Former U.S. Consulate Guard Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Communicate National Defense Information to China

WASHINGTON – Bryan Underwood, a former civilian guard at a U.S. Consulate compound under construction in China, pleaded guilty today in the District of Columbia in connection with his efforts to sell for personal financial gain classified photographs, information and access related to the U.S. Consulate to China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS).

 At a hearing today before U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle, Underwood pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to communicate national defense information to a foreign government with intent or reason to believe that the documents, photographs or information in question were to be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation.

 The guilty plea was announced by Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Eric J. Boswell, Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security.

 Underwood, 32, a former resident of Indiana, was first charged in an indictment on Aug. 31, 2011, with two counts of making false statements and was arrested on Sept. 1, 2011.  On Sept. 21, 2011, he failed to appear at a scheduled status hearing in federal court in the District of Columbia.  The FBI later located Underwood in a hotel in Los Angeles and arrested him there on Sept. 24, 2011.  On Sept. 28, 2011, Underwood was charged in a superseding indictment with one count of attempting to communicate national defense information to a foreign government, two counts of making false statements and one count of failing to appear in court pursuant to his conditions of release.  Sentencing for Underwood has been scheduled for Nov. 19, 2012.  He faces a maximum potential sentence of life in prison.

 “Bryan Underwood was charged with protecting a new U.S. Consulate compound against foreign espionage, but facing financial hardship, he attempted to betray his country for personal gain,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco.  “This prosecution demonstrates that we remain vigilant in protecting America’s secrets and in bringing to justice those who attempt to compromise them.”

 “Bryan Underwood was determined to make millions by selling secret photos of restricted areas inside a U.S. Consulate in China,” said U.S. Attorney Machen.  “His greed drove him to exploit his access to America’s secrets to line his own pockets.  The lengthy prison sentence facing Underwood should chasten anyone who is tempted to put our nation at risk for personal gain.”

 “Bryan Underwood sought to benefit from his access to sensitive information, but his attempted betrayal was detected before our nation’s secrets fell into the wrong hands,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin.  “Together with our partners, the FBI will continue to work to expose, investigate and prevent acts of espionage that threaten our national security.”

 “The close working relationship between the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office resulted in the capture and conviction of Bryan Underwood before he could harm the security of our country,” said Assistant Secretary of State Boswell.  “The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to thoroughly investigating all potential intelligence threats to our nation.”

 According to court documents, from November 2009 to August 2011, Underwood worked as a cleared American guard (CAG) at the construction site of a new U.S. Consulate compound in Guangzhou, China.  CAGs are American civilian security guards with Top Secret clearances who serve to prevent foreign governments from improperly obtaining sensitive or classified information from the U.S. Consulate.  Underwood received briefings on how to handle and protect classified information as well as briefings and instructions on security protocols for the U.S. Consulate, including the prohibition on photography in certain areas of the consulate.

 Plan to Sell Information and Access for $3 Million to $5 Million

 In February 2011, Underwood was asked by U.S. law enforcement to assist in a project at the consulate and he agreed.  In March 2011, Underwood lost a substantial amount of money in the stock market.  According to court documents, Underwood then devised a plan to use his assistance to U.S. law enforcement as a “cover” for making contact with the Chinese government.  According to his subsequent statements to U.S. law enforcement, Underwood intended to sell his information about and access to the U.S. Consulate to the Chinese MSS for $3 million to $5 million. If any U.S. personnel caught him, he planned to falsely claim he was assisting U.S. law enforcement.

 As part of his plan, Underwood wrote a letter to the Chinese MSS, expressing his “interest in initiating a business arrangement with your offices” and stating, “I know I have information and skills that would be beneficial to your offices [sic] goals.  And I know your office can assist me in my financial endeavors.”  According to court documents, Underwood attempted to deliver this letter to the offices of the Chinese MSS in Guangzhou, but was turned away by a guard who declined to accept the letter.  Underwood then left the letter in the open in his apartment hoping that the Chinese MSS would find it, as he believed the MSS routinely conducted searches of apartments occupied by Americans.

 In May 2011, Underwood secreted a camera into the U.S. Consulate compound and took photographs of a restricted building and its contents.  Many of these photographs depict areas or information classified at the Secret level.  Underwood also created a schematic that listed all security upgrades to the U.S. Consulate and drew a diagram of the surveillance camera locations at the consulate.  In addition, according to his subsequent statements to U.S. law enforcement, Underwood “mentally” constructed a plan in which the MSS could gain undetected access to a building at the U.S. Consulate to install listening devices or other technical penetrations.

 According to court documents, the photographs Underwood took were reviewed by an expert at the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security who had original classification authority for facilities, security and countermeasures at the U.S. Consulate.  The expert determined that many of the photographs contained images classified at the Secret level and that disclosure of such material could cause serious damage to the United States.

 In early August 2011, Underwood was interviewed several times by FBI and Diplomatic Security agents, during which he admitted making efforts to contact the Chinese MSS, but falsely claimed that he took these actions to assist U.S. law enforcement.  On Aug. 19, 2011, Underwood was again interviewed by law enforcement agents and he admitted that he planned to sell photos, information and access to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou to the Chinese MSS for his personal financial gain.

 The U.S. government has found no evidence that Underwood succeeded in passing classified information concerning the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou to anyone at the Chinese MSS.

 This investigation was conducted jointly by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security.  The prosecution is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Brandon L. Van Grack from the Counterespionage Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

'Noble Resolve' Experiment Tests Emergency-Response Communications

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

July 30, 2008 - Defense Department agencies as well as state and local emergency-preparedness organizations in Virginia, Oregon, Colorado and Indiana are honing their communication and coordination capabilities as part of the current iteration of the Noble Resolve homeland defense and disaster-response experiment. Noble Resolve '08, which began July 28 and ends Aug. 1, is the latest in a series of tests of disaster-preparedness communications and coordination systems sponsored by U.S. Joint Forces Command, based in Norfolk, Va.

Testing information and coordination links among Defense Department organizations, state emergency-response agencies, the National Guard, other first responders such as local fire and police departments, and nongovernmental organizations is a key purpose of Noble Resolve, exercise leader Air Force Col. Gene Taylor told reporters today during a video-teleconference at Joint Forces Command facilities in Suffolk, Va.

"We can't afford to wait. ... The timeliness and robustness of response is too important to leave it to a sort of 'pickup game'" in the event of natural or man-made disasters, Taylor said.

Elements of U.S. Northern Command, as well as the National Guard Bureau and the Department of Homeland Security, also are participating in Noble Resolve.

This year's Noble Resolve experiment features disaster scenarios such as massive earthquakes occurring in Indiana and Oregon and a faux Virginia train derailment producing a huge fire, according to a Joint Forces Command news release.

A Noble Resolve fact sheet lists the following areas of emphasis:

-- Overcoming communication barriers;

-- Sharing integrated global maritime intelligence and situational awareness;

-- Improving defenses against weapons of mass destruction threats against the homeland; and

-- Managing population movement in the event of a natural disaster and ensuring long-term sustainment of consequence management forces following a possible chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield-explosive event.

Multinational participation in this iteration of Noble Resolve includes representatives from Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Morocco, Portugal, South Korea, Romania, Spain and Sweden, as well as NATO Allied Command Transformation.

Noble Resolve is "really about helping Joint Forces Command operate seamlessly" with its homeland defense partners in the event of natural or man-made disasters, Taylor said.

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- July 25, 2008

Food industry bitten by its lobbying success
“The industry pressured the Bush administration years ago to limit the paperwork companies would have to keep to help U.S. health investigators quickly trace produce that sickens consumers, according to interviews and government reports reviewed by The Associated Press. The White House also killed a plan to require the industry to maintain electronic tracking records that could be reviewed easily during a crisis to search for an outbreak's source. Companies complained the proposals were too burdensome and costly, and warned they could disrupt the availability of consumers' favorite foods. The apparent but unintended consequences of the lobbying success: a paper record-keeping system that has slowed investigators, with estimated business losses of $250 million.” (Google News; 25July08; Associated Press, Larry Margasak) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iVHt-zqI9SBYX7gUbzPTug-Ns3ewD924VCTG0

'It could save a lot of lives': 200 'victims' participate in bioterrorism drill [Lake County, IL]
“Lake County [Illinois] has just been infested with an anthrax outbreak. First responders, emergency crews and health officials are waiting to distribute medicines to thousands of infected residents before it is too late. That was the scenario the Lake County Health Department and emergency agencies were faced with Thursday during a bioterrorism drill at St. Peter's United Church of Christ in Lake Zurich.” (Lake CountyNews-Sun; 25July08; Kendrick Marshall) http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/1074115,5_1_WA25_HAZARDDRIL_S1.article

Hospitals put to the test during natural disaster drill [Fayetteville, AR]
“Employees at nine hospitals in Northwest Arkansas tested their responses to a large-scale natural disaster in a drill on Wednesday. Organized by Northwest Regional Hospital Bioterrorism Preparedness Committee, the exercise presented difficulties that would result from four or five tornados hitting the area. The committee is part of a statewide effort coordinated by the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services and the Arkansas Hospital Association[.] The scenarios were fed to hospitals in Benton, Boone, Carroll and Washington counties from inside the Washington County Emergency Operations Center in Fayetteville.” (NWA News; 24July08; Adam Wallworth) http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/232184/

One Very Scary Jalapeño [Editorial]
“Federal health officials have finally found a jalapeño tainted with the rare form of salmonella that has poisoned more than 1,200 people in this country since April. The contaminated pepper was grown in Mexico and repacked by a small Texas distributor. The company has pulled its supplies from the marketplace, and the Food and Drug Administration is advising people to eat only jalapeños and serranos that have been safely cooked. This does not mean it’s over. Finding one bad pepper cannot close the lid on the largest outbreak of food-borne illness in America in a decade.”
(New York Times; 24July08)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/opinion/24thu3.html

Newport [Indiana] Chemical Depot nearly finished in VX disposal
“During the cold war this rural corner of west central Indiana produced thousands of tons of the toxic nerve agent VX for the government. Since 2005 the same area has been dismantling the VX due to an international treaty. […] ‘We have destroyed over 98 percent so we are down to our last approximately two percent,’ Brubaker said. In the next couple of weeks that, two percent of VX will be neutralized and on it's way out of this area.” (WTHITV; 23July08)
http://www.wthitv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8724538&nav=menu593_2

DNC [Democratic National Convention] security info released
“Contrary to rumors, there will be no weapons that shoot slime, nor will there be ‘pain ray’ guns that immobilize targets at this year’s Democratic National Convention, according to a security budget proposal released by the city of Denver yesterday. The city agreed to release some general DNC security information in return for the American civil Liberties Union (ACLU) postponing its lawsuit against them until after the DNC, said Mark Silverstein, legal director for ACLU’s Colorado chapter. […] Although the city did comply with some of ACLU’s requests, it did not disclose the total amount spent on electronic restraints or chemical weapons, which the non-profit requested.” (Denver Daily News; 24July08; Gene Davis)
http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article.php?aID=1311

Sarin leak sealed at Richmond [Kentucky] depot
“Workers at Blue Grass Army Depot have sealed the container that was leaking sarin nerve agent, the Army said Friday. The leak was discovered on July 11 during routine daily monitoring of the storage igloo and is ‘under continuous observation to evaluate the effectiveness of the seals,’ said Richard Sloan, spokesman for Blue Grass Chemical Activity, the chemical weapons operation at the depot.” (Herald-Leader; 25July08; Greg
Kocher)
http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/471237.html

Reprieve’s fight for Binyam Mohamed
“Lawyers acting for Binyam Mohamed, a British resident incarcerated in Guantánamo Bay, have urged the Government to disclose evidence which, they say, would demonstrate he was tortured. […] Mohamed was also accused of plotting to buy uranium in Asia, bring it to the US and build a ‘dirty bomb’ in league with Jose Padilla, a US citizen. Mohammed signed a confession but told his lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, he had never met Padilla, or anyone in al-Qa’ida.” (The Muslim News; 25July08; Zainab
Hemani)
http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/paper/index.php?article=3632

UAD [United Action for Democracy] Chides FG [Federal Government of Nigeria] Over UK security Deal
“The United Action for Democracy (UAD) has accused the Federal Government of compromising Nigeria's sovereignty and internal security in her bid to overcome the lingering militant crisis in the Niger Delta region of the country. […] They further asserted that the implication of the latest deal was what they called ‘imperialist Britain’, similar to the recent failed attempt by America to position its African Command in Nigeria, and that it further showed the mad obsession of the failing regime to commit untold violence against the people of the Niger Delta, plunder the natural endowments, expose the region to the risk of biological and chemical warfare and diseases, and subject the environment to greater destruction.”
(Leadership Nigeria; 25July08)
http://www.leadershipnigeria.com/product_info.php?products_id=31777&osCsid=e872f086f957a289c000693b776414cb

Mega-truck designed for disasters relegated to mundane police work
“In 2005, Uncle Sam bought El Paso County a quartermillion-dollar armored vehicle designed to handle everything from weapons of mass destruction to natural disasters. Since then, it's been used 52 times for ordinary police work: arresting potentially violent suspects or fugitives, protecting dignitaries, handling civil disturbances and dealing with people barricaded in a home or business with hostages. It cost $246,675, with an additional $17,477 spent on such after-market enhancements as ballistic shields, roof-mounted remote-control spotlights, radiation detection equipment, an explosive gas detection system and an intercom system.” (The Gazette; 23July08; Pam Zubeck) http://www.gazette.com/articles/disasters_38536___article.html/police_designed.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- July 21, 2008

Vangent Awarded $23 Million Contract to Support Force Health Protection & Readiness
“Vangent, Inc., a leading global provider of information management and strategic business process outsourcing solutions, today announced that the Department of Defense (DoD) Force Health Protection & Readiness Program Office (FHP&R) has awarded the company a $23 million contract to manage and enhance FHP&R automated information systems.” (Market Watch; 21July08) http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/vangent-awarded-23-million-contract/story.aspx?guid=%7B35B81569-1FFA-40FB-8D80-30DC606F97E7%7D&dist=hppr

Killer Kevlar: Clothing That Shields From Germs
“Researchers in South Dakota report progress toward the first Kevlar fabrics that can kill a wide range of infectious agents, including bacteria, viruses, and the spores that cause anthrax. […]The scientists developed a special process to coat Kevlar samples with acyclic N-Halamine, a potent germ-fighting substance. They then exposed coated and uncoated fabric samples to E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida tropicalis (a fungus), MS2 virus, and Bacillus subtilis spores (to mimic anthrax).” (Science Daily; 21July08) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080721092412.htm

Bio Weapons Monitor System Draws Criticism
“Homeland Security experts consider Southern Nevada a high-risk target for terrorist attacks […] one of 30 major cities nationwide that actually monitor the air for biological weapons. The program is called BioWatch. BioWatch has drawn criticism since it began five years ago. Just this week, members of a Congressional subcommittee heard it characterized as a ‘parasite’ by the local public health officials tasked with running it.”
(Las Vegas Now; 21July08)
http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=8701384&nav=168X

Completion of VX neutralization means many things to [Vermillion] Valley [Indiana]
“For more than 40 years, one of the last and deadliest remnants of the Cold War — 2.5-million pounds of VX — has been sitting quietly in carbon steel barrels in Vermillion County, part of a stockpile of chemical weapons the United States has been trying to dispose of for more than a decade.” (The Tribune-Star; 21July08; Deb Kelly) http://www.tribstar.com/local/local_story_201225101.html

Boone, Avondale [Colorado] to hold chem-demil meetings
“Public meetings on the next phase of the Defense Department’s effort to destroy Pueblo’s stockpile of chemical weapons will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday in Boone and Avondale.” (The Pueblo Chieftain; 21July08; John Norton) http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/07/20/news/local/doc4882d6376a7c2288377999.txt

RNC [Republican National Convention] has hospitals ready for anything
“Medical personnel scrambled to set up decontamination showers in an ambulance garage. Others donned head-to-toe hazardous materials protection suits. Pagers beeped madly as doctors and nurses rushed to help victims. Luckily, none of it was real. It was just the latest drill by metro hospitals in more than a year of preparation for medical calamities in advance of the Republican National Convention […]” (Star Tribune; 18Jul08; Chen May Yee) http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/conventions/25638404.html?page=1&c=y

Defentect Invited to Join 'Operation Golden Phoenix' Disaster Response Training Event
“Defentect™ gamma radiation detection network will be a participating technology at the Golden Phoenix real world disaster response laboratory environment in San Diego, July 21 – 24. Federal, state and local agencies will engage in a large-scale terrorism training event led by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection, the County of San Diego, the City of San Diego and U.S. Marine Corps Aircraft Group-46.” (The Earth Times; 21Jul08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/defentect-invited-to-join-operation-golden-phoenix-disaster-response-training-event,473859.shtml

Soviet uranium removed from Bulgaria
“The last of the highly enriched uranium stored in Bulgaria was removed from the country Thursday and transported to a secured site in Russia. […] The removal of the uranium, stored in Bulgaria since the 1970s, is part of an initiative to deter nuclear proliferation by terrorist groups and other militants whose stated goals include detonating a dirty bomb constructed with nuclear material.” (The Middle East Times; 18Jul08; United Press International)
http://www.metimes.com/Security/2008/07/18/soviet_uranium_removed_from_bulgaria/9b36/

Would-be Vegas hitman’s story ends in Irish jail
“Essam Ahmed Eid, a 53-year-old Egyptian man living in Vegas and dealing poker at the Bellagio, dreamed of becoming a hit man. […] After [Sharon] Collins [the alleged contractor] was arrested, police searched Eid’s cell and found he had a contact lens case with traces of Ricin inside. That evidence, on top of the e-mail, the phone calls, the testimony from Engle and the money Lying Eyes sent to Vegas, was enough for a jury to find Eid and Collins guilty. Collins was convicted of soliciting and conspiring to murder the Howards. Eid was convicted of extortion, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in Ireland, and assorted theft charges, for the office break-in.” (Las Vegas Sun; 20Jul08; Abigail Goldman) http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jul/20/would-be-vegas-hitmans-story-ends-irish-jail/

Another Former High-Ranking Iraqi Official Confirms WMD Went to Syria
“Ali Ibrahim al-Tikriti says he was southern regional commander for Saddam Hussein’s Fedayeen militia in the late 1980s and a personal friend of the dictator. Units under his command dealt with chemical and biological weapons. He was known as the ‘Butcher of Basra’ due to his campaigns and defected shortly before the Gulf War in 1991. This interview aims to gain some insight into the current situation in Iraq.” (International Analyst Network; 21July08; Ryan Mauro)
http://www.analyst-network.com/article.php?art_id=2276

City [Johnstown, Pennsylvania] hosting physicians’ disaster-Training program
“Eight physicians have begun Training in the four-year program, with an emphasis on disaster response and bioterrorism. [...] If approved by the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, the subspecialty will be incorporated with Memorial’s [hospital] newest residency program.”
(The Tribune-Democrat; 20July08; Randy Griffith) http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_202201422.html

[National] College [Salem, North Carolina] Helps Prepare for Disaster
“National College in Salem partnered with the Near Southwest Preparedness Alliance (NSPA) [...] They sponsored a three-day planning and Training seminar by the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center that prepared medical teams for situations involving weapons of mass destruction, bioterrorism, radiation exposure and even chemical warfare.” (Red Orbit; 19July08; Jones Ryan)
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1485718/college_helps_prepare_for_disaster/

US military to be part of NZ exercise
“A large United States military delegation will take part in an international security exercise in New Zealand in September. […] The exercise, which involves stopping a ship carrying materials that could be used to make weapons of mass destruction, is being organised as part of New Zealand's commitment to the Proliferation Security Initiative. The initiative was set up by the United States five years ago to get countries to cooperate on stopping illicit shipments of weapons and materials that could be used to make chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.”
(Stuff.co.nz; 21July08; The Dominion Post, Hank Schouten) http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4626131a6160.html

International Journalists Discuss Iranian Missile Threat
“Iran’s testing of two separate rounds of long-range ballistic missiles earlier this month has aggravated tensions between Tehran and the United States, Israel, and even the Arab states in the region. […] Iranian journalist Ali Reza Nourizadeh, who directs the Center for Arab and Iranian studies in London, agrees that Tehran has probably exaggerated the range and accuracy of its missiles. Nonetheless, they are still ‘very dangerous’ because the hundreds of kilos of explosives they carry could be ‘turned to chemical and biological warheads.’” (VOA News; 21July08; Judith
Latham)
http://www.voanews.com/english/NewsAnalysis/2008-07-21-voa25.cfm

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- May 23, 2008

CSU [Colorado State University] regional biocontainment lab first to start research [on the West Nile virus]
“The Rocky Mountain Regional Biocontainment Laboratory at Colorado State University has formally received ‘select agent’ research approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making it the first lab of its kind in the country to begin studying these highly regulated bioterrorism agents. The university is among the world's leaders in researching West Nile virus, drug-resistant tuberculosis, yellow fever, dengue, hantavirus, plague, tularemia and other diseases. The new facility provides the university with improved and safer equipment to research ways to protect the United States from bioterrorism and emerging diseases such as avian influenza. Researchers will investigate and develop new treatments and vaccines to protect against these agents.” (High Plains Journal; 23May08) http://www.hpj.com/archives/2008/may08/may26/CSUregionalbiocontainmentla.cfm?title=CSU%20regional%20biocontainment%20lab%20first%20to%20start%20research

Evolva SA [Basel, Switzerland] Subsidiary Signs $22.8 Million Antibacterial Contract with US Army Research Office, Builds Out US Operations
“Genetic Chemistry Inc. (Palo Alto, [California] USA), a subsidiary of Evolva SA (Basel, Switzerland) announced today that it has signed a contract with the US Army Research Office (ARO), working in conjunction with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), to discover novel therapeutics against the gram negative bacterial pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei (a CDC [Center for Disease Control] category B bioterrorism agent that causes the disease melioidosis). Over the contract period funding could amount to $22.8 million.” (Fierce Biotech; 23May08) http://www.fiercebiotech.com/press-releases/evolva-sa-subsidiary-signs-22-8-million-antibacterial-contract-us-army-research-offic

CSWAB [Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger] Leverages Limitations on Open Detonation of Deadly WWII Munitions on Saipan [Mariana Islands]
“EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] Region 9 has agreed to prohibit open detonation of chemical, radiological, and biological munitions that might be found on Saipan, the largest island and capital of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 15 tropical islands in the western Pacific Ocean. The prohibition is the direct result of intervention by concerned community members. The designated detonation area is located on Marpi Point, a public lands property on Saipan that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. CNMI plans to clear nearby tropical rain forest lands and grant them to over 500 indigenous individuals and families for new homesteads.” (Pacific Magazine; 22May08) http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/2008/05/22/cswab-leverages-limitations-on-open-detonation-of-deadly-wwii-munitions-on-saipan

Is Milwaukee [Wisconsin] Prepared For A Bio-Terrorism Attack?
“The federal government is quietly monitoring the air in Milwaukee for evidence of a bio-terrorism attack, but 12 News’ Kent Wainscott uncovered some holes in the government’s secret safety net, including late detection time, delayed response and a lack of funding for response initiatives.”
(WISN; 22May08; Kent Wainscott)
http://www.wisn.com/news/16363828/detail.html?rss=mil&psp=news

E. coli Outbreak in [North Bergen] New Jersey?
“Over the course of two hours on a recent Friday, 20 people arrived, one by one, for emergency care at the Palisades Medical Center here. Each separately complained of various gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea and diarrhea. A coincidence? Or the harbinger of a brewing epidemic, potentially threatening a larger swath of the Garden State? Fortunately, the onslaught of patients was actually part of a disaster drill conducted by the medical facility that also involved the Hudson Regional Health Commission, the public health agency serving parts of Northern New Jersey. The purported scenario was an E. coli outbreak at a local restaurant, and the patients were actually volunteers from a nearby high school pretending to be ill. […] That early warning of developing threats to public health can give public health professionals a valuable head start in recognizing and managing disease spread and epidemic outbreaks, as well as possible bioterrorism, a surge in criminal assaults and even tainted street drugs.” (Yahoo Finance; 22May08)
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080522/neth065.html?.v=49

THV [News] Extra: Past, Present, and Future of Pine Bluff [Arkansas] Arsenal
“Big changes are coming to the Jefferson County communities of White Hall and Pine Bluff; some are even considering it an economic crisis. That's because more than 1,000 jobs are about to be cut at the Pine Bluff Arsenal. […] The deadly chemical weapons are what have grabbed the public's attention about the Pine Bluff Arsenal. Workers are on a mission to store and destroy them. They handle VX rockets and landmines. Just a pin drop of the chemical is deadly within minutes. The Army also stored and destroyed GB rockets there.” (Today’s THV; 21May08; Melissa
Dunbar-Gates)
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=66186&catid=2

Pueblo [Colorado] Chemical Depot builds new plant to neutralize chemical weapons
“East of Pueblo, construction is underway on a new multi-billion dollar processing plant at the Pueblo Chemical Depot. When completed the Department of Defense will use it to destroy 2,600 tons of chemical weapons currently stored in igloos at the depot. The project is expected to bring hundreds of new jobs to Pueblo.” (KOAA; 21May08; David Ortiviz) http://www.koaa.com/aaaa_top_stories/x1331637897

Nerve agent destruction passes 90 percent mark [Newport Chemical Depot, Indiana]
“A billion-dollar project to destroy a deadly nerve agent stored in western Indiana is entering its final stages now that workers have eliminated more than 90 percent of its cache of the Cold War-era chemical weapon. By late August, Army contractors expect to destroy the last of the 1,269 tons of VX nerve agent the Newport Chemical Depot once housed, said Jeff Brubaker, the Army's onsite manager.” (Chicago Tribune; 21May08; Rick Callahan)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-in-nerveagent,0,4373714.story

Taming toxic waste
“Deleting e-mails and recycling newspapers are most people's biggest concerns when it comes to getting rid of waste. But what if you're a world leader and have a stash of forbidden deadly chemicals on hand? Or what if terrorists suddenly swoop down and let loose with toxic nerve agents? Who you gonna call? Well, Queen's University [Ontario, Canada] researchers Stan Brown and Alexei Neverov, specialists in catalytic chemistry, may be just the pair. The two have developed a method for rapidly and safely destroying toxic agents, ranging from chemical weapons to pesticides.”
(CBC News; 22May08; Georgie Binks)
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/05/09/f-science-queenstoxicwaste.html

U.N. [United Nations] nuclear agency helping China minimize threat of 'dirty bomb' at Beijing Olympics
“The U.N. nuclear agency said Friday it is helping China minimize the threat of a terrorist targeting the Beijing Olympics with a radiological ‘dirty bomb,’ although officials stressed they have no intelligence pointing to such an attack. Anita Nilsson, head of nuclear security for the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, said agency experts were assisting the Chinese authorities with simulated exercises designed to test their response.” (USA Today; 23May08; William J. Kole) http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2008-05-23-2920776148_x.htm

National Guard performs hazmat exercise at Coliseum [Bloomington](Illinois)
“U.S. Cellular Coliseum was the site of a practice session Wednesday, but the professionals weren’t using hockey sticks or footballs and wore very different kinds of protective gear. Twenty-two members of the Bartonville-based Illinois National Guard 5th Civil Support Team were being evaluated during a formal training exercise simulating a hazardous event at the Coliseum. Guardsmen were clad in hazardous materials suits, and an array of emergency trucks and trailers filled a lot northwest of the building. In Wednesday’s scenario, a ‘dissident group’ attacked people attending a volleyball match the night before, said Lt. Col. Larry Ritter, from U.S. Army North in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.” (Pantagraph; 22May08; Greg Cima) http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/05/22/news/doc48342ca5094f3713593696.txt

Response force trains for attacks [Mead, Nebraska]
“Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive (CBRNE) attacks on United States soil require aid from specially trained national guard men and women. Special disaster training was administered last week on the National Guard's training ground near Mead. The men and women who respond to CBRNE attacks are validated members of the CBRNE enhanced response force package (CERFP).” (Bellevue Leader; 21May08; DeManda Arkfeld)
http://www.bellevueleader.com/site/tab8.cfm?newsid=19710158&BRD=2712&PAG=461&dept_id=557010&rfi=6

China’s Nonproliferation Practices [Patricia McNerney, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, International Security and Nonproliferation]
“The Government of China has come to recognize that it has a fundamental security interest in preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction. In many ways, it has demonstrated its interest in becoming a responsible nonproliferation partner. It is now a party to many international nonproliferation instruments, including the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC), the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and is also a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the Zangger Committee. China has adopted export controls similar to the Australia Group control lists on chemical and biological related items, and has enacted missile-related export controls. And, the Government of China has approved a series of new laws and regulations designed to establish comprehensive national export control regulations.” (U.S. Department of State; 20May08) http://www.state.gov/t/isn/rls/rm/105084.htm

Al Qaeda now tougher to defeat: U.S. defense chief
“The United States' initial military success against al Qaeda and other Islamist extremists has yielded a diffuse organization of independent elements that are now more difficult to defeat, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Wednesday. […] Gates also said the threat of those groups using chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or cyber weapons is growing.” (Reuters; 21May08; Kristin Roberts)
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSB65044320080522

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- January 18, 2008

NTI [Nuclear Threat Initiative]’s Global Health and Security Program Receives Major Grant from Google Foundation
“The Google Foundation today announced a $2.5 million grant to NTI’s Global Health and Security Initiative (GHSI) to greatly enhance its work to rapidly detect, identify and respond to infectious disease outbreaks in Southeast Asia. This funding will strengthen GHSI’s global public health agenda, which includes efforts already underway in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The Global Health and Security Initiative, which develops and implements the biological programs of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), is working around the world to prevent, detect and respond to biological threats. […] NTI’s Global Health and Security Initiative works through innovative partnerships worldwide to address the threat of natural pandemics, accidental outbreaks from laboratories and use of biological agents as a weapon.” (NTI, 17Jan08) http://www.nti.org/c_press/Google_grant_toGHSI_011708.pdf

Tracking Outbreaks [in Texas]
“Five major laboratories gather and provide electronic laboratory results from health-care providers across Texas, and each submits as many as 7,800 records a year to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The state then submits the data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS). The slow and costly process of manually entering data sent in by labs is now becoming a thing of the past in Texas as the state pioneers a data conversion tool that will automatically convert lab results to the appropriate data format regardless of the format in which it was submitted. […] A key goal of the NEDSS, developed in part with the Texas DSHS, is to facilitate the development of integrated, registry-based public health surveillance systems through the exchange of data based on a single set of criteria. The data travels securely via the Internet to the CDC's Public Health Information Network Messaging System. The system can identify people in a region who are developing common symptoms, such as a flulike illness or even bioterrorism.” (Government Technology, 17Jan08, Chandler Harris)
http://www.govtech.com/gt/216914?topic=117677

Electronic health record network launched statewide [in Maine]
“Beginning today, Martin's Point Health Care and health-care providers statewide will participate in a pilot project to create an electronic health record network that will allow health-care providers to share patient information statewide. Organizers hope it also will lead to improved and more efficient patient care. Proponents say the new network will allow caregivers to more quickly and efficiently access key clinical information needed to provide the best care for patients, and may help reduce medical errors. Over time, the Maine Centers for Disease Control and HealthInfoNet, a statewide nonprofit organization, expect to link these two systems to allow public health officials to more quickly identify and respond to disease outbreaks, potential epidemics and bioterrorism threats.” (The Times Record, 16Jan08, Beth Brogan) http://www.timesrecord.com/website/main.nsf/news.nsf/0/E9D25A51447B54D4052573D2006DC0ED?Opendocument

Delaware Court Denies Motion by SIGA Technologies Seeking to Dismiss PharmAthene's Legal Action in Breach of Contract Lawsuit Against SIGA
“PharmAthene, Inc., a biodefense company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats, announced that the Delaware Chancery Court today issued a ruling denying a motion by SIGA Technologies to dismiss PharmAthene's complaint, which alleges that it has a right to an exclusive license to develop and market SIGA's drug candidate, SIGA-246. SIGA's request to dismiss the claim by PharmAthene was denied in all respects by the Delaware Court. […] SIGA-246 is a small molecule orally-active antiviral drug candidate for the treatment of smallpox.” (PharmaLive.com, 16Jan08, PR Newsire)
http://www.pharmalive.com/News/index.cfm?articleid=506543&categoryid=27

76 percent of Newport [Chemical Depot]'s VX agent neutralized
“About 76 percent of the chemical agent VX stored at Newport Chemical Depot [Indiana] has been chemically neutralized, and VX destruction could be completed as early as this summer, officials say. So far, 1,934,186 pounds of VX have been neutralized, or 229,176 gallons. Neutralization began May 5, 2005. ‘We anticipate completion of neutralization of the Newport stockpile during the summer of 2008,’ said Jeff Brubaker, site project manager for the Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, located north of Terre Haute in Vermillion County.” (Terre Haute tribune-Star, 17Jan08, Sue Loughlin) http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_story_017235148.html?keyword=topstory

Chinese war time victims demand compensation
“Two Chinese victims injured by chemical weapons left over in China by Japanese aggressor troops during World War II on Thursday filed a lawsuit to the Tokyo District Court, demanding compensation from the Japanese government. Four Japanese lawyers, representing two Chinese teenage victims, filed the charges to the court in the morning. The Japanese government has deployed and abandoned chemical weapons in China against international law, resulting in the injury to two Chinese children, the lawsuit said. The Japanese government acknowledged the fact that the two children were injured by left-over chemical weapons by Japan but failed to make proper compensation, the plaintiffs said, demanding compensation totaling 66 million yen (around 617,000 U.S. dollars).” (China Daily, 17Jan08, Xinhua) http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-01/17/content_6402295.htm

[Hillary] Clinton declares Yucca Mountain [Nevada] 'will be off the table forever'
“Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton put a national spotlight on Nevada's signature issue Wednesday, holding a discussion on Yucca Mountain before a full contingent of national media. ‘When I am president, Yucca Mountain will be off the table forever,’ Clinton said. […] Las Vegas-based transportation consultant Fred Dilger called Nevada just ‘the point of the spear.’ The waste would arrive in 10,000 shipments, many of them going through major cities like Chicago and Atlanta, Dilger said. […] Railway accidents could have tragic consequences, or terrorists could target the shipments, Dilger said. ‘We will have solved the terrorists' problem for them if we implement this.’ Clinton agreed, saying terrorists who want to detonate a ‘dirty bomb’ in America no longer would have to find radioactive material and smuggle it into the country, as it would already be here and difficult to protect.” (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 17Jan08, Molly Ball) http://www.lvrj.com/news/13860977.html

Napping Guards Reported at Weapons Plant
“Seven guards have been caught sleeping at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge [Tennessee] since 2000, a federal spokesman said Wednesday. Three were fired and the rest were disciplined, said Steven Wyatt, spokesman for the National Nuclear Security Administration, a Department of Energy unit that oversees the Y-12 complex. The administration reported Monday only two guards had fallen asleep at their posts in four years at the high-security plant, about 20 miles west of Knoxville. […] Y-12, a potential terrorist target containing the key ingredients for a ‘dirty bomb,’ makes uranium parts for every warhead in the U.S. nuclear arsenal. It also dismantles old weapons and is the nation's primary storehouse for bomb-grade uranium.” (Houston Chronicle; 16Jan08; Duncan Mansfield, AP) http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5461127.html

Kyrgyzstan: IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] investigates radioactive seizure
“The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has lodged a formal request with the Kyrgyz government to provide more detailed data on the troubling incident that unfolded in the last days of 2007. But an IAEA official has told RFE/RL [Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] that the Vienna-based nuclear watchdog is still awaiting an official reply from Kyrgyz officials -- a week after they announced that dangerous levels of the radioactive substance cesium-137 had been discovered aboard a freight train bound for Iran. The IAEA official added that Bishkek so far had not asked the agency for any assistance or support on the matter.” (Spero News, 17Jan08, Jeffrey Donovan)
http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?idarticle=13699

'Pac Man' compound could gobble-up nuclear waste
“An atomic scale version of the Pac-Man could help gobble up nuclear waste. The new work could lay the groundwork for ways to remove trace radioactivity from water, reuse dissolved uranium waste during reprocessing, perhaps even help clean up the mess left by a ‘dirty bomb’. A charged oxide is one of uranium's most prevalent forms, and is a tricky radioactive contaminant to deal with because it is readily soluble in water and inert, so it does not react with many other chemicals, and so is difficult to lock up. Now scientists at the University of Edinburgh report in Nature how they have taken this common form of uranium and enclosed it in a specially designed molecular scaffold to make it much more reactive and easier to handle. The newly discovered uranium compound has a shape which resembles a Pac Man, with a uranium atom in its jaws, which consist of organic molecules.” (Telegraph.co.uk, 16Jan08, Roger Highfield) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/01/16/scipacman116.xml

Porton Down guinea-pigs get apology
“An apology and thousands of pounds in compensation are to be offered to hundreds of former Service personnel who acted as guinea-pigs in chemical and biological research tests at Porton Down [U.K.] in the 1950s and 1960s. Lawyers for the Ministry of Defence are in the final stages of negotiations for an out-of-court settlement, which is expected to award £8,300 to each of the 360 Porton Down volunteers who have put in claims – a total bill for the MoD of nearly £3 million. Although the details of the deal were still being worked on yesterday, some Porton Down servicemen said that they were dissatisfied with the compensation being offered.”
(Times Online, 18Jan08, Michael Evans)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3206993.ece

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.

New Legal Complex at Guantanamo to Apply Proven Expeditionary Concepts

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 8, 2007 - A new legal complex under construction here is incorporating concepts proven in forward field environments to provide a cost-effective way to support the military commissions process. About 100 Air National Guardsmen from six states are building the first known expeditionary legal complex.

The $10 million complex will include a courtroom building and a 100-tent city that provides administrative space and living quarters for up to 500 people -- from security forces to legal teams and media -- involved in or reporting on the commissions.

A larger permanent facility was initially planned to support the proceedings, but it was scrapped in favor of the expeditionary concept that would be "quicker, cheaper and better," said Air Force Maj. Chad Warren, operations office for 474th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron, which is building the facility.

Unlike permanent structures, the expeditionary complex can be disassembled and reused elsewhere when it's no longer needed here, Warren said. "I can almost guarantee that these tents have been somewhere else in the world, and when they're finished here, they will end up somewhere else," he said.

Warren's "Red Bulls" -- a blend of Air Guardsmen from Indiana, Vermont, Ohio, Wisconsin, California and New Mexico -- started the project on an unused airfield here Sept. 11. Warren said they didn't realize the symbolism of the groundbreaking date until after the fact. Plans call for construction to be completed by Feb. 1, with the facility ready to accommodate legal proceedings by April.

Warren led reporters yesterday through the nearly completed "Camp Justice" tent city, which closely resembles forward-based Air Force facilities. "This is the same concept," Warren said. "Many of the troops in Iraq are living in these same types of bases."

Rows of "Alaskans," the latest-version Air Force modular tents, are expected to sleep up to eight people each and provide latrines, showers and laundry facilities.

The commissions building, under construction in the shadow of the old air traffic control building where commissions currently are held, will include a courtroom, detainee holding area, judges' chambers and a press box.

Many of the Air Guardsmen volunteered for this mission just a year after returning from a deployment to Iraq. Among them is Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Bellrose, a Vermont Air National Guardsman serving as chief of operations for the project.

Bellrose said there's a lot of gratification in constructing a new facility from the ground up. "Besides," he said, "I think it's the right thing to do."

Warren said there's no shortage of airmen like Bellrose who, despite current operational demands, continue to volunteer for important missions. "It's amazing, when you talk about the National Guard and reserves, how many people will volunteer," he said.

Cheney Urges Vigilance in Confronting Terror

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 1, 2007 - Vice President Richard B. Cheney today emphasized the importance of victory in Iraq and urged continued support for the men and women in uniform. Speaking to about 300 people in Indianapolis at the Indiana War Memorial before the opening of an American Legion conference, the vice president urged vigilance in standing up to terrorists who seek to destroy all that America and the rest of the free world stand for.

"Through acts of stealth and murder and spectacular violence, they intend to frighten us and break our will (and) to hit us again and again until we run away," he told the attendees, many of them veterans and members of the Indiana National Guard.

Cheney pointed to "enormous changes" made since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to better protect the United States and its people against another attack. "But we cannot protect the nation, much less win a war, by simply bracing for another attack," he said.

Cheney cited President Bush's decision "to marshal all the elements of strategic power to confront the extremists, to deny them safe haven, and above all, to deny them the means to wage catastrophic attacks against us."

"We've also made clear that, in the post-9/11 era, regimes that harbor terror and defy the demands of the civilized world should be held to account," he said.

The vice president said he supports U.S. intelligence programs that have produced intelligence that's prevented additional terrorist attacks. He defended CIA interrogation practices against terror suspects. "Our government has taken careful but urgent steps to monitor the communications of enemies at large and to get information from the ones that we have apprehended," he said.

"We've respected civil liberties and upheld the high standards of this great country. And because we've been focused, because we've refused to let down our guard, we've gone more now than six years without another 9/11."

Cheney said the war on terror is more than a contest of arms or a test of will. "It is a battle of ideas," he said, noting that to prevail, the United States must help remove the conditions that inspired violent extremists like those who planned and launched the Sept. 11 attacks.

Cheney praised the troops and urged public support for them and their families as they stand on the front lines in the war on terror guarding against another attack on the United States. He noted the sacrifices they've made, noting the exceptional sacrifice made by Army Staff Sgt. Richard Blakley, an Indiana National Guard soldier killed in Iraq. "He gave his life for his country, and his country will always honor him," Cheney said.

"War is an unpleasant business. It tires the soul of a nation and tests the will of its people," Cheney said.

He urged patience for "a long struggle" that continues in the war on terror. "The day will come when the threat hanging over the civilized world has been lifted," he said, urging attendees to take the message to their communities that persistence will achieve that victory.

"Because all of you are leaders in your communities, your very help is important as we remind fellow citizens of the nature of our broader war on terror, the stakes for our country, and the need for a systematic effort to win decisive victory," he said.

"Above all, you can remind your fellow citizens that the purposes America serves are good purposes," he said. "The United States is decent, honorable and generous, and so are the people who wear its uniform."

Cheney praised U.S. servicemen and women and urged continued support for them. "Right now, members of America's armed forces are serving in countries around the globe –- from the broader Middle East, to Europe, to Southeast Asia, to Latin America, to Africa," he said. "Every day they confront the violent, protect the weak, heal the sick, and bring hope to the oppressed.

"We live in a dangerous world, but it's a world made far better by the active, committed presence of the United States," he concluded. "Our cause is freedom. That cause is right. And by the valor of those who serve it, that cause will prevail."