CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- November 17, 2008

Judge orders [exonerated anthrax suspect Stephen] Hatfill search warrant made public
“A federal judge on Monday ordered the Justice Department to release the information it used to persuade the courts to let it search the home of a former Army scientist who was exonerated in the 2001 anthrax attacks. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said the government's search warrants and supporting documents relating to former Army scientist Stephen Hatfill and his then-girlfriend Peck Chegne should be made public. […] ‘The anthrax investigation was one of the most complex, time-consuming and expensive investigations in recent history,’ Lamberth said. ‘As a result, the American citizens have a legitimate interest in observing and understanding how and why the investigation progressed in the way that it did.’” (Associated Press; 18Nov08; Jesse J. Holland) http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ggnSVGuQvX23iSN9fCYgtmUMsaBAD94GR0IG0

Death comes in small packages
“From beehives to maggot bombs, bugs have provided some of our deadliest weapons. […] And long before either swords or explosives existed, scholars believe, Paleolithic warriors were hurling ‘bee bombs’—nests of stinging insects—into enemy caves. That was 100,000 years ago, notes Jeffrey Lockwood, entomologist and author of Six-Legged Soldiers (Oxford UP), and it marked, of course, only the beginning. By the end of the Second World War, the Nazis had 30 million Colorado potato beetles ready to unleash on British crops, and Japan’s Unit 731 had killed more people in China with infected fleas and flies than atomic bombs had killed in Japan. Less well known than bacteriological warfare, with which it is intimately linked—nothing delivers epidemic disease like an insect host—war by bug has left its mark on the historical record. […] In all, Japanese biological warfare killed 580,000 Chinese, most by insect.” (Macleans; 17Nov08; Brian Bethune) http://blog.macleans.ca/2008/11/17/death-comes-in-small-packages/

Lab sought to counter bioterrorism in Oklahoma
“State Health Department officials said they want to build a $40 million lab separate from the department’s headquarters to better protect the public from bioterrorism testing. […] The lab recently tested letters for possible anthrax and also tested E. coli samples […]. The lab has been approved to test other agents like smallpox or plague that could be used as weapons, but it lacks the needed biocontainment level. ‘We don’t want to take specimens that could be agents of bioterrorism and walk through our public areas,’said Julie Cox-Kain, department deputy commissioner of disease prevention services. She said the lab was built in the early 1970s and has outgrown its current space.” (Oklahoma News; 14Nov08; Susan Simpson)
http://newsok.com/lab-sought-to-counter-bioterrorism/article/3321835

Hospital flooded in storm to cut its staff by a third [TX]
“Still struggling to recover from Hurricane Ike, the battered economy of Galveston Island has suffered another severe blow with the decision by the University of Texas to lay off 3,800 people next week from the medical center, the largest employer on the island. […] The goal is to staunch losses of almost $40 million a month since the hurricane flooded the school’s buildings […]. The complex is centered on Texas’s oldest medical school and a new national laboratory devoted to finding defenses against biological weapons. […] Only the maternity ward is open; the rest of the hospital remains eerily empty.” (New York Times; 14Nov08; James C. McKinley Jr.) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/us/15hospital.html?ref=health

Sentencing set for man [Bergendorff] in Las Vegas ricin scare
“Sentencing is set for Monday for a man who pleaded guilty to possessing the lethal biological agent ricin at a Las Vegas motel. Roger Bergendorff is expected to get 3 years and 1 month in federal prison. Bergendorff has said he distilled deadly ricin powder from the beans of a backyard castor plant while he lived in San Diego in 1998, and carried it with him for a decade while living in Reno, near Salt Lake City, and in Las Vegas.
Authorities have characterized the 57-year-old as a troubled man, but no terrorist.” (Las Vegas Now; 17Nov08; Source: Associated Press)
http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=9363029

Russia finishes VX ammo destruction at Maradykovsky
“Russia has finished destroying ammunition loaded with VX nerve agent at its Maradykovsky facility, Interfax reported Friday. ‘A total of 23,473 ammunition items, which contain 4,546.741 [metric tons] of VX-type gases, have been disposed of,’ a Kirov Region spokesman said Friday, adding that work has begun on the disposal site's second branch. ‘The second sector -- a unit that will dispose of sarin and soman [nerve agents] -- is being repaired. We plan to begin installing equipment and to start experimental operations. We plan to launch disposal efforts in the first quarter of 2009,’ he said. The Maradykovsky facility is slated to complete its chemical-weapon destruction work in 2012.” (Global Security Newswire; 17Nov08; Source: Interfax) http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20081117_3574.php

Gulf war illness is real, new federal report says
“An extensive federal report released Monday concludes that roughly one in four of the 697,000 U.S. veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf war suffer from Gulf war illness. That illness is a condition now identified as the likely consequence of exposure to toxic chemicals, including pesticides and a drug administered to protect troops against nerve gas. […] The report, titled ‘Gulf War Illness and the Health of Gulf war Veterans,’ was officially presented Monday to Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peak. […] The report identifies two Gulf War ‘neurotoxic’ exposures that ‘are causally associated with Gulf war illness.’ The first is the ingestion of pyridostigmine bromide (PB) pills, given to protect troops from effects of nerve agents. The second is exposure to dangerous pesticides used during the conflict.” (CNN; 17Nov08; Alan Silverlieb) http://edition.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/11/17/gulf.war.illness.study/

South Korea to conduct ‘dirty bomb’ drill
“South Korean emergency personnel are expected to respond to a simulated radiological attack on the island of Jeju tomorrow, Asia Pulse reported. The scenario for South Korea's first ‘dirty bomb’ response drill would involve retaking a boat seized by terrorists. The terrorists would detonate a mock dirty bomb, forcing crews to cordon off the area, evacuate bystanders and begin to decontaminate the site, according to the South Korean Education, Science and Technology Ministry. The exercise is expected to involve more than 200 local and national government officials, the South Korean coast guard, the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, fire crews and nearby schools and hospitals.” (Global Security Newswire; 17Nov08; Source: Asia Pulse) http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20081117_2718.php

India worried by unstable nuclear-armed states
“‘Fragile and unstable governments’ in nuclear-armed nations create a potential opening for extremist groups to acquire a devastating weapon, an Indian official said Wednesday. M. M. Pallam Raju, a junior defense minister, did not single out Pakistan, India's troubled nuclear rival, in his remarks to the National Defense College in New Delhi, the Press Trust of India reported […] ‘The concern is real and consequential given the enormous destructive potential; if these weapons were to fall in the hands of rogue elements and nonstate armed groups,’ he added. It is reasonable to worry about the potential spread of nuclear weapons and Technology, along with biological and chemical weapons, according to Raju. ‘Experts fear the growth and proliferation of technologies, particularly information Technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology and genetic engineering may create a permissive environment for nuclear proliferation,’ he said. India must maintain a sufficient nuclear deterrent and a capability to respond to attacks, Raju said.” (Global Security Newswire; 14Nov08; Source: Press Trust of India) http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20081114_8237.php

Fake anthrax warning mailer [Keyser] indicted in Sacramento [CA]
“A federal grand jury indicted Thursday a 66-year-old retired teacher from Sacramento who sent 120 letters with fake anthrax nationwide last month to alert the public on the threat of bioterrorism. Marc M. Keyser faces 10 counts of hoax mailings and three counts of mailing threatening communications. Both crimes are punishable by up to 70 years imprisonment. Keyser, who is out on a $25,000 bail, has said he was not sorry for sending the letters with compact discs and packets of sugar labeled as anthrax to media and government offices as well as restaurants because he was just trying to prompt the government to be vigilant in preventing a repeat of the anthrax mail attack in 2001 that killed five people and sickened 17 others.” (Gant Daily, 13Nov08; Source: AHN) http://www.gantdaily.com/news/35/ARTICLE/36511/2008-11-13.html

Kiwi [New Zealand] scanner promises to end anthrax hoax chaos
“A Christchurch [New Zealand] company’s invention of a hand-held scanner [that] quickly and accurately identifies the presence of potentially lethal spores in powder samples promises to end the chaos of anthrax scares. The Scout, developed by Veritide and based on optical detection Technology developed at the University of Canterbury, accurately identifies the presence of potentially lethal spores in powder samples within minutes. Existing technologies and products take between 30 minutes and three days to do the same job. The testing is non-invasive using ultraviolet light and detection algorithms to identify bacterial spores and does not consume or destroy the sample being tested.” (Electronics News; 18Nov08; Source: Reed Business Information) http://www.electronicsnews.com.au/Article/Kiwi-scanner-promises-to-end-anthrax-hoax-chaos/430405.aspx

Mormons under [anthrax hoax] siege in Salt Lake City
“A suspicious package containing white powder had been opened by a clerk in the Church Administration Office, prompting FBI agents wearing chemical warfare suits to swiftly evacuate the building. […] In addition to the ‘anthrax’ scares that saw Temple Square, together with a Mormon temple in Los Angeles, evacuated on Thursday (tests later showed that the white powder was not toxic), attacks on other Mormon properties have raised a chilling spectre of religious hatred.” (New Zealand Herald; 17Nov08; Guy
Adams)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/relationships/news/article.cfm?c_id=41&objectid=10543460

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 11, 2008

For anthrax victim, suicide opens questions
“In October 2001, O'Donnell was working at the big distribution center in Hamilton Township when tainted letters, whipping through sorting machines, released anthrax spores. O'Donnell, who had a nick on his neck from shaving, became infected and was quarantined at a Bucks County hospital. Eleven days ago, O'Donnell got a call from an FBI agent, telling him of the suicide of Bruce E. Ivins, a 62-year-old government scientist at Fort Detrick in Frederick, [Maryland]” (Philadelphia Inquirer; 11Aug08; Jennifer Lin) http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20080811_For_anthrax_victim__suicide_opens_questions.html

Four years after FBI raid, Dr. [Kenneth] Berry moving on with life
“Federal investigators have declared the 2001 anthrax attacks a closed matter, but four years ago this week they swarmed the Southern Tier after a supposed suspect in the case. FBI agents searched Dr. Kenneth Berry’s East Pearl Street home, his former apartment and his parents’ summer home on the New Jersey shore. […] He had been training medical professionals to respond to chemical and biological attacks since 1997. He later developed a system to respond to an anthrax attack after letters laced with the deadly substance were circulated to government officials. […] the FBI never issued any charges. Indeed, the agency never commented on any aspect of the investigation of Dr. Berry.” (Olean Times Herald; 08Aug08; Daniel LeBlanc)
http://www.oleantimesherald.com/articles/2008/08/08/news/doc489c4c14a45da935928140.txt

[Bruce] Ivins remembered for intelligence, compassion
“The Army scientist suspected in the anthrax attacks was remembered for his humor, intelligence and compassion at a memorial service Saturday. Bruce Ivins, 62, died of an apparent suicide late last month after being informed by the FBI that charges likely were being brought against him in connection with the 2001 attacks. Some mourners wept when speakers at the service talked about Ivins' many hobbies, including juggling, target shooting, practical jokes, cartoons and the weather. Colleagues recalled a talented scientist with a probing mind who loved to debate a wide variety of subjects.” (Associated Press; 09Aug08; Brian Witte) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jLj3VPY35ZCT9svDoUxs92njFYSQD92ES9J00

FBI believes anthrax scientist killed [others] with manipulated spores from Dugway lab
“Utah's Dugway Proving Ground produced one of two strains of anthrax that FBI investigators say was used in the September 2001 poison-letter campaign that killed five and injured 17. The federal investigation once again focuses attention on Utah's chemical and biological testing facility in Tooele County's west desert. […] The Utah anthrax strain, referred to in the documents as ‘Dugway Ames spores Ð 1997’ or ‘RMR Ð1029,’ was one of two that Ivins is said to have used to produce a third strain that he mailed to public officials and media outlets. The FBI documents suggest that Ivins used specialized techniques to cover his tracks once he had obtained the anthrax from Dugway while he worked at Fort Detrick. But there is no evidence in the documents showing anything untoward or illegal took place at the Utah facility.” (The Salt Lake Tribune; 08Aug08; Christopher Smart)
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10136522

Anthrax case spurred field of germ-gene sleuthing
“The anthrax killer spurred a whole new branch of science that could give the nation a head start in the next emergency - whether it's investigating more bioterrorism or even a food poisoning outbreak. It's called microbial forensic, a way of using a germ's genetics to help exonerate or incriminate much as human DNA can today. Microbes - whether bacteria like salmonella and E. coli, or viruses like HIV - have unique genetic signatures that can allow scientists to tell even the most closely related strains apart. The forensic side comes from adding crime-investigation techniques to this advanced microbiology used by disease detectives. […] If tracing a single vial of germs sounds impressive, consider: Research under way now might one day allow tracing where someone has recently traveled by the DNA of bacteria in the dirt on their shoes.” (Buffalo News; 08Aug08; Lauran Neergaard – AP) http://www.buffalonews.com/260/story/410345.html

When dinner makes you sick [Editorial]
“Growers lost $250 million this spring and summer when an outbreak of salmonella was originally linked to certain tomatoes. […] In 2006, spinach growers said an outbreak of E. coli poisoning cost them $350 million. The losses in such cases would be less if regulators required growers, processors, and retailers to maintain a traceback system with computerized records. […] Food poisoning takes a huge toll in the United States - about 5,000 deaths a year and 76 million illnesses, with 325,000 victims requiring hospitalization.” (The Boston Globe; 10Aug08) http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2008/08/10/when_dinner_makes_you_sick/

Bush pushes $1.2 billion in 2009 budget amendments
“President Bush used the congressional recess to make an unusual request for $1.2 billion in amendments to his 2009 budget proposal, including millions for investments in new technology and controversial cuts to environmental and social programs. The proposal’s biggest change is at the Health and Human Services Department, which would receive an extra $905 million for bioterrorism preparedness. The money would help develop an infrastructure for moving medical supplies and protective gear in the event of a bioterrorist attack or pandemic. Another $35 million in preparedness money would go to the Environmental Protection Agency.”
(Federal Times; 08Aug08; Gregg Carlstrom)
http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3666472

[Steven J.] Hatfill cleared of role in anthrax mailings
“Federal prosecutors on Friday officially ‘excluded’ scientist Steven J. Hatfill from involvement in the deadly 2001 anthrax mailings, formally closing the door on a costly episode that sidetracked the FBI's search for nearly five years. U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Taylor sent a letter Friday to a lawyer for Hatfill, a onetime Fort Detrick, Md., bioweapons researcher, that essentially cleared Hatfill of a crime in which he was declared ‘a person of interest’ six years ago.” (The Washington Post; 09Aug08) http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/aug/09/na-hatfill-cleared-of-role-in-anthrax-mailings/

'Sovereignty' that risks global health
“Here's a concept you've probably never heard of: ‘viral sovereignty.’ This extremely dangerous idea comes to us courtesy of Indonesia's minister of health, Siti Fadilah Supari, who asserts that deadly viruses are the sovereign property of individual nations […] the notion has morphed into a global movement […] The Non-Aligned Movement -- a 112-nation organization that is a survivor of the Cold War era -- has agreed to consider formally endorsing the concept of ‘viral sovereignty’ at its November meeting.
Indonesia argues that a nation's right to control all information on locally discovered viruses should be protected through the same mechanisms that the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization uses to guarantee poor countries' rights of ownership and patents on the seeds of its indigenous plants.” (Washington Post; 10Aug08; Richard Holbrooke and Laurie Garrett) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080802919.html

GTCbio announces its inaugural Bugs & Drugs Conference on September 22-23 in San Diego
“The Bugs & Drugs conference brings together leading experts to discuss current options available in combating these problematic pathogens and the current drugs in development that may resolve these issues. Included are discussions on various gram positive & negative drugs, contingency plans for biological weapons & disease outbreaks, novel delivery methods, regulatory aspects & clinical trial design, and novel drug developments for diseases of developing economies.” (Newswire;
08Aug08)
http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/38154/

[Oregon] Chemical Depot burns last of VX 8-inch shells
“Umatilla Chemical Agent Depot disposed of the last of the 8-inch artillery shells containing VX nerve agent and now will begin destroying VX land mines, hoping to finish those by the end of 2009. The 8-inch shells were the last of their kind in the nation's chemical weapons stockpile. The depot began processing the artillery shells July 15 and finished ahead of schedule.” (Oregon Live; 8August08) http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-26/1218233946231900.xml&storylist=orlocal

Army completes chemical stockpile neutralization at Newport [Indiana] Chemical Depot
“The United States Army Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) completed neutralization Aug. 11 of the chemical weapons stockpile of nerve agent VX at the Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (NECDF), located at Newport Chemical Depot, Ind. This achievement brings the United States one step closer to safely destroying the national stockpile of chemical weapons. […] NECDF began chemical agent destruction operations on May 5, 2005, with a stockpile of 1,269 tons of VX -- four percent of the original United States total chemical weapons stockpile. Workers destroyed the agent using a neutralization technology that mixes it with sodium hydroxide and hot water. The resulting byproduct of this process is a caustic wastewater made up of water, sodium hydroxide, and organic salts.”
(U.S. Army; 11Aug08)
http://www.army.mil/-newsreleases/2008/08/11/11573-army-completes-chemical-stockpile-neutralization-at-newport-chemical-depot/

Pakistan diplomats visit US-held terror suspect
“Pakistani diplomats have met with a woman described as a possible ‘fixer’ for al-Qaida who is being detained in New York, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani citizen educated in the United States, was captured in Afghanistan last month and taken to the United States after she allegedly tried to kill her interrogators. Two diplomats visited Siddiqui over the weekend at a detention facility in New York, ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq said. […] According to a U.S. criminal complaint, she was carrying documents containing recipes for explosives and chemical weapons and describing ‘various landmarks in the United States, including New York City.’ The complaint also alleges Siddiqui carried ‘chemical substances in gel and liquid form that were sealed in bottles and glass jars.’ It did not elaborate.” (Associated Press; 10Aug08; Sadaqat Jan) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hYUwTvvA05WY5EBzvT3wYgBRPnMwD92FF5EO0

Hands-on detection
“Smiths Detection announced recently that Amtrak has purchased additional Sabre 4000 advanced explosives detection systems to expand its capability for screening passengers, trains and stations. Using Ion Mobility Spectrometry, the hand-held system quickly detects and identifies explosives, narcotics, chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals.” (The Engineer Online; 11Aug08) http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/307492/Hands-on+detection.htm

VIASPACE Subsidiary Wins $750,000 Army contract for robotic detection of chemical warfare agents and explosives
“VIASPACE Inc. […] subsidiary Ionfinity has been awarded a $750,000 Phase II contract for its proposal entitled ‘Advanced Robotic Detection of Chemical Agents, Toxic Industrial Gases, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED)s for Force Health Protection’ submitted to the Army Small Business technology Transfer (STTR) Program. This competitively selected two year contract will result in a field demonstration of high sensitivity detection and analysis capability for chemical agents and explosives that threaten US forces.” (PR Newswire; 11Aug08) http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-11-2008/0004865205&EDATE=

Detecting the activity of a biological toxin
“Current methods of detecting ribosomal-inactivating proteins, such as antibodies employed in enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assays, are complicated and difficult to use in the field. […] Researchers from the University of California San Diego discovered a new strategy for sensing the activities of these proteins. […] Based on the results of their work, the next step is to take this probe outside of the controlled environments of the lab and see if it's possible to extend its utility to real life applications.” (ARS Technica; 11Aug08; Yun Xie) http://arstechnica.com/journals/science.ars/2008/08/11/detecting-the-activity-of-a-biological-toxin

Ricin suspect [Roger Bergendorff] had powder for decade
“An unemployed graphic designer who pleaded guilty to possessing toxic ricin said he distilled the lethal powder from the beans of a backyard castor plant in 1998 while living in San Diego and carried it with him for a decade while living in Reno, Las Vegas and near Salt Lake City. Roger Bergendorff spoke to The Associated Press Friday in an exclusive interview from a Las Vegas-area jail where he is being held pending sentencing.” (Fox 5 News; 11August08)
http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/17157171/detail.html#-

Beijing cites numerous Olympic threats
“Just over a week before the Beijing Olympics, a militant Islamic group's claims of responsibility for bombings in China have fueled unease about security. The government has assured its people and the Olympic community that heavy security will ensure a secure games. […] Stirring the latest concerns were videotaped threats purporting to be from an Islamic militant group. They surfaced last week in the name of the Turkistan Islamic Party - a group Chinese and Western terrorism experts say is an offshoot of a secessionist group from China's Central Asian frontier with ties to al-Qaida. […] One militant, identified by the Washington-based monitoring group IntelCenter as commander Seyfullah [said] ‘Our aim is to target the most critical points related to the Olympics. We will try to attack Chinese central cities severely using the tactics that have never been employed,’” (BND; 10Aug08; Charles Hutzler -AP) http://www.bnd.com/306/story/412864.html

Al-Qaida said to lose key WMD operative
“The killing of an al-Qaida chemical weapons expert in a missile strike two weeks ago on a Pakistani border village has dealt a heavy blow to the terrorist group's ambitions to build weapons of mass destruction, a former CIA case officer says. Abu Khabab al-Masri was dubbed by terrorism analysts as al-Qaida's ‘mad scientist.’ His most notorious work, recorded on videotape, showed dogs being killed in poison gas experiments in Afghanistan when the Taliban ruled. […] l-Qaida confirmed his death days after the July 28 attack by unmanned drones on a tribesman's compound in the village of Azam Warsak in South Waziristan. Al-Masri, whose real name is Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, got his chemical weapons training in the Egyptian army before defecting to the militant Islamic Jihad group […]” (Associated Press; 10Aug08; Kathy Gannon)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hLBUfMvM_1Y6FerHOF8u4lwgHsFQD92EU8LG2

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.

Engineers in Iraq Monitor Bridge Repairs

By Army Pfc. Lyndsey R. Dransfield
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 25, 2008 - Multinational Division Baghdad engineers with the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team journeyed to the Grand Canal Bridge in Taji Qada, northwest of Baghdad, on July 22 to monitor repair progress. The bridge, which spans a portion of the Grand Canal and is one of the key crossings along the main highway west of the Tigris River, was damaged by two terrorist attacks last year.

The first attack happened May 11, 2007, when a terrorist detonated a bomb-laden vehicle in the bridge's southbound lane. Three months later, another vehicle bomb, this one in the northbound lane, sent a large portion of the bridge plummeting into the water below.

Although temporary repairs were made, the damage caused other side effects, such as increased traffic and severe corrosion to the river banks.

The Iraqi government awarded a contract to Rownaq al Mas, a local construction company, to rebuild both lanes of the bridge and remove fallen debris from the canal below.

"What is most significant about this project is that the Iraqis are doing this completely on their own," said Army Capt. Mark Gillman, a Las Vegas native and an assistant engineer with the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. "The bridge is funded by the Iraqi government, a local company is doing all of the work, and the Iraqi Army is here for security."

The project is separated into two phases, each scheduled for completion in three months. During the first phase, the contractors are working to repair the hole in the northbound lane and break down the fallen span to remove it from the canal piece by piece. During the second phase, they will focus completely on rebuilding the missing portion of the bridge in the southbound lane.

The workers began construction June 29 and have made a good amount of progress preparing foot paths, insuring the safety of the foundation and removing asphalt around the damaged area to begin installing the steel received last week.

The steel portion of the bridge is on schedule to be finished in less than two weeks, and from there, the workers will move on to pouring the concrete, which should take 28 days.

"By the end of the year, the bridge will look like it used to," Gillman said.

Each time a vehicle crosses the bridge, it passes a bold sign that can't be missed by the passengers inside. Printed in Arabic, the sign screams the words "We will rebuild."

"Seeing this project gives the people of Iraq confidence in themselves and their government," said Saleem Abdul Karim, bicultural and bilingual advisor who works with the civil engineers and is a subject matter expert in engineering. "It gives them hope for the future; it is a light at the end of a tunnel."

(Army Pfc. Lyndsey R. Dransfield serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)

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- July 11, 2008

SLU [Saint Louis University] Studies Experimental Smallpox Vaccine for Eczema Patients
“Researchers at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine are preparing to test a new, experimental smallpox vaccine on people with atopic dermatitis (eczema), whose skin disorder may put them at higher risk for vaccine related side effects. […] The new study in which SLU is taking part will involve more than 500 patients at up to 30 centers in the U.S. and Mexico.” (Saint Louis University; 07Jul08; Carrie Bebermeyer) http://www.slu.edu/x24035.xml

Anthrax case settlement costly and embarrassing [Opinion]
“The administration recently agreed to a lawsuit settlement that will pay germ warfare scientist Steven Hatfill $5.8 million. […] Attorney General John Ashcroft publicly declared Hatfill a ‘person of interest,’ despite Justice Department policy that very clearly states the necessity to keep under wraps the names of suspects. Hatfill lost his job, was publicly trailed by investigators and his home was searched twice.” (Denver Post;
09Jul08) http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_9831825

Legislators, Emergency Directors to Review, Revise Wis[consin’s] Disaster Laws
“A new panel of state lawmakers, relief workers and emergency directors will start meeting this month to streamline Wisconsin's disaster statutes and clarify how the state legislature should work if a crisis forces it to meet outside Madison. Wisconsin's emergency statutes haven't undergone a comprehensive review since the late 1980s, said Randi Milsap, a state Department of Military Affairs attorney.” (Insurance Journal; 09Jul08; AP) http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2008/07/09/91749.htm

Gary [Indiana] seeks emergency test volunteers
“The Gary Department of Health and Human Services is seeking 100 volunteers to help test the city’s emergency preparedness system. The exercise, a staged fictional bioterrorism/anthrax attack occurring in the city, is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 6 at the Genesis Convention Center’s Lake Room in downtown Gary.” (The Times North West Indiana; 09Jul08) http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2008/07/09/updates/breaking_news/doc4874f9ca4c990076920106.txt

As [Salmonella] Outbreak Affects 1,000, Experts See Flaws in Law
“More than 1,000 people in 41 states and the District of Columbia have now been sickened in the nation’s salmonella outbreak, in what officials said Wednesday was the largest food-borne outbreak in the last decade. And some food safety experts this week tied problems in tracing the source of the contamination to what they say are shortcomings in the Bioterrorism Act of 2002. […] The rule requires only that produce handlers keep track of food one step back and one step forward in the supply chain and does not apply to retailers or growers. Because the rule does not specify the format for records, investigators are sifting through a hodgepodge of paper trails to identify the source of the contaminated produce.” (New York Times; 10Jul08; Bina Venkataraman) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/health/policy/10tomato.html?ref=us

Ventilation problems delay $4 million county lab opening [Allegheny County, Pennsylvania]
“Allegheny County's $4 million public health laboratory in Lawrenceville has been built for seven months. But disease samples are still being sent to an Oakland lab that hasn't been updated in a half-century. At Wednesday's county Board of Health meeting, Dr. Bruce Dixon, director of the Health Department, said issues with the ventilation system would delay the opening for another five weeks.” (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; 10Jul08; Allison M. Heinrichs) http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_576813.html

Corgenix Announces Expansion of Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Product Development Program
“Corgenix Medical Corporation, a worldwide developer and marketer of diagnostic test kits, has announced an expansion of the collaborative effort for developing test kits for viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) detection.” (Market Watch; 10Jul08) http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/corgenix-announces-expansion-hemorrhagic-fever/story.aspx?guid=%7BBD01F5B5-0947-41A6-A6AE-D8B9D8EA469C%7D&dist=hppr

Emergency personnel stay prepared [Tahlequah, Oklahoma]
“The entire month of July has been set aside as Bioterrorism and Disaster Education and Awareness Month. […] The county also has a written emergency operations plan that various entities have worked for months to refine. Dotson and Assistant EM Director Mike Underwood are the county’s only paid emergency management personnel. Several others work with the agency on a volunteer basis. Dotson said EM, in turn, works with law enforcement – the Cherokee County Health Department, emergency medical service personnel, school officials and others – so all can be ready to move into action when called. The purpose of the special month is to raise awareness for emergency preparedness in case a disaster was to occur.” (Tahlequah Daily Press; 10Jul08; Bob Gibbins) http://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/features/local_story_192100754.html?keyword=secondarystory

[University of] Calgary researcher wins $1.7M grant to study bioterrorism
“A scientist at the University of Calgary has been awarded $1.7 million to find vaccines for two diseases that have been used as biological weapons. Donald Woods is using the grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health's Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for his research on preventing glanders and melioidosis, the university said Thursday.” (AOL News Canada; 10Jul08; CBC News) http://news.aol.ca/article/glanders-vaccine/280049/

Patch of Contaminated Soil Found at R.M. [Rocky Mountain] Arsenal
“Workers at Rocky Mountain Arsenal have found an area of contaminated soil in a section of the property once used to dispose of hazardous waste. […] The area is about a mile away from where another area of contaminated soil was discovered last fall. […] Scharmann said officials must decide whether to remove the soil or extend the cap to cover the area. The arsenal's two landfills are full so, if the soil is removed, it will have to be taken somewhere else.” (CBS 4 Denver; 09Jul08; AP) http://cbs4denver.com/green/Contaminated.Soil.Found.2.767547.html

Lawmakers fight chemical weapons plan [transport]
“Lawmakers from both parties are challenging a Pentagon plan to study whether to transport deadly chemical weapons across state lines to speed their destruction. […] Members of Congress and watchdog groups say the plan exposes the public to unnecessary risks and violates a 2005 law making it illegal for the Department of Defense to study the possibility of transporting chemical weapons across state lines.” (Daily Mail; 09Jul08; Matthew Daly) http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/272651/

US weapons research is raising a stink
"XM1063 is the code name for the US army's new secret weapon which will 'suppress' people without harming them, as well as stopping vehicles in an area 100m square. But is it a violation of chemical weapons treaties, or a welcome move towards less destructive warfare using non-lethal weapons? Exactly how it works is classified, but we have established some details. The first part of the weapon is an artillery round - or as the army puts it, 'a non-lethal personal suppression projectile' - fired from a 155mm howitzer, with a range of 28km. […] Experts suggest three possible payloads: an existing riot-control agent, malodorants or a new chemical agent. Existing agents include CS gas and a form of pepper spray. But these seem unlikely choices, because their effects only last minutes, and could wear off before friendly forces arrive. They could also face a legal challenge: the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention prohibits the use of riot control agents in warfare.” (The Guardian; 10Jul08; David Hambling) http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/jul/10/weaponstechnology.research

Wisconsin Researchers Use Proteomics to Hunt Biomarkers Tied to Radiation Damage
“Despite the ongoing risk of radioactive dirty bombs set off by terrorists, as well as run-of-the-mill nuclear disasters, there are currently no protein biomarkers that could help detect early signs of injury brought on by radiation exposure. With this in mind, researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin have been studying changes in rat protein levels after radiation exposure, and in an article published in the June
18 online edition of Proteomics – Clinical Applications, they used proteomic technology to detect those changes in rat urine.” (Proteo Monitor; 10Jul08; Mukut Sharma) http://www.proteomonitor.com/issues/8_28/pioneer/148107-1.html

Firefighters seek 100 volunteers to strip [for decontamination]
“Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging volunteers to swap their daywear for bikinis and swimshorts in a mock-up of a terrorist attack. They will then undergo the same decontamination procedure that would be used in the event of a suspected anthrax attack or a dirty bomb being dropped. Men and women will enter separate areas and shower with a mild, soapy liquid and dry using hot air driers before putting on a fresh suit. In reality people affected would be rushed to hospital for checks after being decontaminated. However, on this occasion volunteers will be allowed to get changed and collect their possessions before lunch. About 30 firefighters will be involved in the operation – the largest of its kind to be carried out in Hampshire. They hope to get everyone through the unit in an hour.” (The Portsmouth News; 09Jul08; Clare Semke) http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/Firefighters-seek-100-volunteers-to.4271825.jp

Penitentiary Scare Passes: Mystery Powder Non-Toxic
“A third test has determined that the substance found last Tuesday in the USP McCreary mailroom was not toxic. But what the white powdery paste actually was remains a mystery. Twelve employees of the federal penitentiary were decontaminated and observed for symptoms of poisoning, with two ultimately being transported to Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital Tuesday evening. Those individuals -- both guards at the prison according to Special Response Team Chief Doug Baker -- had experienced tightness in their chests and shortness of breath. Officials were quick to note that those symptoms could be due to heat or stress rather than the unknown substance. By Wednesday afternoon, the employees had been released from the hospital and were doing 'fine' according to Kentucky Division of Emergency Management public information officer Buddy Rogers.” (Red Orbit; 09Jul08; Source: McCreary County Record) http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1470790/penitentiary_scare_passes_mystery_powder_nontoxic/

Little to separate deadly serious from the bizarre
“In Las Vegas, there was the FBI special agent who raided the home of Eid and Engle and, confronted with a possible find of ricin, the third deadliest poison, etc, in one of the world's most paranoid nations, she does not evacuate the area, have the coffee grinder analysed or advise the hapless Lisa Eid to get the hell out of there - she hands her camera to Lisa and asks her to take pictures for the Irish media. […] A similar imbalance is noted in Limerick Prison, where Army ordnance men get kitted out like spacemen in chemical warfare suits to take apart Eid's cell; they find a contact lens container with suspected ricin (which he'd been contentedly sleeping beside, apparently), and bear it gingerly to their commandant, whose own protection, sensationally, consists of - um - rubber gloves.” (The Irish Times; 10Jul08; Kathy Sheridan) http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0710/1215537706109.html

China: 5 'Olympic terror groups' smashed
“China says it has destroyed five terrorist groups in a mainly Muslim autonomous region on suspicion of plotting to attack the Olympic Games, which start in less than a month. […] [Nicholas] Bequelin [a Human Rights Watch analyst] said those jihadist training camps described in Xinhua are most likely unsanctioned mosques. […] The terrorist leader planned to target hotels in Beijing and Shanghai that were frequented by foreigners, as well as government buildings and military bases, according to a statement from the Ministry of Public Security. The terrorist cell inside China, led by Aji Mai Mai Ti, carried out tests on poisonous meat, poisonous gas and remote explosive devices as part of their plans, the ministry said.” (CNN; 10Jul08) http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/07/10/china.terror/index.html

I-Team: Las Vegas [Nevada] Safety Derailed Part 1
“Tons of deadly cargo passes through Las Vegas every day aboard Union Pacific rail cars. Although rail is statistically the safest transport system in the country, accidents do happen […]. For one thing, they know that while railroads are statistically safe, accidents, collisions and derailments happen all the time. When they do, they are spectacular. Local leaders also have to worry that an accident might take them out first. The Union Pacific tracks run through the heart of the valley. In the downtown area, they pass within yards of the headquarters of nearly all of the key agencies […] Local agencies find out after the fact that a deadly shipment has passed through town. Why is it so hard for Union Pacific to give a heads up? It just is, a California spokesperson told us, ‘The reason it would be so difficult is because, again, it's logistically -- it would be very, very difficult because we go through so many different communities that notification would be, again, logistically,’ said Zoe Richmond with Union Pacific. ‘We don't know exactly what time it would be coming through.’ As bad as potential accidents might be, a greater threat might be terrorism. The I-Team infiltrated the rail yards and found security all but non-existent. Tuesday [15Jul08], we'll show you how real the terror threat might be.” (Las Vegas Now; 08Jul08; George Knapp)
http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=8631836&nav=168XDWn7

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 9, 2008

Infectious disease expert to speak Thursday [Steamboat Springs, CO]
“A nationally known expert on infectious disease will speak in Steamboat Springs on Thursday about the potential of a worldwide influenza pandemic. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, will give a speech titled ‘The Next Influenza Pandemic: A Harbinger of Things to Come?’ as part of the Seminars at Steamboat series.” (Steamboat Pilot & Today; 09July08; Zach Fridell) http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/2008/jul/09/infectious_disease_expert_speak_thursday/

Is the U.S. Ready for Bio-Warfare?
“Anthrax. Smallpox… these words were commonplace following 9/11 as potential weapons of terror against the United States. Some experts believe a bioterrorist attack or pandemic outbreak could be inevitable. So how would the U.S. fight back against an infectious disease outbreak?”
(CBN News; 09July08; Erick Stakelbeck)
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/406104.aspx

FDA [Food and Drug Administration] issues warning on Cipro [a common prescription for anthrax exposure], similar antibiotics
“The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday ordered makers of flouroquinolone drugs - a potent class of antibiotics - to add a 'black box' warning to their products, which include Cipro, Levaquin, Floxin and other medications.” (Associated Press; 08Jul08; Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar) http://news.lp.findlaw.com/ap/o/1500/07-08-2008/20080708083502_12.html

Memorial physician and bioterrorism expert recently featured in national publication
“An article written by Michael Allswede, DO, program director, Memorial’s Emergency Medicine Residency and bioterrorism expert, is featured on the cover of the June 2008 issue of DomPrep Journal along with a candid photo of Memorial’s trauma team. Dr. Allswede’s article entitled, ‘Developing Competency for Medical Disaster Response Situations,’ highlights ways in which disaster preparedness can move from ‘haphazard’ to organized by establishing standards of performance.” (Daily American; 07July08) http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2008/07/07/news/news/news369.txt

Infections bug hospitals amid push for solution
“A conference in Melbourne has been told the state and federal governments are focussing on bird flu and bioterrorism while the death toll from so called ‘super bugs,’ such as ‘Golden Staph’ continues to rise. Resistant to antibiotics, the Superbugs have long resided in hospitals and have become increasingly nasty, with an estimated two thousand Australians contracting Hospital Acquired Infections annually.” (World News Australia; 07July08)
http://news.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/infections_bug_hospitals_amid_push_for_solution_551185

AVMA [American Veterinary Medical Association] Adds Disaster Preparedness Info to Website
“The American Veterinary Medical Assn. has added articles highlighting disaster preparedness and response to its AVMA Collections. Articles include the veterinarian’s role in preparedness and response, biosecurity and bioterrorism preparedness, search-and-rescue dogs and preparedness and response policy.” (Veterinary Practice News; 07July08) http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-breaking-news/2008/07/07/avma-adds-disaster-preparedness-info-to-website.aspx

Trial postponed for Utah man [Thomas Tholen] in ricin case
“The Utah man accused of failing to report that deadly ricin was being made in his basement is working out a plea bargain with federal prosecutors. A federal judge postponed a Monday trial for Thomas Tholen, 54, after his defense attorney filed court papers saying a plea agreement was at hand.”
(Salt Lake Tribune; 08July08; Associated Press)
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_9818465

NYT [New York Times] Limited Hangout on SERE [Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape] Torture & U.S. Biological Warfare
“A 'limited hangout' is spy jargon for a favorite and frequently used gimmick of the clandestine professionals. When their veil of secrecy is shredded and they can no longer rely on a phony cover story to misinform the public, they resort to admitting - sometimes even volunteering - some of the truth while still managing to withhold the key and damaging facts in the case. […] The U.S. chemical and biological warfare program after World War Two was one of the most expensive and secretive campaigns ever undertaken by the U.S. government, comparable to the Manhattan Project. The NYT article makes much over the production of ‘false confessions’ to the use of biological weapons by the U.S. during the Korean War. But there is an alternate, studied case demonstrating that the execrable and illegal use of such weapons occurred.” (The Public Record; 07July08; J. Valtin)
http://www.pubrecord.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=185

Jury in conspiracy to murder trial given option of majority verdict
“The jury in the trial of a Clare woman and an Egyptian alleged hitman accused of conspiring to murder her partner and his sons has been given the option of returning a majority verdict. 45-year-old Sharon Collins of Kildysart Road in Ennis and 52-year-old Essam Eid from Las Vegas both deny conspiring to murder PJ Howard and his sons Niall and Robert in 2006. Following a break from deliberations this afternoon, the jury forewoman asked to see Paypal records relating to the purchase over the internet of caster beans, which the court has heard are used in the making of the lethal poison ricin. The jury also asked for the recipe for ricin.” (Belfast Telegraph; 08July08)
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/article3874418.ece

Tooele Army Depot workers [Utah] file new round of lawsuits against EG&G [Edgerton, Germeshausen, and Grier]
“Just months after agreeing to a $4.2 million settlement with workers who claimed they were cheated out of overtime pay, the contractor in charge of the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility has been hit with a new round of lawsuits alleging abusive labor practices.” (The Salt Lake Tribune; 09July08; Matthew D. LaPlante)
http://origin.sltrib.com/news/ci_9823855

Senators Oppose Plan to Transport Chemical Weapons
“Lawmakers from both parties are challenging a Pentagon plan to study whether to transport deadly chemical weapons across state lines to speed their destruction. Advertisement The plan outlines one of several options the Pentagon is considering as it struggles to meet a congressional deadline to destroy the chemical weapons by 2017. Members of Congress and watchdog groups say the plan exposes the public to unnecessary risks and violates a 2005 law making it illegal for the Department of Defense to study the possibility of transporting chemical weapons across state lines.” (Today’s THV; 08July08; Robert Bell)
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=68842&catid=2

Defense Secretary Gates Comments on Chemical Weapons
“Defense Secretary Robert Gates has wrapped up a two-day visit to Northwest military bases. During a stop at Fort Lewis Tuesday, Gates was asked about ongoing efforts to destroy cold war era chemical weapons. Specifically he was asked about reports that the Department of Defense may consider shipping chemical weapons across state lines to be destroyed.” (OPB News; 08July08; Austin Jenkins)
http://news.opb.org/article/2532-defense-secretary-gates-comments-chemical-weapons/

America, Iraq and poison gas
“Around a hundred years ago, theorists of war imagined that armed conflict would be transformed by the use of chemical weapons, poisonous gases, toxins and self-reproducing biological agents, dropped from the sky not only on soldiers but also on vast, unprotected civilian populations. Many strategists believed that the first systematic use of industrialized chemical weapons in the First World War was an indication of the way conflicts would be conducted in future. It did not turn out like that.”
(Times Online; 09July08; Kenneth Anderson) http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/the_tls/article4302201.ece

Feature-Iran's Chemical Ali survivors still bear scars
“High in remote Kurdish mountains, Iranian villagers still nurse ravaged eyes and lungs, 20 years after Iraqi poison gas attacks that went mostly ignored by world powers then siding with Saddam Hussein against Iran. That perceived hypocrisy continues to rankle in the Islamic Republic, now accused by the West of seeking nuclear weapons.” (Reuters; 09July08; Alistair Lyon)
http://www.reuters.com/article/featuredCrisis/idUSBLA844916

FG [Federal Government of Nigeria] Backs Non-proliferation of WMD
“The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to the chemical weapons convention, adding that total destruction and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction was the key to global peace and security. Nigerian Ambassador to the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands and country's Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Mrs Nimota Akanbi, said this at the 53rd session of the Executive Council of the organisation in the Hague.” (This Day Online; 08July08)
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=116283

Universal Detection Technology Receives Contract to Provide Radiation Detection Equipment for the 2008 Beijing Olympics
“Universal Detection Technology, a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter-terrorism consulting and training services, reported today that it has received a contract to provide radiation detection equipment for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The devices are capable of detecting Gamma and Neutron Radiation and are designed to provide portal protection.” (CNN Money; 07July08) http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0413428.htm

Chip sized dirty bomb detector on the anvil
“American researchers are working on lab-on-a-chip technologies that will facilitate the detection of the kind and amounts of radiation people at any particular area have received after being exposed to a dirty bomb just by testing their saliva or urine samples.” (Thaindian News; 08July08) http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/chip-sized-dirty-bomb-detector-on-the-anvil_10069051.html

Puffer fish suspect had $5 million policy on wife
“A Lake in the Hills man arrested last week on illegal possession of a deadly puffer fish toxin stood to make $5 million from his wife's insurance policy. An additional terrorism rider meant he'd get more money if she was killed by a terrorist act, according to new details revealed in federal court Monday as a judge held the man without bond. Edward Bachner, 35, was charged last week with posing as a doctor online and ordering tetrodotoxin. The statute he was charged under applies to both biological weapons and toxins. Tetrodotoxin is a poison extracted from puffer fish that is 1,200 times more deadly than cyanide.” (Chicago Sun Times; 08July08; Natasha Korecki) http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/1044168,CST-NWS-toxin08.article

Panel to review, revise Wisconsin disaster laws
“A new panel of state lawmakers, relief workers and emergency directors will start meeting this month to streamline Wisconsin's disaster statutes and clarify how the Legislature should work if a crisis forces it to meet outside Madison. Wisconsin's emergency statutes haven't undergone a comprehensive review since the late 1980s, said Randi Milsap, a state Department of Military Affairs attorney.” (Chicago Tribune; 08July08; Todd Richmond)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-disasterlaws,0,2866513.story

Emerging Threats
“One recurring question that has been at the forefront of most intelligence agencies since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by al-Qaida on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon just 1 mile outside Washington concerns the ongoing efforts by terrorist groups to acquire weapons of mass destruction: chemical, biological and mostly nuclear. Each of the NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) weapons comes with a certain advantage and disadvantage -- for the terrorist, that is.” (UPI; 07July08; Claude Salhani) http://www.upi.com/Emerging_Threats/2008/07/07/Analysis_Will_terrorists_go_nuclear/UPI-21581215440567/

G8 Declaration on Political Issues
“We are determined to make every effort to overcome the danger of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery means and to prevent acquisition of WMD by terrorists, by upholding, strengthening and universalizing all relevant multilateral non-proliferation and disarmament instruments.” (White House; 08July08) http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/07/20080708-10.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 7, 2008

Still an anthrax mystery [2001 ‘Amerithrax’ attacks]
“It took the Justice Department six years, endless bad publicity and $4.6 million to concede that it had no case against Steven Hatfill, the most famous ‘person of interest’ in the nation's history. Last week, the former Army germ warfare scientist collected close to $3 million in cash and a $150,000-a-year annuity to settle his lawsuit against the federal government. Mr. Hatfill accused FBI agents and Justice Department officials of violating his privacy and recklessly accusing him of involvement in the spate of anthrax letters that killed five - the first victim in Boca Raton - and sickened at least 17 others just after 9/11.
[…] In her 2003 suit, Ms. [Maureen] Stevens accused the government of lax security in safeguarding anthrax samples at the Fort Detrick Army research facility in Maryland. The theory is that the anthrax came from there. Mr. Hatfill once worked at Fort Detrick.” (Palm Beach Post; 05Jul08) http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/07/05/a10a_hatfill_edit_0705.html

Germ warfare’ fear over African monkeys taken to Iran
“The revelation will fuel speculation that the monkeys may be used for research involving biological weapons. Primates are typically used by scientists wishing to test both the effectiveness of germ warfare agents and defences against them. […] According to US intelligence, the pharmaceutical industry in Iran has long been used as a cover for developing a germ warfare capability. […] America, Russia, China and Iran are among the countries still using wild monkeys.” (The Sunday Times; 06Jul08; Daniel Foggo) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article4276460.ece

What’s going on with Ebola? I thought it was going to kill us all.
“Since 2000, there has been an Ebola outbreak every year. In late 2007, Ebola was diagnosed in nearly 100 people in Uganda, killing 25 percent. Ebola is unlikely to cause an epidemic because it is too effective a killer. For a virus to really be successful, its host has to stay alive long enough to find a new host. […] Eventually, the current human volunteers will need to be tested for immunity. Just as it would be unethical to inject people with a weakened Ebola virus, it would be unthinkable to knowingly give anyone the real virus to see if a vaccine is effective. Instead, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has created an exception known as the animal rule for just this situation. The FDA will approve vaccines for highly virulent agents such as Ebola and anthrax if the same immunity can be shown in two different animal species. And if the current National Institutes of Health trial were successful, it would be the first vaccine to invoke the animal rule for approval.” (Science Line; 07Jul08; Katherine Tweed) http://scienceline.org/2008/07/07/ask-tweed-ebola/

Indonesia seeks to shut [U.S.] Navy lab researching avian flu [in Jakarta]
“Indonesia suspended negotiations with the United States over the fate of Naval Medical Research Unit No. 2 last month after senior politicians said it didn't benefit Indonesia and could be a cover for spying. The U.S. Embassy firmly denied that the facility is used to gather intelligence, and said most of the lab's staff members are Indonesians helping with research carried out in cooperation with local health officials. The biomedical research lab opened in Jakarta in 1970 and is used to study tropical diseases, including malaria, dengue fever and avian flu, according to an embassy fact sheet.” (Los Angeles Times; 05Jul08; Paul Watson)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-virus5-2008jul05,0,2146766.story

Mimic molecules to protect against~plague
“Now, scientists have discovered a way to protect against death following infection with plague bacteria, by using molecules that can mimic the pathogens. According to research published in the July issue of Microbiology, these molecules make antibiotics more effective and can even be used to protect against other diseases. […] The results of this study suggest that synthetic modified lipid A compounds may provide a new therapeutic tool against plague infection. In a control group that did not receive the treatment, only 23% of mice survived for 3 days. When given the mimic molecules, up to 93% of mice survived for 3 days, 70% for 4 days and 34% recovered completely.” (E! Science News; 04Jul08) http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/07/04/mimic.molecules.protect.against.plague

US medical intelligence center expanding to track health threats at home, abroad
“A U.S. military intelligence unit that had tracked medical threats to troops worldwide is expanding its mission to include civilians at home. The National Center for Medical Intelligence at Fort Detrick had previously been known as the Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center and focused on protecting military personnel. The center will now be the ‘premier producer and coordinator of all-source medical intelligence,’ the Defense Intelligence Agency announced. […] A ribbon-cutting ceremony was scheduled Wednesday for the renamed center and the base plans to break ground in December on a 15,000 square-foot addition to the center's headquarters. The center's budget is not being released, but it will have less than 200 employees, DIA spokeswoman Paige Parham said.” (Foster’s Daily Democrat; 07Jul08; AP) http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080707/GJLIFESTYLES/954526536/-1/CITNEWS

The Last Ghost of War broadcasts today
“The spine-chilling documentary Bong Ma Cuoi Cung Cua Chien Tranh (The Last Ghost of War), about the corrosive effects of Agent Orange (the toxic defoliant used by the Americans during the war in Viet Nam), will be aired for the first time on Vietnamese television today. […] ‘Thirty years after the end of the Viet Nam War there are several million people diagnosed by the Vietnamese [health services] as victims of Agent Orange,’ says the Gardner Documentary Group’s website […] ‘These Vietnamese victims are seeking compensation and justice. The question is: were these dioxin-laden herbicides chemical weapons? And if so, who should be held accountable in the wake of what was allegedly the largest chemical warfare operation in history?’” (Vietnam News; 05Jul08)
http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01FIL050708

[Pine Bluff, Arkansas] Arsenal May Get More Weapons
“The Pine Bluff Arsenal has been so efficient at eliminating stockpiled chemical weapons that the facility is on a Department of Defense list for consideration to receive chemical weapons from other facilities, Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., told the Pine Bluff Commercial last week. […] The lawmaker emphasized during an interview that the report is classified as ‘tentative.’ […] Congress ordered the military to destroy all chemical weapons by the 2017 deadline imposed in a 1997 treaty banning the weapons. The U.S. has already acknowledged it can't meet a 2012 deadline established by the international Chemical Weapons Convention. Destruction facilities are currently under construction at the Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado and Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky. Options to accelerate ‘destruction of the remaining chemical weapons stockpile’ include incentives to ensure destruction is completed by 2012 at all Army Chemical Materials Agency sites and transporting portions of the stockpile to operational facilities like Pine Bluff.” (The Morning News; 05Jul08; Larry Fugate)
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/07/05/news/070608pbarsenal.txt

Tainted PCI [Pacific Consultants International] to return ¥300 million
“Scandal-tainted construction consultancy Pacific Consultants International has decided to return about ¥300 million in suspected illegal profits to the government in an apparent bid to avoid being sued for fraud, sources close to the matter said. Prosecutors indicted former PCI President Masayoshi Taga, 62, and three others in June on charges of swindling the Cabinet Office by overcharging the government on a project.
The project was aimed at disposing of chemical weapons abandoned by the former Imperial Japanese Army in China at the end of World War Two.” (The Japan Times; 06Jul08) http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080706a5.html

US wanted to test lethal gas on [Australian Troops]
“Newly declassified Defence and Prime Minister's office files show the US was strongly pushing then prime minister Harold Holt's government in the 1960s to allow tests of two of the deadliest chemical weapons ever developed -- VX and GB, better known as Sarin nerve gas. It says the top-secret plan involved allowing 200 mainly Australian combat troops to be aerially bombed and sprayed with the chemical weapons.” (Mercury News; 07Jul08; AAP) http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,23980051-921,00.html

Japan, U.S. launch joint cargo screening project against nuclear terrorism
“Japan and the United States announced Thursday that they will introduce a nuclear screening project to detect nuclear and other radioactive materials in cargoes at Yokohama port against nuclear terrorism. […] The Megaports Initiative, which has included 27 countries and regions, is part of U.S. efforts to intensify cargo screening inspections to prevent inflows of nuclear materials at the ports of exporter countries.”
(Mathaba; 04Jul08)
http://mathaba.net/news/?x=597384

Analysis: Will terrorists go nuclear?
“From a financial and cost-effective perspective, biological agents remain most likely the cheapest and, in all probability, the most likely agent of mass destruction to become available to terror groups. […] A nuclear device, on the other hand, would completely devastate the immediate area […] but the damage would be confined to the immediate area of detonation, plus the fallout zone […] But psychologically the image of a nuclear blast carries greater impact.” (United Press International; 07Jul08; Claude Salhani)
http://www.upi.com/Emerging_Threats/2008/07/07/Analysis_Will_terrorists_go_nuclear/UPI-21581215440567/

Accused Vegas poker dealer is just a 'patsy', hitman trial told
“A former Las Vegas poker dealer accused of conspiring with a Clare [county] woman to murder her partner and his two sons is a ‘patsy’ that the prosecution is using to secure the conviction of his co-accused, the Central Criminal Court was told yesterday. […] He said the main evidence that the prosecution had of Mr Eid being involved in a murder plot was the finding of an empty contact lens case in his cell in Limerick Prison that had tested positive for the deadly toxin Ricin. He told the jury that they were not being told that Mr Eid was actually in possession of Ricin powder and had made it in his home in Las Vegas.” (Irish Independent; 05Jul08; Abigail Rieley) http://www.independent.ie/national-news/accused-vegas-poker-dealer-is--just-a-patsy--hitman-trial-told-1428097.html

NYPD [New York Police Department] Unveils Super Anti-Terror Patrol Boats
“Just in time for the Fourth of July, the NYPD is dramatically stepping up its war against seaborne terrorist threats. […] It's called a ‘TRACS’ boat. Because of security purposes, WCBS-TV can't reveal all of the equipment on board, but it has the unique capacity to detect even the most minute traces of radiation to prevent one of the city's top security nightmares – the smuggling of radioactive material that could be used to make a dirty bomb. […] Ultimately the city will have 10 TRACS boats. They were custom made after lengthy consultations between scientists and the NYPD Counter terrorism Unit.” (CBS News; 03Jul08) http://cbs4denver.com/watercooler/tracs.boat.nypd.2.763645.html

Japan, Russia plan treaty on Criminal probes
“The Japanese and Russian governments agreed Saturday to conclude a bilateral treaty on criminal investigation cooperation by the end of this year, according to sources. The agreement was reached for the purpose of smoothly and swiftly conducting probes of criminal cases involving parties in the two countries, the sources said. […] Investigative cooperation with Russia is also expected to be helpful in the field of terrorism. After the sarin nerve gas attacks on the Tokyo subway system in 1995 carried out by the Aum Supreme Truth cult, the Russian government said it might have been possible to prevent the incidents if the Russian and Japanese governments had engaged in closer cooperation on antiterrorism measures. At the time, Aum had a base of activities in Russia. It is said Russian intelligence had obtained information that might have helped the Japanese government prevent the cult's terrorist activities.” (Yomiuri Shimbun; 06Jul08) http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080706TDY01304.htm

Call for Arthington professor [honoured at Leeds University] to be nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
“Arthington [West Yorkshire, England] professor Alastair Hay spent many years working to bring about an international ban on the use of chemical weapons. […] Shirley Beardsworth is calling for the professor to be nominated for the prize which has been awarded to 95 individuals and 20 organisations since 1901.” (Wharfedale & Airedale Observer; 04Jul08; Annette McIntyre) http://www.wharfedaleobserver.co.uk/news/newsroundup/display.var.2377305.0.call_for_arthington_professor_to_be_nominated_for_nobel_peace_prize.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.