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- 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- May 16, 2008

Partnership helps Navajo prepare for emergencies
“It’s difficult to prepare for a disaster when you’ve been taught that you’re not even supposed to talk about such an eventuality. But the Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management and Work Force Development are teaming together to hire members of the community and train them to deal — on a community level — with potential disaster situations such as this past winter’s snow and mud emergencies. […] ‘We’re trying to move the Navajo Nation in a direction where they can be able to manage their own situations,’ from hazardous materials accident to bioterrorism, Jimson Joe, executive director of Emergency Management, said Wednesday.” (The Gallup Independent; Kathy Helms; 16May08) http://www.gallupindependent.com/2008/May/051508emergencies.html

Bioterror defenses in lobbying crunch
“The government’s program to defend the country against bioterrorism attacks has become embroiled in a lobbying war, as rival biotechnology companies seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts turn to influential K Street hired guns. The Bush administration’s $5.6 billion Project BioShield has come under heavy criticism in the wake of contracting problems that led to delays in the purchase of vaccines designed to protect against biological weapons.” (Politico; 15May08; Samuel Loewenberg) http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10351.html

CDC biolab not ready after 2 1/2 years [Atlanta, Georgia]
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new maximum-security laboratories in Atlanta were supposed to open in the fall of 2005. But the suite of Biosafety Level 4 labs — designed to contain the world's most dangerous germs — still haven't been certified as ready to operate. The $214 million building they're in was completed 2 1/2 years ago. CDC officials say nothing is amiss. But the delays have raised concerns about potential construction or design flaws in labs destined to handle smallpox and Ebola viruses.”
(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; 15May08; Alison Young)
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2008/05/15/cdclabs_0515.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13

No clear terror threat in cyanide case [Oklahoma]
“The FBI claims a Texas man told an informant he had a 25-gallon drum with enough cyanide inside to ‘kill a city.’ What he apparently didn't have was a plan to carry out an attack. Jeffrey Don Detrixhe, 38, of Higgins, Texas, was arrested this week in southeastern Oklahoma on a complaint of possession or transfer of a chemical weapon following an FBI sting in which an informant claimed he saw Detrixhe bring home an approximately 4-foot tall drum with cyanide in it.” (Dallas News; 15May08; Jeff Latzke, Associated Press) http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D90MCSB00.html

Germany: clean-up of World War I poison-gas plant finished [Hallschlag]
“The clean-up of a former plant which made horrific German poison-gas shells used in the First World War is complete after 20 years of work, an official told legislators Thursday. The Espagit factory in Hallschlag, Rhineland Palatinate state accidentally exploded in 1920 when an estimated 20,000 poison-gas shells were on the premises. The debris meant the site was an ecological disaster area for decades.” (The Earth Times; 15May08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205689,germany-clean-up-of-world-war-i-poison-gas-plant-finished.html

Exchangites hear incinerator update [Anniston Army Depot, Alabama]
“On Aug. 9, 2003, the incinerator at the Anniston Army Depot became operational and the number of chemical weapons stockpiled at the site has been dropping ever since. The goal of the men and women working for Westinghouse at the facility is to dispose of every chemical weapon before August of 2013. The company has been incentivized to finish before the treaty date, which is April 29 of 2012. We’re working hard to beat that date, said Bob Love of Westinghouse when he spoke to the Jacksonville Exchange Club on May 8.” (The Jacksonville News; 14May08; Jennifer Bacchus) http://www.jaxnews.com/news/2008/jn-localnews-0514-jbacchus-8e14m3607.htm

DEPOT: Problem shuts down chemical weapons incinerator [Hermiston, Oregon]
“Incineration at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Depot Facility has been temporarily stopped as officials investigate why smoke filled part of a furnace area early today [May 14]. The incident happened at 7 a.m. in the furnace area of the liquid incinerator, where VX nerve agent was being burned for disposal, said depot spokesman Bruce Henrickson. No one was injured and there was no danger to the environment or the community, Henrickson said.” (Tri-City Herald; 14May08; Franny White) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/184016.html

Blocked pipes blamed for [Hermiston] Oregon weapons depot smoke
“Blocked pipes have been blamed for smoke that filled a small area of an incinerator plant at the Umatilla Chemical Depot in Hermiston Wednesday. The depot is disposing of deadly VX nerve agent left over from the Cold War. It burned its stockpile of sarin nerve gas, even more deadly, earlier. Depot spokesman Bruce Henrickson said the smoke was in the furnace room of Incinerator No. 1 after some strainers became plugged, leading to an overheating in the pipe system. He said no chemical agent was released.” (Oregon Live; 14May08; Associated Press) http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-24/1210796047237480.xml&storylist=orlocal

High toxin levels found in groundwater at Mie Pref. plant
“The Yokkaichi municipal government inspected a local plant operated by leading chemical manufacturing firm Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha Ltd. on Thursday, after groundwater at the site was found to contain 500 times the acceptable levels of arsenic, and excessive amounts of other toxins. Harmful substances at concentrations greater than those approved by the central government were found by in each of the six observation wells tested by the Osaka-based firm at the Mie Prefecture plant, according to the municipal government. […] Meanwhile, Ishihara Sangyo announced Wednesday that it violated a chemical weapons law by producing the highly toxic chemical phosgene at the same manufacturing plant in 2005 and 2006, without reporting its activities to the central government.” (Yomiuri Shimbun; 16May08) http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080516TDY02301.htm

Computer held by [Abdullah] Khadr's sister contains al-Qaeda files, RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] say
“The RCMP say they have uncovered a treasure trove of al-Qaeda files from a computer once held by Abdullah Khadr's sister, including ‘some sort of military operational plan to infiltrate Burma,’ according to court files seen by The Globe and Mail. In February, 2005, Zaynab Khadr left Pakistan to return to Canada, where she has never been arrested or charged with a crime. Still, the Mounties claim she left behind ‘two large metal containers’ in Pakistan that they searched once they were shipped to Canada on June 15, 2005. Court documents filed in one of her brother's cases show the Mounties say they found a hard drive that includes ‘material dealing with bomb making, ricin, techniques of assassination, chemicals, poisons, silencers, etc; incoming and outgoing e-mails of Zaynab Khadr.’” (Globe and Mail; 15May08; Colin Freeze) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080515.wkhadrzaynab15/BNStory/National/home

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.

'Running a City' in Southern Iraq

American Forces Press Service

March 18, 2008 - Sewers, water, electricity, trash and fuel are services vital to any city in the United States, and urban populations simply cannot function effectively without proper city management. Members of the Oklahoma National Guard face the challenge of bringing these same services to the middle of a desert in southern Iraq. About 30 members of Oklahoma's 1st Battalion, 160th Field Artillery, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, manage a facility with a population of more than 26,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, contractors, Defense Department civilians and detainees at Camp Bucca, Iraq. The camp sits starkly in the middle of the desert -- all commodities and goods must be trucked into the desolate base.

"We are running a city," said Army Lt. Col. David Jordan, 160th Rear Area Operations Center commander.

Many of Oklahoma's 45th soldiers work in the theatre interment facility, which holds about 20,000 detainees. The detainees are being held as an imperative threat to the country's security in accordance with a United Nations Security Council resolution.

In addition to managing services and life support for the camp, the soldiers also work to improve living conditions at the facility. "We're going to increase our gym space to 5,700 square feet," Jordan said. Other projects include a multi-sport field, boxing ring, new office space, ice factory, wastewater treatment plant, improvements to the chapel and a new housing area called Knoxville.

Among the numerous projects to be supervised and managed by the soldiers are 1,000 new beds for servicemembers. Many soldiers currently live in tents.

"We have several couples waiting on the new housing in Knoxville," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell Brickey, who supervises the housing of all troops in and out of the camp. The camp's married couples serve together, but can't currently live together due to a lack of married housing.

The Oklahomans work hand-in-hand with Iraqi contractors to oversee the construction of all new projects. "We still function on time, on target in the field artillery; any projects we've got are focused on time and on target. We will continue to get things done on time – deliver fire at the right time and right place," said executive officer Army Maj. Woody Elmore.

The camp's concrete brick-making facility is run by Iraqi contractors, and the bricks are used throughout the various construction projects on the camp. "The local Iraqi men are good to work with, and we have great cooperation with them. They take great pride in their work; it's their reputation," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Rafe Cummings.

"It's very beautiful – a system for everything, we work through the process and get what we need to do the project with the correct assets," said Ali Jihad, an Iraqi project manager. The Iraqi company lacked modernization during Saddam Hussein's reign, but "now we are bringing construction up to new standards," he added.

(From a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- March 7, 2008

NIH [National Institutes of Health] forms panel to advise agency on BU [Boston University] biolab
“The National Institutes of Health has created a ‘blue ribbon panel,’ including experts on infectious diseases, public health, biodefense and environmental justice, to advise the agency during ongoing reviews of public safety and environmental issues posed by a Boston University laboratory designed to study the world's deadliest germs. In November, another panel of scientists, the National Research Council, concluded that the NIH had failed to adequately address the potential risks to the South End and Roxbury neighbors of the Biosafety Level-4 lab if germs escaped from the facility on the Boston Medical Center campus. The panel will hold its first public meeting next Thursday, March 13 […].” (Boston Globe, 06Mar08)
http://www.boston.com/news/health/blog/2008/03/nih_forms_panel.html

Weapons Labs Biological Research Raises Concerns
“Two U.S. nuclear weapons labs are opening biological research labs capable of studying more dangerous pathogens, raising concerns about the U.S. ability to meet demands for transparency in line with the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). On Jan. 25, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory began operating a new Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) research lab. In addition, Los Alamos National Laboratory is scheduled to complete a federally mandated environmental study on a similar lab in August 2008, enabling the lab to begin operations soon thereafter, if the study findings are favorable. […] Each national laboratory currently operates BSL-2 labs, and the new facilities mark the first time either laboratory has conducted or will conduct BSL-3 studies on-site.” (Arms Control today, March 2008, Jeremy Patterson) http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2008_03/WeaponsLabs.asp

Salt Plains still digging for answers
“The big question is: When will the crystal digging area at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge [in Oklahoma] reopen? The answer is: No one knows. The area has been closed since last April after about 134 vials of blistering solutions used in military chemical warfare training kits were un-earthed about a mile from the public entrance to the crystal digging site. Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge Manager Jon Brock told about 30 people attending a town hall meeting Thursday a search of more than 300 sites identified during a geophysical survey last September will be investigated beginning next week. The search is estimated to take about five weeks.” (Enid News & Eagle, 07Mar08, Cass Rains) http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_067011139.html

Sea-Dumped Chemical Weapons: An Old Problem Resurfaces
“[…] The issue [of sea-dumped chemical weapons] is global in nature and has the potential to affect many littoral nations. Chemical weapons and other surplus munitions were dumped in many of the world’s large bodies of water, including the Baltic Sea, the North Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Indian Ocean, the North Sea, the North and South Pacific Oceans, the Tasman Sea, and the White Sea. The bulk of dumped chemical weapons were deposited in the aftermath of the two World Wars when vast quantities of munitions were seized from defeated enemies or rendered surplus by the end of the conflict. Rather than attempt to maintain huge stockpiles of chemical weapons of uncertain utility for an indefinite period, the decision was made to eliminate the weapons in the most efficient way possible. Although some weapons were eliminated by detonation, open-pit burning, or simple release into the atmosphere, the majority were loaded into ships that were then scuttled or offloaded in designated areas.” (WMD Insights, March 2008, Markus K. Binder) http://wmdinsights.com/I23/I23_G1_Sea-DumpedChemicalWeapons.htm

Looking Back: The Continuing Legacy of Old and Abandoned Chemical Weapons
“Nearly 66 million artillery shells containing chemical weapons were fired during World War I. At least 40 different compounds were weaponized for use on the battlefield. Now, nearly a century later, hundreds of World War I- and World War II-era shells are recovered annually from the European battlefields, mostly in Belgium and France. Nor is the concrete legacy of chemical warfare confined to Europe. Such aged chemical weapons affect countries as far as China. The 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) requires that chemical-weapon possessors meet the treaty’s overall deadline for destruction: April 29, 2012. However, the treaty established particular definitions for such ‘old’ and ‘abandoned’ chemical weapons as well as different destruction and financing requirements. With the treaty’s second review conference scheduled to meet in The Hague in April, states-parties should assess how well the verification of the destruction of such obsolete chemical arms is proceeding.” (Arms Control Today, March 2008, John Hart) http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2008_03/Lookingback.asp

House Bill Important First Step Toward Permanent Chemical Security Regulations
“Today, the House Committee on Homeland Security approved the ‘Chemical Anti-Terrorism Act of 2008.’ ACC [American Chemistry Council] continues to be a strong proponent for federal chemical security regulations and our members have set the standard by voluntarily investing more than $5 billion to enhance security through ACC's Responsible Care Security Code. American Chemistry Council President & CEO Jack N. Gerard issued the following statement: ‘The chemical security bill passed by the House Committee on Homeland Security is an important first step toward establishing a permanent federal regulatory framework for chemical security.’” [Statement continues at the link below.] (PR Newswire, 06Mar08, American Chemistry Council) http://sev.prnewswire.com/chemical/20080306/DC1601706032008-1.html

Fight Over Chemical Ali’s Execution
“The Iraqi government is refusing to execute the Saddam Hussein henchman and cousin known as ‘Chemical Ali’ unless the death sentences of two other Saddam-era officials also are approved. The dispute pits the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki against the three-member presidential council, which moved last week to block the two other executions in what was seen as a possible attempt to appease minority Sunni Arabs. The standoff underscores the often unclear lines of authority in Iraq and is another blow to Iraq's beleaguered judicial system.” (ABC News; 05Mar08; Sameer N. Yacoub and Anna Johnson, AP)
http://www.abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=4391406

News Analysis: Chemical Weapons Parlay’s Outcome Uncertain
“During April 7-18, representatives of 183 states-parties of the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) will meet in The Hague for the second time to review the operation of the treaty and to find ways to adapt it for the future. Although there is likely to be broad agreement that the treaty has registered significant accomplishments in its first decade in operation, it is not clear if there is sufficient political will to tackle current diplomatic, technological, and economic challenges. Moreover, the meeting could be affected by tensions between developed and developing countries and between the United States and Iran that have hampered other multilateral talks.” (Arms Control Today, March 2008, Oliver Meier) http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2008_03/NewsAnalysis.asp?print

Advances in Science and Technology and the Chemical Weapons Convention
“With the second review conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) approaching in April, a raft of studies have appeared making clear that fundamental changes in science and technology are affecting the implementation of the treaty and that it must be adapted to take account of them. The most significant development is the revolution in the life sciences and related technologies, including a growing overlap between chemistry and biology. There is a vastly increased understanding of the functioning of biological systems as a result of the mapping of the human and other genomes as well as of advances in structural biology and the study of proteins (proteomics). Information technology and engineering principles are increasingly integrated into biology. The intersection between chemistry and biology has further expanded thanks in part to the automation of synthesis and screening of chemical compounds enabling laboratories to assess vast numbers of new chemical structures and a much-enhanced understanding of how certain ‘chemicals of biological origin’ act. Technological advances supplement these trends, for example, providing for more efficient means of delivering biologically active chemicals to target populations or targeting organs and receptors within an organism.” (Arms Control Today, March 2008, Ralf Trapp) http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2008_03/Trapp.asp?print

Understanding Ricin
“[…] The Las Vegas incident is the latest in a line of ricin-related episodes stretching back decades. The toxin first made news in 1978, when Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov died after assassins injected ricin into his leg on a London street. Ricin returned to the front pages in the 1990s, when several militia groups in the United States were found to be plotting to use it as a weapon. Ricin again made news after 9/11, when traces of it were mailed to then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and others in Washington (no one was harmed in those still-unsolved cases) and when former secretary of state Colin Powell claimed in his now infamous speech to the United Nations Security Council in February 2003 that Saddam Hussein was using ricin as one of his weapons of mass destruction. Ricin, which is poisonous if inhaled, injected, or ingested, is in its purest form about 500 times more powerful than cyanide—and about 1,000 times less powerful than botulinum, the most lethal toxin known to man. […] Jonathan Tucker, a senior fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, specializes in chemical and biological weapons issues and is an expert on ricin. […] Tucker spoke to Newsweek's Jamie Reno about the latest ricin scare in Las Vegas and shared some background and history of the toxin both in the United States and around the world.” [Interview excerpts follow at the link below.] (Newsweek, 06Mar08, Jamie Reno)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/119641

New Insights Into How Plant Toxin Ricin Kills Cells Could Help Scientists Develop Drugs To Counteract Poisonings
“A powerful plant toxin widely feared for its bioterrorism potential may one day be tamed using findings about how the toxin attacks cells. The findings may also help scientists combat food poisoning episodes such as those recently caused by bacteria-tainted produce and ground meat. Biotechnology researchers at Rutgers University have discovered that ricin, extracted from abundant castor beans, kills cells by a previously unrecognized activity that appears to work in concert with its ability to damage protein synthesis. While those earlier known effects still harm cells, it's the newly discovered and more stealthy activity that the researchers now believe delivers the knockout punch.” (Medical News Today, 07Mar08)
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/99853.php

Origin of ricin [in Las Vegas] still a mystery
“If only Roger Bergendorff could say why vials of deadly ricin, guns and a copy of the The Anarchist Cookbook were found in his Las Vegas motel room. Instead, the struggling graphic artist remained hospitalized Thursday, unconscious and on a ventilator, unable to describe how he and his beloved dog became the focus of a toxic mystery still puzzling investigators. ‘At this stage of the investigation, he could be a perpetrator. He could be a victim. He could be both,’ said FBI agent David Staretz.” (Houston Chronicle; 06Mar08; Ken Ritter, AP) http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5599953.html

Remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security Fifth Year Anniversary
“[…] Before September 11th, we did not scan cargo entering our seaports for radiation and we did not require advance information about every shipment destined for the United States. But today, we scan almost 100 percent of cargo for radiation at our seaports so that we can prevent dangerous weapons from entering the country. We’ve also deployed our Customs and Border Protection officers overseas to work with their foreign counterparts so that we can inspect cargo before it leaves to come to the United States. Before September 11th, we did not have national chemical security standards to protect chemical plants from attacks or to make sure that dangerous chemicals did not fall into the wrong hands. Today, with authority given to us by Congress, we have implemented tough new chemical security standards that will protect chemical facilities as well as chemicals in transit, while ensuring that the products safely reach their intended destinations.” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security Press Release, 06Mar08) http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/speeches/sp_1204896171375.shtm

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- February 22, 2008

Biolab officials face skeptics
“Four officials of the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S.Department of Agriculture faced a demonstrative crowd of about 250 people Thursday night, many of whom waved signs protesting the proposed National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. The officials had come to Creedmoor [North Carolina] to answer local questions about the facility, intended to study and develop countermeasures for foreign diseases such as hoof-and-mouth or swine fever that could enter the U.S. and infect agricultural animals.”
(The News & Observer, 22Feb08, Jim Wise) http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/959021.html

Texas A&M to pay $1 million fine to end ban on biodefense research
“Texas A&M University will pay a $1 million fine to resume biodefense research on campus – the long-awaited federal penalty for failing to report illnesses and infection in its labs last year. In a conference call Wednesday, top university officials said the payment, which is 100 times larger than the fine A&M originally proposed, should put an end to nine months of uncertainty around the research program. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suspended biodefense research at A&M in June.”
(Dallas Morning News, 21Feb08, Emily Ramshaw) http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-biodefense_21tex.ART.State.Edition1.45e1a02.html

[Washington] State preparing for the worst as 2010 Winter Olympics approach
“With the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C., just around the corner, Washington state is using its partnership with British Columbia to prepare for bio terrorist attacks and other public-health emergencies. That cross-country partnership, which has already led to sharing of information on severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, and a salmonella pet-food problem, was noted in a new federal report on health-emergency preparedness. [….] State Secretary of Health Mary Selecky said Washington and Canadian labs and epidemiologists are in constant contact.” (The Seattle Times; 21Feb08; Rachel La Corte, AP) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004193011_emergency21m.html

Amtrak contracts for explosives detection
“New Jersey-based Smiths Detection has been contracted by Amtrak for the recently announced planned upgrade of passenger screening procedures. Under the contract Smiths Detection will supply Amtrak the company's Sabre 4000 detection systems for the quick detection of explosives, narcotics, chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals among other threats.” (UPI, 21Feb08) http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Industry/Briefing/2008/02/21/amtrak_contracts_for_explosives_detection/1496/

Federal Funding Helps Prepare Students For BRAC [Base Realignment and Closure]
“Maryland will need space for new students under the military's Base Realignment and Closure [BRAC] program, but there's also a need for more specialized educational programs. Sen[ator] Barbara Mikulski announced Wednesday that schools will get more than $300,000 in federal dollars to develop programs to help prepare for BRAC. At Aberdeen High School's Science and Mathematics Academy, students work alongside mentors from the Department of Defense at Aberdeen Proving Ground […] Some of Aberdeen's 12th graders shared with Mikulski parts of their projects that were made possible with the federal dollars secured by the senator. ‘What I'm looking at is the decontamination of chemical warfare against warfare agents,’ said student Jacob Burlin. ‘We are studying levels of ketamines and how it affects the heart when you are exposed to a nerve agent,’ said student Ashley Larsen.” (WBAL TV, 20Feb08) http://www.wbaltv.com/news/15358983/detail.html

Salt Plains [Oklahoma] digging area remains closed to the public
“The crystal site at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge will not open for its usual digging period until more than 400 sites within the area can be searched for chemicals, officials said. Last April, about 134 vials of blistering solutions used in military chemical warfare training kits were unearthed about a mile from the public entrance to the crystal digging site after a Bartlesville Boy Scout found a vial on April 21. The crystal digging area has been closed to the public since.” (Enid News, 20Feb08, Cass Rains) http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_051003224.html

Court upholds dismissal of ‘agent orange’ suit
“A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a lower court ruling dismissing a civil lawsuit against major U.S. chemical companies brought by Vietnamese plaintiffs over the use of dioxin, or ‘agent orange,’ during the Vietnam War. The decision was handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York involving a suit brought against Dow Chemical Co, Monsanto Co and nearly 30 other companies that had earlier been dismissed by a U.S. district court.” (Reuters, 22Feb08, Martha
Graybow)
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2257383520080222

Canadian firm cited as potential source for dirty bomb material
“Canada's leading nuclear medicine company has been identified by a U.S. scientific panel as a major source of potential ‘dirty bomb’ materials at American hospitals and research labs, prompting a call to end the use of devices requiring radioactive cesium-137 as soon as possible. The U.S. National Research Council, commissioned by Congress to assess the terrorism risks posed by radioactive substances used for medical and scientific purposes, released a report Wednesday in Washington that highlighted blood irradiators and other machines - hundreds of them supplied to U.S. institutions by Ottawa-based MDS Nordion - as vulnerable to terrorists.” (Canada.com; 21Feb08; Randy Boswell, Canwest News Service)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=3a0f27ab-8fc0-426c-8ff3-7ba93c60b5a1&k=86298

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.

Resources on legal information was instrumental in sponsoring this blog entry.

National Guard Brigades Alerted For Iraq, Afghanistan Deployments

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 19, 2007 - The Defense Department today announced the alert of seven National Guard brigades as replacement forces for Operation Iraqi Freedom, and one National Guard brigade as replacement forces for Operation Enduring Freedom. The announcement for Operation Iraqi Freedom involves Army National Guard brigades totaling about 18,000 troops. Two of the brigades will replace two active-duty brigades currently on the ground and will conduct full-spectrum combat operations, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. Four of the brigades will have a security force mission, he said, and one brigade will have a detention operations mission.

The two brigades that will conduct combat operations are the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, North Carolina National Guard, and the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania National Guard.

The security force brigades are:

-- 56th Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, Texas National Guard;

-- 29th Brigade Combat Team, Hawaii National Guard;

-- 81st Brigade Combat Team, Washington National Guard; and

-- 45th Fires Brigade, Oklahoma National Guard.

The brigade that will conduct detention operations is the 50th Brigade Combat Team, New Jersey National Guard.

The first of these brigades will not deploy until summer, and many won't deploy until late 2008 or 2009, Whitman said. The units are being alerted well in advance of their mobilization to ensure they have adequate time for training and that employers and families have plenty of notice, he said.

Whitman noted that many of these units knew they were coming up in the rotation and will "continue their training now with a clear focus that they're headed to Iraq."

In the case of the brigades that will take over the security force mission, they will be replacing about 160 smaller units that are currently conducting it, Whitman said. This will simplify the command and control for that mission and improve efficiency, he said. He also noted that the overall level of effort in the country will remain the same, as all units being alerted today are replacement forces.

The unit being alerted for deployment to Afghanistan is the 33rd Brigade Combat Team of the Illinois National Guard. This unit is scheduled to replace the 27th Infantry Brigade of the New York Army National Guard, which will deploy in early 2008 and conduct the Afghan training mission, Whitman said. The advance team for the 33rd BCT will deploy in the summer, with the rest of the unit arriving much later next year, he said.