Iraqi National Pleads Guilty to 12-Count Terrorism Indictment in Kentucky

Defendant Attempted to Ship Weapons and Money from the United States to Iraqi Insurgents

LOUISVILLE, KY—Iraqi citizen Mohanad Shareef Hammadi pleaded guilty to federal terrorism charges today in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky before Senior Judge Thomas B. Russell, announced Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; David J. Hale, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky; and Perrye K. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Louisville Division.

Hammadi, 24, a former resident of Iraq, pleaded guilty to all counts of a 12-count superseding indictment. The superseding indictment charged him with five counts of attempting to provide material support to terrorists and four counts of attempting to provide material support to al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), a designated foreign terrorist organization. The superseding indictment also charged him with one count of conspiracy to transfer, possess, and export Stinger missiles and with two counts of making false statements in immigration matters. Hammadi was first indicted on May 26, 2011 and was subsequently charged in a superseding indictment returned on Feb. 15, 2012 by a federal grand jury meeting in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Hammadi faces a maximum sentence of life in prison under the sentencing guidelines and a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison. Hammadi’s sentencing is scheduled for December 5, 2012, in U.S. District Court in Bowling Green before Senior Judge Russell at 11:30 a.m.

Hammadi’s co-defendant, Waad Ramadan Alwan, pleaded guilty to all counts of the 23-count indictment on December 16, 2011, before Senior Judge Russell in Bowling Green. Alwan was charged with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals abroad; conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives) against U.S. nationals abroad; distributing information on the manufacture and use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs); attempting to provide material support to terrorists and to AQI; as well as conspiracy to transfer, possess, and export Stinger missiles.

Hammadi and Alwan were both arrested on May 25, 2011, in Bowling Green on criminal complaints. Both defendants were closely monitored by federal law enforcement authorities in the months leading up to their arrests. Neither was charged with plotting attacks within the United States.

“Today’s guilty plea is another testament to the effectiveness of the intelligence and law enforcement communities in bringing terrorists to justice and preventing them from harming the American people,” said Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “I applaud all those responsible for this successful outcome.”

“In open court today, Mohanad Hammadi admitted to engaging in terrorist activities here in the United States. He admitted that he tried to send numerous weapons from Kentucky to Iraq to be used against American soldiers,” said U.S. Attorney Hale. “Bringing Hammadi to justice is the result of a comprehensive law enforcement effort. The FBI agents of the Louisville Division, along with the federal and local law enforcement members of the Joint Terrorism Task Forces here in Kentucky, including the Bowling Green Police Department, and our many other partners, are to be commended. Their collaborative law enforcement effort successfully thwarted the ongoing intentions of an experienced terrorist. The guilty plea today sends a strong message to anyone who would attempt similar crimes that they will face the same determined law enforcement and prosecution efforts.”

“Protecting the United States from terrorist attacks remains the FBI’s top priority,” said Perrye K. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Kentucky. “Using our growing suite of investigative and intelligence capabilities, FBI agents and analysts assigned to our Bowling Green office were able to neutralize a potential threat. Our local Joint Terrorism Task Force, comprised of FBI agents and other local, state, and federal agencies from across the commonwealth, remains committed to dismantling extremist networks and cutting off financing and other forms of support provided by terrorist sympathizers, whether they are operating in Kentucky or worldwide.”

According to the charging documents, Hammadi entered the United States in July 2009 and, after first residing in Las Vegas, moved to Bowling Green. Alwan entered the United States in April 2009 and has lived in Bowling Green since his arrival.

According to court documents in this case, the Bowling Green office of the FBI’s Louisville Division initiated an investigation of Waad Ramadan Alwan, which, beginning in 2010, utilized a confidential human source (CHS). The CHS met with Alwan and recorded their meetings and conversations beginning in August 2010. The CHS represented to Alwan that he was working with a group to ship money and weapons to Mujahadeen in Iraq. Mujahadeen generally refers to Muslim fighters or warriors engaged in jihad. From September 2010 to January 2011, Alwan participated in deliveries of weapons and money that he believed were destined for terrorists in Iraq.

In January 2011, Alwan recruited Hammadi, a fellow Iraqi national living in Bowling Green, to assist in these material support operations. Beginning in January 2011, and continuing until his arrest in late May 2011, Hammadi participated with Alwan in money and weapons deliveries that he believed were destined for terrorists in Iraq, including AQI. Hammadi also detailed to the CHS his prior activities as an insurgent in Iraq, including his prior participation in IED attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq. After his arrest on May 25, 2011, Hammadi admitted to his participation in the purported material support operations involving weapons and money that occurred between January and May, 2011. Hammadi also admitted his involvement in insurgent activities while living in Iraq, including his membership in an insurgent group and his participation in various attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq.

None of the weapons, including Stinger missiles, nor any of the money delivered by Alwan or Hammadi in connection with the CHS in the United States were provided to AQI, but instead were carefully controlled by law enforcement as part of the undercover operation.

This case is being investigated by the Louisville Division of the FBI. Assisting in the investigation were members of the Louisville and Lexington Joint Terrorism Task Forces, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Bowling Green Police Department.

The prosecution is being handled by Trial Attorney Larry Schneider from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Bennett and Bryan Calhoun from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- October 3, 2008

Crucell [a company] receives NIAID[National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases] /NIH [National Institutes of Health] contract for development of Ebola and Marburg vaccines
"Dutch biopharma company Crucell N.V. […] today announced that it received a National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)/National Institutes of Health (NIH) contract aimed at advancing the development of a multivalent filovirus vaccine that includes both Ebola and Marburg viruses. The contract provides funding of up to $30 million, with additional options that may be triggered at the discretion of the NIH worth a further $40 million. […] Crucell will be the primary contractor with additional services being supplied by the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, located in San Antonio, Texas and Quintiles Guys Drug Research Unit, located in London." (Red Orbit; 03Oct08) http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1576640/crucell_receives_niaidnih_contract_for_development_of_ebola_and_marburg/

If bioterrorists strike, letter carriers might deliver antibiotics
"[…] Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt yesterday proposed a solution to one of the bigger challenges in responding to an anthrax bioterrorism attack -- how to deliver protective antibiotics to tens of thousands of people overnight. The tentative answer: have the mailman (and -woman) do the job. As an incentive to the letter carriers -- who would be volunteers -- the government would issue them in advance an antibiotic supply large enough to treat themselves and their families. They would also be accompanied by police officers on their rounds[…] The strategy has the full support of the Postal Service and its unions, spokesmen said."
(WashingtonPost.com; 02Oct08; David Brown) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/01/AR2008100102929_pf.html

Rethinking who should be considered 'essential' during a pandemic flu outbreak
"Not only are doctors, nurses, and firefighter essential during a severe pandemic influenza outbreak. So, too, are truck drivers, communications personnel, and utility workers. That's the conclusion of a Johns Hopkins University article to be published in the journal of Biosecurity and Bioterrorism. The report, led by Nancy Kass, Sc.D, Deputy Director of Public Health for the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, provides ethical guidance for pandemic planning that ensures a skeletal infrastructure remain intact at all times. Dr. Kass says, ‘when preparing for a severe pandemic flu it is crucial for leaders to recognize that if the public has limited or no access to food, water, sewage systems, fuel and communications, the secondary consequences may cause greater sickness, death and social breakdown than the virus itself.’" (Phys Org; 02Oct08;
Source: Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics) http://www.physorg.com/news142173611.html

U.S. Government to purchase additional 14.5 million doses of BioThrax under new contract valued at up to $404 Million
"Emergent BioSolutions Inc. […] announced today that it has signed a new, multi-year, firm fixed price contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to supply an additional 14.5 million doses of BioThrax […], its FDA licensed anthrax vaccine, for inclusion in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). The total value of this follow-on contract is between $364 million and $404 million, with the higher amount tied to the delivery of product having four-year expiry dating." (Pharma Live; 01Oct08) http://www.pharmalive.com/News/index.cfm?articleid=574152&categoryid=10

Indian co. Panacea enters into alliance with US-based Pharmathene
"Indian vaccine manufacturer Panacea Biotec on Wednesday said it has entered into a strategic alliance with US-based PharmAthene and will invest US$13.1 million dollars in it. The transaction is expected to close by October 20, 2008, it added. […] PharmAthene is a biodefense company engaged in developing medical products against biological and chemical weapons. Panacea Biotec is the second largest vaccine manufacturer in India."(TradingMarkets; 02Oct08) http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1915610/

3 due in court charged with publisher attack plot
"Three men charged with plotting to attack the publisher of a novel about the wife of the Prophet Muhammad are due in court in London. Ali Beheshti, Abrar Mirza and Abbas Taj were charged late Thursday with plotting to damage the offices of Gordon Square publishers. Beheshti was also charged with possession of a weapon designed or adapted for the discharge of a noxious liquid or gas. The three men were arrested early Sept. 27 under anti-Terrorism laws, but were not charged with any terrorist offenses."
(Associated Press; 03Oct08)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hmhSP2lwNIHmUPBS9smXCM45cdJgD93IVI200

Study: weapons waste can be safely moved [Kentucky]
"Waste left over from chemical weapons disposal at the Blue Grass Army Depot is safe to ship off-site, according to a study released Monday from the National Research Council (NRC) committee. The experience to date with the off-site shipment and treatment of mustard and nerve agent hydrolysates from (other chemical weapons disposal sites) indicates that off-site transportation and disposal of these materials is a safe and technically viable course of action, the report states." (The Richmond Register; 01Oct08; Ronica Shannon) http://www.richmondregister.com/localnews/local_story_276075441.html

Russia: Chemical weapons disposal site to be launched in March 2009
"A regional commission for scrapping chemical weapons in Kirov Region has examined the readiness of the Maradykovskiy chemical weapons disposal site to launch its second phase in March 2009, the press centre of the regional government said on 30 September. The second stage facilities are equipped to scrap ammunition filled with the toxic substances sarin and soman. The remaining ammunition filled with VX gas is being scrapped at Maradykovskiy, the press centre said. At the same time, equipment is being assembled at all facilities that will be used to scrap sarin and soman. Testing and commissioning work will begin on 1 December 2008 and will be completed by March 2009." (RedOrbit; 01Oct08; Source: Interfax) http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1574176/russia_chemical_weapons_disposal_site_to_be_launched_in_march/#

$12 million approved for US 25 road work [Kentucky]
"Congress has approved $12 million for the widening of [highway] US 25 from the EKU (Eastern Kentucky University) Bypass to the KY 421 split, also known as the ‘Defense Access Road,’ by those associated with the chemical weapons destruction project at the Blue Grass Army Depot. […] The completed project for US 25 is estimated to cost about $28.5 million." (Richmond Register; 02Oct08; Ronica Shannon) http://www.richmondregister.com/localnews/local_story_276075334.html

Mobile, networked radiation detectors help the law find dirty bombs
"What do you get when you cross California nuclear chemists with New Jersey policemen? A mobile, and wirelessly networked, radiation detector jammed into the trunk of a Chevy Suburban called the RadTruck. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists and their business partners, Textron Defense Systems, demoed the $250,000 trucks yesterday to reporters and revealed they'd been patrolling the streets and sensitive infrastructure of Jersey for the past year. RadTrucks are able to identify radioactive sources as small as a grain of sand within a dozen feet of its side-mounted detectors while traveling at 45 miles per hour, which makes it particularly useful for monitoring highways." (Wired; 02Oct08; Alexis Madrigal)
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/10/livermore-calif.html

Optical material could enable universal laser
"A new optical fiber material could enable laser-based devices to be built operating at multiple frequencies. The new material--cesium zirconium phosphorus selenium (CsZrPSe6)--can add, subtract and double laser beam wavelengths, enabling devices with two laser sources to produce many usable wavelengths. […] Argonne researchers claim the new technology could be used in sensors that detect biological and chemical weapons." (EE Times; 02Oct08; R. Colin Johnson)
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210605464

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- August 27, 2008

Managers brace for ’09 budget delays
“Most experts expect the government will run on continuing resolutions for the early part of the coming fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1. So managers are already bracing for the impact of no increase in budgets. At the Homeland Security Department, it likely means delays in moving to a new headquarters; at the Health and Human Services Department, interruptions in plans to beef up pandemic flu preparedness […] At Health and Human Services, a continuing resolution would interrupt delivery of more than $600 million for pandemic flu preparedness and another $1 billion in bioterrorism preparedness. […] Depending on how long it lasts, a continuing resolution could also mean delays for construction of the consolidated DHS headquarters at the St. Elizabeths Hospital campus in Southeast Washington. The General Services Administration is scheduled to start building the Coast Guard headquarters — the first phase of the project — in 2009.” (Federal Times; 26Aug08; Gregg Carlstrom)
http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3692118

Suspicious package found on Genesee St. [Utica, New York]
“A suspicious package discovered Monday near the entrance of Adirondack Bank on North Genesee Street in the city turned out to only contain corroded batteries, Utica fire officials said. […] was considered suspicious because it had been sitting near the entrance since Monday morning and nobody knew why it was there, Dunn said. Fire Chief Russell Brooks said the police and fire department followed their protocol by both responding to the scene. ‘We’ve done that ever since the anthrax scares,’ Brooks said.” (Observe Dispatch; 26Aug08) http://www.uticaod.com/archive/x633545838/Suspicious-package-found-on-Genesee-St

Afghan Officials Detain American Boy, U.S. Says
“U.S. authorities said yesterday that Afghan officials have detained since mid-July an 11-year-old U.S. citizen, the son of a Pakistani woman accused of firing at Afghan and U.S. personnel there. […] In a letter to the family of Aafia Siddiqui, a suspected al-Qaeda operative who is in U.S. custody, federal prosecutors said photos and DNA tests strongly suggest that the youngster in Afghan custody is Siddiqui's son, Ahmed. The boy was detained July 18 when Afghan police arrested Siddiqui in what they described as a shootout near a government compound in Ghazni. […] The FBI had spent years seeking information on Siddiqui, a U.S.-educated neuroscientist who officials feared was an al-Qaeda operative with knowledge of biological weapons.” (Washington Post; 26Aug08; Carol D. Leonnig & Candace Rondeaux)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/08/26/ST2008082600195.html

Health bill factors in bio-terror
“Titled Public Health (Prevention, Control and Management of Epidemics, Bioterrorism and Disasters) Bill, the act, after cabinet approval, will finally get to replace the 100-year old Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, providing for better epidemic and disaster management - a critical requirement of the times. Naturally, it will for the first time address grave public health issues, including Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), which India, like other nations, should have recognised much earlier. […] The Act, in its present form, lists 32 epidemic prone diseases and 34 potential bioterrorism agents like the smallpox virus that can be spread from person to person and, anthrax, among others. The importance of the new legislation lies in its enhanced punishment for allowing diseases to spread.” (Tribune News Service; 25Aug08; Aditi Tandon) http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080826/main7.htm

New Oral Vaccine May Protect Against Bubonic Plague
“Researchers from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France used a less virulent ancestor to the highly infectious bubonic plague to develop a potentially safe, efficient and inexpensive live oral vaccine. […] They report their findings in the August 2008 issue of the journal Infection and Immunity. […] ‘We report that oral inoculation with a Y.
pseudotuberculosis strain, selected for its very low virulence, induces an efficient immunity against bubonic plague without causing adverse reactions,’ say the researchers. ‘This demonstrates that a live attenuated Y. pseudotuberculosis can be a promising vaccine against bubonic plague.’” (Infection Control Today; 26Aug08)
http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/hotnews/oral-vaccine-against-bubonic-plague.html

Lawmakers proud of decision about BGCA’s response [Madison County, Kentucky]
“A recent policy change at the Blue Grass Chemical Activity (BGCA), located at the Blue Grass Army Depot, has received accolades from U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, D-Sixth District, and Sens. Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning, R-Ky. In July, former BGCA Commander Lt. Col. Thomas Closs, submitted a proposal which would have rescinded a policy mandating that all local emergency responders be informed of nerve agent leaks within five minutes. However, outcry from community leaders and elected officials helped retain this current safety policy. ‘The senators and I look forward to the final, safe disposal of these chemical weapons, but we must not forget about the immediate safety of the citizens in Madison County and the surrounding area,’ Chandler said.” (Richmond Register; 27Aug08; Ronica
Shannon)
http://www.richmondregister.com/localnews/local_story_240080641.html

China urges Japan to remove chemical weapons abandoned during WWII
“‘We expect Japan to do its utmost to quicken the process of removing abandoned chemical weapons and wipe out the related threats at an early date,’ Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular press briefing. Qin's comments came after a court in Tokyo on Monday heard the case concerning two school boys from northeastern China's Jilin Province, who were in 2004 injured by chemical weapons left by Japanese troops […]” (Xinhua; 28Aug08; Editor Yao)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/26/content_9716566.htm

Smiths Detection Security Technologies Selected by U.S. Postal Inspection Service for Mobile Screening
“Smiths Detection, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, today announced that a number of its security technologies have been included in the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Mobile Mail Screening Station (MMSS). The Postal Inspection Service will debut the MMSS at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. […] The GID-3 (24/7), an ambient air monitoring system […] will […] continuously examine the air inside the MMSS for toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) and Chemical Warfare Agents CWA’s. […] The HazMatID portable system used to identify unknown powders, liquids, pastes and gels found in and around the MMSS. […]”
(Business Wire; 27Aug08; David Olsen)
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080827005181&newsLang=en

Accused Terrorist Sues Norway
“The bizarre saga began when Najmuddin Faraj Ahmad, better known as Mullah Krekar, fled an onslaught by former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's forces in 1991. Krekar, who had been a member of a Kurdish Islamist militant group battling both the Iraqi regime and the largest Kurdish resistance organisation Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), arrived in Norway, where he was granted refugee status. So far so good, but Krekar did not rest on his laurels, according to the U.S., and officials in Kurdish Iraq. Instead, they say, he returned to Iraq on several occasions during the 1990s to help support Islamic militant organisations. […] It has also been accused of masterminding several attacks against Kurdish officials in 2001 and 2003, including suicide bombings, although U.S. allegations that Krekar personally ordered suicide bombings and controlled a chemical weapons factory have never been proven. […] [A Washington Post] article claims the U.S. sent undercover CIA agents to Oslo to abduct Krekar in 2003 -- with quiet acquiescence by the Norwegian government […]” Inter Press Service; 27Aug08; Tarjei Kidd Olsen)
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=43686

Sri Lanka advances on rebel base
“After 25 years of fighting and 70,000 casualties, Sri Lanka's military has won a hard-fought upper hand against separatist Tamil Tigers – and now vows to break their northern stronghold by year's end. […] In January, the government abandoned a Norway-brokered cease-fire and said it would defeat the Tigers by the end of the year. It has since poured $1.5 billion into an all-out offensive that has killed about 6,000 rebels and shrunk their territory in the island's northern Wanni region by nearly 75 percent, according to the Ministry of Defense. […] The military says some advance units are now within artillery range of Kilinochchi, where Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran is thought to be hiding […] One Colombo-based analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity, points out that Prabhakaran is a master tactician who still commands hundreds of ultra-loyal fighters protecting him and possibly even chemical weapons.” (Christian Science Monitor; 28Aug08; Jason Motlagh) http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0828/p07s01-wosc.html

China chemical plant blast death toll rises to five
“A total of five people died, 55 others were injured and 14 were missing after a chemical plant exploded in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region early on Tuesday, rescuers said. […] The plant is in a development zone of Yizhou City, a four-hour car drive from the regional capital of Nanning. The fire, yet to be extinguished, was under control, said Ma Dewen, chief of the region's firefighters general squad. He said about 11,500 people, living within 3 km of the plant, owned by Guangxi Guangwei Chemical Co., were evacuated after the explosion. […] More than 100 anti-chemical warfare professionals were dispatched to the explosion site to scrutinize if there were any explosive chemicals left.” (China Daily; 26Aug08; Source: Xinhua) http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-08/26/content_6972661.htm

Vaxin developing game-changing flu vaccine
“A small Birmingham, Alabama company, Vaxin, is testing a revolutionary new flu vaccine that could lessen or end flu vaccine shortages, getting the wrong mix of strains, and fears of deadly pandemic flu. […] The way the vaccine is made could help prevent flu shortages or getting the wrong strains, which happened last year. Vaxin’s flu vaccine is made from cell cultures rather than produced in chicken eggs. […] The use of cell culture manufacturing eliminates the possibility of contamination with the avian flu virus, a risk inherent in egg-based production. The Vaxin process provides higher yields, greater quantities in a faster timeframe, and more reliable manufacturing than the egg-based process.” (Tech Journal South; 26Aug08; Allan Maurer)
http://www.techjournalsouth.com/news/article.html?item_id=5994

Group launches dirty-bomb awareness effort
“The threat posed by a possible dirty-bomb attack in a U.S. city has prompted the creation of a new coalition aimed at raising public awareness. A nationwide group of emergency first responders and Homeland Security experts, along with business and health leaders, announced the launch of the Radiological Threat Awareness Coalition. Officials say the non-profit R-TAC's primary focus will be to increase the American public's understanding of the dangers posed by the threat of a radiological attack in the United States, R-TAC said in a release.” (Middle East Times; 26Aug08)
http://www.metimes.com/Security/2008/08/26/group_launches_dirty-bomb_awareness_effort/3303/

Indictment filed in Lake in the Hills [Illinois] puffer fish toxin case
“A Lake in the Hills man arrested after obtaining large quantities of a rare and lethal puffer fish toxin intended to use the deadly substance as a weapon, according to a federal indictment filed Tuesday. Edward F. Bachner IV, 35, could face life in prison if found guilty of five counts of unlawful possession of tetrodotoxin alleging he obtained the poison five times between November 2006 and June 30 for use as a weapon. The indictment, filed shortly before Bachner appeared in court Tuesday, does not state how or upon whom he intended to use the substance.” (Daily Herald; 26Aug08; Charles Keeshan)
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=230346

Powder scare empties Ffld. [Fairfield, Connecticut] Theater
“Suspicious white powder in a letter mailed to the Fairfield Theatre Co. prompted the evacuation of the group's downtown building this afternoon. The substance turned out to be harmless. police Capt. Robert Comers said the department received a call from Miles Merrick, manager of the theater company on Sanford Street, about 1:30 p.m. […] The Haz-Mat team and DEP personnel donned protective suits before entering the building and testing the powder to determine if it was laced with anthrax or another dangerous substance.” (CNN Post; 26Aug08; Genevieve Reilly) http://www.connpost.com/breakingnews/ci_10308080

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- August 25, 2008

Biodefense campus [Ft. Detrick] tenants prepare security plans
“Officials at the new biodefense labs under construction at Fort Detrick are working on their own security plans as the Army reviews its security procedures following revelations that the 2001 anthrax mailings may have been an inside job. […] Video surveillance and two-man rules, barring researchers from working in the labs alone, are among the security measures officials for both the Department of Homeland Security and NIAID said are either planned or are being considered for their labs. […] The Department of Homeland Security's National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center is scheduled to open next year […]” (Frederick News-Post; 25Aug08; Justin M. Palk)
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=598&sid=1465881

FBI's Anthrax Analysis
“FBI Officials and scientific experts revealed more information about the scientific experiments used to study anthrax spores disseminated in 2001 mailings at a briefing held on Aug 18. The briefing aimed to ease speculation about the bureau's conclusions. […] Hassell says the experimental data need to be validated through a peer review process. He tells C&EN that the FBI has a publication plan, and the process is already under way. Speaking of the science, he adds, ‘We are hoping to get as much as we can into peer-reviewed journals.’” (Chemical & Engineering News; 25Aug08; Rochelle Bohaty) http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/86/i34/8634notw1.html

Jail inmate [Marc Harold Ramsey] charged in McCain office threat
“Tests showed the white powder wasn't anthrax or any other lethal substance, but authorities had not determined what it was. Prosecutors said Marc Harold Ramsey, 39, sent a letter to McCain's office in the south Denver suburb of Centennial reading, ‘If you are reading this, then you are already dead!’ The letter was signed Akeem Ramsey El, but the return address on the envelope had Ramsey's name and ‘Arapahoe County Detention Facility.’ […] The Secret Service — which provides protection to the candidates — said a separate scare triggered by a letter sent to a McCain campaign office in Manchester, N.H., was a false alarm.” (AP; 23Aug08) (Last article on page)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iNxTApa2sQRu0Xx99P3jt2bEXw7gD92NS8QG1

Fairway [Medical Technologies] awarded Navy contract to help develop detection devices
“Fairway Medical Technologies Inc. has received a $900,000, three-year contract from the Department of the Navy to apply its optoacoustic technology to the real-time detection of blood-borne pathogens and biological warfare agents under battlefield conditions. […] The research is intended to develop a rugged battlefield instrument capable of detecting chemical and biological agents such as anthrax, plague and smallpox with speed and accuracy, Glickman said.” (Houston Business Journal; 22Aug08; Monica Perin) http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2008/08/18/daily57.html

Weapons destruction deadline looks like a reality [Blue Grass Depot, Kentucky]
“Elected officials from Washington, D.C., on down to the local city and county levels gathered to hear reports from U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, D-Sixth District, who toured the construction sites at the depot […] ‘We (he and McConnell) are both going to work very, very hard to see that it is achievable. That doesn’t mean it will happen, but I can assure you that we’re all going to work together.[…]’ The lawmakers declined to comment on two recent leaks of mustard gas at the depot, but Williams said they were minor and did not concern him.” (Richmond Register; 21Aug08; Ronica Shannon) http://www.richmondregister.com/homepage/local_story_234222136.html?keyword=leadpicturestory

[Vermilion County] County combines departments
“Already approved by the Vermilion County Board’s Personnel and Executive committees, the plan calls for combining the county’s technology Services and the Danville/Vermilion County Emergency Management Agency into one unit. […] Saving money is of the utmost importance right now as the county faces running EMA without the benefit of funding from the Chemical Stockpile Elimination Program. The county received the funds because of the proximity of the U.S. Chemical Depot in Newport, Ind.” (Commercial News; 25Aug08; Brian L. Huchel) http://www.commercial-news.com/local/local_story_238114557.html

Padilla's Egyptian connection facing prison or trial
“Mohamed Hesham Youssef figures he'll rot in an Egyptian desert prison, a dual citizen detained without charge, unless he agrees to stand trial in the United States on charges of supporting al-Qaida. His one-time friend and Cairo roommate, Jose Padilla, and two other men were convicted last year in Miami on terrorism charges. Youssef was critical to that case, even though he was thousands of miles away, because of FBI recordings of phone conversations between him and the other defendants. Prosecutors in the U.S. consider Youssef at worst a terrorist, at best a supporter of Islamic extremists. He's being held indefinitely at a prison in Al Kharga. […] He's accused in Miami of being a recruit for a North American cell that provided money, fighters and supplies to al-Qaida and other terror groups around the world. The most serious conspiracy charge carries a possible life sentence. […] Swartz, the lawyer for Hassoun, said Youssef could explain a great deal if he stood trial and could back up claims that the men were only trying to assist and defend Muslims suffering in war zones.” (Chicago Tribune; 22Aug08; Curt Anderson, AP) http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-padilla-egyptianconne,0,7693325.story

UK terror case ripples abroad
“The terror suspect, Binyam Mohammed, an Ethiopian resident of Britain, claims he was pressured into making a false confession after being subject to torture. […] He is accused of planning to set off a ‘dirty bomb’ containing radioactive material in the United States. He faces trial by military commission in Guantanamo Bay, where he has been since 2004, and could face the death penalty. […] The British government has been at odds with Washington for the past year over the Mohammed case. Even though he has never become a UK citizen, he has the right to live in Britain and London has asked for him to be returned to Britain, a request rejected by the Bush administration.” (The National; 24Aug08; Alan Philps)
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20080824/FOREIGN/838132966/1002&profile=1002

Swiss engineers, a nuclear black market and the CIA
“The president of Switzerland stepped to a podium in Bern in May and read a statement confirming rumors that had swirled through the capital for months. The government, he acknowledged, had indeed destroyed a huge trove of computer files and other material documenting the business dealings of a family of Swiss engineers suspected of helping smuggle nuclear technology to Libya and Iran. […] The Swiss president, Pascal Couchepin, took no questions. But he asserted that the files - which included an array of plans for nuclear arms and technologies, among them a highly sophisticated Pakistani bomb design - had been destroyed so that they would never fall into terrorist hands.” (International Herald Tribune; 25Aug08; William J. Broad and David E. Sanger) http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/25/europe/nuke.php

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

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- July 28, 2008

Powder scare unnerves East Liberty [Pennsylvania]
“The city's [Pittsburgh] hazardous materials team closed a section of Penn Circle South after getting the call from the PNC Bank branch about 11:30 a.m. White powder spilled from a deposit envelope onto a bank employee, but she washed it from her hands and shirt, leaving responders with too small a sample to identify. [...] The hazmat team closed Penn Circle from South Beatty Street to South Euclid Avenue and evacuated seven employees from the bank. They sent the woman who discovered the powder to UPMC Presbyterian for precautionary blood tests” (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; 26Julo08; Jill King Greenwood and Tim Puko) http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_579546.html

Scientists a step closer to making vaccine against biological weapons
“Experts at the Society for General Microbiology have made a significant advance towards making a vaccine against an organism that may be used to produce biological weapons. Writing about their achievement in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, the researchers have revealed that they have made a rapid progress in understanding how the pathogen Francisella tularensis causes disease.” (Fresh News; 28July08; ANI)
http://www.freshnews.in/scientists-a-step-closer-to-making-vaccine-against-biological-weapons-38416

Now, improved version of Anthrax [vaccine]
“An improved and a more effective version of Anthrax vaccine has been developed by the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) with the help of funds provided by the State Government. Announcing this at a press conference here on Friday, Dr P Thangaraju, Vice Chancellor, TANUVAS, said that the improved version called `Montanied’ did not contain glycerine, one of the main causatives of side effects, when injected into animals.” (Express News Service; 26July08)
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE320080725224425&Page=3&Title=Health&Topic=-162

Al-Qaeda chemical and biological weapons expert 'killed'
“An al-Qaeda chemical and biological weapons expert may have been among six people killed in a suspected US missile strike on a Pakistani madrassa near the Afghan border today, according to security officials. Abu Khabab al-Masri, also known as Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, was an Egyptian chemist regarded as one of al-Qaeda’s top bomb makers and had a $5 million bounty on his head.” (Times Online; 28July08; Jeremy Page) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4418867.ece

Anthrax confirmed in 21 patients in south Kyrgyzstan
“Anthrax has been confirmed in 21 patients in hospitals in southern Kyrgyzstan, a senior health official in the Central Asian state said Monday. More than 50 people have been hospitalized with symptoms of the potentially lethal disease in Kyrgyzstan's Osh and Jalal-Abad regions. […] Earlier reports said the people were taken to hospital after eating contaminated beef.” (Russian News and Information Agency; 28July08) http://en.rian.ru/world/20080728/115063295.html

Thousands to be immunised in North Caucasus
“More than 290,000 people, many of them Internally Displaced Persons, families and children, will receive vaccinations in the North Caucasus through a new medical project implemented by World Vision in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. Vaccines, still not readily available in Ingushetia and Chechnya will protect recipients against Gangrene, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Anthrax and other potentially life-threatening illnesses and tuberculosis diagnostics medication will also be made available through the World Vision Canada Gift Catalogue.” (Reuters and Alertnet; 28July08) http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/wvmeero/259a20ded10f1c1635042bb912fe1f9b.htm

Seven anthrax patients remain in hospital in Siberian republic
“Seven people diagnosed with anthrax after eating pies containing the meat of an infected bull remain in hospital in East Siberia's Buryatia Republic, local emergency services said on Monday. The disease spread after the bull was culled in the republic's Barguzinsky Region in early July. The animal's meat was sold to the residents of four nearby villages without any checks being carried out. A total of 11 people who came into contact with the meat were later hospitalized, of whom seven people were diagnosed with skin or intestinal anthrax.” (Russian News and Information Agency; 28July08) http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080728/115042903.html

Sanofi to buy UK vaccine maker Acambis
“Sanofi-Aventis SA said its planned 276 million pound ($551 million) acquisition of Acambis PLC will bolster its leading position in the vaccine market and strengthen its development pipeline.The deal, expected to close by the end of September, would add Acambis' key smallpox vaccine ACAM2000 to the existing portfolio of Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines business of Sanofi-Aventis.” (Business Week; 28July08) http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D926R6280.htm

U.S. Bioterror - A Matter of Time?
“The overriding question is whether the U.S. is ‘ready’ for a bioterror attack. The answer could well rely on the ‘other’ question of what bio-agent and what’s the source? In 1991, 40,000 Russian scientists dispersed throughout the World, with knowledge of what the U.S.S.R. was doing in chemical and biological weapons. The question is to whom did they sell their knowledge? Some believe former Soviet scientists sold technology to countries like Iran, Syria, and North Korea. Lurking is the spectre of al-Qaeda, a group that the Pentagon says continues to pursue biological weapons.” (Threats Watch; 26July28; Jay Fraser) http://threatswatch.org/rapidrecon/2008/07/us-bioterror-a-matter-of-time/

3 members of Congress urge more chemical weapons safety
“Repeated leaks of the nerve agent sarin from a storage container at the Blue Grass Army Depot near Richmond have prompted a call for enhanced safety from three members of Kentucky's congressional delegation. U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning, both Republicans, and U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, D-6th District, co-signed a letter sent Thursday to Conrad Whyne, director of the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency.”
(Courier Journal; 26July08; Tom Loftus)
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080726/NEWS01/807260480

China Dismisses Separatist Group's Claim to Bombings
“Chinese police have dismissed a separatist group's claim that it was responsible for a series of deadly bombings this year. But terrorism experts say the group, the Turkistan Islamic Party, is capable of such attacks and its threats against the Olympic Games should be taken seriously. […] In the video, the group's leader says they are planning more attacks on Chinese central cities to target the Beijing Olympics. He says they will use tactics that have never been employed and that the group is willing to use biological weapons.” (VOA News; 27July08; Daniel
Schearf)
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-07-27-voa12.cfm

*U.S. Headed for 'Heightened Alert' Stage
“Government officials have been quietly stepping up counterterror efforts out of a growing concern that al Qaeda or similar organizations might try to capitalize on the spate of extremely high-profile events in the coming months, sources tell ABC News. Security experts point to next month's Olympics as evidence that high-profile events attract threats of terrorism, like the one issued this past weekend by a Chinese Muslim minority group that warned of its intent to attack the Games.” (ABC News; 28July08; Pierre Thomas)
http://www.abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5420514&page=1

National Guard Teams Prepare for Terrorist WMD Attacks [Nationwide]
“To prepare for potential attacks in the United States involving weapons of mass destruction, the US Congress approved the development of National Guard's civil Support Teams which are responsible with identifying chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive weapons; assessing consequences; advising civil authorities on response measures; and assisting with requests for additional support. So far, 36 of the 55 approved teams have been fully certified to conduct their mission. The National Guard Bureau is in the process of establishing, certifying, and planning for the long-term sustainment of the CSTs, according to an unclassified report submitted to the National Association of Chiefs of Police by the GAO.” (Lincoln Tribune; 27July 08; Jim Kouri)
http://www.lincolntribune.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=9373

EDITORIAL: The Mediterranean Union
“The newly established Union for the Mediterranean is not yet fully formed, but members have already announced rather lofty ambitions for the organization, such as ridding the Mideast of weapons of mass destruction. The union was praised by leaders from the start, including Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who hailed its grounding focus on ‘practical projects’ - as compared to the previous union established in Barcelona in 1995. However, its nuclear proliferation goals are unrealistic.” (The Washington Times; 27July08) http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/27/the-mediterranean-union/

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 14, 2008

Iran denied using African monkeys for ‘secretive’ laboratory test
“An Iranian lab denied that Iran was using monkeys for biological weapons experiments, saying that the monkeys purchased from Africa were used for testing the safety of polio vaccines, Iran's English-language satellite channel Press TV reported Saturday. […] Abdolhossein Dalimi-Asl, head of the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute said that these monkeys have been purchased from a Tanzanian dealer for testing the safety of polio vaccines and the weight of such subjects is determined based on the World Health Organization guidelines. The Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute has been buying monkeys from Tanzania for scientific purposes since 1971, he added.” (Trend News; 13Jul08) http://news.trendaz.com/?show=news&newsid=1245991&lang=EN

[Vice President] Cheney Thought He Had Lethal Anthrax Dose [in October, 2001]
“Vice President Dick Cheney was convinced that he had been subjected to a lethal dose of anthrax, according to a new book. […] Jane Mayer, who authored ‘The Dark Side, The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals,’ that the scare contributed to Cheney's insistence on hard-line tactics for fighting terror. […] On Oct. 18, 2001, a White House alarm went off indicating that sensors had detected dangerous levels of radioactive, chemical or biological agents. According to Mayer, anyone who had entered the White House situation room, including Cheney, had been exposed.” (ABC News; 14Jul08; Mark Mooney)
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=5368813&page=1

'Masters of Disaster' Rule Out Anthrax in Hate Mail [Okaloosa County, Florida]
“The yellow tape went up and the employees of Destin attorney Kevin Helmich were quarantined -- all for Johnson & Johnson's baby powder. The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Okaloosa County EMS, Destin Fire Control District and the Hazardous Materials Technicians of Okaloosa County Special Operations Unit responded to a call from 4481 Legendary Drive on Wednesday morning. Office administrator Kelly Helmstetter was opening the mail as usual, when the unexpected happened. Battalion chief David Messerschmidt told The Log that when Helmstetter opened the letter -- with a pregnant coworker standing in the doorway -- white powder fell all over her dress.” (Red Orbit; 12Jul08; Jennifer Rich) http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1474900/masters_of_disaster_rule_out_anthrax_in_hate_mail/

Judge rejects leniency request for Moyer [Peoria, Illinois]
“A federal judge looked a Pekin woman square in the face Friday and told her she was out of chances after twice violating her probation for writing a threatening letter to President Bush two years ago. U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm flatly rejected a request for leniency and instead doubled what federal prosecutors sought to punish Jessica A. Moyer. […] Moyer wrote a letter in March 2005 to the president at the Pekin Public Library. In that letter, she criticized the country's involvement in the war and called the president several names. She then wrote: ‘Your time is almost through. Yes, that's right. That's a threat. I have enclosed some anthrax and I hope it is enough to kill you and if it is not, I can send someone to shoot you or something. You are not safe.’“ (Journal Star; 11Jul08; Andy Kravetz) http://www.pjstar.com/news/x875598203/Judge-rejects-leniency-request-for-Moyer

Gregg County [Texas] gets bioterrorism preparedness grant
“Gregg County commissioners on Monday accepted a more than $63,000 state grant to help ensure the county is prepared in the event of bioterrorism.”
(Longview News Journal; 14Jul08; Randy Ross) http://www.news-journal.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/07/15/07152008_gregg_comish.html

New 'Scrubber' Speeds Removal Of Powerful Anthrax Clean-up Agent
“Researchers in New Jersey report discovery of a fast, efficient method for removing a powerful pesticide used to sterilize buildings and equipment following anthrax attacks. Their chemical ‘scrubber’ removes 99 percent of the pesticide following fumigation and could pave the way for its broader use in anthrax clean-up efforts, the scientists say. […] Bielski and Joyce documented the effectiveness of their removal method in experiments with an empty office trailer filled with air containing methyl bromide.” (Science Daily; 14Jul08) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714094453.htm

‘Powder mystery put to rest [Dodoma]
“The National Assembly yesterday clarified that at no point was the powder found in parliament building linked to witchcraft rituals. Deputy Speaker, Ms Anna Makinda said yesterday that the Speaker, Mr Samuel Sitta has been dismayed by some people and the media that blew the matter out of context. […] ‘it was decided that the matter be put to rest after it was discovered that the powder was not harmful to human beings,’ she said.” (Daily New Online; 12Jul08; Kilasa Mtambalike)
http://dailynews.habarileo.co.tz/magazine/?id=5837

Biological weapons 'greatest terror threat to UK'
“The Institute for Public Policy Research's (IPPR) national security commission, which is co-chaired by Lord Ashdown and Lord Robertson, is not due to reveal its initial findings until its interim report in October. […] Mr Kearns explained the real danger was not potentially-devastating technologies being acquired by terrorist groups but by individuals. ‘This is going to be a century-long thing, we're not talking about specific terrorist groups [we're talking about]... lone weirdoes with expertise - people who have very high-level knowledge skills and access to the right materials who could use it for devastating purposes,’ he continued.” (In The News; 11Jul08) http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/science/biological-weapons-greatest-terror-threat-uk-$1231187.htm

Another Nerve Gas Leak At Blue Grass Army Depot [Kentucky]
“For those living near an Army depot where deadly chemicals are stored, ‘leak’ is the one word they never want to hear. Officials at Blue Grass Army Depot have confirmed that Sarin, an extremely toxic nerve agent, has been found leaking from a storage igloo, the same storage facility where another Sarin leak was discovered last August. The Army says that igloo has been continually filtered and monitored since the initial leak and poses no risk to the public.” (WKYT; 12Jul08; Denny Trease) http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/24752259.html

Poison Perfume and Dead Presidents
“‘A court forensic expert said Wednesday that former Chilean President Eduardo Frei Montalva was assassinated in January 1982,’ according to McClatchyDC.com. Medical officials had long asserted that infection after a simple hernia operation was the cause of death. Turns out ‘that a combination of toxins, including mustard gas, gradually administered to the former president ultimately killed him.’ […] The finger points to Eugenio Berrios, described as Chilean dictator ‘Augosoto Pinochet's Mad Scientist,’ and the regime's resident expert on lethal chemicals.” (Wired; 12Jul08; David Hambling) http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/07/dead-presidents.html

Fabric Blocks Radiation, Chemical, Biological Hazards
“Ronald DeMeo places a radioactive wafer about the size of a silver dollar on his desk and waves a handheld Geiger counter over it. The machine chatters wildly, the numbers on the readout spin upward and visitors instinctively lean back. But when the Coral Gables doctor covers the disc, which is designed for materials testing and quite safe, with a thin piece of fabric, the numbers dive and the noise from the Geiger dips to a low growl. […] The patented fabric -- just slightly thicker than denim -- is embedded with metal particles and other compounds capable of blocking X-rays, low-energy gamma rays and other types of nuclear emission that might be found anywhere from a doctor's office to the site of a dirty bomb blast.” (Red Orbit; 14Jul08; Jim Wyss of The Miami Herald) http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1476735/fabric_blocks_radiation_chemical_biological_hazards/

Iran’s missile-rattling ups the ante
“Maj. Gen. Paul E. Vallely (U.S. Army, ret.), former deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Pacific and current co-chairman of the Iran Policy Committee (IPC), tells me. ‘They are currently fine-tuning their systems to include perfecting command-and-control, launching, tracking, trajectory, those kinds of things. They’ve yet to perfect putting a warhead on the Shahab, but they’re working toward full-capability, including nuclear, biological, and chemical.’ Dr. Jill Dekker, a bio-warfare expert and consultant to NATO, agrees. ‘Both Iran and Syria possess highly advanced chemical and biological weapons programs,’ says Dekker. ‘Syria’s chem program is more advanced than Iran’s, but both countries’ bio-programs have benefited from former Soviet labs and more recently from North Korea. And Iran has a very advanced bio program, which is highly imbedded in their pharmaceutical industry.’” (Canadian Free Press; 13Jul08; W. Thomas Smith Jr.)
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/3945

Mediterranean union wants to rid Mideast of WMD
“The leaders of 43 nations from Europe, the Middle East and North Africa have launched a Union for the Mediterranean, a brainchild of French President Nicolas Sarkozy that aims to improve cooperation in the region with practical projects that parallel efforts toward Mideast peace. […] Nearly all of the 43 nations sent a president or prime minister to the summit. […] In a final declaration, Israel, Syria and the Palestinians along with countries across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa agreed to ‘pursue a mutually and effectively verifiable Middle East Zone free of weapons of mass destruction.’ The summit declaration also condemned ‘terrorism in all its forms’ and announced six major projects, from a common university and easier travel visas for students to depolluting the Mediterranean sea and promoting solar power.” (Associated Press; 14Jul08; Angela Charlton) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iAkOZStYXZmgvjv2pwHJenHcOCwAD91TGD600

Security beefed up in Beijing to ensure safe Olympics
“With the Olympics just around the corner, final preparations are under way here and in surrounding areas to deal with possible threats, including terrorism. […] To ‘mobilize the enthusiasm of the masses in maintaining public security, as well as to control and eliminate hidden dangers to the Olympic Games,’ residents who report substantial information on major threats from July 10 to October 31 would get rewards of 10,000 yuan (US$1,460) to 500,000 yuan. […] The firefighters could be called on to help deal with terrorists who used nuclear or chemical weapons and explosives, he said. The bureau had also organized 46 counter-terrorist drills in Olympic venues and subway stations, he noted.” (China Daily; 14Jul08)
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/2008-07/14/content_6844122.htm

‘Kuwait ready to tackle N[uclear]-radiation in case of war’
“Assistant Undersecretary for Medical Emergency Technique Dr Khaled Al-Sahlawi says the ministry has enough active iodine to ward off the harmful effects of radiation leakage into the country within the first 72 hours. Al-Sahlawi affirmed the ministry has various units in charge of several stages of prevention and cure in case of biological and chemical warfare.” (Arab Times; 13Jul08; Dhuha Barqawi)
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/client/pagesdetails.asp?nid=19716&ccid=9

'Serious' video games aid training for real world emergencies
“This 'virtual' crisis, used in training for emergency services workers, is part of a so-called ‘serious game’, an emerging niche in the video game industry. The game ‘Triage Training’, developed in Coventry, central England, by a subsidiary of the Blitz Game group is aiming to be as realistic as possible. […] It is cheaper to do training in the virtual world. […] They plan to test the British capital's readiness in response to a dirty bomb explosion. ‘On the plus side, it's very much cheaper and cost-effective to do the training in the virtual world,’ Wortley said, noting that shutting an entire city centre down in real life would cause chaos.” (Macau Daily Times; 13Jul08; Lucie Godeau of AFP)
http://www.macaudailytimesnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13064&Itemid=33

City [San Francisco, California] at risk seeks security funds
“An aerosol anthrax attack in downtown San Francisco that could expose 330,000 people, killing 99 percent of those who are untreated. […]A 10-kiloton nuclear warhead dropped on a major city in the Bay Area, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and the evacuation of 500,000 people. Each horrific outcome is being considered by local officials, according to Vicki Hennessey, acting executive director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, the agency in charge of overseeing The City’s emergency plans as well as the regional effort to secure and spend federal Homeland Security dollars earmarked for urban cities. In May, the region submitted to the federal government its wish list of $112 million worth of emergency preparation needs — from personnel to equipment — and is expected to hear how much funding it received this summer. “ (Examiner; 14Jul08; Will Reisman) http://www.examiner.com/a-1486315~City_at_risk_seeks_security_funds.html

Terrorism is hard [Book Review of Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear]
“His second move is somewhat more protracted, involving an interesting discussion of the Aum Shinrikyo ‘doomsday’ cult in Japan. Here was an organization that had an extraordinary amount of money at its disposal, several well-equipped labs and as many as 100 highly-trained scientists, working full-time, dedicated exclusively to the task of figuring out how to inflict mass casualties upon the Japanese population, in an attempt to provoke an apocalyptic war. Nevertheless, over the course of 17 different attacks, using a range of biological and chemical weapons, they never managed to kill more than a few dozen people. The most ‘successful’ was the 1995 sarin nerve gas attack in the Tokyo subway, which killed 12 people and severely injured another 42. Many people found this attack terrifying, yet for Gardner, it was also strangely reassuring. After all, it would be difficult to imagine circumstances more propitious for the success of a terrorist plot […] Yet they came nowhere near accomplishing their ends.” (The Ottawa Citizen; 12Jul08; Joseph Heath)
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/observer/story.html?id=b327c240-1b26-4825-b4ce-ded51b38f1e6

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.