Afghanistan: South Dakota Guard members train Afghan National Air Force firefighters on Jaws of Life

By Petty Officer 1st Class Christophe Laurent

ISAF Regional Command North

CAMP MARMAL, Balkh Province, Afghanistan  – In an emergency situation, time is of the essence. With little time to react, there is no room for error. For situations requiring quick reaction, knowing what to do and when to do it is credited to proper training.

Members of the South Dakota Army National Guard’s 451st Engineer Detachment firefighters collaborated on an exercise on the proper use of vehicle extrication methods with Afghan National Air Force firefighters here May 2.

The training evolution is designed to teach the proper methods to assess a crash scene and expedite the evacuation of victims who may be in need of immediate medical care.

 

 Army Sgt. 1st Class Austin Hagen, fire chief, says the information is to prepare their Afghan counterparts the best way to react in a situation where every moment counts.

“We teach them the proper way to save lives with the proper tools and techniques,” said Hagen.

By proper tools and techniques, he refers to what is commonly called the Jaws of Life. He also states, with proper training and reaction speed, the tools can safely extract a patient from a vehicle within 20 to 30 seconds, increasing the survivability rate of crash victims.

Army Sgt. Max Stoltenburg, firefighter, says the Jaws of Life is a tool used to remove a vehicle from the victim, when removing the victim from the vehicle is impractical. These utensils are designed to be portable and readily available to safely and quickly aid in the rescue techniques of firefighters.

The instruction began with a safety meeting, where Stoltenburg and Hagen both made comments regarding the day’s event. Stoltenburg stressed the importance of keeping a safe distance from any possible hazards and Hagen made the point to the students to bring any possible threat to his attention.

After the safety brief, the process began. While the students paid close attention to the explanation of the demonstration by their teachers, they seemed to become more eager to get their hands on the tools and perform the tasks as well.

The entire display covered all necessary steps to recover a victim from a crash site. From stabilizing the vehicle to the removal of the victim with the hydraulic powered tools, they successfully extracted the victim from the vehicle.

Since the 451st arrived to Camp Marmal, they have played a role in the training of their Afghan counterparts.

Army Sgt. Max Stoltenburg says through both mentorship and formal training, they have seen a level of success to a high degree of satisfaction.

“We are very proud of these men,” he said. “Their training has definitely paid off.”

The payoff is also shown through the efforts of the students when they are not being instructed.

Air Force Master Sgt. Chris Gerwick, a member of 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group Detachment 3, who is assigned to mentor the Afghan unit on a daily basis, says the Afghan group successfully applies these skills to real life situations.

“A month ago, this team responded and successfully extinguished a fire on their own,” Geswick said. “The training they’ve received is a direct credit to their efforts.”

The commander of the Afghan Air Force firefighting group, Maj. Said Shah, says he values the efforts the instruction has offered his unit.

“This is a benefit for us to learn how to use these tools,” Shah said. “It makes us feel good about being able to help our people when they need it and the Americans have shown us a wealth of knowledge with this training.”

Through the training, the instructors gain their own reward as they claim they are actively participating in the successful transition process, which gives them a high degree of satisfaction.

“This is a win-win for us,” Hagen said. “It’s good for them because they are learning new things and it’s good for us because we sharpen our skills when we teach. With the right training, tools and techniques in place, these guys will save the lives of their people in need.”

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- November 14, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- October 13, 2008

Neither snow, nor rain, nor anthrax ...[U.S.]
“Important planning for responding to a future anthrax attack has quietly been under way since the last attacks seven years ago. A key part of this effort has been figuring out how best to deliver prophylactic antibiotics quickly to the people living in the city that is attacked. […] First, an attack must be detected, either by one of the BioWatch air monitors that have been placed in many cities or by finding symptoms of anthrax poisoning in a victim. Either way, this can take at least 12 to 30 hours. Next, an adequate supply of antibiotics must be sent from the Strategic National Stockpile (held at 12 sites around the country) to the affected city, ideally within 12 hours. Finally, the city must get the drugs out to its population. […] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has directed 72 major American cities to devise plans to distribute anthrax antibiotics to all their residents within 48 hours of receiving them. So far, few of these cities are able to meet that goal.”(New York Times; 13Oct08; Lawrence Wein) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/opinion/13wein.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

Texas offering $100 million in incentives to gain defense facility
“Gov. Rick Perry has joined with San Antonio leaders in a unified effort to help sell the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on the merits of placing its planned National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in the Alamo City.Texas is committing more than $100 million to the effort, including $56 million that the governor and other top state officials have pledged to secure through the legislative appropriations process in the upcoming session. Supporters of the NBAF project say it will establish a next-generation biological and agricultural defense facility to replace an aging animal disease research facility at Plum Island, N.Y. Experts at the proposed facility are expected to research high-risk biological threats and help protect the nation’s agriculture infrastructure and food supply against bioterrorism.” (Industry News; 13Oct08; source: BizJournals)
http://www.yourindustrynews.com/news_item.php?newsID=12604

U.S. limits bird flu vaccine, fearing bioterror
“[The] United States […] bars U.S. exports of vaccines for avian bird flu and dozens of other viruses to five countries designated ‘state sponsors of terrorism.’ […] Under this little-known policy, North Korea (at least until Saturday, when it was removed from the list), Iran, Cuba, Syria and Sudan may not get the vaccines unless they apply for special export licenses, which would be given or refused according to the discretion of the United States. Three of those nations - Iran, Cuba and Sudan - also are subject to a ban on all human pandemic influenza vaccines as part of a general U.S. embargo. The regulations […] have raised concerns within the medical and scientific communities. […] Officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they were not even aware of the policies until contacted by the Associated Press last month and privately expressed alarm. […] U.S.
Commerce Assistant Secretary Christopher Wall declined to elaborate on the precise threat posed by vaccines for chickens infected with avian influenza, except to say there are ‘valid security concerns’ that they ‘do not fall into the wrong hands.’” (Associated Press; 12Oct08; Robin McDowell)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgibin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/12/MNOQ13FH9E.DTL&type=printable

PharmAthene and Panacea Biotec Ltd. establish strategic alliance in biodefense and emerging infectious diseases [MD]
“PharmAthene, Inc.[MD] , a biodefense company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats, announced today that the Company has closed a strategic equity financing with Panacea Biotec Ltd.. […] Panacea Biotec's subsidiary has received 12-month warrants to purchase up to approximately 2.75 million additional shares of PharmAthene common stock at an exercise price of $5.10 per share.” (PR Newswire; 13Oct08; Stacy Jurchison; Source: PharmAthene) http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1586827/pharmathene_and_panacea_biotec_ltd_establish_strategic_alliance_in_biodefense/

HAPSITE chemical ID system a boost for Inficon; Department of Defense places $1.65M order
“Inficon’s chemical-identification system continued bringing in revenue for the company on Oct. 6. The firm, which develops and manufactures a variety of instruments, sensors, and software, announced on that day an order for its HAPSITE Chemical Identification System that extends an ongoing relationship with the Department of Defense. The order is worth $1.65 million. Inficon’s HAPSITE system is a portable product that provides on-site detection and analysis of toxic chemicals in air, soil, and water. The Defense Department uses the system to detect chemical-warfare agents and other toxic materials in the field.” (Central NY Business Journal; 10Oct08; Kevin Tampone) http://www.cnybj.com/index.php?id=396&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=9021&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=1&cHash=5d47708690

White powder scares cost law enforcement time, money
“Firefighters and federal agents have responded to more than 30,000 incidents involving suspicious powders, liquids or chemicals since 2001 in what authorities say is the terrifying legacy of the anthrax attacks after 9/11. […] ‘A single incident can warrant a huge response,’ says Billy Hayes of Washington, D.C.'s fire department. ‘It gets very expensive, not to mention the inconvenience.[…] In just the past year, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has responded to 2,893 incidents, many of which involved white powder, spokesman Douglas Bem says. The FBI, which is called when a threatening note is found or when it otherwise appears a crime may have been committed, looked into more than 900 biological incidents from January 2007 to August 2008, ‘the majority of those incidents being white powder letters,’ spokesman Richard Kolko says.” ABC News; 13Oct08; Mimi Hall)
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=6020875

CDC gives out $16.9M contract for influenza web system [VA]
“The CDC has given a $16.9 million contract to Virginia-based American Type Culture Collection to facilitate the creation of a Web-based system that will improve access to influenza viruses, test kits and other reagents for qualified laboratories. The CDC says that the system will help scientists examine possible pandemics in advance, as well as speed the development of diagnostic tests, antiviral drugs and vaccines.” (SmartBrief; 10Oct08)
http://www.smartbrief.com/news/ahip/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=FD26DD0B-76EE-4C5B-8F5C-0D319F30B4F8&copyid=3CF53024-93A6-4A6E-9C70-52F201B6FF10

Idaho unveils website to help Idahoans prepare for pandemic influenza
“The website, http://www.PANFLUidaho.org, was developed to provide resources and tools to help individuals, families, businesses, and governments to plan and prepare for an influenza pandemic. ‘We wanted to provide a reliable source of information for people in Idaho about influenza pandemics - what happened during the three pandemics of the last century, what to expect during a pandemic, and most importantly, how to prepare for a future pandemic,’ says Barb Blakesley, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare's Pandemic Influenza Coordinator and Planner.” (Medical News Today; 12Oct08) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125137.php

Countries lagging in flu pandemic plans, UN warns
“Most Asia-Pacific nations are making progress on avian flu control, but are lagging in plans to tackle the social and economic fallout of a human flu pandemic, a senior UN influenza specialist has warned. ‘In general, the situation is that countries are getting much more on top of the bird flu,’ senior UN System Influenza Coordinator (UNSIC), David Nabarro, told IRIN in Bangkok. ‘I'm impressed with progress, but I am saying a lot more needs to be done, particularly on multi-sectoral pandemic preparedness.’ UNSIC in the Asia-Pacific, collaborating with the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre and the Kenan Institute Asia, has released its first compilation of simulation exercises conducted by countries to prepare for a human influenza pandemic.” (Irin; 13Oct08) http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/2a14617d7551103e94067d7f1ca83e2f.htm

The Biodefense Program in the Department of Public & International Affairs at George Mason University presents an evening with Major General Stephen V. Reeves, Joint Program Executive Officer for Chemical & Biological Defense, Department of Defense

"The Future of Chemical & Biological Defense"

Thursday, October 23rd
5:30pm-7:00pm
Mason Hall D3 A&B
Fairfax Campus
George Mason University

Please consult the following Website for directions and a map to GMU's Fairfax campus: http://www.gmu.edu/welcome/Directions-to-GMU.html

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

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- September 15, 2008

Designer DNA’ firms step up security over bioterrorism threat
“According to a report in New Scientist in 2005, some gene synthesis companies were not checking their orders for potentially dangerous DNA sequences. Since then, the US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity has called for better screening. Now, the Industry Association of Synthetic Biology (IASB) has said that its members will carry a seal of approval on their websites confirming that they do screen their orders. […] IASB members will cooperate to improve the software used to identify suspicious orders and will set up a secure database detailing which DNA sequences make pathogens highly virulent.” (Top News-Health; 15Sep08; Mohit Joshi)
http://www.topnews.in/health/designer-dna-firms-step-security-over-bioterrorism-threat-24414

State lawmakers’ agenda includes health care, energy and transportation funding [Pennsylvania]
“But the short calendar leaves Rep. Ken Smith, D-112, frustrated. Mr.
Smith hoped to see action this fall on his bill to give state officials specific authority to deal with everything from quarantines to supplies of antibiotics in the event of a bioterrorism attack or pandemic. The measure would revamp state public health laws to reflect the post-9/11 era. Now he frets there isn’t enough time to take this major bill. ‘If you are looking at only nine session days, how are we going to get that done?’ he asked.”
(Daily Review; 15 Sep08; Robert Swift)
http://www.thedailyreview.com/articles/2008/09/15/news/tw_review.20080915.a.pg7.tw15swift_s1.1947043_loc.txt

Boy Scout OK after bout with bubonic plague [contracted in Wyoming]
“He arrived at MidState Medical Center’s emergency room with a swollen gland and high fever, and was placed on antibiotics for a suspected case of the mumps until tests later determined he had bubonic plague. […] ‘I didn’t believe it,’ said Dr. Jaber Aslanzadeh, director of microbiology at the lab. ‘I said, Oh my God, this can’t be. I have been in business for 20 years, and this is the first time I had seen it.’ The laboratory does bioterrorism testing for the state Department of Health and, following protocol, they notified the department of the rare find. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta confirmed the finding.” (Boston Herald; 14Sep08; Source: AP) http://news.bostonherald.com/news/national/northeast/view/2008_09_14_Boy_Scout_OK_after_bout_with_bubonic_plague_1/srvc=home&position=recent

Anthrax probe prompts feds to review lab security
“Scientists accustomed to working alone with deadly pathogens could be forced to buddy up in the laboratory as military officials and civilian contractors review security measures in the wake of the FBI's conclusions about the 2001 anthrax mailings. Some scientists object to expanding the ‘two-person’ rule. They say besides the practical issues of having to work with someone else, placing a second person in the lab wouldn't prevent a scientist from sneaking out a smidgeon of material — under their fingernail, for example.[…] Jeffrey J. Adamovicz, a former head of USAMRIID's [U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases] bacteriology division, said microbiologists often must visit their labs at odd hours to check on or prepare for experiments. ‘Often times, you need to pull something out of a freezer and initiate a culture. A person would come in on a Sunday morning and do that so it would be ready for them on Sunday afternoon. Now you're saying you have to find somebody on a Sunday morning. That's ruining their weekend for a half-hour procedure — it's that kind of issue,’ Adamovicz said.” (Associated Press; 13Sep08; David
Dishneau)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jO3nR_FFa9T5ylSioLYjBEWVTOEwD935EQC01

Envelope with flour closes senator's office [Florida State Senator Evelyn Lynn-R]
“The white powdery substance inside a suspicious envelope sent to state Sen. Evelyn Lynn's beachside office Friday turned out to be flour. It took a cadre of firefighters, Police officers, hazardous materials experts and an FBI agent all baking under the sultry afternoon sun for four hours to come to that conclusion. Some of those emergency workers had been through the same drill just four days earlier, when an envelope containing white powder that was also eventually determined to be flour showed up at U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney's [FL-R] office in Port Orange.” (News-Journal; 13Sep08; Eileen Zaffiro) http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD03091308.htm

Volunteers needed for medical emergency sites
“Hope for the best, and plan for the worst. That's the idea behind a federal program organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 72 metropolitan areas nationwide, including Palm Beach and Broward counties [Florida], in which local agencies or volunteers dispense medication and information in the event of a public health emergency. Plans vary city to city, but hundreds of volunteers and Palm Beach County Health Department employees are set up to operate 45 strategically placed points of distributing, or PODs, around the county. […] PODs were organized in the wake of the 2001 anthrax attacks, the largest bio-terror attack in American history. Anthrax-laced letters were discovered in a Boca Raton office building, New York, New Jersey and Washington D.C.” (Sun Sentinel; 13Sep08; Khari Johnson) http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flppods0913pnsep13,0,5675480.story

White powder sent to Star Banner not anthrax
“Ocala Police Department officials said Friday morning that preliminary tests on the white powder contained in an envelope delivered to the Star-Banner on Thursday were negative for radioactive, explosive or biological components. After the powder was discovered, it was transported by officials with the health department to a laboratory in Jacksonville for testing.” (Ocala; 13Sep08)
http://www.ocala.com/article/20080913/NEWS/809130342/1377/NEWS&title=Police_Beat_for_Sept__13__2008

Global health collaborations a focus for new [University of] Albany center
“The University at Albany School of Public Health has established the Center for Global Health to serve as a focal point for collaborations with universities and public health agencies in Costa Rica, the Republic of Georgia, Turkey, Vietnam, and Mexico. Research will include cancer, bioterrorism, HIV/AIDS, access to health care, genetic engineering, maternal mortality and protecting water supplies.” (Times Union; 12Sep08; Cathleen F. Crowley) http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=719924&category=REGION

Hiring frenzy at FDA [Food & Drug Administration]; Agency will grown by 1,300
“The Food and Drug Administration has recently hired more than 1,300 professional staffers in a move that officials hope will help it better protect the public health amid rapid technological and scientific change. […] Independent observers said the staffing increase is only a first step, albeit one that is much needed. […] Of the total 1,317 positions, 770 are new jobs and 547 are posts that were left vacant by people leaving the agency for other jobs or because of retirement. […] The campaign's apparent success shows that public service is still attractive for highly specialized professionals, said Arthur Levin, director of the Center for Medical Consumers in New York. But he cautioned that the FDA has a history of letting such gains slip away. After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the agency hired food inspectors to guard against the threat of bioterrorism. But it gradually cut back on the program.” (Modesto Bee; 12Sep08; Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP) http://www.modbee.com/business/story/427141.html

NIH [National Institute of Health] funds SIGA [Technologies inc.] Dengue Antiviral Program
“The grant, totaling $963,000 over a two-year period, will help to fund lead optimization and animal efficacy trials for SIGA's Dengue antiviral program. Successful outcomes from these activities could lead to a Phase II award in the future.” (Trading Markets; 12Sep08; Todd Fromer) http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1878375/

Officials: [Galveston] Texas lab with dangerous pathogens secured
“The pathogens, which include the deadly Ebolavirus, were purposely destroyed before the staff left the facility in advance of the hurricane […] The laboratory followed protocols for shutting, said Gretchen Michael, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She said that for security reasons, she would not detail the procedures or describe the agents. A Department of Homeland Security official concurred that all the samples had been destroyed, and the building was locked down, quarantined and ‘rendered safe.’” (CNN; 12Sep08; Deanne Mesevre) http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/09/12/ike.biological.agents/

Drug-resistant plague - A bioterrorism concern?
“Yersinia pestis can normally be treated and cured with a course of antibiotics, if caught within a few days of the symptoms. But researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have located a gene that could mutate to make Y. pestis resistant to many common drugs. Scientists believe that antibiotic-resistant Y. pestis should potentially concern the public and scientific community, because the bacteria might be used as a potential bioterrorism agent.” (News-Medical; 11Sep08; Source: Cornell University)
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=41403

Newport [Indiana] site ready to close
“The Newport Chemical Depot in western Indiana employed enough people in its heyday to be considered Vermillion County’s largest town. But within two years the once mighty plant will be quiet. The last bit of VX was neutralized last month and the plant along Indiana Route 63 south of Newport is slated for closure. ‘Our mission is to close the depot,’ said Tom Kutz, civilian executive assistant. ‘It will take about a year and a half.’” (Commercial News; 13Sep08; Dennis Bartlow) http://www.commercial-news.com/local/local_story_257225254.html

Over 4 [metric tons] of chemical weapons destroyed in Russia's Kirov Region
“Over 4 t of chemicals have been destroyed so far at a chemical weapons disposal plant in the village of Maradykovo, Kirov Region, and another 20,000 pieces of ammunition are expected to arrive for disposal soon, Russian Zvezda TV reported on 10 September, adding that nearly 20 per cent of Russia's chemical weapons are kept in Kirov Region.” (Red Orbit; 14Sep08; Source: BBC) http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1554615/over_4_t_of_chemical_weapons_destroyed_in_russias_kirov/

Nuclear bomb blueprint shared on internet - UN warns
“Libya received the blueprint for a nuclear bomb electronically, raising ‘serious concern’ about the spreading of such sensitive material via the internet, the head of the UN nuclear agency has reported. In a report, which effectively wraps up a four-year investigation into Libya's nuclear weapons programme and its links to the clandestine nuclear bazaar of the Pakistani scientist A Q Khan, Mohamed ElBaradei said that the discovery was ‘disturbing.’ It is possible that other clients of the world's biggest nuclear proliferation network also received the blueprint. […] Nuclear experts point out however that the infrastructure of a state is required for building a bomb, which the IAEA official said would be ‘very complicated for a terrorist organization.’” (New Zealand Herald; 13Sep08; Anne Penketh)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10531996

Beware the deadly castor bean
“I wonder if mothers and grandmothers would have been so liberal with the stuff if they had known that Mussolini used it to coerce dissidents and opponents of his regime into submission. They were forced to consume large quantities of castor oil that could result in severe diarrhea, dehydration and potential death. Civilians and soldiers who said they were too ill to work, were administered less intimidating doses. This was done under the pretext that castor oil was good for you when you were sick. This misconception stayed around for years! […] Believed to be native to northeastern Africa or the Middle East, the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis) has been cultivated for centuries for the oil produced from its seeds. Evidence exists that the Egyptians used it to fuel their lamps in ancient times. […] The castor bean is not really a bean, although its seeds do look somewhat like those of the legume family. It's really a member of the spurge (Euphorbia) family and is one of the most poisonous plants known to man.” (Tri-City Herald; 13Sep08; Marianne C. Ophardt) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1203/story/315987.html

Mobile training teams take preparedness on the road
“The Center for Domestic Preparedness’ commitment to train emergency response providers goes beyond standard classroom instruction. Whether it’s tailored to law enforcement, firefighters, or healthcare professionals, the CDP staff offers a wide variety of courses to local jurisdictions. The CDP has averaged 58 mobile training events per week in 2008. […] The training program provides responders with knowledge to prevent, protect, respond to, and recover from chemical, biological, explosive, radiological, or other hazardous materials incidents.”
(Forensic Magazine; 15Sep08)
http://www.forensicmag.com/News_Articles.asp?pid=364

US offers pirates $7m bribe for Iran ship entry
“The US has offered USD 7m to the pirates, who hijacked an Iranian ship in the Gulf of Aden, to receive entry permission and search the vessel. […] The US the naval fleet off the Somali coast alleges that The Iran Diyanat was carrying 'uranium and chemical weapons'. Iran's shipping company, however, has declared that the Iranian bulk carrier hired by a German company had no weapons or uranium on board and was carrying 42,500 tons of minerals and industrial products.” (Press TV; 12Sep08)
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=69204&sectionid=351020501

Hunt for WMDs hits Hauraki Gulf [New Zealand]
“Weapons of mass destruction are on the hit list for New Zealand Customs and the military today as ships from several nations patrol the Hauraki Gulf. The ships and air force aircraft will be part of an international exercise involving several countries which will test New Zealand's ability to find and stop a shipment of material used to make the weapons. Exercise Maru, which begins today and lasts until Friday, was being led by the New Zealand Customs Service and involved the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the New Zealand Defence Force, several other domestic agencies and the Ports of Auckland. The Australian navy patrol boat HMAS Maryborough and the French navy patrol boat FNS La Glorieuse, were also in Auckland for the exercise which would include ship-boarding and the searching of vessels and containers.” (Nelson Mail; 15Sep08; Source: New Zealand Press
Association)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/nelsonmail/4693207a6417.html

Worries simmer over absent North Korean strongman
“‘If Kim Jong Il disappears, there is a significant chance that the entire regime will collapse,’ the conservative mass-circulation [South Korean] Chosun Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial Thursday. ‘If that happens, it is difficult to predict what North Korea's 1.17 million-strong military, armed with nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, will do next.’ The nuclear standoff remains the biggest crisis. […] South Korea is advancing an existing contingency plan to prepare for ‘any kind of situation whether it be limited or full-scale warfare,’ he was quoted as saying, but to raise the alert level ‘could rather make the people uneasy and provoke North Korea.’” (Associated Press; 13Sep08; Kelly Olsen)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gdklkakEe-4bHrnMRyPWp5wdTpyAD935GH601

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

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- September 12, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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