[Anthrax suspect Steven] Hatfill rejected by top U.S. court on New York Times libel suit
“The U.S. Supreme Court refused to revive a defamation lawsuit against New York Times Co. by Steven Hatfill, the former government scientist once wrongly suspected of involvement in the 2001 anthrax attack. The high court, without comment, today rejected Hatfill’s appeal in his suit against the company stemming from a series of columns in 2002 by Nicholas Kristof that described the scientist as the ‘likely culprit.’ Hatfill challenged a federal appeals court’s conclusion that he was a public figure on the subject of bioterrorism. That finding meant he had to show that the Times and Kristof acted with ‘actual malice,’ the toughest legal standard for a defamation plaintiff to meet. Hatfill said he became prominent only because of Kristof’s accusations.” (Bloomberg News; 15Dec08; Greg Stohr) http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aYLV_SWvUfnQ&refer=home
Anthrax kills 13 cows In Sweden
“A rare outbreak of anthrax has killed 13 cows in Sweden, but is unlikely to harm people, says the country's Institute for Infectious Disease Control. The farm near Varberg in western Sweden has been quarantined and the remaining animals treated with antibiotics, which is effective against anthrax, said Bengt Larsson, a spokesman for the Institute. […] The anthrax may have come from the soil, Larsson said, noting traces of the bacteria can remain active for up to 50 years.” (OfficialWire; 14Dec08)
http://www.officialwire.com/main.php?action=posted_news&rid=82526&catid=852
Japan begins trying to remove chemical weapons abandoned in China during WWII
“A Japanese commission began trying to remove abandoned chemical weapons Saturday in the Harbaling area of China's Jilin Province. The weapons had been buried there since World War II.The number of weapons and length of excavation was not made public. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said, commencement of the work marks real progress by Japan to destroy weapons which still pose threats to peoples' lives, property and the local environment. The Chinese authority will supervise the work and provide necessary assistance in the proceedings, according to the Ministry.” (Xinhuanet; 13Dec08; Du Guodong)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/13/content_10498983.htm
Clothing that destroys chemical weapons
“The deployment of chemical weapons in an urban population center isn't simply a hypothetical threat; it has actually happened, most notably in Tokyo. Protection […] usually comes in the form of bulky suits. […] Chemically modified clothing could be a more effective form of protection, […] catalyzing chemical reactions at its surface. French scientists, led by Valérie Keller, sought to enhance textiles with carbon nanotubes to make clothes that can deactivate chemical warfare agents. Keller and his colleagues chose a system that utilizes solar energy to catalyze reactions. By using layer-by-layer deposition, they were able to create a homogenous and thin layer of nanotube material (titanate nanotubes impregnated with tungstate salt) atop mundane textile fibers." (Ars Technica; 15Dec08; Yun Xie) http://arstechnica.com/journals/science.ars/2008/12/15/clothing-that-destroys-warfare-chemicals
Washington is calling [Iran]
“Close advisers of Obama […] are all vigorously preparing the ground for a U.S.-Iran rapprochement. […] [T]he U.S. has a productive dialogue with Iran in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. And the Baker-Hamilton report back in 2006 suggested initiating talks with Iran. What can Obama add to this? […] [I]t would be best to assume that Israel's distress will not change Obama's intentions, and that dialogue with Iran will be the new strategy. There is no cause for panic. Sanctions did not prevent war against Saddam Hussein, and the war against Iraq did not turn the Middle East into a calmer region. Dialogue could be a refreshing change.” (Haaretz; 15Dec08; Zvi Bar’el) http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1046219.html
[Rep. Edward J.] Markey [D-MA]: Nuclear Regulatory Commission reluctance to restrict dirty bomb material could be catastrophic
“Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today slammed a recommendation from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) dismissing efforts to ban or replace a potentially deadly radionuclide, cesium chloride. Though the National Academies of Sciences have labeled cesium chloride so dangerous that it should be phased-out completely, today’s NRC recommendation calls for a sole focus on improving the security of cesium chloride radiation sources. […] Cesium chloride is a highly radioactive isotope that appears in powdered or pellet form, making it highly portable and very dangerous.”
(Press Release, Rep. Markey’s Congressional Office; 12Dec08)
http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=3496&Itemid=125
University of Rochester [NY] to Investigate ‘post-radiation pill’
“The University of Rochester is getting $10.4 million contract from the federal government to investigate medical countermeasures in the event of radiation exposure. The goal is to develop a pill that can be taken in the first 24 to 48 hours after a radiation event, in the event that there aren't enough medical personnel to handle a large amount of people. Researchers will test out eltrombopag, a drug in development that treats low blood platelet counts. Its maker, GlaxoSmithKline, is going to supply the drug to the university.” (WROC-TV; 15Dec08)
http://rochesterhomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=53031
'Nuclear terrorism' [in the Middle East] biggest challenge, says U.K.
“Preventing terrorists from exploiting the nuclear power industry is the biggest challenge facing the Middle East, a top British official said at a meeting in Bahrain. Defence Secretary John Hutton said effective international inspection and regulation of the developing sector would be crucial to maintain security and prevent almost certain disaster. ‘Energy insecurity is driving an expansion of civil nuclear power right across the world,’ he said […]. ‘But the expansion of civil nuclear power also increases the risk of sensitive technologies falling into the wrong hands or being applied for military purposes. […] Nuclear weapons proliferation is a first order security threat that must be dealt with now and not be brushed under the carpet.[…] What we do need is a proper international approach to the problem [of piracy] because it is first the responsibility of the regional nations and then the international community will do what it can with its resources to support that,’” (TradeArabia News Service;
14Dec08)
http://www.tradearabia.com/news/DEF_153653.html
'Terror' is the enemy [Op-Ed: Philip Bobbitt]
“Generals are not the only ones who prepare to fight the previous war. Our experience with 20th-century nation-based terrorists […] still dominates much of our thinking about how to deal with 21st-century global terrorists. Indeed, the lack of new concepts may well be as deadly to our national security as any lack of vaccines. […] We must use available international institutions - like the International Criminal Court, […]. […] [T]he commodification of weapons of mass destruction […] will place enormous demands on our leadership. […] [B]y selecting a former law professor as its new president, the country has thoroughly dismissed the notion that law is an obstacle rather than a guide to achieving security.” [Philip Bobbitt, a law professor at Columbia and a former senior director at the National Security Council] (International Herald Tribune; 15Dec08; Philip Bobbitt) http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/15/opinion/edbobbitt.php
Panama begins radiation detection efforts at two ports
“The U.S. and Panama announced today that radiation detection efforts have begun at two of the busiest seaports in Latin America. Officials from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) participated in a ceremony today in Panama. ‘We are working closely with the Panamanian National Customs Authority and with the private terminal operators in Panama to prevent nuclear terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,’ said NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation William Tobey. ‘The success of this project reflects a strong commitment and desire on behalf of the Government of Panama to secure its ports from illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive materials.’” (National Nuclear Security Administration; 12Dec08) http://www.nnsa.energy.gov/news/2243.htm
Powder in Carson City [NV] causes anthrax scare
“A powdery substance was found in an envelope in the state mailroom Friday with a state official later saying the substance in Carson City was not believed to be dangerous. Initial field testing had showed positive results for anthrax, but a later laboratory test with more sophisticated equipment was negative for anthrax late Friday. Gov. Jim Gibbons'
spokesman Daniel Burns said Friday night that the substance was not considered dangerous […]. A conclusive FBI test was pending late Friday.”
(Reno Gazette-Journal; 13Dec08)
http://www.rgj.com/article/20081213/NEWS/812130340/1321/NEWS
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.
Showing posts with label rochester. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rochester. Show all posts
Monday, December 15, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Deployed New York Guardsmen Honor Fallen Firefighters, 9/11 Victims
By Army Lt. Col. Paul Fanning
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 11, 2008 - Victims of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, were remembered in an emotional ceremony at Camp Phoenix here today. The ceremony began at 5:16 p.m. local time with the sounding of a siren from the Camp Phoenix fire truck to match the time in New York City when the first plane struck the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. Afghanistan time is eight and a half hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast.
The formation of troops in Patriot Square included soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines and the Camp Phoenix-based French and Romanian detachments of Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix.
The task force is led by the New York National Guard's 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, which had many of its soldiers serve at the World Trade Center site immediately following the attacks and has since deployed hundreds of troops for homeland defense missions and for combat service in Iraq. They now serve in Afghanistan as trainers and mentors for the Afghan national security forces.
Today's ceremony was especially poignant to the citizen-soldiers of the 27th because for many, the service that began at Ground Zero has now come full-circle to the land from which the terrorists plotted and then launched their attacks.
"Seven years later, we are left with vivid memories that include sorrow, anger and pride in the courage and determination shown by ordinary people and especially by emergency responders who sacrificed themselves for others," Army Col. Brian K. Balfe, commander of CJTF Phoenix and New York's 27th IBCT, said.
"The images of that day will never leave us. But what also stands out is what we discovered about ourselves. In the face of so much terror, so many Americans rose above their fears. Their call to duty that day was to risk their own lives, to save others," he said.
Army Maj. Dennis Bates, a volunteer fireman from Rochester, N.Y., now serving at Camp Phoenix, paid tribute to the firefighters who responded to the terror attacks.
"The fire service is made up of a unique group of individuals. It takes a special person to go running into a burning building when everyone else is running out," he said. "It is not easy for people to understand and not easy for us to explain. It is something we are, not something we do."
Five serving members of the New York National Guard were lost when the World Trade Center towers collapsed, including three soldiers and two airmen. They were firemen, police officers, emergency services personnel, a security guard and an employee of Windows on the World restaurant.
New York National Guard soldiers served for months in New York City at Ground Zero, bridges, tunnels, train stations and airports. They also provided security at nuclear power plants and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, 12 soldiers took their service oath, having recently re-enlisted in the National Guard.
(Army Lt. Col. Paul Fanning serves in the Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 11, 2008 - Victims of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, were remembered in an emotional ceremony at Camp Phoenix here today. The ceremony began at 5:16 p.m. local time with the sounding of a siren from the Camp Phoenix fire truck to match the time in New York City when the first plane struck the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. Afghanistan time is eight and a half hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast.
The formation of troops in Patriot Square included soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines and the Camp Phoenix-based French and Romanian detachments of Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix.
The task force is led by the New York National Guard's 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, which had many of its soldiers serve at the World Trade Center site immediately following the attacks and has since deployed hundreds of troops for homeland defense missions and for combat service in Iraq. They now serve in Afghanistan as trainers and mentors for the Afghan national security forces.
Today's ceremony was especially poignant to the citizen-soldiers of the 27th because for many, the service that began at Ground Zero has now come full-circle to the land from which the terrorists plotted and then launched their attacks.
"Seven years later, we are left with vivid memories that include sorrow, anger and pride in the courage and determination shown by ordinary people and especially by emergency responders who sacrificed themselves for others," Army Col. Brian K. Balfe, commander of CJTF Phoenix and New York's 27th IBCT, said.
"The images of that day will never leave us. But what also stands out is what we discovered about ourselves. In the face of so much terror, so many Americans rose above their fears. Their call to duty that day was to risk their own lives, to save others," he said.
Army Maj. Dennis Bates, a volunteer fireman from Rochester, N.Y., now serving at Camp Phoenix, paid tribute to the firefighters who responded to the terror attacks.
"The fire service is made up of a unique group of individuals. It takes a special person to go running into a burning building when everyone else is running out," he said. "It is not easy for people to understand and not easy for us to explain. It is something we are, not something we do."
Five serving members of the New York National Guard were lost when the World Trade Center towers collapsed, including three soldiers and two airmen. They were firemen, police officers, emergency services personnel, a security guard and an employee of Windows on the World restaurant.
New York National Guard soldiers served for months in New York City at Ground Zero, bridges, tunnels, train stations and airports. They also provided security at nuclear power plants and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, 12 soldiers took their service oath, having recently re-enlisted in the National Guard.
(Army Lt. Col. Paul Fanning serves in the Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix Public Affairs Office.)
Friday, April 11, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- April 11, 2008
Use Data Capture Technology To Prepare For Emergencies
“The Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI) is a federally funded pilot program introduced to help U.S. cities increase their capacity to deliver medicines and medical supplies during a large-scale public health emergency, such as a bioterrorism attack, flu pandemic, or nuclear accident. […] ‘We determined that working within the 48-hour time constraint would be impossible using paper-based methods to capture information from, store, and retrieve the forms,’ [Steve Mier, Chicago Department of Public Health’s director of administration] says. […] The solution devised by EKI comprises Datacap’s Taskmaster data capture software, Kodak and BÖWE BELL + HOWELL scanners, and an IBM FileNet enterprise content management (ECM) system.” (Enterprise Content Management News and Solutions; 09Apr08) http://www.ecmconnection.com/content/news/article.asp?DocID=%7BE0E27542-1FA3-4959-B807-E26566CC3BEF%7D&Bucket=Supplier+News&VNETCOOKIE=NO
Researchers Pursuing Nasal Anthrax Vaccine
“American researchers have developed a nasal spray anthrax vaccine that provides protection against the potentially deadly bacterium, at least in mice. […] ‘This study is an early stage study,’ said one of the authors, Mingtao Zeng, an assistant professor in the department of microbiology and immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. ‘It can be administered through the mucosa, and it generated an immune response and protected against anthrax. We're very excited about this.’ [… ]In an attempt to simplify the vaccine procedure, so it could be administered nasally and without the need for so many booster shots, the University of Rochester researchers ‘detoxified’ the lethal factor, creating what they called mutant lethal factor (mLF).” (US News & World Report; Serena Gordon; 10Apr08) http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthday/080410/researchers-pursuing-nasal-anthrax-vaccine.htm
Think you know the Health Department? [North Andover, Maryland]
“The department’s main focus right now is bioterrorism. North Andover is part of the region’s Bioterrorism/Public Health Coalition, and recently joined the Greater River Valley Medical Reserve Corps. […] When a resident contacts the Health Department with a food poisoning case, the department will call the person’s doctor and the state to see if there are other outbreaks.” (Wicked Local North Andover; 10Apr08; Sarah Wolfe)
http://www.wickedlocal.com/northandover/news/x1620715542
Politicians fret over military gear resold on eBay, Craigslist
“Controversy over reselling military equipment is hardly new. In recent years, the same subcommittee determined that the Defense Department itself was selling top-grade chemical protective suits and items that could be used to make a biological warfare laboratory to the public. Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), the subcommittee's ranking member, said he was concerned that the military doesn't have a good enough system in place for keeping tabs on its inventory. […] Charles Beardall, the Department of Defense's deputy inspector general for investigations, said his agency has been actively investigating such sales since the early 1990s, and such investigations compose 20 percent of its caseload.” (Cnet News; 10Apr08; Anne Broache) http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9916239-7.html
Malaysia extends detention of five suspected Islamic militants
“Malaysia's government has extended the imprisonment without trial of five alleged Islamic militants, including a former army captain accused of helping the Sept. 11 hijackers, a human rights group said Thursday. […] Yazid [Sufaat], a U.S.-trained biochemist, was arrested in late 2001 when he returned home from Afghanistan, where he was suspected of working on a biological and chemical weapons program. Security officials have said that Yazid, 44, described the program he was developing for al-Qaida as being in the ‘conceptual stages’ when their plans were interrupted by the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.” (PR Inside; 10Apr08; Associated Press) http://www.pr-inside.com/malaysia-extends-detention-of-five-suspected-r529623.htm
Universal Detection Technology Featured on Chinese Language Television Channel, LA18
“With the coming of the Chinese Olympics Games, Chinese authorities and companies have become very interested in cutting edge technologies for bioterrorism detection. UDTT has recently received purchase orders for five-agent bioterrorism detection kits and antimicrobial products from Kadinuo Science and Technology in Beijing. […] There have been recent reports of terrorist activity in China. The Chinese Government has warned that terrorists pose the biggest risk to this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing. Officials say they foiled two plots, one to bring down an airliner, and another to disrupt the summer games. The Chinese government has also stepped up efforts in bio-security to ward off possible bio-terrorism during the coming Olympics.” (Market Wire; 10Apr08)
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=842317
Watchdog Agency: Treaty to Eliminate Chemical Weapons ‘Is Succeeding’
“The agency responsible for implementing the international Chemical Weapons Convention has reported that steady progress is being made to eliminate global stockpiles of chemical weapons and the means to produce them, but warned that a dozen countries must still join the treaty -- including five in the Middle East -- before universal compliance can be assured. […] The Russian Federation has destroyed nearly a quarter of its declared stockpiles and expressed confidence it will achieve destruction of 45% by 2009. For its part, the United States of America has already destroyed half of its declared stockpile and is ahead of its second intermediate deadline. Another State Party is expected to complete destruction of its stockpiles in 2008, India by April 2009, and the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya by 2011.” (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; 08Apr08) http://www.opcw.org/rc2/index.html
Carbon Dioxide: Good for Something?
“For instance, CO2 could take the place of the poisonous gas phosgene in production of certain plastics, according to findings released this week at a meeting of the American Chemical Society by Toshiyasu Sakakura of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukuba, Japan. [...] Sakakura and colleagues developed a new catalyst that efficiently converts CO2 and methanol into a plastic precursor whose synthesis currently requires phosgene. Phosgene, which is derived from petroleum, is particularly nasty. It was used as a chemical warfare agent in World War I.” (Discovery News; 10Apr08; Jessica Marshall) http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/04/10/carbon-dioxide-plastic.html
Guinea pigs tell a testing tale
“Chemical Warfare in Australia, published by the Australian Army History Collection and Australian Military History Publications, focuses on personnel involved in the maintenance and testing of chemicals imported as a retaliatory plan against Japan. It documents the secrecy of production, storage, transportation and disposal of chemicals […] They [the personnel] were guinea pigs for mustard gas and had excruciating burns yet were ribbed for not getting their hands dirty. They were the Australian soldiers whose job it was to test chemical weapons in World War II and they were, until recently, the forgotten men of our war history. That is, until a Berowra resident stumbled across a document detailing the dumping of hazardous materials at sea. […] Some died from the toxic chemicals and many have related illnesses today.” (The Hornsby and Upper North Shore Advocate; 09Apr08; Julie Huffer) http://www.hornsbyadvocate.com.au/article/2008/04/09/2015_stepping_out.html
Tass [news agency] photo show on weapons destruction opens in the Hague
“A photo show of the Itar-Tass news agency on the destruction of chemical weapons in Russia opened on Thursday in the Hague. Representatives from 183 countries members [sic] of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), diplomats, politicians and reporters took part in a ceremony to unveil the photo show. It features 65 photos taken by Tass photographers especially for the exhibition at five Russian chemical weapons disposal sites.” (ITAR-TASS News Agency; 10Apr09) http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=12569744&PageNum=0
Qatar’s role in weapons prohibition hailed
“The International Weapons Prohibition Organisation based in The Hague, Holland, has lauded Qatar for backing the Organisation and its role in promoting the cause of weapons prohibition within the country as well as abroad […] The Qatari ambassador to the Netherlands and the resident envoy to the Weapons Prohibition Committee met with Roheleo Berteer, head of the Weapons Prohibition Organisation.” (The Peninsula; 10Apr08) http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=April2008&file=Local_News2008041022837.xml
UAE calls for stronger international cooperation on non-restricted use of chemicals
“The United Arab Emirates has called on the international community to further boost cooperation on the use of chemicals for non-restricted purposes. […] The UAE calls were made on Wednesday by its Ambassador to the Netherlands Ali Thani Al Suwaidi who heads the UAE delegation to the Second Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention […].”
(Business Intelligence Middle East; 10Apr08)
http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?id=19073&t=1&c=33&cg=4
Drug to protect against radiation
“A drug which may protect the body against damage from radiation has been developed by US scientists. It is hoped it could make radiotherapy safer for people with cancer and could also be used in the event of a ‘dirty bomb’ or nuclear disaster. […] It switches on a biological mechanism that helps healthy cells survive blasts of radiation. […] Researchers developed the drug after looking at how some resistant cancer cells are able to withstand radiotherapy.” (BBC News; 10Apr08) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7341336.stm
Kazakhstan's Scary Uranium Ambitions
“A few months ago a train headed from Kyrgyzstan to Iran was turned back at the Uzbek border after it was found to be carrying highly radioactive material. It had already traveled through southern Kazakhstan without the substance being detected at border checkpoints. […] Already a leading producer of uranium, Kazakhstan intends to dominate the market by 2010. And it aims to move from simply selling raw uranium to exporting nuclear fuel. Kazakhstan holds the second largest reserves of uranium in the world, behind Australia. […] Greenpeace and other environmental groups expressed concern about nuclear proliferation over the Westinghouse deal. They argued that it would jeopardize global security as Kazakhstan may become unstable in the future and terrorists may get hold of the technology to make a dirty bomb.” (Business Week; 09Apr08; Abdujalil
Abdurasulov)
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/apr2008/gb2008049_477876.htm?chan=globalbiz_europe+index+page_energy+%2Bamp%3B+environment
Israel concludes largest civil defence drill
“Israel wound up its largest ever civil defence exercise on Thursday with a simulation of a chemical weapons attack on a hospital and claimed the five days of drills worked well. In the final drill a hospital in the northern city of Afula was evacuated during a simulated chemical weapons strike, a military spokesman said. The home front manoeuvre was aimed at preparing Israel for possible attacks involving conventional weapons as well as missiles equipped with chemical or bacteriological warheads.”
(Agence France Presse; 10Apr08)
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hKcEfxDKweViYgnzLwBvgOM2eJ5A
Syria Plans Emergency Drill amid Fears of War with Israel
“As Israel conducts a big civil-defense drill this week, Syria will hold an unprecedented exercise to test the readiness of the home front for a possible Israeli attack. The drill was announced on state-run Radio Damascus. […] The announcement said the drill will take place in all of Syria's provinces and will test the country's readiness and ability to handle natural disasters and other emergencies.” (Huliq; 09Apr08) http://www.huliq.com/56461/syria-plans-emergency-drill-amid-fears-war-israel
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.
“The Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI) is a federally funded pilot program introduced to help U.S. cities increase their capacity to deliver medicines and medical supplies during a large-scale public health emergency, such as a bioterrorism attack, flu pandemic, or nuclear accident. […] ‘We determined that working within the 48-hour time constraint would be impossible using paper-based methods to capture information from, store, and retrieve the forms,’ [Steve Mier, Chicago Department of Public Health’s director of administration] says. […] The solution devised by EKI comprises Datacap’s Taskmaster data capture software, Kodak and BÖWE BELL + HOWELL scanners, and an IBM FileNet enterprise content management (ECM) system.” (Enterprise Content Management News and Solutions; 09Apr08) http://www.ecmconnection.com/content/news/article.asp?DocID=%7BE0E27542-1FA3-4959-B807-E26566CC3BEF%7D&Bucket=Supplier+News&VNETCOOKIE=NO
Researchers Pursuing Nasal Anthrax Vaccine
“American researchers have developed a nasal spray anthrax vaccine that provides protection against the potentially deadly bacterium, at least in mice. […] ‘This study is an early stage study,’ said one of the authors, Mingtao Zeng, an assistant professor in the department of microbiology and immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. ‘It can be administered through the mucosa, and it generated an immune response and protected against anthrax. We're very excited about this.’ [… ]In an attempt to simplify the vaccine procedure, so it could be administered nasally and without the need for so many booster shots, the University of Rochester researchers ‘detoxified’ the lethal factor, creating what they called mutant lethal factor (mLF).” (US News & World Report; Serena Gordon; 10Apr08) http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthday/080410/researchers-pursuing-nasal-anthrax-vaccine.htm
Think you know the Health Department? [North Andover, Maryland]
“The department’s main focus right now is bioterrorism. North Andover is part of the region’s Bioterrorism/Public Health Coalition, and recently joined the Greater River Valley Medical Reserve Corps. […] When a resident contacts the Health Department with a food poisoning case, the department will call the person’s doctor and the state to see if there are other outbreaks.” (Wicked Local North Andover; 10Apr08; Sarah Wolfe)
http://www.wickedlocal.com/northandover/news/x1620715542
Politicians fret over military gear resold on eBay, Craigslist
“Controversy over reselling military equipment is hardly new. In recent years, the same subcommittee determined that the Defense Department itself was selling top-grade chemical protective suits and items that could be used to make a biological warfare laboratory to the public. Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), the subcommittee's ranking member, said he was concerned that the military doesn't have a good enough system in place for keeping tabs on its inventory. […] Charles Beardall, the Department of Defense's deputy inspector general for investigations, said his agency has been actively investigating such sales since the early 1990s, and such investigations compose 20 percent of its caseload.” (Cnet News; 10Apr08; Anne Broache) http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9916239-7.html
Malaysia extends detention of five suspected Islamic militants
“Malaysia's government has extended the imprisonment without trial of five alleged Islamic militants, including a former army captain accused of helping the Sept. 11 hijackers, a human rights group said Thursday. […] Yazid [Sufaat], a U.S.-trained biochemist, was arrested in late 2001 when he returned home from Afghanistan, where he was suspected of working on a biological and chemical weapons program. Security officials have said that Yazid, 44, described the program he was developing for al-Qaida as being in the ‘conceptual stages’ when their plans were interrupted by the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.” (PR Inside; 10Apr08; Associated Press) http://www.pr-inside.com/malaysia-extends-detention-of-five-suspected-r529623.htm
Universal Detection Technology Featured on Chinese Language Television Channel, LA18
“With the coming of the Chinese Olympics Games, Chinese authorities and companies have become very interested in cutting edge technologies for bioterrorism detection. UDTT has recently received purchase orders for five-agent bioterrorism detection kits and antimicrobial products from Kadinuo Science and Technology in Beijing. […] There have been recent reports of terrorist activity in China. The Chinese Government has warned that terrorists pose the biggest risk to this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing. Officials say they foiled two plots, one to bring down an airliner, and another to disrupt the summer games. The Chinese government has also stepped up efforts in bio-security to ward off possible bio-terrorism during the coming Olympics.” (Market Wire; 10Apr08)
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=842317
Watchdog Agency: Treaty to Eliminate Chemical Weapons ‘Is Succeeding’
“The agency responsible for implementing the international Chemical Weapons Convention has reported that steady progress is being made to eliminate global stockpiles of chemical weapons and the means to produce them, but warned that a dozen countries must still join the treaty -- including five in the Middle East -- before universal compliance can be assured. […] The Russian Federation has destroyed nearly a quarter of its declared stockpiles and expressed confidence it will achieve destruction of 45% by 2009. For its part, the United States of America has already destroyed half of its declared stockpile and is ahead of its second intermediate deadline. Another State Party is expected to complete destruction of its stockpiles in 2008, India by April 2009, and the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya by 2011.” (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; 08Apr08) http://www.opcw.org/rc2/index.html
Carbon Dioxide: Good for Something?
“For instance, CO2 could take the place of the poisonous gas phosgene in production of certain plastics, according to findings released this week at a meeting of the American Chemical Society by Toshiyasu Sakakura of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukuba, Japan. [...] Sakakura and colleagues developed a new catalyst that efficiently converts CO2 and methanol into a plastic precursor whose synthesis currently requires phosgene. Phosgene, which is derived from petroleum, is particularly nasty. It was used as a chemical warfare agent in World War I.” (Discovery News; 10Apr08; Jessica Marshall) http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/04/10/carbon-dioxide-plastic.html
Guinea pigs tell a testing tale
“Chemical Warfare in Australia, published by the Australian Army History Collection and Australian Military History Publications, focuses on personnel involved in the maintenance and testing of chemicals imported as a retaliatory plan against Japan. It documents the secrecy of production, storage, transportation and disposal of chemicals […] They [the personnel] were guinea pigs for mustard gas and had excruciating burns yet were ribbed for not getting their hands dirty. They were the Australian soldiers whose job it was to test chemical weapons in World War II and they were, until recently, the forgotten men of our war history. That is, until a Berowra resident stumbled across a document detailing the dumping of hazardous materials at sea. […] Some died from the toxic chemicals and many have related illnesses today.” (The Hornsby and Upper North Shore Advocate; 09Apr08; Julie Huffer) http://www.hornsbyadvocate.com.au/article/2008/04/09/2015_stepping_out.html
Tass [news agency] photo show on weapons destruction opens in the Hague
“A photo show of the Itar-Tass news agency on the destruction of chemical weapons in Russia opened on Thursday in the Hague. Representatives from 183 countries members [sic] of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), diplomats, politicians and reporters took part in a ceremony to unveil the photo show. It features 65 photos taken by Tass photographers especially for the exhibition at five Russian chemical weapons disposal sites.” (ITAR-TASS News Agency; 10Apr09) http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=12569744&PageNum=0
Qatar’s role in weapons prohibition hailed
“The International Weapons Prohibition Organisation based in The Hague, Holland, has lauded Qatar for backing the Organisation and its role in promoting the cause of weapons prohibition within the country as well as abroad […] The Qatari ambassador to the Netherlands and the resident envoy to the Weapons Prohibition Committee met with Roheleo Berteer, head of the Weapons Prohibition Organisation.” (The Peninsula; 10Apr08) http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=April2008&file=Local_News2008041022837.xml
UAE calls for stronger international cooperation on non-restricted use of chemicals
“The United Arab Emirates has called on the international community to further boost cooperation on the use of chemicals for non-restricted purposes. […] The UAE calls were made on Wednesday by its Ambassador to the Netherlands Ali Thani Al Suwaidi who heads the UAE delegation to the Second Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention […].”
(Business Intelligence Middle East; 10Apr08)
http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?id=19073&t=1&c=33&cg=4
Drug to protect against radiation
“A drug which may protect the body against damage from radiation has been developed by US scientists. It is hoped it could make radiotherapy safer for people with cancer and could also be used in the event of a ‘dirty bomb’ or nuclear disaster. […] It switches on a biological mechanism that helps healthy cells survive blasts of radiation. […] Researchers developed the drug after looking at how some resistant cancer cells are able to withstand radiotherapy.” (BBC News; 10Apr08) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7341336.stm
Kazakhstan's Scary Uranium Ambitions
“A few months ago a train headed from Kyrgyzstan to Iran was turned back at the Uzbek border after it was found to be carrying highly radioactive material. It had already traveled through southern Kazakhstan without the substance being detected at border checkpoints. […] Already a leading producer of uranium, Kazakhstan intends to dominate the market by 2010. And it aims to move from simply selling raw uranium to exporting nuclear fuel. Kazakhstan holds the second largest reserves of uranium in the world, behind Australia. […] Greenpeace and other environmental groups expressed concern about nuclear proliferation over the Westinghouse deal. They argued that it would jeopardize global security as Kazakhstan may become unstable in the future and terrorists may get hold of the technology to make a dirty bomb.” (Business Week; 09Apr08; Abdujalil
Abdurasulov)
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/apr2008/gb2008049_477876.htm?chan=globalbiz_europe+index+page_energy+%2Bamp%3B+environment
Israel concludes largest civil defence drill
“Israel wound up its largest ever civil defence exercise on Thursday with a simulation of a chemical weapons attack on a hospital and claimed the five days of drills worked well. In the final drill a hospital in the northern city of Afula was evacuated during a simulated chemical weapons strike, a military spokesman said. The home front manoeuvre was aimed at preparing Israel for possible attacks involving conventional weapons as well as missiles equipped with chemical or bacteriological warheads.”
(Agence France Presse; 10Apr08)
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hKcEfxDKweViYgnzLwBvgOM2eJ5A
Syria Plans Emergency Drill amid Fears of War with Israel
“As Israel conducts a big civil-defense drill this week, Syria will hold an unprecedented exercise to test the readiness of the home front for a possible Israeli attack. The drill was announced on state-run Radio Damascus. […] The announcement said the drill will take place in all of Syria's provinces and will test the country's readiness and ability to handle natural disasters and other emergencies.” (Huliq; 09Apr08) http://www.huliq.com/56461/syria-plans-emergency-drill-amid-fears-war-israel
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.
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