CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- February 15, 2008

Wastewater Could Help Fight U.S. Drought—and Anthrax
“[…] The first time anyone proved you could wipe out microorganisms using photocatalysis—activating a chemical agent with light—was in 1985. The chemical was titanium dioxide (TiO2) and the light was ultraviolet. But this combination has shortcomings: Interspersed in water, the TiO2 powder is hard to recapture, and ultraviolet light is expensive. Now, by adding nitrogen and a co-doping agent to TiO2, the waterCAMPWS researchers have created TiON, which reacts to light across the spectrum, including sunlight and white lamplight. And they've figured out better ways to apply it, either by imbedding it in filter fibers, turning it into a foam or integrating it into solid surfaces using chemical vapor deposition (the same process semiconductor companies use to make thin films). When light hits TiON, its electrons activate, meaning they jump to a higher orbit. Exposed to water, these energetic electrons oxidize—and neutralize—pathogens quickly and thoroughly. ‘We are going to have an alternative that will be effective in controlling pathogens without adding chemicals to the water,’ says University of Illinois environmental engineering professor Benito Mariñas, co-leader of the WaterCAMPWS Disinfection Team. TiON could treat naturally occurring microorganisms as well as bioterrorism agents, such as anthrax. Mariñas and his colleagues envision applications in both large municipal water treatment facilities and at the point of use in home filters.” (Popular Mechanics, 14Feb08, Logan Ward) http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4249330.html

Proposed Bush budget cuts would hit hospitals
“As they often do this time of year, things are looking bad for hospitals. The federal government is proposing cuts to the Medicare and Medicaid programs, a huge source of hospital revenue. So hospital organizations are engaging in their annual lobbying ritual - spewing out numbers, warning of cutbacks, and collaring legislators. It all feels familiar, but hospital leaders say things are worse than usual this year. […] [Delaware Valley Healthcare Council] estimates that hospitals in Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania suburbs would lose $230 million in the next year. Of that, he said $170 million would be hard cuts. He said the reductions would affect the ability of hospitals here to improve quality and invest in new equipment, training and bio terrorism preparedness.” (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 13Feb08) http://www.philly.com/inquirer/breaking/business_breaking/20080213_Proposed_Bush_budget_cuts_would_hit_hospitals.html

Scientist gets light sentence for mailing bacteria
“Nearly four years after it started, a legal drama for a genetics researcher at the University of Pittsburg that at one time involved allegations of bio terrorism has finally ended -- with the minimum fine and unsupervised probation. Dr. Robert E. Ferrell, of Edgewood, was ordered yesterday by a federal judge in New York to pay $500 and serve 12 months of unsupervised probation for helping an art professor friend obtain biological materials for an exhibit.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 12Feb08, Paula Reed Ward) http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08043/856735-115.stm

Scientists not prepared for biosecurity threat
“Scientists around the world do not know enough about the threat posed by bio terrorism to be fully prepared for it, a bio security expert says. Professor Malcolm Dando told the audience at a public lecture in Canberra last night that scientists are unprepared for the bio technology revolution. ‘We’ve got a revolution going on at the moment with life sciences and the question is ‘can we stop that being used for hostile purposes,’ he said. […] Professor Dando said more needed to be done to educate scientists about the risks.” (IBD News, 13Feb08) http://ibnnews.org/localnews/scientists_not_prepared_for_biosecurity_threat_13208_87087805_0000.html

Southwest Research Institute lands $15.6M contract
“Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has been awarded a one-year contract by Parsons Infrastructure & Technology Inc. to perform laboratory operations for the destruction of the U.S. Army chemical stockpile stored at the Newport Chemical Depot in Newport, Ind[iana]. The contract is valued at approximately $15.6 million.” (BizJournals.com, 13Feb08, San Antonio Business Journal) http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2008/02/11/daily21.html

Chlorine poses potentially deadly threat, critical weakness exposed by NYPD [New York City Police Department]
“Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee, reacted today to news that New York Police Department investigators were able to easily and anonymously purchase toxic chlorine via the Internet. Rep. Markey has repeatedly expressed concern over potential use of chemicals like chlorine by terrorists and authored a provision, which is part of the 9/11 Commission Recommendation law signed by the president last August (PL 110-53), to require mandatory re-routing of security-sensitive materials such as chlorine to the safest and most secure rail route. In addition he has been a chief proponent of requiring chemical facilities to shift to safer chemicals or processes when feasible.” (Congressman Ed Markey, 13Feb08)
http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=3270&Itemid=125

IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] Helps Recover Stray Radioactive Sources in Nigeria
“At the request of the Nigerian government, the IAEA deployed a team of nuclear safety experts to secure and transport several potentially hazardous radioactive sources in the country. Staff from the Agency´s Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology department (NEFW) traveled to several different locations within Nigeria to safely recover the radiological sources and ship them in transport containers for return to Canada or processing at a Nigerian waste facility. With widespread application in a variety of medical, industrial, and research applications, keeping people safe from any potential risk from neglected neutron sources is a high priority.” (IAEA, 14Feb08) http://www.iaea.or.at/NewsCenter/News/2008/sources_nigeria.html

[U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza] Rice defends her integrity over Iraq
“US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice vehemently defended her integrity when asked about an independent report that found she made 56 false statements on the threat posed by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. At a congressional hearing, Representative Robert Wexler, a Florida Democrat, questioned Rice about a report from the non-partisan Centre for Public Integrity. The report accuses Bush administration officials of making 935 false statements about Iraq, which the United States invaded in March 2003. […] Rice, who was national security adviser at the time of the invasion, squarely blamed the US intelligence community for its erroneous conclusions that Iraq had biological and chemical weapons and was seeking to rebuild a nuclear weapons program.” (The Sydney Morning Herald, 14Feb08, Reuters) http://news.smh.com.au/rice-defends-her-integrity-over-iraq/20080214-1s72.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.

Last-Minute Evidence, Legal Debate Delay Case on Canadian Detainee

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 8, 2007 - The case against a Canadian detainee accused of killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan and supporting al Qaeda took another strange twist today when the judge delayed the proceedings to give the defense team time to review last-minute evidence likely to favor the defendant. Army Col. Peter Brownback arraigned Omar Ahmed Khadr here today on charges of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, supporting terrorism and spying. Khadr, who sat in the courtroom in a white detainee uniform with his hair tucked up under a black skull cap, waived the right to raise motions or enter a plea to the allegations.

Brownback had been expected to rule today on Khadr's status -- specifically, to determine if he is considered an "unlawful enemy combatant." As Marine Corps Maj. Jeffrey Groharing, the lead prosecutor, pushed Brownback to make that ruling, the defense team urged a delay until after legal challenges to the military commission's legitimacy are resolved.

Brownback said that unless the defense makes a motion to dismiss the case, proceedings against Khadr will continue. But instead of moving forward today, he gave the defense team more time to review the new evidence. He set Dec. 7 and Jan. 11 deadlines for filing new motions and recessed the proceeding just over two hours after beginning today's session.

The judge and lawyers are expected to meet tomorrow to set a trial date, but Navy Lt. Cmdr. William Kuebler, the lead defense attorney, said it's still far too soon to set that timetable. "We're not at a point today that we can seriously talk about a trial date," he said.

The big issue today -- one that wasn't shared with reporters until the defense team talked with them after today's session -- is that the defense received potentially exculpatory evidence just two days ago. Exculpatory evidence is considered favorable to the defendant in a criminal trial.

Kuebler told reporters a U.S. government employee was an eyewitness to events that could prove Khadr isn't an unlawful enemy combatant. Kuebler declined to share more specifics, saying he hadn't had the opportunity to talk with the eyewitness himself or even to see the evidence firsthand.

Another complicating factor is that the eyewitness is not here in Guantanamo Bay and that the evidence involved is still under review to determine if it's classified.

Kuebler expressed dismay today that the prosecution had provided the information only after arriving here at Guantanamo Bay late Nov. 6. However, he said he has no reason to believe the prosecution team had previous knowledge of the eyewitness or had intentionally waited until the 11th hour to share that information.

His bigger objection was the fact that the judge and the prosecution wanted to move forward with Khadr's case without giving the defense team time to review the new evidence.

Kuebler said it demonstrates the political pressure the Defense Department is under to move on with the commission process. "It's a sign of the desperation," he said.

Kuebler opened today's proceedings by challenging Brownback's suitability to oversee the case, claiming the judge is "too personally invested" in the commission process and his personal reputation is too pinned to its outcome. Brownback dismissed Kuebler's challenges and continued with the proceedings.

The issue of Khadr's status has been in question since a combatant status review tribunal concluded in September 2004 that he was an "enemy combatant" without designating him an "unlawful enemy combatant."

Brownback noted the discrepancy in June during what was expected to be a routine arraignment and threw out all charges against Khadr on the basis that the commission had no authority to try him. Brownback argued that the Military Commissions Act makes strict distinctions between enemy combatants who fight for legitimate armed forces, and unlawful enemy combatants, who don't.

Today Brownback said the U.S. Court of Military Commission Review's September 2007 decision that reversed his June ruling and reinstated charges against Khadr means the case can move forward.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit made a similar finding, rejected Khadr's appeal.

Kuebler said today he agrees with Brownback's initial finding and disagrees with the appellate court's decision to overturn it.

Kuebler said he wouldn't be doing his job if he didn't fight to ensure his client gets a fair trial. "We're not saying set Omar free," he said. "But we're saying, 'Give him a fair trial.'"

Khadr is accused of lobbing a grenade during a firefight near Khost, Afghanistan, in July 2002 that killed Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Speer and cost former Army Sgt. Lane Morris an eye. Khadr, now 21, was 15 at the time.

He was captured during the firefight at an al Qaeda compound and has been detained at Guantanamo Bay since late 2003. Khadr was born in Toronto, the youngest in a family that has been called "Canada's family of terror" and allegedly had close personal ties to al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.

His father, Ahmad Khadr, moved the family in 1990 to Pakistan, where he rose to become a senior al Qaeda lieutenant, according to background information included in the charges filed against Omar Khadr. The senior Khadr was imprisoned in Pakistan for providing funds to support the bombing of the Egyptian Embassy in Pakistan and moved the family to Afghanistan in 1996 after his release, documents show.

The Khadr family allegedly traveled extensively through Afghanistan and Pakistan through 2001. Documents reveal that their travels gave Omar Khadr the opportunity to meet bin Laden and other key al Qaeda leaders at bin Laden's compound, as well as al Qaeda training camps and guest houses.

The senior Khadr died during a 2003 shootout with Pakistani forces, an incident that put another son operating with him for al Qaeda in a wheelchair. But before his death, he put his son Omar on the path to follow in his footsteps.

Charges against Omar Khadr allege he began his own al Qaeda training in the summer of 2002, getting private instruction in the use of rocket-propelled grenades, rifles, pistols, grenades and explosives. He joined a team of other al Qaeda operatives to apply his new knowledge converting landmines into remotely detonated improvised explosive devices and planting them where U.S. forces were known to travel.

Groharing told the court today the prosecution plans to include in its evidence against Khadr a videotape showing him making and planting mines.