Five Defendants Sentenced to Life in Prison in New Mexico Compound Terrorism Plot

A federal judge in New Mexico handed down life sentences without the possibility of parole to five defendants involved in a kidnapping and terrorism conspiracy. Jany Leveille, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, Hujrah Wahhaj, Subhanah Wahhaj, and Lucas Morton received severe penalties for their roles in a chilling plot that shocked the nation.

After a three-week trial that concluded on Oct. 17, 2023, a federal jury convicted Siraj Wahhaj and Lucas Morton of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, providing material support to terrorists, and conspiracy to murder a U.S. officer or employee. Hujrah Wahhaj, Subhanah Wahhaj, and Lucas Morton were also found guilty of conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death and kidnapping resulting in death. Jany Leveille pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and firearm possession charges on Aug. 8, 2023.

The court records reveal a harrowing tale beginning in December 2017 when the group, led by Leveille, abducted Siraj Wahhaj’s three-year-old son from his mother in Georgia and transported him to a remote property in Amalia, New Mexico. The group's intentions were sinister, planning to exploit the child in a plot to dismantle alleged corrupt institutions such as the FBI, CIA, and U.S. military, and to eliminate those who resisted Leveille's ideology.

Tragically, the child, Abdul Ghani, perished at the compound, but Leveille prophesized his resurrection on multiple occasions, leading the group to intensify their preparations for violent acts against society. However, when the resurrection did not occur, law enforcement intervened, executing warrants on the compound on Aug. 3, 2018. They secured the compound and arrested the suspects without incident. During subsequent searches, Abdul Ghani's remains were discovered in an underground tunnel.

The investigation, led by the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, with support from various law enforcement agencies, uncovered the chilling details of the conspiracy. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Brawley and Tavo Hall, along with Trial Attorneys Jessica Joyce and George Kraehe, prosecuted the case, underscoring the commitment to counterterrorism efforts and ensuring justice for victims of such heinous crimes.

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- November 24, 2008

Wouter Basson [South African germ warfare expert] hearing postponed
“A Health Professions Council of South Africa hearing on apartheid era germ warfare expert Wouter Basson was postponed without a date today. The hearing, held at a hotel in Pretoria, was postponed pending the outcome of an application by the defence. Basson’s legal team wants the Pretoria High Court to declare the manner in which the HPCSA has dealt with the matter ‘unlawful, unreasonable and unfair.’ The affidavit will be filed before the courts this week, after which the council will be able to file an answering affidavit. Basson, who was not at the hearing, faces six charges relating to his time as head of the apartheid government’s chemical and biological warfare project.” (The Times; 24Nov08; Source: Sapa)
http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=891334

War experts gave anthrax advice
“Warfare experts from the US and Germany gave advice on decontamination after an anthrax death in the Scottish Borders, a fatal accident inquiry has been told. UK authorities had so little experience of the disease they got international help after the incident in 2006, [when] Christopher ‘Pascal’ Norris […] died as a result of inhaling anthrax spores. […] Early investigations centred on Mr Norris's own home. […] His house was found to be clear of spores but some were found on drums […] where classes were held. […] [Ramsay] said they took advice from warfare experts in Germany and America before instructing US company Sabre to decontaminate the hall using chlorine dioxide gas in March 2007.” (BBC News; 24Nov08) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/south_of_scotland/7746436.stm

[New anti-PS antibody drug] Bavituximab can cure lethal virus infections
“Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. yesterday reported the publication of data in Nature Medicine that supports the broad anti-viral potential of the company's novel anti-phosphatidylserine (anti-PS) antibody platform, showing that its PS-targeting drug bavituximab can cure lethal virus infections in animal disease models. Bavituximab is in clinical trials for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and in preclinical development for the treatment of viral hemorrhagic fevers under a contract worth up to $44.4 million with the bioterrorism program of the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). Bavituximab and other anti-PS antibodies are also being studied preclinically in HIV, cytomegalovirus (CMV) and other serious viral infections.” (RedOrbit; 24Nov08; Source: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center) http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1602483/bavituximab_can_cure_lethal_virus_infections/

Scientists build ‘roach motel’ for nasty bugs of the bacterial variety
“Scientists at the University of Florida and the University of New Mexico have created tiny microscopic spheres that trap and kill harmful bacteria in a manner the scientists liken to ‘roach motels’ snaring and killing cockroaches. The research could lead to new coatings that will disinfect common surfaces, combat bioterrorism or sterilize medical devices, reducing the devices’ responsibility for an estimated 1.4 million infection-related deaths each year. ‘The bacteria get in there, they get stuck, and then they get killed,’ said Kirk Schanze, a UF professor of chemistry and one of eight authors of the paper […] set to be published today in the debut issue of the American Chemical Society journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.” (University of Florida News; 24Nov08; Aaron Hoover) http://news.ufl.edu/2008/11/24/bacteria-motel/

State [TX] declares emergency [in 2007] to buy TB isolation booths that sit unused
“The [TX] state health department declared an emergency in August 2007 so it could immediately buy nine mobile units for isolating tuberculosis and other highly infectious patients without seeking bids from companies that sell the units. […] But nearly a year after the portable booths, which cost a total of $180,000, were delivered, they are sitting largely unused at health centers across the state. […] [The] justification for the emergency last year [was] that Texas was rushing to build the infrastructure and capacity for the ‘impending’ pandemic flu, to prevent the spread of TB (through droplets in the air) and to isolate patients in the event of a bioterrorism attack involving an unknown disease. A worldwide flu epidemic is predicted to occur someday, but no one knows when. […] Department of State Health Services spokeswoman Carrie Williams called the booths ‘a tool to help quickly control the spread of infectious diseases.’” (American-Statesman; 23Nov08; Mary Ann Roser) http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/11/23/1123tb.html

Diseases researched at new MU [Missouri University] laboratory
“In 2001, the scare was anthrax. In 2003, it was SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome. And in 2005, it was bird flu. ‘It seems like odd-numbered years are pretty bad,’ joked Michael Kurilla, director of the office of biodefense research for the National Institutes of Health. ‘And we're about to enter 2009.’ Infectious diseases strike suddenly and can change quickly, leaving scientists scrambling to develop effective treatments. Staying one step ahead of disease is the goal of the new $18 million Regional Biocontainment Laboratory at the University of Missouri. There, scientists will study diseases including the plague, anthrax and ‘Q Fever’ in a safe, contained environment. Experts say the research will be essential in battling the next generation of diseases.” (Columbia Daily Tribune; 24Nov08; T.J. Greaney)
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20081124/NEWS01/811240363

[CA] Scientists identify blood component that turns [anthrax] bacteria virulent
“Scientists from the Scripps Research Institute [CA] have discovered the key chemical that signals Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax, to become lethal. […] The Scripps Research scientists identified bicarbonate, a chemical found in all body fluids and organs that plays a major role in maintaining pH balance in cells, as providing the signal for Bacillus anthracis to unleash virulence factors. Without the presence of the bicarbonate transporter in the bloodstream, the scientists found, the bacteria do not become virulent. […] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 10 percent of all patients, or about 2 million people, contract hospital-acquired infections each year. These bacteria are often resistant to multiple antibiotics, making the problem a growing public health concern.” (Infection Control Today; 24Nov08; Source: Scripps Research Institute) http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/hotnews/component-turns-bacteria-virulent.html

Al-Qaeda increases efforts to develop ‘dirty bomb’
“MI6 has issued a global priority warning to all security services that Islamic terrorists are now closer to obtaining material to create a ‘dirty bomb’ to launch against Western targets. […] [Osama bin Laden] has repeatedly said every ‘true Muslim must make it his duty to assist in all ways possible to find the next powerful weapon to destroy our enemies’.[…] MI6 fears there will be little ability [in Pakistan] to provide strong leadership against the new wave of Islamic extremism that al-Qaeda has launched across the country. Groups such as the newly formed Pakistan Taliban have proclaimed it is focusing on creating a ‘dirty bomb.’MI6 agents based in Islamabad fear the mounting instability in Pakistan will make it easier for them to do so.” (Epoch Times; 22Nov08; Gordon Thomas) http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/world/al-qaeda-develop-dirty-bomb-7569.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 18, 2008

The forensic guy from the FBI [Transcript from Discussion of 2001 ‘Amerithrax Attacks’]
“Dr Bruce Budowle has been in the FBI for over 20 years, heading one of its forensic laboratories. He looks back to the mysterious and still unsolved case of the anthrax envelopes which followed 9/11 […] Dr Budowle has come to Australia's Bond University to share techniques and learn from Professor Angela van Daal's use of genetics to profile human features […]” (ABC Radio National; 17Jul08)
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/inconversation/stories/2008/2299962.htm

Former Western [Pennsylvanian] legislator to enter jail Aug. 1
“Former State Rep. Jeff Habay will report to jail Aug. 1 to serve concurrent sentences for conflict of interest and a bizarre fake anthrax threat. […] the state Supreme Court has denied Habay's appeal of his 2006 no-contest pleas to charges that he falsely claimed to have received a powder-filled envelope from a political opponent. Habay was sentenced to four to eight months in jail in the anthrax case.” (Philadelphia Inquirer; 17Jul08; AP) http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20080717_Former_Western_Pa__legislator_to_enter_jail_Aug__1.html

GAO Notes Mixed Progress on Biosurveillance
“The department has not yet identified what capabilities the National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC) should possess to be considered fully operational […] although DHS is upgrading capabilities for the new center, it will not fully train new personnel using the NBIC information technology system until April 2009 […] Current detectors require 10-34 hours to identify a biological attack from an agent such as anthrax. The new systems finally developed with the DHS Science and technology Directorate would cut that time down to 4-6 hours.” (HS Today; 17Jul08; Mickey McCarter) http://hstoday.us/content/view/4292/128/

Disaster planning money reduced [Washington State]
“Federal money used to help local and state public health agencies plan for disasters is being cut by $3.7 million in Washington, with cuts to Snohomish County and four other northwest Washington counties estimated at $200,000. The regional planning program for Snohomish, Island, Skagit, Whatcom and San Juan counties is losing 21 percent of the federal money […] A national push for public health agencies to plan for emergencies came in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks and panic over bioterrorism after anthrax-contaminated letters were sent through the mail. In response, local and state public health agencies received $1.1 billion in federal money to help prepare for future emergencies.” (Herald Net; 18Jul08; Sharon Salyer)
http://heraldnet.com/article/20080718/NEWS01/700231358

Tracking produce proves complex
“More than six weeks ago, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about a salmonella outbreak in New Mexico and Texas connected to raw tomatoes. Since then, the agency has expanded the warning nationwide and added jalapeno and serrano peppers. More than 1,100 people have fallen ill since April, but not a single contaminated tomato or pepper has been found.” (Los Angeles Times; 17July08; Annys Shin) http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-salmonella18-2008jul18,0,983085.story

Bomb Squad Blows Up Highly Explosive Acid Found In Walnut Hill [Florida]
“The quart size bottle of picric acid was found in a barn on a farm in the 7800 block of Highway 97, less than a half mile from Ernest Ward Middle School. The bomb squad was called to the scene, and the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department responded about 1:45. […] Besides wartime bomb making, picric was once used diluted as an antiseptic and as a treatment for burns, malaria, herpes and smallpox. It was once also synthesized into a non-explosive insecticide called chloropicrin. Chloropicrin was also used by the Germans and British as a chemical warfare agent during World War Two.” (North Escambia; 17Jul08; William)
http://www.northescambia.com/?p=3098

Poisonous cylinders made safe [Dublin]
“Cylinders of a highly volatile poisonous liquid were disposed of safely in South Dublin today with the help of US environment experts. The seven containers of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) were successfully chemically neutralised without the use of any explosives. […] The cylinders had been stored at the pest control company Rentokil and were moved to the county council owned compound at Grange Castle, Co Dublin for the neutralization.” (Evening Herald; 17Jul08; Sarah Neville) http://www.herald.ie/national-news/poisonous-cylinders-made-safe-1434861.html

Hidden Newnes Forest storage has added to military puzzle
“Earlier this week the Lithgow Mercury published a feature based on interviews conducted by the Illawarra Mercury with ex servicemen now living in the Illawarra region who had worked on secret chemical warfare stockpiles at Marrangaroo and Glenbrook during World War Two. The chemicals included mustard gas imported from America and Britain in contravention of the Geneva Convention to be used in any last ditch defence effort should Australia be invaded. […] There was no way of knowing exactly what was in the drums in the forest but it clearly wasn’t someone’s stash of home brew.” (Lithgow Mercury; 17Jul08; Len Ashworth) http://lithgow.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/hidden-newnes-forest-storage-has-added-to-military-puzzle/813140.aspx

Live in Azalea Park [Orlando, Florida]? Learn about cleanup
“The Army Corps of Engineers will have a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. today [17Jul08] at the Engelwood Neighborhood Center […] The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the investigation into possible contamination left behind in the Azalea Park neighborhood from the former Orlando Army Airfield Toxic Gas and Decontamination Yard.” (Orlando Sentinel; 17Jul08; Rich McKay & Wes Smith) http://www.orlandosentinel.com/services/newspaper/printedition/thursday/orange/orl-orgovwatch17_108jul17,0,857491.story

Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group on Terrorism
“OPCW Director-General Rogelio Pfirter opened the meeting by recalling the recommendations of the Second Review Conference on the OPCW’s response to terrorism. He highlighted the importance of implementing Article X of the Chemical Weapons Convention (Assistance and Protection Against Chemical Weapons) and stressed the value of the OPCW’s existing cooperation with the EU. […] He said information exchange in the fight against terrorism across borders has improved, greater attention is paid to the protection of EU infrastructures, and that the European Arrest Warrant has facilitated the procedures of extradition.” (OPCW News; 15Jul08; Johan de
Wittlaan)
http://www.opcw.org/pressreleases/2008/News17_2008.html

Emergency responders get dirty bomb training [Carlsbad, New Mexico]
“There were bodies and belligerents all over the place Thursday afternoon in a field near the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center. […] It was all part of a ‘dirty bomb’ exercise involving the Texas National Guard Civil Support Team. Some members of New Mexico's support team were also present. […] Thursday's training session was divided into two parts. Members of the Carlsbad Fire Department were the first to arrive on scene, but they were eventually backed up by the National Guard.
Smoke poured from a burned out vehicle. Volunteers who played the parts of victims all had detailed maps and timelines for the mock scenario. Some were assigned to be victims from the get-go, while others played the parts of tourists or ‘walking worried.’” (Current Argus; 18Jul08; Kyle Marksteiner)
http://origin.currentargus.com/ci_9922344

[Homeland Security Secretary Michael] Chertoff: European terrorists trying to enter US
“European terrorists are trying to enter the United States with European Union passports, and there is no guarantee officials will catch them every time, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday. […] Chertoff and other intelligence officials have delivered similar warnings before, and he offered no new information about specific threats or an imminent attack. Chertoff reiterated his concern that terrorists could sneak radiological material into the country on small boats or private aircraft.” (AP; 18Jul08; Eileen Sullivan)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i3uIGU_Clf36waqYlsaWDls9HP2gD920562O1

UH [University of Hawaii] chosen to help make travel safer
“The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has tapped the University of Hawaii to be one of 11 institutions to serve for the next six years as ‘an incubator of technology’ in the area of maritime security issues, according to a visiting federal official. Retired Rear Adm. Jay Cohen, Homeland Security Department undersecretary for science and technology, told the Star-Bulletin yesterday that the UH's Center of Excellence for Maritime, Island and Port Security will be under the College of Engineering and will receive a grant ranging from $1.5 million to $2 million annually.” (Star Bulletin; 16July08; Gregg K. Kakesako) http://starbulletin.com/2008/07/16/news/story11.html

Advanced Life Sciences and UK Ministry of Defence announce collaboration
“Advanced Life Sciences Holdings has announced that the UK's Defence Science and technology Laboratory will evaluate the developmental compound ALS-886 as a treatment for chemically induced lung injury. […] Michael Flavin, chairman and CEO of Advanced Life Sciences, said: ‘Dstl is internationally recognized for its ability to evaluate new therapeutic countermeasures that combat chemical and biological warfare agents, and we are very excited to partner with them to develop ALS-886 for potential procurement as a medical countermeasure.” (Trading Markets; 18July08) http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1768368/

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- June 18, 2008

Universal Detection Technology Invited to Discussions With the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate
“Universal Detection Technology, a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and a provider of counter terrorism training and solutions, announced today that it has been invited for discussions with the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate. The one on one meeting comes following several meetings between UDTT and officials from the DHS at trade shows and conferences.” (CNN Money; 18June08) http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0408079.htm

Art in a Time of Terror: Acclaimed Art Professor Steve Kurtz on How He Became a ‘Bioterrorism’ Suspect After His Wife Died in Her Sleep
“In his first broadcast interview, Steve Kurtz discusses the bizarre case of how he became the focus of an FBI bioterrorism investigation. On May 11, 2004, his wife Hope Kurtz tragically died in her sleep. When he called 911 for help, a nightmare that would last for the next four years began to unfold. The police became suspicious of his art supplies and harmless bacteria cultures that he was using for an antiwar project about the public health impact of germ warfare programs. His home was raided by the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force and Homeland Security. His belongings, his cat, and even his wife’s body were seized.” (Democracy Now; 16June08) http://i3.democracynow.org/2008/6/16/art_in_a_time_of_terror

Effective health messages may yield vaccine compliance among ER workers
“[…] In a new study published this month in Biosecurity and Bioterrorism, researchers from the Center for Preparedness Research and Planning and the Department of Public Health at Temple University found that by addressing ER workers' fears and concerns, they could craft persuasive messages to convince ER workers to get vaccinated. ‘In the wake of 9/11 and the anthrax attacks, the government tried to implement a program to vaccinate 500,000 healthcare workers against the smallpox virus, which theoretically could be used in a bioterror attack,’ said lead researcher Sarah Bass, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of public health at Temple's College of Health Professions. ‘But it was left to each state to run the program, and each did so differently. As a result, less than 40,000 ER workers nationwide were vaccinated.’” (EurekAlert; 18June08; Renee Cree) http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/tu-ehm061108.php

Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing
“The invention provides for a full-length cloned cDNA copy of the RNA genome of a predominant norovirus strain (Genogroup II.4) designated MD145-12 that was associated with human gastrointestinal illness. The noroviruses, which were formerly known as ‘Norwalk-lik’ viruses are estimated to cause 23 million cases of acute gastroenteritis in the USA each year. The virus has been designated into category B of the CDC biodefense- related priority pathogens because it can be used as an agent of bioterrorism.” (Trading Markets; 18June08) http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1694572/

Scientific lab keeps us safe [New Mexico]
“Working quietly behind the scenes to keep New Mexicans safe is the New Mexico Department of Health's Scientific Lab in Albuquerque. Dave Mills, director of the Department of Health Scientific Lab, said the work of the scientists in the lab have a positive effect on the lives of every New Mexican. ‘We test the milk and water supply, track food-borne illnesses, test for infectious diseases and help law enforcement by providing breathalyzer trainings,’ Mills said. ‘We are also ready to evaluate any chemical or biological threats in the state.’” (Las Cruces Sun News; 18Jun08; Chris J. Minnick)
http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_9616169

Test-Vets Deserve Care [Editorial]
“It's bad enough that the Department of Defense and the Veterans Affairs Administration oppose legislation intended to guarantee health care and benefits for veterans exposed to Cold War-era chemical and germ tests. It's insult to injury, however, when Pentagon officials could not be bothered to testify in person to the House Veterans Affairs subcommittee on disability assistance this past week, in order to voice their objections to pending legislation. A written statement from Michael L. Dominguez, a principal deputy undersecretary of defense, said ‘DOD opposes this legislation. The scientific evidence does not support’ it.” (Red Orbit; 16June08; Deseret News) http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1434741/testvets_deserve_care/

VIASPACE Subsidiary Robotic Detection Proposal Competitively Selected by Army
“VIASPACE Inc. subsidiary Ionfinity has been notified that its Phase II proposal entitled ‘Advanced Robotic Detection of Chemical Agents, Toxic Industrial Gases, and IEDs for Force Health Protection’ submitted to the Army Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program, has been competitively selected for negotiation and possible contract award. Phase II STTR projects are for two years and up to $750,000 in funding.
Ionfinity expects to enter into contract negotiations with the Army shortly.’” (Epicos; 17June08; PR Newswire) http://www.epicos.com/epicos/portal/media-type/html/user/anon/page/default.psml/js_panename/News+Information+Article+View;jsessionid=25F7216244940EB18B5D684DC08F1D8F.tomcat1?articleid=106579&showfull=false

Texas man faces life if convicted
“A 38-year-old Texas man has been charged with possessing cyanide and trying to sell it to an FBI informant, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Jeffrey Don Detrixhe, 38, of Higgins, was indicted Tuesday on two counts of prohibition against chemical weapons and one count of an unlawful user or addict of a controlled substance in possession of firearms.” (Houston Chronicle; 17June08; AP) http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5842943.html

Gas, gas, quick boys [article on detector development at Massachusetts Institute of Technology]
“Sarin is to be feared because it is invisible, odourless and 500 times more deadly than cyanide. However, other gases (not least cyanide itself) could be used instead. What is needed is a cheap way of detecting such gases and, having raised the alarm, of identifying which gas is involved so that anyone who has succumbed can be treated. And that is what a team of chemical engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, led by Michael Strano (pictured on the left), think they have created. Not only can their new sensor tell between chemical agents, it can detect them at previously unattainable concentrations—as low as 25 parts in a trillion.”
(The Economist; 18June08; Donna Coveney)
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11568534

Are we ready? Simulated chemical attack tests response [Otsego County, Michigan]
“The voice from Otsego County [Michigan] 9-1-1 Central Dispatch came crackling through at 1000 hours with a message over the scanner beginning and ending with ‘THIS IS AN EXERCISE.’ The message, for emergency responders, was all part of a disaster drill informing them of a terrorist incident in which the nerve gas Sarin had been released during preparations for a concert at the Otsego County Fairgrounds.” (Gaylord Herald Times; 18June08; Michael Jones) http://www.gaylordheraldtimes.com/articles/2008/06/18/news/top_stories/doc48590511789aa161728186.txt

Chemical warfare leaving several incapacitated for life
“A chemical warfare is being waged on opposition supports domiciled in the farming areas of Zimbabwe. Zanu PF’s youth militia, aided by war veterans are now resorting to the use of highly toxic herbicides to injuries inflicted on victims. To date, doctors say at least 12 people including a nine year old girl had her buttocks laced with Tactic Cattle Spray a dipping chemical and Paraquat. This is to exacerbate pain as well as increase the chances of fatality. A visit Tuesday to one of the private health care set up by missionary doctors in Harare revealed a grim picture of Robert Mugabe’s desperation to stay in power.” (Afrik.com; 18June08; Bruce Sibanda) http://en.afrik.com/article13874.html

Chemical weapons on Baltic Sea floor won't impact North Stream project
“The chemical weapons used in previous wars, buried on the floor of the Baltic Sea, will not impact the laying of a gas pipeline from Russia to Europe, said Viktor Kholstov, the deputy head of the Russian Federal Industry Agency. […] Environmentalists and politicians in some Baltic countries earlier expressed fears that the project to lay a gas pipeline from Russia to Europe on the floor of the Baltic Sea, North Stream, was not environmentally safe for several reasons, including the stockpiles of ammunition and chemical weapons buried on the floor of the Baltic Sea after World War Two.” (Biznes; 17June08; Interfax-Central Europe) http://biznes.onet.pl/7,1771258,wiadomosci.html

OPCW to prevent chemical weapons from falling to terrorists
“The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will not cease to exist after the whole reported stock of chemical weapons in the world will have been destroyed by 2012, OPCW Director General Rogelio Pfirter told a press conference at the Itar-Tass headquarters here on Wednesday. According to him, the OPCW will focus on encouraging those 11 countries, which have not joined the Chemical Weapons Convention yet, to join the Convention.” (ITAR-TASS; 18June08) http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=12789086&PageNum=0

Bees 'could track chemical weapons'
“Bees could be used to find chemical weapons - if government funding was increased to stop their decline, Norwich MP Ian Gibson told the Commons yesterday. The Pentagon had been looking for several years at how bees can detect chemicals and this was something that could be replicated in the UK, he added.” (EDP24; 18June08; Chris Fisher)
http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=News&itemid=NOED18%20Jun%202008%2008%3A24%3A57%3A573

Dirty Bomb Disaster Drill Held Across the State [West Virginia]
“Emergency crews across the country started participating in a drill Tuesday morning. The test was to help prepare for possible terrorist attacks on Washington D.C. The massive evacuation would cause an influx of people into the Mountain State [West Virginia].” (CBS 59; 17June08; Jessica Lilly) http://www.cbs59.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=40140

[French President Nicholas] Sarkozy Will Deepen NATO Ties, Citing Terror Threat
“France will rejoin NATO's military command and strengthen defense ties with European partners as part of a 15-year plan for the armed forces that identifies terrorism as the biggest threat to national security. The terrorist treat is ‘here, real,’ and terrorists may use chemical, biological or radiation-based weapons in the future, Sarkozy said. The armed forces will get more equipment to protect against these threats, he said.” (Bloomberg; 17June08; Francois de Beaupuy) http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aBu_XNOO0XHA&refer=europe

Preacher Abu Qatada freed from jail
“Qatada, once described as ‘Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe’ left Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire at around 8.20pm on Tuesday. The 47-year-old was released after he won his fight against deportation from Britain. Qatada was driven out of the prison at speed in a silver Peugeot people-carrier. He was hidden from view under a blanket on the back seat. His release follows a court ruling in April banning ministers from extraditing him to Jordan. He has been convicted in his absence in the Middle East of involvement with terror attacks in 1998, and of plotting to plant bombs on the Millennium.” (UK Press; 17June08; The Press Association) http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jymcV2z98InM3K0b4HDh4faXrPqw

Government thwarted on terror detentions
“The first arrests were made in December 2001 when 12 men were detained under immigration laws pending deportation to their own countries. Their cases were considered by the Special Immigration Appeal Commission (SIAC) with a Special Advocate appointed to examine evidence from security sources which the detainees themselves were banned from hearing It was accepted that there were no grounds to put them on trial in this country and that they could face torture if they returned to their home country. They were detained indefinitely in Belmarsh prison in South East London.”
(Telegraph; 18June08; Duncan Gardham)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/2151944/Government-thwarted-on-terror-detentions.html

Terry Waite blasts anti-terror methods
“The way the US and Britain are tackling terrorism is entirely wrong, former Lebanon hostage Terry Waite said in London this week. ‘It is entirely wrong to incarcerate people when they don’t even know what they are imprisoned for,’ he said, in a criticism of the British government’s top secret trials in which neither the accused nor the lawyers are told the exact charges or details of the alleged evidence.” (OneWorld.net; 18June08; Daniel Nelson) http://uk.oneworld.net/article/view/160694/1/

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- June 9, 2008

Minnesota Man Pleads Guilty to Anthrax Hoax
“An envelope was sent containing a white powder purporting to be anthrax to an Internal Revenue Service facility in Kansas City, Missouri. […] Jonathan Kenneth Joyner, 21, of Appleton, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs on Wednesday, June 4, 2008, to the charge contained in a Feb. 7, 2008, federal indictment. […] On June 22, 2007, Joyner mailed an envelope to the IRS Fraud Detection Center in Kansas City containing the white powder (later determined to be baby talcum powder) with a letter that stated, in part, ‘Anthrax Breath Deep Pig Ha Ha Ha Ha.’
The letter was opened by an IRS employee on June 27, 2007.” (Kansas City Info Zine; 07Jun08) http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/28774/

[Bucks County, Pennsylvania] County conducts anthrax drill
“And preliminary reports say the county passed. With the cooperation of the commissioners and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Bucks County Health Department and the Emergency Management team Saturday conducted an inhalation anthrax exposure scenario at Maple Point Middle School in Middletown to measure Bucks' crisis response.[…] Roughly 300 volunteers of various ages, races and gender, who included members of the county's medical reserve corps and La Salle University nursing students, acted as heads of households to get pills for their families.” (Bucks County Courier Times; 08Jun08; Rachel Canelli) http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-06082008-1545927.html

Postal center [Scarborough, Maine] plans biohazard drill
“The U.S. Postal Service distribution center in Scarborough will test emergency responses to anthrax in a biohazard exercise with local, state and federal agencies on Tuesday. Postal Service Way will be closed during the drill, which begins at 6 p.m. and ends around 9:30 p.m.” (Maine Today; 09Jun08)
http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/028481.html

Boeing Reveals Sub-Tracking ScanEagle Study
“Boeing, Insitu and the U.S. Navy are studying a variant of the ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that could be air-dropped from a P-8A or other aircraft to detect and stealthily track submarines over many hours. […] Other [ScanEagle Compressed Carriage] SECC/Dominator-related ScanEagle follow-on’s already announced include a biological combat assessment system to collect data on biological hazards, as well as identify and assess hostile threats. The system is designed to monitor sites suspected of containing weapons of mass destruction, and to locate, track and collect biological warfare agents released into the air during air strikes.” (Aviation Week; 09Jun08) http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/SCAN060908.xml&headline=Boeing%20Reveals%20Sub-Tracking%20ScanEagle%20Study&channel=defense

Tomato salmonella scare stirs [Food & Drug Administration] FDA's critics
“As Texas and the nation grapple with a major outbreak of potentially deadly salmonella poisoning from tomatoes, critics of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are blasting the agency for sluggishness in ensuring the safety of America's food supply. […] The current outbreak, believed to be linked to raw tomatoes of unknown origin, has affected 56 people in Texas — 14 in Harris County, five in Brazoria County and two each in Fort Bend and Galveston counties. Thirty-six New Mexico residents and 34 elsewhere in the country also became ill.” (Houston Chronicle; 07Jun08; Allan Turner) http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/nation/5824138.html

The great public health mashup
“Every day, epidemiologists and researchers at South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control run dozens of specialized software programs and laboratory systems to detect the early warning signs of infectious disease outbreaks. But their analyses might be more accurate if they could solve a problem common to distributed workgroups: an inability to get applications and reporting systems to share data. In the health care arena, a lack of standards can lead to higher costs, slower research and a greater risk of pandemics, public health officials say. ‘We have so many systems in this agency, and they are not talking to each other,’ said Jared Shoultz, director of the department’s Division of Public Health Informatics. ‘Public health is working toward data standards and unified data models, but we aren’t there yet.’” (Government Health Hit; 09Jun08; David Raths) http://www.govhealthit.com/blogs/ghitnotebook/350415-1.html

AVI BioPharma to Present at the 6th Annual Biodefense Vaccines and Therapeutics Meeting
“AVI's Senior Vice President of Strategic Alliances, will make the opening presentation of the Pre-Conference Symposium to the 6th Annual Biodefense Vaccines & Therapeutics Meeting to be held June 9-11, 2008 in Washington, D.C. The Symposium is titled ‘Developments in Biodefense Vaccines & Therapeutics’ and Dr. Iversen's presentation is ‘Multiple Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Oligomer Approaches to Developing Antiviral Therapeutics.’ This is an invitation-only meeting at which Dr. Iversen will principally outline AVI's progress on the development of its therapeutic drugs against agents on the bioterrorism list, in particular Ebola, Marburg and Dengue viruses.” (The Earth Times; 09Jun08; AVI
Biopharma)
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/avi-biopharma-to-present-at,424408.shtml

Greening most serious citrus disease
“The disease, which slowly weakens and kills all types of citrus trees, causes fruit to become lopsided and taste bitter, making it unusable. Fruit does not develop the desired color, hence the greening name. There is no known cure for the disease, which is on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s select list of threats to plants and wildlife regulated by the Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act. The disease does not harm people. The scientific name for citrus greening — huanglongbing — means ‘yellow shoot’ which describes the symptom of a bright yellow shoot that commonly occurs on a sector of infected trees. It is a serious disease of citrus because it affects all citrus cultivars and causes decline of trees.” (South East Farm Press; 09Jun08; Paul L. Hollis) http://southeastfarmpress.com/news/citrus-greening-0609/

Anthrax as a biological weapon
“For centuries, anthrax has caused disease in animals and, uncommonly, serious illness in humans throughout the world […] Research on anthrax as a biological weapon began more than 80 years ago […] Today, while at least 17 nations are believed to have offensive biological weapons programs, it is uncertain how many are working with anthrax. Iraq has acknowledged producing and weaponizing anthrax.” (C Health; 07Jun08; Michael E. Pezim)
http://chealth.canoe.ca/channel_section_details.asp?text_id=1484&channel_id=1020&relation_id=8576

Anthrax outbreak reported in south Kyrgyzstan, two dead
“An anthrax outbreak has hit south Kyrgyzstan, where two people are reported to have died of the disease and six others hospitalized with similar symptoms, health officials in the Central Asian state said on Monday. […] Health officials said the victims may have contracted the disease when they slaughtered a horse for its meat in late May.” (RIA Novosti; 09Jun08) http://en.rian.ru/world/20080609/109575426.html

Jewish Israeli children send love messages to Lebanese children [written on munitions] [Graphic photos]
“July 20, 2006 -- WMR reported that the Israeli military was using poison gas on villages in south Lebanon. According to a former U.S. weapons expert who served in Iraq, the artillery shell in a photo taken in Lebanon (below) is a chemical weapon delivery device. It is being handled by an Israeli Defense Force soldier and Hebrew lettering can be clearly seen on the armored vehicle. Another chemical weapons shell of the same type can be seen lying on the ground to the right. It is not known what type of chemical is in the chemical canister, however, gas dropped by the Israelis in villages in southern Lebanon has resulted in severe vomiting among the civilian population.” (Pakistan Daily; 07Jun08) http://www.daily.pk/world/middle-east/83-middle-east/4312-jewish-children-send-love-messages-to-lebanese-children.html

Iran protests to UN over Israeli threat
“Contrary to the baseless allegations fabricated by the Zionist regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran has unambiguously and vehemently rejected and opposed all kinds of weapons of mass destruction, including the nuclear weapons. As a State Party to Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Islamic Republic of Iran has on many occasions officially declared that weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, as the most inhumane weapons, have no place in the defense doctrine of the country.” (Tehran Times; 09Jun08)
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=170257

EU hopes for changes in U.S. cargo-scanning law
“The European Union is hopeful that a new U.S. president will relax a law that will require foreign ports to scan every container headed to the United States from 2012, an EU executive said on Monday. […] ‘This is not the way to introduce unilateral measures ... it suggests indirectly that there is 100 percent security but it can create a false sense of security which is not the case.’ He said the 100 percent scanning requirement could not identify biological or chemical weapons and would create trade bottlenecks as well as require massive investment in technology and people.” (Guardian; 09Jun08; Reuters)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/7573065

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

New Legal Complex at Guantanamo to Apply Proven Expeditionary Concepts

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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