpox-and-biotech-companies
Nation’s First Public Health Ready State Enhances Incident Command and Critical Resource Visibility [Idaho]
“East Idaho Public Health District has implemented the Previstar Continual Preparedness System (CPS) to enhance their preparedness and response capabilities. […] The district installed Previstar’s latest software release, CPS 5.1. The new release includes CPS 5.0 current suite of planning, response, and recovery capabilities, but now users can customize their user interface based on organizational and ICS roles, enable CPS server-to-server information sharing, utilize CAP [Common Alerting Protocol] messaging, and have more streamlined resource management. Tammy Cox, Director, Health Preparedness, Promotion, and Surveillance, was part of a team that studied a range of software offerings before determining that Previstar was the partner of choice. ‘It took us two years to find the right software. […]’” (Previstar; 05Jun08; Joe Gordon) http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080605005700&newsLang=en
Brucella abortus S19 genome sequenced; points toward virulence genes
“Researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech and the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, and collaborators at 454 Life Sciences of Branford, Conn., have sequenced the genome of Brucella abortus strain S19. […] Scientists have long wanted to know what genetic features make strain S19 suitable for use as a vaccine in cattle because it may hold the secret as to why other Brucella strains cause disease and trigger the abortion of developing embryos in livestock. The researchers have discovered a group of 24 genes that are linked to virulence by making comparisons of the newly available S19 genome sequence to previously sequenced genomes of two virulent strains of B. abortus. The paper ‘Genome sequence of Brucella abortus vaccine strain S19 compared to virulent strains yields candidate virulence genes’ was published recently in PLoS One (May 2008, Volume 3, Issue 5, e2193).” (Eureka Alert; 05Jun08; Barry Whyte)
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/vt-bas060508.php
AlphaVax Continues to Expand the Use of Its [smallpox] Vaccine Platform
“AlphaVax, Inc. recently received notification from the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the granting institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that it has been awarded a second grant to continue development of a smallpox vaccine based on AlphaVax's proprietary vector platform. The grant will support additional studies in rodents and non-human primates to further characterize the high-level protection observed previously in these species.” (The Earth Times; 06Jun08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/alphavax-continues-to-expand-the-use-of-its-vaccine-platform,423527.shtml
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists Annual Conference Begins June 8 In Denver [Colorado]
“The top epidemiologists in the nation and U.S. territories are set to gather in Denver, Colorado June 8-12 for the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) 2008 Annual Conference. […] This year's conference theme is ‘Public Health Epidemiology: Adapting to a Changing World.’” (The Earth Times; 06Jun08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/council-of-state-and-territorial,423151.shtml
[Computer Sciences Corporation] CSC's DynPort Vaccine Company to Continue Plague Vaccine Development
“DynPort Vaccine Company LLC (DVC), a CSC company, has been notified by the Department of Defense (DoD) that all future funding for advanced development of plague vaccine will be allocated to the existing DVC contract […] According to the decision, DVC will continue development of a recombinant plague vaccine candidate, rF1V, up to and including possible licensure by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The vaccine candidate is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials.” (The Earth Times;
05Jun08)
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/cscs-dynport-vaccine-company-to-continue-plague-vaccine-development,421494.shtml
India to test vaccine against anthrax
“Around 20 vials of the vaccine Biothrax has just reached Central Drug Laboratory (Kasauli) which will test the vaccine's potency and sterility. Each vile contains 10 doses of the vaccine. […]’The vaccine can't be injected to all civilians but only to the first responders to reach the spot of attack, like the military and laboratory workers who may enter or re-enter contaminated areas. Countries are now preparing such battalions and vaccinating them in advance so that they develop complete immunity against anthrax before such an attack occurs. Inhalation anthrax is the most lethal form with fatality rates reaching up to 90%,’ [Joseph Chettiar of the Hyderabad-based distributor] added.” (The Times of India; 05Jun08; Kounteya Sinha) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India_to_test_vaccine_against_anthrax/articleshow/3100835.cms
Bioterrorism conference held [Brussels, Belgium]
“A bioterrorism countermeasures conference was held Thursday in Brussels that was designed to elevate threat awareness among officials in Europe. […] The conference was designed as an effort to reduce the threat of biological terrorism through opening a dialogue about effective biodefense measures. Presenters included Tom Waytes, Emergent BioSolutions vice president of medical affairs, among others. Emergent manufactures the only anthrax vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.” (United Press International; 06Jun08)
http://www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2008/06/06/Bioterrorism_conference_held/UPI-39731212772918/
Gas leak in China contained phosgene - Russian ministry
“A recent gas leak in northeast China near the Russian border that killed three people contained phosgene, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday citing environmental experts. ‘An expert evaluation confirmed that the leak contained phosgene gas,’ Andrei Nesterenko said, adding that eight people had been poisoned as a result of the leak. […] Earlier Friday, a Russian emergencies ministry spokeswoman quoted Chinese authorities as saying the chemical leak in the town of Qiqihar in the Heilongjiang province was no threat to the environment. Irina Andrianova quoted the Chinese general consulate in the Russian Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk as saying that on June 5 a cylinder containing unidentified gas ‘disintegrated’ causing a gas leak. […] The official quoted the Chinese side as saying that air, water and soil samples taken immediately after the accident contained no contaminants.” (RIA Novosti; 06Jun08) http://en.rian.ru/world/20080606/109426611.html
Pakistan: New wave of violence a bid to undermine president
“According to political analysts, the violence suddenly flared up after former Prime Minister and party leader, Nawaz Sharif, called for Musharraf to be accountable for his so-called ‘crimes’ including what is known as the Lal Masjid Massacre, or the Red Mosque Massacre. The Red Mosque Massacre was a bloody conflict between Pakistani security forces and students who barricaded themselves inside the Red Mosque and demanded Sharia law in July 2007. At least 100 people died when security forces stormed the mosque in a bid to end the siege and flush out pro-Taliban militants from the complex. Retired general Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani then demanded Musharraf's execution for using chemical weapons (phosphorous grenades) during the Lal Masjid operation and supporting the Bush Administration in its War on Terror.” (AND Kronos; 06Jun08; Syed Saleem Shahzad)
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.2231529027
Army: U.S. chemical weapons incineration on track [Anniston, Alabama]
“[…] now, more than half the nation's aging cache of 31,500 tons of nerve agents and mustard gas has been burned or chemically neutralized at seven sites with no major accidents in the 18 years since the program began. […] Officials say the most deadly chemicals were destroyed first and almost all the risk to residents has been eliminated. […] Critics still challenge the safety of the program, arguing the incinerators scattered across the United States belch unknown amounts of deadly chemicals on an unsuspecting public. The incinerators heat the agents and their containers at thousands of degrees, then run the exhaust through pollution-removing filters and afterburners.” (Post-Bulletin; 05Jun08; Jay Reeves, AP)
http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=49&a=346092
New detector uses nanotubes to sense deadly gases
“Using carbon nanotubes, MIT chemical engineers have built the most sensitive electronic detector yet for sensing deadly gases such as the nerve agent sarin. […] The technology, which could also detect mustard gas, ammonia and VX nerve agents, has potential to be used as a low-cost, low-energy device that could be carried in a pocket or deployed inside a building to monitor hazardous chemicals. […] The nanotube sensors require very little power--about 0.0003 watts. One sensor could run essentially forever on a regular battery. ‘It's something that could sit in the corner of a room and you could just forget about it,’ Strano said. […] The lead author of the paper is Chang Young Lee, a graduate student in chemical engineering. Richa Sharma, another MIT graduate student in chemical engineering, is also an author of the paper. Adarsh Radadia and Richard Masel at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed the microcolumn technology.” (Physorg; 06Jun08) http://www.physorg.com/news131977245.html
Emergency Drill Tests Response [Pueblo, Colorado]
“An explosion of weapons containing half-century-old mustard agent sending a plume of deadly gas across the prairie. That was the scenario presented Wednesday morning to just about every emergency agency in Pueblo County. Fortunately, the mustard agent accident was mostly virtual but the school bus-tanker truck accident involved a more realistic setup on the grounds of an airport industrial park plant where such an accident could really happen. It was the annual Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program exercise, giving local agencies a chance to test their ability to work together and respond to an emergency. Federal funds are provided to communities like Pueblo that have chemical weapons stockpiles to set up response systems. As Wednesday's exercise showed, that preparedness extends beyond just accidents at the Pueblo Chemical Depot.” (Red Orbit; 05Jun08; John Norton) http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1418596/emergency_drill_tests_response/
'Poison cloud from chemical plant could've been prevented'
“On April 14, a white cloud of azinphos methyl, an organophosphorus pesticide related to chemical warfare agents devoloped during World War Two, swept out of the Machteshim factory, over the regional council's office and into the surrounding area. The regional council workers were rushed into protective shelters after the cloud passed through and were sent home later in the day, many of them feeling ill. […] According to the committee's report, the factory lost electrical power at around 10:30 in the morning, at which time the management decided to destroy the Azinphos Methyl being prepared, because without proper temperature and pressure conditions the compound becomes a toxic gas. […] the management attempted to deal with the problem internally. Rigging a makeshift procedure took so long that the compound in two of the containers being transferred to the neutralizing machine underwent a phase change, thus causing the cloud, as well as a stream of pollutants into the surrounding area, discovered by the committee during an inspection.” (The Jerusalem Post; 04Jun08; Ehud Zion Waldoks) http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1212041481558&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Suspected terrorists talked about making homemade chemical weapons:
wiretap
“The alleged ringleaders of a suspected terror plot to attack Canadian targets talked about making homemade chemical weapons from a ‘mujahed cookbook’ and worried about being ‘sitting ducks’ for police, wiretaps played in a courtroom Friday suggested. While going through a Tim Hortons drive-thru, the wiretapped conversations of the alleged ringleaders of the so-called ‘Toronto 18’ talk about Arabic books that give step-by-step instructions on making homemade weapons. […] Eighteen men and youth were arrested two years ago in Canada's largest anti-terrorism operation since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Defence lawyers have since questioned the strength of the case after charges against seven of the accused men were stayed, whittling the Toronto 18 down to 11. Defence lawyer Mitchell Chernovsky has said the alleged plot was nothing more than a fantasy.” (Canadian Press; 06Jun08) http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jA3I0FFw4RmF3cY593VtRAuWibDg
Radioactive material devices to be installed at Port of Hueneme [California]
“Devices intended to detect dangerous radioactive material in cargo containers coming into the United States will be installed at the Port of Hueneme by February or March of next year, a federal official in charge of the project said. […] The toll booth-like devices already have been installed at the 22 largest seaports in the United States, accounting for
98 percent of all containerized cargo coming into the country, [Todd Hoffman, director of U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport] said.” (Ventura County Star; 05Jun08; José L.
Sánchez Jr.)
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/jun/05/no-headline---nxxphradiation06/
Ethiopian to be charged with war crimes
“A Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detainee will be charged with war crimes for allegedly participating in a plot to detonate a ‘dirty bomb,’ the Pentagon said. Binyam Mohammed, 29, of Ethiopia, allegedly was part of an al-Qaida plot to use the bomb and blow up apartment buildings in the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday. […] His attorneys say Mohammed was arrested in Pakistan in 2002 and taken by the CIA to Morocco where he was beaten, hung from poles during long interrogation sessions and cut in his genitals by a scalpel, the Times reported.” (United Press International; 04Jun08) http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/06/04/Ethiopian_to_be_charged_with_war_crimes/UPI-98461212582141/
Kazakhstan holds exercise to hone response to nuclear terrorism threat [Almaty]
“Kazakhstan's army held a large-scale military exercise Friday as part of a U.S.-backed program to prevent the use of radioactive materials by terrorists. More than 900 troops and emergency personnel took part in organizing the mock terrorist siege at a nuclear research facility near the Central Asian country's largest city, Almaty.” (The Union Tribune;
06Jun08)
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20080606-0950-kazakhstan-terrorexercise.html
Botox - man's new best friend
“It's one of the world's most popular cosmetic treatments, the ‘no scalpel’ anti-aging cosmetic treatment that smoothes the foreheads of everyone from stressed executives to youth-obsessed celebrities. It is, of course, Botox, a type of botulinum toxin first developed in 1946 as a tool of biological warfare, and later used to treat cerebral palsy in children. […] Although national figures don't exist, anecdotal evidence suggests that the number of Kiwi men using Botox is steadily increasing. Not as much as in the UK, however, where Botox for men is such big business (one-fifth of all patients are now men) […] Men, however, often need a higher dose of Botox than women, as they generally have stronger and larger facial muscles.” (New Zealand Herald; 07Jun08; Sharon Stephenson)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10514613
Local responders brush up on skills: Military conducts hazmat training
“Boyle and the 21 other members of the Seventh WMD Civil Response Team from Fort Leonard Wood were in Columbia this week for a four-day training class that ended yesterday. The Civil Response Team, a full-time National Guard unit in existence since 1999, is capable of responding across the state to potential chemical, biological and nuclear threats. The sessions offered an opportunity for the military unit to train and pass tips along to first responders, who would be first on the scene of a possible threat.
Firefighters from across the state, including three from Columbia, participated in the training run by Army contractor Dugway Proving Ground of Utah.” (Columbia Tribune; 06Jun08; Joe Meyer) http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Jun/20080606News004.asp
Terrorism's Two Front War
“The main question: is al-Qaeda still a disciplined organization with a central command or a loose network of self-directed amateurs? […] The dispute isn't purely academic -- al-Qaeda's current form and function will determine the course of future American counter-terrorism policy. If al-Qaeda has morphed into a virtual organization of amateur homegrown jihadis, quelling them becomes a largely internal matter best left to law enforcement. But if al-Qaeda still has a central command and a robust global network, they are capable of attacks that match -- and may surpass -- the horror of September 11th. Overcoming this threat means bringing the diverse instruments of American military, economic, and political power to bear. As each perspective warrants a vastly different strategic approach, the question of al-Qaeda's present state has provoked fierce debate.[…] Al-Qaeda's affiliate organizations have also wreaked havoc in the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia. It is important to emphasize that these organizations have only an ideological connection to their supposed patron -- but are just as dangerous. While never a major player in Iraq's factional game, al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) seized the world's attention through a slew of bombings, massacres, and even low-grade chemical warfare employing chlorine.” (Huffington Post; 04Jun08; Adam
Elkus)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-elkus/terrorisms-two-front-war_b_105304.html
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
“The report was released Thursday after years of partisan squabbling, and it represented the close of five years of investigations by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence into the use, abuse and faulty assessments of intelligence leading to the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. That some Bush administration claims about the Iraqi threat turned out to be false is hardly new. But the report, based on a detailed review of public statements by Mr. Bush and other officials, was the most comprehensive effort to date to assess whether policy makers systematically painted a more dire picture about Iraq than was justified by the available intelligence.” (New York Times; 06Jun08; Mark Mazzetti & Scott Shane) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/middleeast/06intel.html?hp
Grand exploits of a China scholar [Joseph Needham]
“A committed socialist and Communist sympathizer, Needham lent his authority to a dubiously documented investigation whose report, issued in 1952, concluded that the United States had used biological weapons in Manchuria and North~Korea. Blacklisted by the Americans well into the 1970s and denounced for his political naïveté by the British establishment, Needham retreated into the scholarly realm, where his accomplishments did much to restore his good~name.” (International Herald Tribune; 05Jun08; Alida Becker) http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/07/arts/IDLEDE7.php
Fake disaster helps agencies to prepare [Lumberton, North Carolina]
“During the drill, some ‘victims’ moaned in pain while others begged for help as members of the Environmental Hydrogeological Consultants Inc. Hazardous Waste team from Red Springs walked among bodies. […] Only supervisors from agencies that handle emergency situations were made aware of Wednesday’s exercise. Organizers said they wanted the event to be as real as possible. […] Each victim had a card listing injuries and any other health issues.” (The Fayetteville Observer; 05Jun08; Venita Jenkins) http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=295870
Bioterrorism: Smallpox and Biotech Companies
“In order to encourage companies to develop drugs against Smallpox and other biological weapons, Congress passed the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (the Bioterrorism Act), which President Bush signed into law June 12, 2002. Thereafter, Project Bioshield Act of 2005 was passed into law. These two acts undertook measures to induce the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry to come up with new drugs to combat bioterrorism and biological warfare.” (Seeking Alpha; 05Jun08; Ketan Desai) http://seekingalpha.com/article/80152-bioterrorism-smallpox-and-biotech-companies
Nation’s First Public Health Ready State Enhances Incident Command and Critical Resource Visibility [Idaho]
“East Idaho Public Health District has implemented the Previstar Continual Preparedness System (CPS) to enhance their preparedness and response capabilities. […] The district installed Previstar’s latest software release, CPS 5.1. The new release includes CPS 5.0 current suite of planning, response, and recovery capabilities, but now users can customize their user interface based on organizational and ICS roles, enable CPS server-to-server information sharing, utilize CAP [Common Alerting Protocol] messaging, and have more streamlined resource management. Tammy Cox, Director, Health Preparedness, Promotion, and Surveillance, was part of a team that studied a range of software offerings before determining that Previstar was the partner of choice. ‘It took us two years to find the right software. […]’” (Previstar; 05Jun08; Joe Gordon) http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080605005700&newsLang=en
Brucella abortus S19 genome sequenced; points toward virulence genes
“Researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech and the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, and collaborators at 454 Life Sciences of Branford, Conn., have sequenced the genome of Brucella abortus strain S19. […] Scientists have long wanted to know what genetic features make strain S19 suitable for use as a vaccine in cattle because it may hold the secret as to why other Brucella strains cause disease and trigger the abortion of developing embryos in livestock. The researchers have discovered a group of 24 genes that are linked to virulence by making comparisons of the newly available S19 genome sequence to previously sequenced genomes of two virulent strains of B. abortus. The paper ‘Genome sequence of Brucella abortus vaccine strain S19 compared to virulent strains yields candidate virulence genes’ was published recently in PLoS One (May 2008, Volume 3, Issue 5, e2193).” (Eureka Alert; 05Jun08; Barry Whyte)
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/vt-bas060508.php
AlphaVax Continues to Expand the Use of Its [smallpox] Vaccine Platform
“AlphaVax, Inc. recently received notification from the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the granting institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that it has been awarded a second grant to continue development of a smallpox vaccine based on AlphaVax's proprietary vector platform. The grant will support additional studies in rodents and non-human primates to further characterize the high-level protection observed previously in these species.” (The Earth Times; 06Jun08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/alphavax-continues-to-expand-the-use-of-its-vaccine-platform,423527.shtml
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists Annual Conference Begins June 8 In Denver [Colorado]
“The top epidemiologists in the nation and U.S. territories are set to gather in Denver, Colorado June 8-12 for the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) 2008 Annual Conference. […] This year's conference theme is ‘Public Health Epidemiology: Adapting to a Changing World.’” (The Earth Times; 06Jun08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/council-of-state-and-territorial,423151.shtml
[Computer Sciences Corporation] CSC's DynPort Vaccine Company to Continue Plague Vaccine Development
“DynPort Vaccine Company LLC (DVC), a CSC company, has been notified by the Department of Defense (DoD) that all future funding for advanced development of plague vaccine will be allocated to the existing DVC contract […] According to the decision, DVC will continue development of a recombinant plague vaccine candidate, rF1V, up to and including possible licensure by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The vaccine candidate is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials.” (The Earth Times;
05Jun08)
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/cscs-dynport-vaccine-company-to-continue-plague-vaccine-development,421494.shtml
India to test vaccine against anthrax
“Around 20 vials of the vaccine Biothrax has just reached Central Drug Laboratory (Kasauli) which will test the vaccine's potency and sterility. Each vile contains 10 doses of the vaccine. […]’The vaccine can't be injected to all civilians but only to the first responders to reach the spot of attack, like the military and laboratory workers who may enter or re-enter contaminated areas. Countries are now preparing such battalions and vaccinating them in advance so that they develop complete immunity against anthrax before such an attack occurs. Inhalation anthrax is the most lethal form with fatality rates reaching up to 90%,’ [Joseph Chettiar of the Hyderabad-based distributor] added.” (The Times of India; 05Jun08; Kounteya Sinha) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India_to_test_vaccine_against_anthrax/articleshow/3100835.cms
Bioterrorism conference held [Brussels, Belgium]
“A bioterrorism countermeasures conference was held Thursday in Brussels that was designed to elevate threat awareness among officials in Europe. […] The conference was designed as an effort to reduce the threat of biological terrorism through opening a dialogue about effective biodefense measures. Presenters included Tom Waytes, Emergent BioSolutions vice president of medical affairs, among others. Emergent manufactures the only anthrax vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.” (United Press International; 06Jun08)
http://www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2008/06/06/Bioterrorism_conference_held/UPI-39731212772918/
Gas leak in China contained phosgene - Russian ministry
“A recent gas leak in northeast China near the Russian border that killed three people contained phosgene, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday citing environmental experts. ‘An expert evaluation confirmed that the leak contained phosgene gas,’ Andrei Nesterenko said, adding that eight people had been poisoned as a result of the leak. […] Earlier Friday, a Russian emergencies ministry spokeswoman quoted Chinese authorities as saying the chemical leak in the town of Qiqihar in the Heilongjiang province was no threat to the environment. Irina Andrianova quoted the Chinese general consulate in the Russian Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk as saying that on June 5 a cylinder containing unidentified gas ‘disintegrated’ causing a gas leak. […] The official quoted the Chinese side as saying that air, water and soil samples taken immediately after the accident contained no contaminants.” (RIA Novosti; 06Jun08) http://en.rian.ru/world/20080606/109426611.html
Pakistan: New wave of violence a bid to undermine president
“According to political analysts, the violence suddenly flared up after former Prime Minister and party leader, Nawaz Sharif, called for Musharraf to be accountable for his so-called ‘crimes’ including what is known as the Lal Masjid Massacre, or the Red Mosque Massacre. The Red Mosque Massacre was a bloody conflict between Pakistani security forces and students who barricaded themselves inside the Red Mosque and demanded Sharia law in July 2007. At least 100 people died when security forces stormed the mosque in a bid to end the siege and flush out pro-Taliban militants from the complex. Retired general Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani then demanded Musharraf's execution for using chemical weapons (phosphorous grenades) during the Lal Masjid operation and supporting the Bush Administration in its War on Terror.” (AND Kronos; 06Jun08; Syed Saleem Shahzad)
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.2231529027
Army: U.S. chemical weapons incineration on track [Anniston, Alabama]
“[…] now, more than half the nation's aging cache of 31,500 tons of nerve agents and mustard gas has been burned or chemically neutralized at seven sites with no major accidents in the 18 years since the program began. […] Officials say the most deadly chemicals were destroyed first and almost all the risk to residents has been eliminated. […] Critics still challenge the safety of the program, arguing the incinerators scattered across the United States belch unknown amounts of deadly chemicals on an unsuspecting public. The incinerators heat the agents and their containers at thousands of degrees, then run the exhaust through pollution-removing filters and afterburners.” (Post-Bulletin; 05Jun08; Jay Reeves, AP)
http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=49&a=346092
New detector uses nanotubes to sense deadly gases
“Using carbon nanotubes, MIT chemical engineers have built the most sensitive electronic detector yet for sensing deadly gases such as the nerve agent sarin. […] The technology, which could also detect mustard gas, ammonia and VX nerve agents, has potential to be used as a low-cost, low-energy device that could be carried in a pocket or deployed inside a building to monitor hazardous chemicals. […] The nanotube sensors require very little power--about 0.0003 watts. One sensor could run essentially forever on a regular battery. ‘It's something that could sit in the corner of a room and you could just forget about it,’ Strano said. […] The lead author of the paper is Chang Young Lee, a graduate student in chemical engineering. Richa Sharma, another MIT graduate student in chemical engineering, is also an author of the paper. Adarsh Radadia and Richard Masel at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed the microcolumn technology.” (Physorg; 06Jun08) http://www.physorg.com/news131977245.html
Emergency Drill Tests Response [Pueblo, Colorado]
“An explosion of weapons containing half-century-old mustard agent sending a plume of deadly gas across the prairie. That was the scenario presented Wednesday morning to just about every emergency agency in Pueblo County. Fortunately, the mustard agent accident was mostly virtual but the school bus-tanker truck accident involved a more realistic setup on the grounds of an airport industrial park plant where such an accident could really happen. It was the annual Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program exercise, giving local agencies a chance to test their ability to work together and respond to an emergency. Federal funds are provided to communities like Pueblo that have chemical weapons stockpiles to set up response systems. As Wednesday's exercise showed, that preparedness extends beyond just accidents at the Pueblo Chemical Depot.” (Red Orbit; 05Jun08; John Norton) http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1418596/emergency_drill_tests_response/
'Poison cloud from chemical plant could've been prevented'
“On April 14, a white cloud of azinphos methyl, an organophosphorus pesticide related to chemical warfare agents devoloped during World War Two, swept out of the Machteshim factory, over the regional council's office and into the surrounding area. The regional council workers were rushed into protective shelters after the cloud passed through and were sent home later in the day, many of them feeling ill. […] According to the committee's report, the factory lost electrical power at around 10:30 in the morning, at which time the management decided to destroy the Azinphos Methyl being prepared, because without proper temperature and pressure conditions the compound becomes a toxic gas. […] the management attempted to deal with the problem internally. Rigging a makeshift procedure took so long that the compound in two of the containers being transferred to the neutralizing machine underwent a phase change, thus causing the cloud, as well as a stream of pollutants into the surrounding area, discovered by the committee during an inspection.” (The Jerusalem Post; 04Jun08; Ehud Zion Waldoks) http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1212041481558&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Suspected terrorists talked about making homemade chemical weapons:
wiretap
“The alleged ringleaders of a suspected terror plot to attack Canadian targets talked about making homemade chemical weapons from a ‘mujahed cookbook’ and worried about being ‘sitting ducks’ for police, wiretaps played in a courtroom Friday suggested. While going through a Tim Hortons drive-thru, the wiretapped conversations of the alleged ringleaders of the so-called ‘Toronto 18’ talk about Arabic books that give step-by-step instructions on making homemade weapons. […] Eighteen men and youth were arrested two years ago in Canada's largest anti-terrorism operation since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Defence lawyers have since questioned the strength of the case after charges against seven of the accused men were stayed, whittling the Toronto 18 down to 11. Defence lawyer Mitchell Chernovsky has said the alleged plot was nothing more than a fantasy.” (Canadian Press; 06Jun08) http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jA3I0FFw4RmF3cY593VtRAuWibDg
Radioactive material devices to be installed at Port of Hueneme [California]
“Devices intended to detect dangerous radioactive material in cargo containers coming into the United States will be installed at the Port of Hueneme by February or March of next year, a federal official in charge of the project said. […] The toll booth-like devices already have been installed at the 22 largest seaports in the United States, accounting for
98 percent of all containerized cargo coming into the country, [Todd Hoffman, director of U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport] said.” (Ventura County Star; 05Jun08; José L.
Sánchez Jr.)
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/jun/05/no-headline---nxxphradiation06/
Ethiopian to be charged with war crimes
“A Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detainee will be charged with war crimes for allegedly participating in a plot to detonate a ‘dirty bomb,’ the Pentagon said. Binyam Mohammed, 29, of Ethiopia, allegedly was part of an al-Qaida plot to use the bomb and blow up apartment buildings in the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday. […] His attorneys say Mohammed was arrested in Pakistan in 2002 and taken by the CIA to Morocco where he was beaten, hung from poles during long interrogation sessions and cut in his genitals by a scalpel, the Times reported.” (United Press International; 04Jun08) http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/06/04/Ethiopian_to_be_charged_with_war_crimes/UPI-98461212582141/
Kazakhstan holds exercise to hone response to nuclear terrorism threat [Almaty]
“Kazakhstan's army held a large-scale military exercise Friday as part of a U.S.-backed program to prevent the use of radioactive materials by terrorists. More than 900 troops and emergency personnel took part in organizing the mock terrorist siege at a nuclear research facility near the Central Asian country's largest city, Almaty.” (The Union Tribune;
06Jun08)
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20080606-0950-kazakhstan-terrorexercise.html
Botox - man's new best friend
“It's one of the world's most popular cosmetic treatments, the ‘no scalpel’ anti-aging cosmetic treatment that smoothes the foreheads of everyone from stressed executives to youth-obsessed celebrities. It is, of course, Botox, a type of botulinum toxin first developed in 1946 as a tool of biological warfare, and later used to treat cerebral palsy in children. […] Although national figures don't exist, anecdotal evidence suggests that the number of Kiwi men using Botox is steadily increasing. Not as much as in the UK, however, where Botox for men is such big business (one-fifth of all patients are now men) […] Men, however, often need a higher dose of Botox than women, as they generally have stronger and larger facial muscles.” (New Zealand Herald; 07Jun08; Sharon Stephenson)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10514613
Local responders brush up on skills: Military conducts hazmat training
“Boyle and the 21 other members of the Seventh WMD Civil Response Team from Fort Leonard Wood were in Columbia this week for a four-day training class that ended yesterday. The Civil Response Team, a full-time National Guard unit in existence since 1999, is capable of responding across the state to potential chemical, biological and nuclear threats. The sessions offered an opportunity for the military unit to train and pass tips along to first responders, who would be first on the scene of a possible threat.
Firefighters from across the state, including three from Columbia, participated in the training run by Army contractor Dugway Proving Ground of Utah.” (Columbia Tribune; 06Jun08; Joe Meyer) http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Jun/20080606News004.asp
Terrorism's Two Front War
“The main question: is al-Qaeda still a disciplined organization with a central command or a loose network of self-directed amateurs? […] The dispute isn't purely academic -- al-Qaeda's current form and function will determine the course of future American counter-terrorism policy. If al-Qaeda has morphed into a virtual organization of amateur homegrown jihadis, quelling them becomes a largely internal matter best left to law enforcement. But if al-Qaeda still has a central command and a robust global network, they are capable of attacks that match -- and may surpass -- the horror of September 11th. Overcoming this threat means bringing the diverse instruments of American military, economic, and political power to bear. As each perspective warrants a vastly different strategic approach, the question of al-Qaeda's present state has provoked fierce debate.[…] Al-Qaeda's affiliate organizations have also wreaked havoc in the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia. It is important to emphasize that these organizations have only an ideological connection to their supposed patron -- but are just as dangerous. While never a major player in Iraq's factional game, al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) seized the world's attention through a slew of bombings, massacres, and even low-grade chemical warfare employing chlorine.” (Huffington Post; 04Jun08; Adam
Elkus)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-elkus/terrorisms-two-front-war_b_105304.html
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- May 28, 2008
Countries ill-equipped to ensure global biosafety
“A two-year UN study of internationally funded training programmes in biotechnology and biosafety warns that as many as 100 developing countries are unprepared to effectively manage and monitor the use of modern biotechnologies, leaving the world community open to serious biosafety threats. […] they cite the lack of technical, policy and enforcement capacities in developing countries as ‘a potentially contributing factor to the spread of bioterrorism’ -- the deliberate release of naturally-occurring or human-modified bacteria, viruses, toxins or other biological agents.” (One World; 26May08) http://uk.oneworld.net/article/view/160556/1/
Summit town [Toyakocho, Hokkaido, Japan] fire dept to use new alert system
“The fire department responsible for Toyakocho, Hokkaido, where the Group of Eight summit meeting is to be held in July, has introduced a monitoring system intended to provide early warning of disease outbreaks, be they natural epidemics or the result of bioterrorism. […] The system analyzes the frequency of reported symptoms such as fever and diarrhea, which are possible indicators of an outbreak of new strains of influenza, bioterrorist attacks or food poisoning, by comparing it with past dispatch records.” (The Yomiuri Shimbun; 26May08) http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080526TDY02303.htm
India not enforcing safety norms for GM crops: UN study
“India faces a huge risk because safety norms on genetically modified crops are not being enforced, says a UN study, adding that it also makes the country vulnerable to bioterrorism attacks. The study’s Melbourne-based lead author Sam Johnston told IANS from Bonn: ‘India still has a huge problem of biosafety enforcement. Many farmers are using genetically modified crops without government approval. For example, it was recently reported in The Hindu Business Line that 28 percent of area in Gujarat was planted with illegal GM crops.’ Citing the lack of technical, policy and enforcement capacities in developing countries as ‘a potentially contributing factor to the spread of bioterrorism’ - the deliberate release of naturally-occurring or human-modified bacteria, viruses, toxins or other biological agents - Johnston said: ‘If you don’t have the ability to monitor technology, the technology can be used for bioterrorism as you are not bio-secure.’” (Thaindian News; 28May08; Neena
Bhandari)
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/india-not-enforcing-safety-norms-for-gm-crops-un-study_10053615.html
MAF Biosecurity endorses UK animal health officials
“UK animal health officials have received a ringing endorsement from Barry O'Neil, deputy director general of MAF Biosecurity New Zealand and president of the World Organisation for Animal Health OIE. Answering a question about the risk of malicious release of animal diseases, he said it was an issue for countries with significant agricultural production and such ‘bioterrorism’ needed to be guarded against. ‘We do need to have disease surveillance in place to detect the unexpected, and I think the UK is very well placed on that.’" (Farmers Weekly Interactive; 27May08) http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2008/05/26/110617/maf-biosecurity-endorses-uk-animal-health-officials.html
Bioterrorist Attack: Fact or Fiction?
“While the potential devastation (in human lives) from an attack with a biological agent like Ebola virus or anthrax bacillus is much greater again there is no evidence of any effort to undertake such an attack in this or any other country. […] The point to all this is that by the end of the 2008 fiscal year the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will have spent $50 billion on defense against bioterrorism attacks. Let's assume for the moment that the biological weapons threat is more fantasy then fact, how much law enforcement and emergency response equipment would State and local police department have bought with that amount of your tax payer dollars? Need updated cruisers, computer, commutations systems and centers, or weapons and ammo for use on your beat? Fifty billion will buy a bunch of that stuff.” (Officer.com; 26May08; Doug Hanson)
http://www.officer.com/web/online/On-the-Street/Bioterrorist-Attack--Fact-or-Fiction/21$41545
Army aims to finish destruction of agent VX shells in Anniston [Alabama] today
“The Army expects to finish destroying 139,581 artillery shells containing the deadly chemical agent VX this afternoon at the chemical weapons incinerator at Anniston Army Depot, a spokesman said today.” (The Birmingham Times; 24May08; Katherine Bouma) http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/05/army_finishing_destruction_of.html
Searching for Project SHAD [Shipboard Hazard and Defense]: Vet's efforts lead to investigation, legislation
“Years after he left the military, Jack Alderson began asking questions about chemical testing he was involved in and its effects on his health and the health of others. Those efforts led to the introduction of a bill earlier this month that would offer health benefits to veterans exposed to chemical agents during two classified government projects in the 1960s and 1970s. North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) and Republican Congressman Denny Rehberg of Montana introduced HR 5954 on May 1. If passed, the bill will provide Veterans Affairs health benefits to veterans who were exposed to biological, chemical or other toxic agents as part of Project 112 and Project SHAD.” (Lake County News; 26May08; Elizabeth
Larson)
http://lakeconews.com/content/view/4331/764/
Cornell fiber scientist receives federal grants to create fabrics to render toxic chemicals harmless
“[…] Juan Hinestroza is working with the U.S. government to create fabrics made of functional nanofibers that would decompose toxic industrial chemicals into harmless byproducts. Potential applications include safety gear for U.S. soldiers and filtration systems for buildings and vehicles. Hinestroza, assistant professor of fiber science in the College of Human Ecology, is a member of two teams that secured more than $2.2 million from the U.S. Department of Defense; about $875,000 will go directly to Hinestoza's work. Both grants are multi-university collaborative efforts funded through the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency.” (Nano-Tech Wire;
25May08)
http://nanotechwire.com/news.asp?nid=6023
China Quake also an Environmental Catastrophe
“Eleven days after the 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck western China, vice environment minister Wu Xiaoqing first revealed Friday, May 23, that 50 hazardous radioactive sources have been located – 35 recovered and controlled; ‘three more buried in rubble and 12 in dangerous buildings. At present, tests show no accidental release of radiation,’ he reported as the death toll climbed past 55,000. Two of the most badly damaged cities housed China’s secret nuclear weapons design facility - at Mianyang - and a plutonium processing facility - in Guangyuan – both close to the quake’s epicenter. Soon after the quake struck, Chinese soldiers were sent to protect nuclear sites and preparations made for an environmental emergency.” (St Louis Today; 24May08; Tim Kusky) http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/mother-nature-watch/mother-nature-watch/2008/05/china-quake-also-an-environmental-catastrophe/
High stakes in tale of a ‘contract killing that backfired'
“On August 2, 2006, Sharon Collins set up a Yahoo Mail account in the name of lyingeyes98@yahoo.ie. She sent an email from her own Eircom address to Lyingeyes the day it was created. Lyingeyes98 searched the net for contract killers and on August 8 sent an email to hitmanforhire@yahoo.com. Hitman was also visited by someone using the computer at Downes and Howard. […] She said she had ‘no conscience’ about ordering her husband's death […] She suggested an accident for the two boys or poisoning their drinks in the local pub near their holiday home in Kilkee. […] It is alleged that at one stage the FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] passed some information to gardai [An Garda Síochána, Republic of Ireland Police Force] which led them to search Essam Eid's cell. In that search, traces of the deadly poison, Ricin, were discovered in a contact lens case.” (Irish Independent; 25May08; Abigail Rieley) http://www.independent.ie/national-news/high-stakes-in-tale-of-a-contract-killing-that-backfired-1386457.html
When is a terrorist a terrorist?
“The definition of what constitutes a terrorist has exercised some of the best minds in history, but in answer to the question ‘When is a terrorist a terrorist?’ the current US President replies, ‘When I say so…’ Ok, he didn’t actually use those exact words, at least not in public, but he did say this about Saddam Hussein in 2006: ‘He was a state sponsor of terror. In other words, the (US) government had declared, you are a state sponsor of terror.’ […] Perhaps the most edifying example is the sale of WMD to Saddam by the US under Ronald Reagan to support his ambitions and keep Iranian fundamentalism at bay. Exports included biological agents such as anthrax, vital ingredients for chemical weapons, and cluster bombs - all delivered by a CIA front organisation in Chile… Obviously this was all well before Iraq’s psychopathic tyrant fell out of favour by invading Kuwait.” (Pakistan Daily; 24May08) http://www.daily.pk/world/europe/81-europe/3918-when-is-a-terrorist-a-terrorist-terrorist.html
Al-Qa'eda to urge biological warfare in new video message
“Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'eda terrorist network is to post a new video in the next 24 hours urging jihadists to use biological, chemical and nuclear weapons against the West, the FBI has warned. The FBI has alerted 1,800 American law enforcement agencies about the expected video calling for the use of weapons of mass destruction, Richard Kolko, an FBI spokesman, said. ‘We got information the tape is coming,’ said Mr Kolko. ‘We sent out an alert to law enforcement (agencies) to let them know.’” (Telegraph; 28May08; Tom Peterkin) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uncertain-world/2041499/Al-Qa'eda-urges-biological-warfare-in-new-video-message.html
EPA tests plans to protect water
“The pilot program ordered by the Department of Homeland Security in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks uses continuous monitoring of public water for contaminants that could sicken or kill millions of people. Some utilities only do spot checks now for such germs, pesticides or radioactive materials. […] ‘Water supplies are very, very accessible targets for biological or chemical weapons,’ said Donna Schlagheck, a Wright State University political scientist who specializes in American foreign policy and international terrorism. ‘There are so many potential targets - whether you are taking water from the ground or a river or a lake - and the vulnerability there is enormous.’” (Mojave Daily News; 25May08; Lisa Cornwell, Associated Press) http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2008/05/25/news/nation/nation3.txt
Kiss American security goodbye
“Every police department from Arkansas to Ohio would be in desperate need of anti-terror funding. And why not, when the terrorists loomed so monstrously large, were so apocalyptically capable, and wanted so very badly to destroy our way of life? No wonder that, in the 2006 National Asset Database, compiled by the Department of Homeland Security, the state of Indiana, ‘with 8,591 potential terrorist targets, had 50 percent more listed sites than New York (5,687) and more than twice as many as California (3,212), ranking the state the most target-rich place in the nation.’” (Al-Jazeera; 26May08; Tom Engelhardt)
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/newsfull.php?newid=119887
McCain Pledges to Work With Russians on Arms Control (Update1)
“Republican John McCain extended an olive branch to Russia today by pledging to work toward the elimination of tactical nuclear weapons in Europe and to negotiate a new accord limiting strategic arms. McCain, who previously has warned of ‘Russian revanchism’ and called for the country's expulsion from the Group of Eight, said there are numerous areas where America can ‘work in partnership with Russia’ to halt the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.” (Bloomberg; 27May08; Hans
Nichols)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aQo0eUgF3u54&refer=us
Israelis to receive new non-conventional warfare kits
“Gas-masks and other protective gear that has been collected from the public over the last few years and is being updated will be made available for collection starting January 2009. […] IDF officials that disclosed this information to The Jerusalem Post were careful to explain that the decision to begin handing out the equipment has not been affected by any threat of imminent war. […] At present, the Israeli public is virtually unprotected from any chemical or biological agents[…].” (Jerusalem Newswire; 25May08; Stan Goodenough)
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2457
Bomb disposal unit opened [New Zealand]
“The stars of the show are a dozen new robots considered the Ferarris of bomb disposal. They can be fitted with a shotgun to blow off door hinges, water cannons to destroy a bombs circuitry, a sniffer to detect chemical weapons and cameras to let the team know just what they are up against.”
(One News; 26May08)
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1799165
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 two-year UN study of internationally funded training programmes in biotechnology and biosafety warns that as many as 100 developing countries are unprepared to effectively manage and monitor the use of modern biotechnologies, leaving the world community open to serious biosafety threats. […] they cite the lack of technical, policy and enforcement capacities in developing countries as ‘a potentially contributing factor to the spread of bioterrorism’ -- the deliberate release of naturally-occurring or human-modified bacteria, viruses, toxins or other biological agents.” (One World; 26May08) http://uk.oneworld.net/article/view/160556/1/
Summit town [Toyakocho, Hokkaido, Japan] fire dept to use new alert system
“The fire department responsible for Toyakocho, Hokkaido, where the Group of Eight summit meeting is to be held in July, has introduced a monitoring system intended to provide early warning of disease outbreaks, be they natural epidemics or the result of bioterrorism. […] The system analyzes the frequency of reported symptoms such as fever and diarrhea, which are possible indicators of an outbreak of new strains of influenza, bioterrorist attacks or food poisoning, by comparing it with past dispatch records.” (The Yomiuri Shimbun; 26May08) http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080526TDY02303.htm
India not enforcing safety norms for GM crops: UN study
“India faces a huge risk because safety norms on genetically modified crops are not being enforced, says a UN study, adding that it also makes the country vulnerable to bioterrorism attacks. The study’s Melbourne-based lead author Sam Johnston told IANS from Bonn: ‘India still has a huge problem of biosafety enforcement. Many farmers are using genetically modified crops without government approval. For example, it was recently reported in The Hindu Business Line that 28 percent of area in Gujarat was planted with illegal GM crops.’ Citing the lack of technical, policy and enforcement capacities in developing countries as ‘a potentially contributing factor to the spread of bioterrorism’ - the deliberate release of naturally-occurring or human-modified bacteria, viruses, toxins or other biological agents - Johnston said: ‘If you don’t have the ability to monitor technology, the technology can be used for bioterrorism as you are not bio-secure.’” (Thaindian News; 28May08; Neena
Bhandari)
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/india-not-enforcing-safety-norms-for-gm-crops-un-study_10053615.html
MAF Biosecurity endorses UK animal health officials
“UK animal health officials have received a ringing endorsement from Barry O'Neil, deputy director general of MAF Biosecurity New Zealand and president of the World Organisation for Animal Health OIE. Answering a question about the risk of malicious release of animal diseases, he said it was an issue for countries with significant agricultural production and such ‘bioterrorism’ needed to be guarded against. ‘We do need to have disease surveillance in place to detect the unexpected, and I think the UK is very well placed on that.’" (Farmers Weekly Interactive; 27May08) http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2008/05/26/110617/maf-biosecurity-endorses-uk-animal-health-officials.html
Bioterrorist Attack: Fact or Fiction?
“While the potential devastation (in human lives) from an attack with a biological agent like Ebola virus or anthrax bacillus is much greater again there is no evidence of any effort to undertake such an attack in this or any other country. […] The point to all this is that by the end of the 2008 fiscal year the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will have spent $50 billion on defense against bioterrorism attacks. Let's assume for the moment that the biological weapons threat is more fantasy then fact, how much law enforcement and emergency response equipment would State and local police department have bought with that amount of your tax payer dollars? Need updated cruisers, computer, commutations systems and centers, or weapons and ammo for use on your beat? Fifty billion will buy a bunch of that stuff.” (Officer.com; 26May08; Doug Hanson)
http://www.officer.com/web/online/On-the-Street/Bioterrorist-Attack--Fact-or-Fiction/21$41545
Army aims to finish destruction of agent VX shells in Anniston [Alabama] today
“The Army expects to finish destroying 139,581 artillery shells containing the deadly chemical agent VX this afternoon at the chemical weapons incinerator at Anniston Army Depot, a spokesman said today.” (The Birmingham Times; 24May08; Katherine Bouma) http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/05/army_finishing_destruction_of.html
Searching for Project SHAD [Shipboard Hazard and Defense]: Vet's efforts lead to investigation, legislation
“Years after he left the military, Jack Alderson began asking questions about chemical testing he was involved in and its effects on his health and the health of others. Those efforts led to the introduction of a bill earlier this month that would offer health benefits to veterans exposed to chemical agents during two classified government projects in the 1960s and 1970s. North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) and Republican Congressman Denny Rehberg of Montana introduced HR 5954 on May 1. If passed, the bill will provide Veterans Affairs health benefits to veterans who were exposed to biological, chemical or other toxic agents as part of Project 112 and Project SHAD.” (Lake County News; 26May08; Elizabeth
Larson)
http://lakeconews.com/content/view/4331/764/
Cornell fiber scientist receives federal grants to create fabrics to render toxic chemicals harmless
“[…] Juan Hinestroza is working with the U.S. government to create fabrics made of functional nanofibers that would decompose toxic industrial chemicals into harmless byproducts. Potential applications include safety gear for U.S. soldiers and filtration systems for buildings and vehicles. Hinestroza, assistant professor of fiber science in the College of Human Ecology, is a member of two teams that secured more than $2.2 million from the U.S. Department of Defense; about $875,000 will go directly to Hinestoza's work. Both grants are multi-university collaborative efforts funded through the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency.” (Nano-Tech Wire;
25May08)
http://nanotechwire.com/news.asp?nid=6023
China Quake also an Environmental Catastrophe
“Eleven days after the 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck western China, vice environment minister Wu Xiaoqing first revealed Friday, May 23, that 50 hazardous radioactive sources have been located – 35 recovered and controlled; ‘three more buried in rubble and 12 in dangerous buildings. At present, tests show no accidental release of radiation,’ he reported as the death toll climbed past 55,000. Two of the most badly damaged cities housed China’s secret nuclear weapons design facility - at Mianyang - and a plutonium processing facility - in Guangyuan – both close to the quake’s epicenter. Soon after the quake struck, Chinese soldiers were sent to protect nuclear sites and preparations made for an environmental emergency.” (St Louis Today; 24May08; Tim Kusky) http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/mother-nature-watch/mother-nature-watch/2008/05/china-quake-also-an-environmental-catastrophe/
High stakes in tale of a ‘contract killing that backfired'
“On August 2, 2006, Sharon Collins set up a Yahoo Mail account in the name of lyingeyes98@yahoo.ie. She sent an email from her own Eircom address to Lyingeyes the day it was created. Lyingeyes98 searched the net for contract killers and on August 8 sent an email to hitmanforhire@yahoo.com. Hitman was also visited by someone using the computer at Downes and Howard. […] She said she had ‘no conscience’ about ordering her husband's death […] She suggested an accident for the two boys or poisoning their drinks in the local pub near their holiday home in Kilkee. […] It is alleged that at one stage the FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] passed some information to gardai [An Garda Síochána, Republic of Ireland Police Force] which led them to search Essam Eid's cell. In that search, traces of the deadly poison, Ricin, were discovered in a contact lens case.” (Irish Independent; 25May08; Abigail Rieley) http://www.independent.ie/national-news/high-stakes-in-tale-of-a-contract-killing-that-backfired-1386457.html
When is a terrorist a terrorist?
“The definition of what constitutes a terrorist has exercised some of the best minds in history, but in answer to the question ‘When is a terrorist a terrorist?’ the current US President replies, ‘When I say so…’ Ok, he didn’t actually use those exact words, at least not in public, but he did say this about Saddam Hussein in 2006: ‘He was a state sponsor of terror. In other words, the (US) government had declared, you are a state sponsor of terror.’ […] Perhaps the most edifying example is the sale of WMD to Saddam by the US under Ronald Reagan to support his ambitions and keep Iranian fundamentalism at bay. Exports included biological agents such as anthrax, vital ingredients for chemical weapons, and cluster bombs - all delivered by a CIA front organisation in Chile… Obviously this was all well before Iraq’s psychopathic tyrant fell out of favour by invading Kuwait.” (Pakistan Daily; 24May08) http://www.daily.pk/world/europe/81-europe/3918-when-is-a-terrorist-a-terrorist-terrorist.html
Al-Qa'eda to urge biological warfare in new video message
“Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'eda terrorist network is to post a new video in the next 24 hours urging jihadists to use biological, chemical and nuclear weapons against the West, the FBI has warned. The FBI has alerted 1,800 American law enforcement agencies about the expected video calling for the use of weapons of mass destruction, Richard Kolko, an FBI spokesman, said. ‘We got information the tape is coming,’ said Mr Kolko. ‘We sent out an alert to law enforcement (agencies) to let them know.’” (Telegraph; 28May08; Tom Peterkin) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uncertain-world/2041499/Al-Qa'eda-urges-biological-warfare-in-new-video-message.html
EPA tests plans to protect water
“The pilot program ordered by the Department of Homeland Security in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks uses continuous monitoring of public water for contaminants that could sicken or kill millions of people. Some utilities only do spot checks now for such germs, pesticides or radioactive materials. […] ‘Water supplies are very, very accessible targets for biological or chemical weapons,’ said Donna Schlagheck, a Wright State University political scientist who specializes in American foreign policy and international terrorism. ‘There are so many potential targets - whether you are taking water from the ground or a river or a lake - and the vulnerability there is enormous.’” (Mojave Daily News; 25May08; Lisa Cornwell, Associated Press) http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2008/05/25/news/nation/nation3.txt
Kiss American security goodbye
“Every police department from Arkansas to Ohio would be in desperate need of anti-terror funding. And why not, when the terrorists loomed so monstrously large, were so apocalyptically capable, and wanted so very badly to destroy our way of life? No wonder that, in the 2006 National Asset Database, compiled by the Department of Homeland Security, the state of Indiana, ‘with 8,591 potential terrorist targets, had 50 percent more listed sites than New York (5,687) and more than twice as many as California (3,212), ranking the state the most target-rich place in the nation.’” (Al-Jazeera; 26May08; Tom Engelhardt)
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/newsfull.php?newid=119887
McCain Pledges to Work With Russians on Arms Control (Update1)
“Republican John McCain extended an olive branch to Russia today by pledging to work toward the elimination of tactical nuclear weapons in Europe and to negotiate a new accord limiting strategic arms. McCain, who previously has warned of ‘Russian revanchism’ and called for the country's expulsion from the Group of Eight, said there are numerous areas where America can ‘work in partnership with Russia’ to halt the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.” (Bloomberg; 27May08; Hans
Nichols)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aQo0eUgF3u54&refer=us
Israelis to receive new non-conventional warfare kits
“Gas-masks and other protective gear that has been collected from the public over the last few years and is being updated will be made available for collection starting January 2009. […] IDF officials that disclosed this information to The Jerusalem Post were careful to explain that the decision to begin handing out the equipment has not been affected by any threat of imminent war. […] At present, the Israeli public is virtually unprotected from any chemical or biological agents[…].” (Jerusalem Newswire; 25May08; Stan Goodenough)
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2457
Bomb disposal unit opened [New Zealand]
“The stars of the show are a dozen new robots considered the Ferarris of bomb disposal. They can be fitted with a shotgun to blow off door hinges, water cannons to destroy a bombs circuitry, a sniffer to detect chemical weapons and cameras to let the team know just what they are up against.”
(One News; 26May08)
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1799165
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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