CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News, March 12, 2010
BNL [Brookhaven National Laboratory] and SBU [Stony Brook University] scientists seek anti-botulism drugs
"Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory, in collaboration with researchers at Stony Brook University's Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, were selected to receive up to $1.4 million in applied research funds from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency at the U.S. Department of Defense to develop drugs that block the paralytic and deadly effects of botulinum neurotoxins. 'There are currently no reliable treatments for botulinum toxin exposure,' said BNL biologist Subramanyam Swaminathan, who leads the collaborative effort. 'It is important to develop a drug that combats the neurotoxic effects to mitigate fears associated with this deadly poison, including the fear of its potential use in bioterrorism attacks.'" (Times Beacon Record; 08Mar10) http://www.northshoreoflongisland.com/Articles-i-2010-03-04-83265.112114-sub_BNL_and_SBU_scientists_seek_antibotulism_drugs.html
Teledyne receives DOD contract to aid nation's CBRN responders
"Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc., has been awarded a contract by the Department of Defense to aid the nation's front line performers in defense against chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive weapons of mass destruction. The contract, awarded under a multiple award indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, is to provide acquisition program and engineering support, research and technology, and program and integration support. Nine other contract winners were announced along with Teledyne Brown, a subsidiary of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, to provide as much as $485 million in support services over the next five years." (Bio Prep Watch; 08Mar10; Tina Redlup)
http://www.bioprepwatch.com/news/212253
Emergency responders should be immunized against anthrax
"Emergency responders arrived at Sen. Tom Daschle's Capitol Hill office on Oct. 15, 2001 suited in personal protective equipment (PPE). One of Daschle's staffers had opened an anthrax[ spore]-laced letter, yet another in a string of bioterrorist attacks that tormented the U.S. psyche in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Nasal swabs taken of those first responders as they exited the building revealed that some had been exposed to anthrax [spores], despite their PPEs and the miniscule amount of spores contained in that letter. Thus, the question was raised: How can first responders provide necessary medical treatment following an anthrax [spore] attack while preserving their own health and safety? Last Friday at the annual EMS Today Conference in Baltimore, Dr. Thomas Waytes added to the continuing discussion, addressing an audience of EMS [emergency medical service] personnel on what specific medical countermeasures are available for protecting emergency responders against anthrax [outbreaks, resulting from] bioterrorism." (Bio Prep Watch; 08Mar10; Andrew Zaleski) http://www.bioprepwatch.com/news/212257
CDC speech addresses both bioterrorism, viral pandemics "
Director of the Center for Disease Control and Environmental Health for the City of Milwaukee Health Department Paul Biedrzycki examined current methods of disease pandemic control, and also addressed bio-terrorism issues. [...] Closing his speech, Biedrzycki turned to the possibility to bio-terrorism. An image flashed on the wall, which indicated threats on a chart, measuring likelihood of occurrence alongside potential impact. For example, while a nuclear bomb has a high potential impact, it has a low likelihood of occurrence. Bio-terrorism has both a high likelihood of occurrence as well as a high likelihood of impact. Anthrax was used as an illustrative point by Biedrzycki. 'Think of a thimble kind of spreading evenly in this room, infecting most of you within 96 hours with about 80 percent of you dying,' Biedrzycki said." (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Post; 08Mar10; Tom Swieciak) http://www.uwmpost.com/2010/03/08/cdc-speech-addresses-both-bioterrorism-and-viral-pandemics/
DOD has not made decision about [chemical] weapons
"Contrary to an Associated Press news story published by the Richmond Register and many other newspapers around the county, the defense department has made no final decision to destroy problematic mustard agent artillery projectiles stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot, said Jeff Brubaker, the government's site manager for the project to destroy the chemical weapons stored there. He spoke during a break in the quarterly meeting Tuesday of the Chemical Destruction Citizens Advisory Board at Eastern Kentucky University. Given the problems that other depots have encountered with destroying similar mustard weapons, some from the same production lot as those stored here, destroying them in detonation chambers, a long-proven technology, likely will be the most practical alternative, Brubaker said." (Richmond Register; 10Mar10; Bill Robinson) http://richmondregister.com/localnews/x1897232173/DOD-has-not-made-decision-about-weapons
Chemical weapons destruction plant plans aired [Richmond, KY]
"Two panels will meet Tuesday in Richmond, and an update on construction of a plant where chemical weapons will be destroyed is expected. The Citizens' Advisory Commission and the Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board meet at 1:30 p.m. EST at Eastern Kentucky University's Carl D. Perkins Building. The plant will destroy chemical weapons stored at Blue Grass Army Depot. The public will be able to comment during the meeting Tuesday." (Associated Press; 09Mar10)
http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=12107646
Depot's mustard stockpile inspected
"Five inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, based in the Netherlands, conducted an annual inspection last week of the mustard agent stockpile at the Pueblo Chemical Depot. [...] Over four days, the inspectors took a physical inventory of every igloo at the depot. Inspectors represented South Korea, Spain, Romania and Russia, as well as the United States. Lisabeth Wachutka, depot treaty compliance officer, said afterward, 'This operation was a smooth and professional endeavor. All parties involved worked together to execute a highly successful inspection.'" (Pueblo Chieftain; 09Mar10; John Norton) http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2010/03/09/news/local/doc4b95e7b989720303527655.txt
UK white supremacist admits poison terror[ism] charge
"A British white supremacist has pleaded guilty to producing the deadly poison ricin and preparing for acts of terrorism. Truck driver Ian Davison and his teenage son Nicky were arrested in June in northern England. Police say traces of ricin were found in a jam jar at Davison's home. [...] Davison pleaded guilty Monday at Newcastle Crown Court to producing a chemical weapon -- ricin -- and preparing for acts of terrorism. Details of his targets were not released." (Boston Herald; 08Mar10) http://www.bostonherald.com/news/international/europe/view/
20100308uk_white_supremacist_admits_poison_terror_charge/
Race on to sniff out dirty bombs
"Dr [David] Boardman, a physicist at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation in Sydney, is working to reduce false alarms in detectors deployed at ports and airports to scan cargo for radioactive isotopes. The work is part of an international effort to prevent [the transport of] dirty bombs, devices that would use conventional explosives to disperse radioactive material stolen from civil sites. He is one of 160 scientists in Canberra this week for the annual Science Meets Parliament forum. Organised by the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies, the event is aimed at giving scientists more political clout. The scientists will brief politicians at Parliament House. Dr Boardman's work comes amid fears that radioactive isotopes, such as caesium-137, a source of highly penetrative gamma radiation used in industry, could be stolen, winding up in terrorist 'weapons of mass disruption'. Dirty bombs would not be nearly as powerful as ordinary [sic] nuclear weapons but would cause chaos and fear, and contaminate large areas." (Australian; 10Mar10; Cheryl Jones)
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/race-on-to-sniff-out-dirty-bombs/story-e6frgcjx-1225838861956
China's nuclear warhead storage and handling system
"Transparency and accountability are fundamental enablers for arms control and nuclear weapon safety and security. As noted in a United Nations-supported Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission report, 'increased transparency of nuclear-weapons-related information is an indispensable prerequisite for more progress in nuclear disarmament and its verification.' Among the least understood elements of the world's nuclear weapon arsenal is the People's Republic of China's (PRC) system for storing and maintaining its nuclear warhead stockpile. The dearth of information is in part purposeful – its nuclear warhead stockpile naturally is among China's most closely guarded secrets." (Project 2049 Institute; 12Mar10; Mark A. Stokes) http://project2049.net/documents/chinas_nuclear_warhead_storage_and_handling_system.pdf
How N. Korea goes about exporting arms
"Curbing North Korea's illicit arms trade is difficult since the renegade country launders containers carrying weapons three or four times, a defector who was in charge of illicit arms deals told the Chosun Ilbo on Monday. The defector revealed that a factory in Jagang Province, which is believed to produce tractors, is the center of the communist country's weapons production, including chemical warheads. [...] North Korea's main weapons production base is Kanggye General Tractor Plant No. 26. Before the Korean War, the plant was based in Pyongyang and made Soviet-designed PPSh 41 submachine guns but has since been relocated. Over 10,000 workers there manufacture ammunition and even chemical weapons. The People's Armed Forces is in charge of chemical weapons production. 'The Bio-chemical research center affiliated with the military is located next to the Kanggye plant,' the defector said. 'The toxic gases produced at the research center are loaded onto warheads manufactured at the plant.'" (Chosun Ilbo; 13Mar10) http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/03/10/2010031000953.html
Agni-V to be test-fired within a year [discusses CBRN detection]
"[...] [Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist Dr. W] Selvamurthy further said that the DRDO has also taken major steps to combat NBC (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical) Warfare. 'The DRDO has invented a 'Portable Gas Chromatograph' which can detect chemical warfare agents. This has been converted into a three chemical paper which will be placed on the uniform and any change in colour will enable the soldiers to detect chemical contamination,' he added. On the threat of biological warfare, he said that DRDO has invented an antigen-based diagnostic kit that would help diagnosis of typhoid, leptospirosis, dengue, H1N1, malaria, plague, anthrax and other diseases. 'DRDO has developed a H1N1 kit which is much superior to the existing kits used worldwide. The kits used across the world cost Rs 8,000, while the kit invented by DRDO would cost only Rs 1,000. Using these kits, the detection of the H1N1 virus can be done within 1 hour while the normal kit would take around 10-12 hours,' he added. Besides, the invention of Recce Vehicles and Remotely Operated Vehicle Daksh would also help in identifying chemically contaminated areas. Remote Operate Vehicles have also been helping in the removal of radiation source which can be a problem for the soldiers. DRDO has also come out with mobile decontamination vehicles,' said Selvamurthy." (Express Buzz; 12Mar10)
http://goo.gl/Kuz4
Additional death counted in Tokyo sarin attack
"Japanese authorities have identified an additional fatality in the 1995 terrorist attack in which sarin nerve agent was released inside the Tokyo subway system, Jiji Press reported Saturday. The person has become the 13th confirmed death in the strike by the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult. The identification follows enactment of 2008 legislation on compensation for the incident. The newly recognized victim was in the area of the attacks and afterward showed signs of exposure to sarin. The unidentified person died in a bathtub two days after the incident." (Global Security Newswire; 09Mar10) http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20100308_6468.php
U.S. anti-WMD troops join military drills in S. Korea
"U.S. troops who would be tasked with eliminating North Korea's weapons of mass destruction in the event of armed conflict are participating in military drills with South Korea, the top U.S. commander in the country said Thursday. 'They are here for this exercise and if we ever went to war, they would naturally come also,' Army Gen. Walter Sharp told reporters at Yongsan Garrison, the main U.S. military headquarters in central Seoul. Sharp said that the troops are carrying out daily exercises with South Korean troops to practice locating, securing and eliminating the North's weapons of mass destruction. The North, believed to have enough weaponized plutonium for at least a half-dozen bombs, quit international disarmament-for-aid negotiations and conducted a second nuclear test last year, drawing tightened U.N. sanctions. Pyongyang also has been developing a long-range missile designed to strike the U.S., and has stockpiled between 2,500 and 5,000 tons of chemical agents and is believed to be capable of producing biological weapons, according to South Korea's Defense Ministry." (Associated Press; 11Mar10; Kwang-tae Kim)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iURO8fOyW
VOA0ytFlaAGuC9F7R9wD9ECD3PO1
Smart phones to the rescue
"Is your smart phone smart enough to save your life? Future cellphones may be tricked out with James Bond-like technology capable of alerting users to fires, carbon monoxide or toxic chemicals, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The genius phones will likely hit stores in a year or two, with as many as 40 prototypes ready for testing by next year, said Stephen Dennis, program manager for the DHS-sponsored project. Phones doubling as biological or radiological detectors may be a few years down the pike, he said, and they'll detect the presence of radiation, anthrax [bacteria] and other threats." (New York Post; 12Mar10) http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/smart_phones_to_the_rescue_91pEZN6ZMeLHsmRjm2VjIO
UPMC [University of Pittsburgh Medical Center] gets new partners in plan for vaccine factory [PA]
"An ambitious plan to build a vaccine factory in the Pittsburgh area is gaining momentum with the announcement Thursday of three new partners in the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center project. Battelle, IBM and Merck & Co. Inc. are partnering with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in the development of a first of its kind vaccine factory, the hospital network announced. The new partners join GE Healthcare in pursuing construction of the facility, which UPMC wants to operate in partnership with the federal government as a way to respond quickly to chemical, biological or radiological threats such as a bioterrorist attack. The plant would be funded by the federal government and operate as a nonprofit UPMC subsidiary. Last year, UPMC President and CEO Jeffrey Romoff said he favored a site near the old Pittsburgh International Airport for the factory. The cost of the plan had been estimated at $900 million, but recent estimates were lower. An exact figure was not available." (Pittsburgh Business Times; 11Mar10; Kris B. Mamula) http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2010/03/08/daily37.html
New bioscience grant awarded to K[ansas]-State [University]
"K-State was recently awarded a $12 million grant to partner with the Department of Homeland Security and create a Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases. The grant will be split up over six years with K-State's Center receiving $2 million every year. [...] [Dr. Juergen Richt] indicated the national government was uneasy with its capacity to handle biological warfare. 'Several Senators in Washington were looking at how the U.S. was prepared for future biological attacks, weapons of mass destruction and biological terrorism, and they concluded that the federal government is ill-prepared for such an attack,' Richt said. The grant will try to address threats to America's food supply, public health and agricultural systems. Richt said his team will be performing several different types of projects including vaccines, detection, epidemiology surveillance and education. Some of the diseases they will be exploring include avian flu, rift valley fever and foot and mouth disease." (Kansas State Collegian; 10Mar10; Austin Enns)
http://www.kstatecollegian.com/news/new-bioscience-grant-awarded-to-k-state-1.2186842
Agroterrorism awareness elevated at workshop
"Two experts in the field of Agroterrorism conducted a workshop Tuesday for a diverse mix of students. The focus was how to identify acts of agroterrorism and how to react if such an act is suspected. The five-hour workshop is designed to 'raise awareness regarding the impact of agroterrorism on the food system, animal and plant heath, the public's physical and mental health, and financial well-being of communities.' It was organized by Nick Marino, a homeland security specialist who plans and executes emergency preparedness for Berkeley County. [...] Some 50 students attended the workshop held at Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner. Many were employees of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Others who attended were professors from the College of Charleston, American Red Cross workers, Clemson Extension agents, and members of various police, fire, sheriff and rescue squad departments. One group of attendees was several home-schooled teenagers from Beaufort whose instructors include emergency preparedness in their curriculum. The course, which awarded certificates of completion if a written test given at the end was passed, included information about food supply infrastructure, agroterrorism response roles and training resources." (Myrtle Beach Restaurant News; 10Mar10; Becky Billingsley)
http://www.myrtlebeachrestaurantnews.com/news/3-food-bytes/837
Study: federal funds support health depts., but leadership is key
"The surge of funds for bioterrorism preparedness over the past decade does not appear to be improving local public health resources in general, according to research from Purdue University. However, the funding increase to health departments does spur epidemiologic activity that is key in detecting infectious disease risks, such as a surge in communicable disease like influenza or tuberculosis, at the local level, says George Avery, an assistant professor of health and kinesiology. [...] Avery and co-author Tim Wright, senior lecturer of health education at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, published their findings this month in the Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The research is based on 1,798 health departments' responses to the 2005 National Association of City and County Health Officers Survey of Local Health Departments. The researchers compared sources and amounts of funding to leadership and program outcomes. They found that leadership and the existence of directors and boards of health in the local health departments made a difference in supporting programs and activities." (Eureka! Science News; 09Mar10) http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/03/09/study.federal.funds.support.health.depts.leadership.key
Play2Train program named federal virtual worlds challenge finalist
"The U.S. Army Simulation and Training Technology Center named the Idaho State University 'Play2Train' Second Life application produced by Rameshsharma Ramloll as a finalist for the inaugural Federal Virtual Worlds Challenge. [...] 'Play2Train' is a 3D virtual place where geographically separated learners, subject-matter experts and content builders meet as avatars to create collaboratively immersive learning experiences for the health care, emergency preparedness and educational services industry. The program's objective is to enhance the knowledge and skills of health care professionals to meet the public health preparedness and emergency response demands resulting from acts of bioterrorism and other incidents. More information on Play2Train is available at http://www.play2train.org." (Idaho State University; 09Mar10)
http://www2.isu.edu/headlines/?p=2426
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 terrorism news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label terrorism news. Show all posts
Friday, March 12, 2010
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News-April 18, 2008
Eurasian Secret Services Daily Review: Russian army dispatches spies to Israel
“A former employee of the General Security Service (SHABAK) of Israel reveals methods of recruitment by the Russian military counter-intelligence agents for work in Israel. They stay under a kind of new repatriates in Israel, according to IzRus. […] Avraham Marcus Klingberg, revealed by ‘a double agent,’ nicknamed Samaritan, is considered the most high-ranking Soviet spy neutralized by the Israeli counter-intelligence. He was born in Warsaw in 1918, and in 1948 repatriated to Israel. At the moment of arrest he was one of the country’s leading experts in development of biological weapons and held a post of deputy head of the top-secret Israel Institute for Biological Research in Nes Tziona. Has [sic] started to cooperate with the KGB in 1950.” (Axis Information & Analysis; 16Apr08)
http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=1534
Man at center of Las Vegas ricin case arrested, charged
“Roger Bergendorff […] is charged with possession of a biological toxin and two weapons offenses stemming from materials authorities said were found Feb. 26 and Feb. 28 in his room at an extended-stay motel several blocks off the Las Vegas Strip. […] The three charges carry a possible penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a $750,000 fine […].” (Associated Press; 16Apr08; Ken Ritter)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jHS90ne-2-wjkHu_N158TrQ_wJpwD9033BGO1
Crumbling state health labs flagged [Wisconsin]
“The testing of some of the most potentially dangerous substances is being done in outdated and overcrowded state labs, the State Building Commission was told Wednesday. In response, the commission approved $1.18 million to plan a $58 million facility that, starting in 2012, could house both the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection laboratories. […] ‘In the event of a serious biological incident or chemical incident, we would be very limited in our ability to appropriately or quickly respond to the needs of the state,’
Brokopp [Dr. Charles Brokopp, Wisconsin state hygiene lab director] said.”
(The Capital Times; 17Apr08; Kevin Murphy)
http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/282025
Emergency Preparedness Fair coming to Bentonville [Arkansas]
“But where to start? What is most important? Can people afford it? These questions and a lot more will be answered at the second annual Northwest Arkansas Emergency Preparedness Fair in Bentonville on April 26. […] There will be information about preparing for tornadoes, floods, house fires, medical emergencies and stranger danger, as well as issues such as personal safety and abuse. […] Medical helicopters, National Guard vehicles, a fire truck, fire gear and a smokehouse from the Bentonville Fire Department will be available for children to explore. There will also be a Civic Air Patrol simulator, an Emergency Mobile Command Unit and a bioterrorism trailer on site.” (The Benton County Daily Record; 16Apr08; Julia Bernards) http://nwanews.com/bcdr/News/60850/
Disease Detectives Help Communities, Nations with Outbreaks
“For every deadly fire or explosion that happens around the world, large numbers of terrified people can be seen running from the devastation. A very few - emergency responders - run toward the smoke and flames. A similar, but less well-known, phenomenon occurs when a lethal virus or bacterium invades a city or country, or an unknown chemical sickens or kills people in a community. […] EIS [Epidemic Intelligence Service] was established with 23 students in 1951 as an early warning system for biological warfare and intentional epidemics. Today it is a surveillance-and-response unit for epidemics, including chronic disease and injuries, all over the world. […] In October 2006, CDC [Center for Disease Control] was asked to investigate several illnesses and deaths from kidney failure in Panama. When the epidemiologists ‘counted,’ Hamilton said, ‘the one thing the [patients] had in common was cough syrup they had gotten from the government pharmacy.’” (News Blaze; 16Apr08; Cheryl Pellerin) http://newsblaze.com/story/20080416083949tsop.nb/newsblaze/WORLDNEW/World-News.html
$9 Billion for Bio Weapons Prevention and Defense in 2009, Total Spending Since 2001 Over $57 Billion
“In a new analysis released today, the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation reported that the U.S. government has spent or allocated over $48 billion to address the threat of biological weapons since September 2001. For fiscal year (FY) 2009, the Bush administration is proposing an additional $9 billion in bioweapons-related spending, approximately $2.5 billion (or 4%) more than the amount Congress appropriated in FY2008. The majority of the increase represents the release of the final $2.175 billion approved by Congress in 2004 for advanced development and procurement of medical countermeasures to biological weapons agents under Project BioShield.” (Common Dreams; 15Apr08; Alan Pearson) http://www.commondreams.org/news2008/0415-16.htm
Great efficacy of the Cuban Antimeningococic Immunoglobulin
“In his statements to the AIN, the president of the Vaccine Experts Committee in Cuba underlined that this hemoderivative is an important option in the treatment of infectious diseases without vaccines or immunogens in certain stage that let to increase its use [sic]. […] The academician of the Academic of Sciences of Cuba stated that this alternative of passive hyperimmune specific therapy takes on special significance when outbreaks and epidemics of emergent and remergent affections appear in the world together with the threats of bioterrorism or biological wars.” (Cuban Daily News; 16Apr08) http://www.cubaheadlines.com/2008/04/16/10521/great_efficacy_of_the_cuban_antimeningococic_immunoglobulin.html
No one ready for next crisis, nurses warn
“The study, to be released today, began about two years after the SARS outbreak of 2003 claimed 44 lives in the Toronto area. It took more than three years to complete and included five focus groups comprised of 100 registered nurses, registered practical nurses and nurse managers. The sessions were conducted in Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax between November 2005 and February 2006. […] During a crisis, the health of front-line workers must be protected to meet ‘surge capacity’ needs. If it’s not, the health care workforce will shrink due to illness, quarantine and refusal to work, the study found. But the nurses surveyed said they were already working at maximum capacity. ‘The terrible secret is that there is no surge capacity,’ one participant told the researchers.”
(Ottawa Citizen; 17Apr08; Joanne Laucius).
http://www.canada.com/globaltv/national/health/story.html?id=61ac9a20-d08d-4cd4-a1e8-990253f03a19
Mission To Monitor Munitions Dumped Off Oahu [Hawaii]
“Members of the Waianae community want to know, what are the harmful affects of rotting chemical and conventional weapons dumped in leeward waters? Thousands of shells sit on coral reefs and the ocean floor and after 60 years, they are in a fragile state. […] ‘What we are doing in this next effort is to go back over a longer period of time, determine water quality and determine if there is a any sort of impact the aquatic life in that area,’ explained Tad Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Environment, Safety and Occupational Health.” (KHNL NBC 8; 15Apr08; Beth Hillyer)
http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?S=8172965
Baghdad recognizes Anfal as genocide
“The KRG Minister of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs, Chinar Saad Abdullah, attended a session of Iraqi Parliament on April 14 […] She explained to Parliament members that the former Baath system used against her people the most brutal oppressions of ‘murder, displacement, genocide, rape, and use of chemical weapons.’ She added in her statement that these policies were used ‘to crack down on the (Kurdish) liberation movements, which were working to achieve legitimate ethnic and humanitarian rights and hopes also [sic] the chauvinist policy was practiced for removing the Kurdish ethnic identity.’” (The Kurdish Globe; 16Apr08; Ako Muhammed) http://www.kurdishglobe.net/displayArticle.jsp?id=71F7A3CB932CC06F89CE249AE499C6FB
Nerve agent detector on a chip
“A lab on a chip that can detect traces of sarin and related neurotoxins in a small drop of blood has been made by Nam-Trung Nguyen at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore~and colleagues at DSO National Laboratories, Singapore. Nguyen says that the device would allow the first responders to a terrorist strike, such as the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack, to quickly distinguish the 'worried well' from genuinely exposed individuals requiring treatment.” (Chemical Technology; 16Apr08; James Mitchell Crow) ttp://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemTech/Volume/2008/05/Nerve_agent_detector.asp
Scientists, critics say projected US missile defense system cannot work
“A group of prominent scientists who have been critical of missile defense plans told lawmakers Wednesday that a system being built by the United States cannot protect the country. […] ‘The primary responsibility, that of protecting the United States against attack by nuclear weapons or biological weapons, is a failure and will remain so for the foreseeable future, so long as MDA [Missile Defense Agency] attempts to carry it out by midcourse intercept,’ said Richard Garwin, a renowned physicist credited with playing a major role in the design of the first hydrogen bomb.” (International Herald Tribune; 17Apr08; Associated Press) http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/16/america/NA-GEN-US-Missile-Defense.php
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
“A former employee of the General Security Service (SHABAK) of Israel reveals methods of recruitment by the Russian military counter-intelligence agents for work in Israel. They stay under a kind of new repatriates in Israel, according to IzRus. […] Avraham Marcus Klingberg, revealed by ‘a double agent,’ nicknamed Samaritan, is considered the most high-ranking Soviet spy neutralized by the Israeli counter-intelligence. He was born in Warsaw in 1918, and in 1948 repatriated to Israel. At the moment of arrest he was one of the country’s leading experts in development of biological weapons and held a post of deputy head of the top-secret Israel Institute for Biological Research in Nes Tziona. Has [sic] started to cooperate with the KGB in 1950.” (Axis Information & Analysis; 16Apr08)
http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=1534
Man at center of Las Vegas ricin case arrested, charged
“Roger Bergendorff […] is charged with possession of a biological toxin and two weapons offenses stemming from materials authorities said were found Feb. 26 and Feb. 28 in his room at an extended-stay motel several blocks off the Las Vegas Strip. […] The three charges carry a possible penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a $750,000 fine […].” (Associated Press; 16Apr08; Ken Ritter)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jHS90ne-2-wjkHu_N158TrQ_wJpwD9033BGO1
Crumbling state health labs flagged [Wisconsin]
“The testing of some of the most potentially dangerous substances is being done in outdated and overcrowded state labs, the State Building Commission was told Wednesday. In response, the commission approved $1.18 million to plan a $58 million facility that, starting in 2012, could house both the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection laboratories. […] ‘In the event of a serious biological incident or chemical incident, we would be very limited in our ability to appropriately or quickly respond to the needs of the state,’
Brokopp [Dr. Charles Brokopp, Wisconsin state hygiene lab director] said.”
(The Capital Times; 17Apr08; Kevin Murphy)
http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/282025
Emergency Preparedness Fair coming to Bentonville [Arkansas]
“But where to start? What is most important? Can people afford it? These questions and a lot more will be answered at the second annual Northwest Arkansas Emergency Preparedness Fair in Bentonville on April 26. […] There will be information about preparing for tornadoes, floods, house fires, medical emergencies and stranger danger, as well as issues such as personal safety and abuse. […] Medical helicopters, National Guard vehicles, a fire truck, fire gear and a smokehouse from the Bentonville Fire Department will be available for children to explore. There will also be a Civic Air Patrol simulator, an Emergency Mobile Command Unit and a bioterrorism trailer on site.” (The Benton County Daily Record; 16Apr08; Julia Bernards) http://nwanews.com/bcdr/News/60850/
Disease Detectives Help Communities, Nations with Outbreaks
“For every deadly fire or explosion that happens around the world, large numbers of terrified people can be seen running from the devastation. A very few - emergency responders - run toward the smoke and flames. A similar, but less well-known, phenomenon occurs when a lethal virus or bacterium invades a city or country, or an unknown chemical sickens or kills people in a community. […] EIS [Epidemic Intelligence Service] was established with 23 students in 1951 as an early warning system for biological warfare and intentional epidemics. Today it is a surveillance-and-response unit for epidemics, including chronic disease and injuries, all over the world. […] In October 2006, CDC [Center for Disease Control] was asked to investigate several illnesses and deaths from kidney failure in Panama. When the epidemiologists ‘counted,’ Hamilton said, ‘the one thing the [patients] had in common was cough syrup they had gotten from the government pharmacy.’” (News Blaze; 16Apr08; Cheryl Pellerin) http://newsblaze.com/story/20080416083949tsop.nb/newsblaze/WORLDNEW/World-News.html
$9 Billion for Bio Weapons Prevention and Defense in 2009, Total Spending Since 2001 Over $57 Billion
“In a new analysis released today, the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation reported that the U.S. government has spent or allocated over $48 billion to address the threat of biological weapons since September 2001. For fiscal year (FY) 2009, the Bush administration is proposing an additional $9 billion in bioweapons-related spending, approximately $2.5 billion (or 4%) more than the amount Congress appropriated in FY2008. The majority of the increase represents the release of the final $2.175 billion approved by Congress in 2004 for advanced development and procurement of medical countermeasures to biological weapons agents under Project BioShield.” (Common Dreams; 15Apr08; Alan Pearson) http://www.commondreams.org/news2008/0415-16.htm
Great efficacy of the Cuban Antimeningococic Immunoglobulin
“In his statements to the AIN, the president of the Vaccine Experts Committee in Cuba underlined that this hemoderivative is an important option in the treatment of infectious diseases without vaccines or immunogens in certain stage that let to increase its use [sic]. […] The academician of the Academic of Sciences of Cuba stated that this alternative of passive hyperimmune specific therapy takes on special significance when outbreaks and epidemics of emergent and remergent affections appear in the world together with the threats of bioterrorism or biological wars.” (Cuban Daily News; 16Apr08) http://www.cubaheadlines.com/2008/04/16/10521/great_efficacy_of_the_cuban_antimeningococic_immunoglobulin.html
No one ready for next crisis, nurses warn
“The study, to be released today, began about two years after the SARS outbreak of 2003 claimed 44 lives in the Toronto area. It took more than three years to complete and included five focus groups comprised of 100 registered nurses, registered practical nurses and nurse managers. The sessions were conducted in Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax between November 2005 and February 2006. […] During a crisis, the health of front-line workers must be protected to meet ‘surge capacity’ needs. If it’s not, the health care workforce will shrink due to illness, quarantine and refusal to work, the study found. But the nurses surveyed said they were already working at maximum capacity. ‘The terrible secret is that there is no surge capacity,’ one participant told the researchers.”
(Ottawa Citizen; 17Apr08; Joanne Laucius).
http://www.canada.com/globaltv/national/health/story.html?id=61ac9a20-d08d-4cd4-a1e8-990253f03a19
Mission To Monitor Munitions Dumped Off Oahu [Hawaii]
“Members of the Waianae community want to know, what are the harmful affects of rotting chemical and conventional weapons dumped in leeward waters? Thousands of shells sit on coral reefs and the ocean floor and after 60 years, they are in a fragile state. […] ‘What we are doing in this next effort is to go back over a longer period of time, determine water quality and determine if there is a any sort of impact the aquatic life in that area,’ explained Tad Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Environment, Safety and Occupational Health.” (KHNL NBC 8; 15Apr08; Beth Hillyer)
http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?S=8172965
Baghdad recognizes Anfal as genocide
“The KRG Minister of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs, Chinar Saad Abdullah, attended a session of Iraqi Parliament on April 14 […] She explained to Parliament members that the former Baath system used against her people the most brutal oppressions of ‘murder, displacement, genocide, rape, and use of chemical weapons.’ She added in her statement that these policies were used ‘to crack down on the (Kurdish) liberation movements, which were working to achieve legitimate ethnic and humanitarian rights and hopes also [sic] the chauvinist policy was practiced for removing the Kurdish ethnic identity.’” (The Kurdish Globe; 16Apr08; Ako Muhammed) http://www.kurdishglobe.net/displayArticle.jsp?id=71F7A3CB932CC06F89CE249AE499C6FB
Nerve agent detector on a chip
“A lab on a chip that can detect traces of sarin and related neurotoxins in a small drop of blood has been made by Nam-Trung Nguyen at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore~and colleagues at DSO National Laboratories, Singapore. Nguyen says that the device would allow the first responders to a terrorist strike, such as the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack, to quickly distinguish the 'worried well' from genuinely exposed individuals requiring treatment.” (Chemical Technology; 16Apr08; James Mitchell Crow) ttp://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemTech/Volume/2008/05/Nerve_agent_detector.asp
Scientists, critics say projected US missile defense system cannot work
“A group of prominent scientists who have been critical of missile defense plans told lawmakers Wednesday that a system being built by the United States cannot protect the country. […] ‘The primary responsibility, that of protecting the United States against attack by nuclear weapons or biological weapons, is a failure and will remain so for the foreseeable future, so long as MDA [Missile Defense Agency] attempts to carry it out by midcourse intercept,’ said Richard Garwin, a renowned physicist credited with playing a major role in the design of the first hydrogen bomb.” (International Herald Tribune; 17Apr08; Associated Press) http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/16/america/NA-GEN-US-Missile-Defense.php
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
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.
Monday, April 07, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- April 7, 2008
Cisco releases Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security
“Cisco Systems Inc., announced last week the Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security, a technology platform designed to enable government agencies to protect assets, employees and citizens through a secure, intelligent, converged network. Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security supports the growing needs of defense, civilian, public safety, state and local government agencies to focus on business continuity and force protection mission requirements to minimize risk and address the security needs of citizens. […] This emerging capability is critical to force protection, as Major General Stephen V. Reeves, USA Joint Program Executive Officer for Chemical and Biological Defense, testified on March 12, 2008 before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats & Capabilities.” (Computer Technology Review; 07Apr08)
http://www.wwpi.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3952&Itemid=128
SIGA Technologies Inc. Takes Steps toward FDA Approval for its Lead Smallpox Antiviral
“SIGA Technologies Inc. announced it has launched an initiative to produce DNA registration batches of its leading smallpox antiviral, ST-246. The company specializes in the development of pharmaceutical agents effective against biowarfare pathogens. For the past few months, the company has consulted with the FDA to choose its final chemical formulation for large-scale production, and has chosen the market image and packaging needed to commercialize the material.” (TransWorldNews; 04Apr08)
http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=42320&cat=8
Man sickened by ricin seen as acting alone
“Authorities believe a man sickened by the deadly toxin ricin was a ‘lone wolf’ who manufactured the substance intending to do some kind of harm, an FBI agent said Thursday. Investigators believe Roger Bergendorff manufactured the ricin in the Salt Lake City area, but they haven't been able to turn up any evidence of the location, agent Juan Becerra said. ‘This could be somebody mad about taxes or the fact that the transit bus didn't come — whatever the situation may be,’ said Becerra, an FBI spokesman in Salt Lake City. ‘All of a sudden you've got a potential full-blown public-safety hazard.’" (Denver Post; 04Apr08; Associated Press)
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_8805053
Integrating detection and identification of biothreat agents
“While recent incidents have garnered the public’s desire for increased surveillance of the food supply, one lingering perception in the food industry has been that consumers should address many safety issues with proper handling techniques. This perception has reaffirmed the decisions by government entities to limit developing food and water surveillance technologies, and focus greater attention and resources on monitoring aerosol biothreats. […] This article discusses recent advances in developing comprehensive monitoring systems that can detect in real time and identify conclusively a biothreat from a broad range of pathogens and toxins. Such advances have been addressing the need to monitor and protect public health and safety from an ever-growing list of homeland security biothreats.” (Medical Device Link; 04Apr08; Colette A. Côté) http://www.devicelink.com/ivdt/archive/08/04/007.html
Training prepares officers for chemical attack
“Six local law enforcement officers traveled to Alabama for training and returned to Burke County [North Carolina] with a better knowledge of chemical weapons of mass destruction. Lt. Tom Rhyne with the Burke County Sheriff's Office said the six officers are part of the State Medical Assistance Team. It's their job to help protect and assist medical responders during an emergency, Rhyne said. The training took place in Anniston, Ala., at the Center for Domestic Preparedness, a federal site under the Department of Homeland Security umbrella.” (Morganton News Herald; 07Apr08; Julie Chang)
http://www.morganton.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=MNH/MGArticle/MNH_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173355211657
AP Interview: N. Korea's chemical disarmament should be separated from nuclear issue
“Efforts to disarm North Korea of chemical weapons should be separated from negotiations to end its nuclear program, the head of the chemical weapons watchdog agency said Friday. Israel, Egypt and Syria also should separate the question of chemical weapons disarmament from the wider issues of Middle East peace, said Rogelio Pfirter, director general of the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW.” (Associated Press; 04Apr08) http://www.pr-inside.com/ap-interview-n-korea-s-chemical-disarmament-r520303.htm
New global push to scrap chemical weapons
“A treaty-verification body on Friday called on 12 nations, including Syria, Iraq and Israel, to join a landmark pact for destroying stockpiles of chemical weapons. The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons made the appeal ahead of a review conference next week. So far 183 countries have ratified the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention banning the use, development, production, stockpiling and transfer of chemical weapons, but more states need to join.” (Mail & Guardian Online; 04Apr08)
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/&articleid=336228
Eliminating chemical weapons
“Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen believes the destruction of chemical weapons can and should be speeded up. His comments came on the eve of this week's meeting of the United Nations Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. The 183 countries which have signed up to the Chemical Weapons Convention meet every five years in The Hague. The treaty is unique, not only in that it forbids a whole category of weapons of mass destruction but also because it enforces intensive inspections to ensure that countries are not secretly manufacturing the chemical agents.” (Radio Netherlands; 07Apr08; Hans de Vreij)
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/globalisation/080407-chemical-weapons-mc
Israel stages 5-day civil defence exercise
“Israel launched a 5-day civil defence exercise on Sunday that will include simulated chemical and biological attacks on the Jewish state. Israeli media have reported a rise in tension along Israel’s northern border with Syria in tandem with news of the civil defence drill. Israeli officials said there had been no unusual Syrian military movements. ‘I want to make it crystal clear that this is an exercise, and nothing but a routine exercise,’ Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said at the start of Israel’s weekly cabinet meeting, adding, ‘The Syrians know this and I hope they are assimilating this.’” (Daily Times; 07Apr08)
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C04%5C07%5Cstory_7-4-2008_pg4_4
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.
“Cisco Systems Inc., announced last week the Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security, a technology platform designed to enable government agencies to protect assets, employees and citizens through a secure, intelligent, converged network. Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security supports the growing needs of defense, civilian, public safety, state and local government agencies to focus on business continuity and force protection mission requirements to minimize risk and address the security needs of citizens. […] This emerging capability is critical to force protection, as Major General Stephen V. Reeves, USA Joint Program Executive Officer for Chemical and Biological Defense, testified on March 12, 2008 before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats & Capabilities.” (Computer Technology Review; 07Apr08)
http://www.wwpi.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3952&Itemid=128
SIGA Technologies Inc. Takes Steps toward FDA Approval for its Lead Smallpox Antiviral
“SIGA Technologies Inc. announced it has launched an initiative to produce DNA registration batches of its leading smallpox antiviral, ST-246. The company specializes in the development of pharmaceutical agents effective against biowarfare pathogens. For the past few months, the company has consulted with the FDA to choose its final chemical formulation for large-scale production, and has chosen the market image and packaging needed to commercialize the material.” (TransWorldNews; 04Apr08)
http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=42320&cat=8
Man sickened by ricin seen as acting alone
“Authorities believe a man sickened by the deadly toxin ricin was a ‘lone wolf’ who manufactured the substance intending to do some kind of harm, an FBI agent said Thursday. Investigators believe Roger Bergendorff manufactured the ricin in the Salt Lake City area, but they haven't been able to turn up any evidence of the location, agent Juan Becerra said. ‘This could be somebody mad about taxes or the fact that the transit bus didn't come — whatever the situation may be,’ said Becerra, an FBI spokesman in Salt Lake City. ‘All of a sudden you've got a potential full-blown public-safety hazard.’" (Denver Post; 04Apr08; Associated Press)
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_8805053
Integrating detection and identification of biothreat agents
“While recent incidents have garnered the public’s desire for increased surveillance of the food supply, one lingering perception in the food industry has been that consumers should address many safety issues with proper handling techniques. This perception has reaffirmed the decisions by government entities to limit developing food and water surveillance technologies, and focus greater attention and resources on monitoring aerosol biothreats. […] This article discusses recent advances in developing comprehensive monitoring systems that can detect in real time and identify conclusively a biothreat from a broad range of pathogens and toxins. Such advances have been addressing the need to monitor and protect public health and safety from an ever-growing list of homeland security biothreats.” (Medical Device Link; 04Apr08; Colette A. Côté) http://www.devicelink.com/ivdt/archive/08/04/007.html
Training prepares officers for chemical attack
“Six local law enforcement officers traveled to Alabama for training and returned to Burke County [North Carolina] with a better knowledge of chemical weapons of mass destruction. Lt. Tom Rhyne with the Burke County Sheriff's Office said the six officers are part of the State Medical Assistance Team. It's their job to help protect and assist medical responders during an emergency, Rhyne said. The training took place in Anniston, Ala., at the Center for Domestic Preparedness, a federal site under the Department of Homeland Security umbrella.” (Morganton News Herald; 07Apr08; Julie Chang)
http://www.morganton.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=MNH/MGArticle/MNH_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173355211657
AP Interview: N. Korea's chemical disarmament should be separated from nuclear issue
“Efforts to disarm North Korea of chemical weapons should be separated from negotiations to end its nuclear program, the head of the chemical weapons watchdog agency said Friday. Israel, Egypt and Syria also should separate the question of chemical weapons disarmament from the wider issues of Middle East peace, said Rogelio Pfirter, director general of the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW.” (Associated Press; 04Apr08) http://www.pr-inside.com/ap-interview-n-korea-s-chemical-disarmament-r520303.htm
New global push to scrap chemical weapons
“A treaty-verification body on Friday called on 12 nations, including Syria, Iraq and Israel, to join a landmark pact for destroying stockpiles of chemical weapons. The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons made the appeal ahead of a review conference next week. So far 183 countries have ratified the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention banning the use, development, production, stockpiling and transfer of chemical weapons, but more states need to join.” (Mail & Guardian Online; 04Apr08)
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/&articleid=336228
Eliminating chemical weapons
“Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen believes the destruction of chemical weapons can and should be speeded up. His comments came on the eve of this week's meeting of the United Nations Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. The 183 countries which have signed up to the Chemical Weapons Convention meet every five years in The Hague. The treaty is unique, not only in that it forbids a whole category of weapons of mass destruction but also because it enforces intensive inspections to ensure that countries are not secretly manufacturing the chemical agents.” (Radio Netherlands; 07Apr08; Hans de Vreij)
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/globalisation/080407-chemical-weapons-mc
Israel stages 5-day civil defence exercise
“Israel launched a 5-day civil defence exercise on Sunday that will include simulated chemical and biological attacks on the Jewish state. Israeli media have reported a rise in tension along Israel’s northern border with Syria in tandem with news of the civil defence drill. Israeli officials said there had been no unusual Syrian military movements. ‘I want to make it crystal clear that this is an exercise, and nothing but a routine exercise,’ Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said at the start of Israel’s weekly cabinet meeting, adding, ‘The Syrians know this and I hope they are assimilating this.’” (Daily Times; 07Apr08)
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C04%5C07%5Cstory_7-4-2008_pg4_4
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.
Monday, March 31, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- March 31, 2008
Anthrax reporter appeals contempt of court order for not revealing sources
“Former USA Today reporter Toni Locy on Friday asked the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to reverse a federal judge's decision to impose sanctions against her for refusing to disclose government sources who provided information about former US Army germ-warfare researcher Dr. Steven J. Hatfill.”
(Jurist; 29Mar08)
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2008/03/anthrax-reporter-appeals-contempt-of.php
[Kansas Governor] Sebelius signs bill to help land bio-defense facility
“Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Friday signed legislation providing for infrastructure improvements needed to secure a National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility for the state. Kansas is one of six finalists for the facility. The proposed site is at Kansas State University, immediately adjacent to the Biosecurity Research Institute. Senate Substitute for House Bill 2001 authorizes the issuance of revenue bonds to support a capital improvement project for the facility.” (Kansas City Business Journal; 28Mar08) http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2008/03/24/daily46.html
Smiths Detection Awarded Army Contract with Potential Value of $75 Million for Additional Automatic Chemical Agent Detector Alarm (ACADA) Units
“Smiths Detection, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, today announced its Military unit has been awarded a contract with potential total value of $75 million by the Department of Defense (DoD) to supply Automatic Chemical Agent Detector Alarm (ACADA) units. Under the initial $10 million order, Smiths Detection is supplying the US Army with its GID-3(TM) chemical agent detectors, selected for the ACADA program.” (TMC Net; 31Mar08)
http://opensourcepbx.tmcnet.com/news/2008/03/31/3356650.htm
Uganda: Govt Drafts Law On Chemical Weapons
“The government is drafting a law to regulate toxic chemicals used in industries and those in transit through the country. […] State Minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations Mwesigwa Rukutana said his ministry has already drafted a Bill, which will soon be tabled before the Cabinet. Mr Rukutana disclosed this during a workshop for MPs on the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the need for its Implementation in Kampala last Friday.”
(The Monitor (Kampala); 31Mar08; Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa Munyonyo)
http://allafrica.com/stories/200803310933.html
New Dirty Bomb Detection Technology From Splinternet Holdings, Inc., to Be Demoed at ISC West in Las Vegas, April 2 – 4
“Splinternet Holdings, Inc. will introduce three new entries in the wide-area radiological detection marketplace, DefenTect™, GammaTect™ and GammaTect Plus™, at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, April 2 - 4. […] DefenTect™ manages a distributed network of solid state GammaTect™ radiation sensors, that send real-time notifications to security command centers when the presence of threat-level gamma rays is detected. The integrated DefenTect™ system enables customers with IP networks to add radiation detection capability, increasing the utility of their security systems. Sensors can be strategically positioned adjacent to existing cameras to identify threats visually.”
(Splinternet; 31Mar08)
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080331005128&newsLang=en
Ont[ario], emergency workers put to test in 'dirty bomb' mass casualty exercise
“Panic and mayhem swept across a Toronto college campus Saturday as about 100 screaming, blood-stained students hobbled in to receive medical care, but it was all part of a training exercise aimed at testing how emergency services might respond to a nuclear [sic] incident. The mock disaster centred around a fictional ‘dirty bomb’ explosion and multi-vehicle crash on Highway 401 - Canada's busiest highway - in which a plume of radioactive dust was released into the air.” (The Canadian Press; 29Mar08)
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hR85nG7YqnWYftsJO8hdZbt0r3Kw
India determined to root out terrorism says [Prime Minister] Manmohan Singh
“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said whatever the source of terrorism, we are determined to root it out and ensure that in a democracy, political change can only come through the ballot box and not through the barrel of a gun. Singh also pointed out the SPG [Special Protection Group]’s proposal to build capabilities in the field of ‘Bomb Disposal’ in a bid to equip itself to deal with threats from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents and assured that the Government would ensure all that it requires to upgrade the skills of its personnel and the organisation.” (Top News; 31Mar08; Mohit Joshi)
http://www.topnews.in/india-determined-root-out-terrorism-says-manmohan-singh-229078
Global Crime and Terrorism
“The end of the Cold War meant a significant change in the nature of the foreign threats to US security. The principal worry of most Americans is no longer a devastating military offensive from abroad, but rather more insidious assaults which hit closer to home, threatening lives and property and creating a climate of fear. […] The use of chemical agents in the attack on the Tokyo subway heightened the concern that similar attacks could occur here. International drug cartels continue to pump enormous quantities of cocaine and heroin into the United States, destroying countless lives, raising public health costs, and contributing to a large percentage of the criminal acts committed in this country.” (Canada Free Press; 31Mar08; Jim Kouri)
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/2419
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.
“Former USA Today reporter Toni Locy on Friday asked the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to reverse a federal judge's decision to impose sanctions against her for refusing to disclose government sources who provided information about former US Army germ-warfare researcher Dr. Steven J. Hatfill.”
(Jurist; 29Mar08)
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2008/03/anthrax-reporter-appeals-contempt-of.php
[Kansas Governor] Sebelius signs bill to help land bio-defense facility
“Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Friday signed legislation providing for infrastructure improvements needed to secure a National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility for the state. Kansas is one of six finalists for the facility. The proposed site is at Kansas State University, immediately adjacent to the Biosecurity Research Institute. Senate Substitute for House Bill 2001 authorizes the issuance of revenue bonds to support a capital improvement project for the facility.” (Kansas City Business Journal; 28Mar08) http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2008/03/24/daily46.html
Smiths Detection Awarded Army Contract with Potential Value of $75 Million for Additional Automatic Chemical Agent Detector Alarm (ACADA) Units
“Smiths Detection, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, today announced its Military unit has been awarded a contract with potential total value of $75 million by the Department of Defense (DoD) to supply Automatic Chemical Agent Detector Alarm (ACADA) units. Under the initial $10 million order, Smiths Detection is supplying the US Army with its GID-3(TM) chemical agent detectors, selected for the ACADA program.” (TMC Net; 31Mar08)
http://opensourcepbx.tmcnet.com/news/2008/03/31/3356650.htm
Uganda: Govt Drafts Law On Chemical Weapons
“The government is drafting a law to regulate toxic chemicals used in industries and those in transit through the country. […] State Minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations Mwesigwa Rukutana said his ministry has already drafted a Bill, which will soon be tabled before the Cabinet. Mr Rukutana disclosed this during a workshop for MPs on the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the need for its Implementation in Kampala last Friday.”
(The Monitor (Kampala); 31Mar08; Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa Munyonyo)
http://allafrica.com/stories/200803310933.html
New Dirty Bomb Detection Technology From Splinternet Holdings, Inc., to Be Demoed at ISC West in Las Vegas, April 2 – 4
“Splinternet Holdings, Inc. will introduce three new entries in the wide-area radiological detection marketplace, DefenTect™, GammaTect™ and GammaTect Plus™, at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, April 2 - 4. […] DefenTect™ manages a distributed network of solid state GammaTect™ radiation sensors, that send real-time notifications to security command centers when the presence of threat-level gamma rays is detected. The integrated DefenTect™ system enables customers with IP networks to add radiation detection capability, increasing the utility of their security systems. Sensors can be strategically positioned adjacent to existing cameras to identify threats visually.”
(Splinternet; 31Mar08)
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080331005128&newsLang=en
Ont[ario], emergency workers put to test in 'dirty bomb' mass casualty exercise
“Panic and mayhem swept across a Toronto college campus Saturday as about 100 screaming, blood-stained students hobbled in to receive medical care, but it was all part of a training exercise aimed at testing how emergency services might respond to a nuclear [sic] incident. The mock disaster centred around a fictional ‘dirty bomb’ explosion and multi-vehicle crash on Highway 401 - Canada's busiest highway - in which a plume of radioactive dust was released into the air.” (The Canadian Press; 29Mar08)
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hR85nG7YqnWYftsJO8hdZbt0r3Kw
India determined to root out terrorism says [Prime Minister] Manmohan Singh
“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said whatever the source of terrorism, we are determined to root it out and ensure that in a democracy, political change can only come through the ballot box and not through the barrel of a gun. Singh also pointed out the SPG [Special Protection Group]’s proposal to build capabilities in the field of ‘Bomb Disposal’ in a bid to equip itself to deal with threats from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents and assured that the Government would ensure all that it requires to upgrade the skills of its personnel and the organisation.” (Top News; 31Mar08; Mohit Joshi)
http://www.topnews.in/india-determined-root-out-terrorism-says-manmohan-singh-229078
Global Crime and Terrorism
“The end of the Cold War meant a significant change in the nature of the foreign threats to US security. The principal worry of most Americans is no longer a devastating military offensive from abroad, but rather more insidious assaults which hit closer to home, threatening lives and property and creating a climate of fear. […] The use of chemical agents in the attack on the Tokyo subway heightened the concern that similar attacks could occur here. International drug cartels continue to pump enormous quantities of cocaine and heroin into the United States, destroying countless lives, raising public health costs, and contributing to a large percentage of the criminal acts committed in this country.” (Canada Free Press; 31Mar08; Jim Kouri)
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/2419
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.
Friday, March 28, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- March 28, 2008
FBI Focusing on 'About Four' Suspects in 2001 Anthrax Attacks
“The FBI has narrowed its focus to ‘about four’ suspects in the 6 1/2-year investigation of the deadly anthrax attacks of 2001, and at least three of those suspects are linked to the Army’s bioweapons research facility at Fort Detrick in Maryland, FOX News has learned. […]in an e-mail obtained by FOX News, scientists at Fort Detrick openly discussed how the anthrax powder they were asked to analyze after the attacks was nearly identical to that made by one of their colleagues.” (Fox News; 28Mar08; Catherine Herridge & Ian McCaleb).
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,342852,00.html
Jewish Students Rally For Jonathan Pollard [Miami Beach, Florida]
“Jonathan Pollard, a Jew, faced a terrible dilemma. As an American civilian working as a naval analyst, he became aware of information that was vital to Israel’s security. The data he uncovered involved chemical and biological warfare and planned terrorism against the Jewish State. Under the ‘1983 Memorandum of Understanding,’ this type of intelligence was to be shared by the two nations. The U.S. government did not keep their part of the bargain. When Pollard tried to go through the protocol of proper channels, he was stonewalled. In desperation, he went directly to the Israeli government with his information. The gas masks and precautions used in the first Gulf War were a direct result of Pollard’s revelations.” (The Jewish Press; 26Mar08).
http://www.jewishpress.com/displaycontent_new.cfm?contentid=30932&contentname=Jewish%20Students%20Rally%20For%20Jonathan%20Pollard§ionid=17&mode=a&recnum=0
Glenbrook’s [Australia] secret history
“Glenbrook Historical Society president Tim Miers was another primary school student during World War II. He remembers how the Glenbrook townsfolk tacitly agreed to keep the mustard gas stockpile a secret. […]A full history of Australia’s secret chemical warfare history — including details on the Glenbrook tunnel — has just been published.” (Blue Mountains Gazette; 26Mar08).
http://bluemountains.yourguide.com.au/news/local/general/glenbrooks-secret-history/1210199.html
White powder’ scare clears Bayside High [New York]
“Thousands of teens were evacuated from Bayside High School (BHS) shortly after noon on Wednesday, March 26 after a lab technician received a package that contained a suspicious white powder. Shortly after 10 a.m., according to a police source, ‘The package was received and opened by a science department technician who found that it contained a white powder.’ ‘When the technician came into contact with the contents, they reacted to it, complaining of itching,’ […]The entire incident proved to be a false alarm. According to a police source, ‘The package was a proper delivery.
It contained fertilizer which had been ordered by some students for a project.’” (The Queen’s Courier; 26Mar08; VICTOR G. MIMONI).
http://www.queenscourier.com/articles/2008/03/26/news/top_stories/news13.txt
FDA deadlines may compromise drug safety by rushing approval
“Many medications are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the brink of congressionally mandated deadlines, and those drugs are more likely to face later regulatory intervention than those approved with greater deliberation, researchers at Harvard University have found. Drugs fast-tracked by the FDA are more likely to eventually be withdrawn from global markets for safety reasons […] The timeline was tightened to 10 months as part of the 1997 Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act, a timeline extended by Congress in 2002 as part of bioterrorism legislation and renewed again in 2007.” (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News; 26Mar08).
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=32753309
Staged ‘Accident’ Tests Local Responders [Pine Bluff, Arkansas] […] ”
Over the radio, a voice said, ‘This is a test. We have been notified of an incident at the Pine Bluff Arsenal. … a Level 4 incident … involving possible chemical agent.’ The test Wednesday was a large-scale training exercise for several hundred Jefferson County employees and emergency responders, coordinated by the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program. The annual event is meant to prepare the county in the case of a chemical release at the Pine Bluff Arsenal, which is one of seven sites around the country storing stockpiled chemical weapons.” Bank of Star City News; 27Mar08; Amy Jo Brown).
http://www.pbcommercial.com/articles/2008/03/27/news/news1.txt
Researchers of the University of Navarra [Navarra, Spain] have designed a product for the detection and characterization of brucellosis
“Ignacio López-Goñi and David García […] of the University of Navarra […] [have developed] a commercial analysis kit, sold under the brand name ‘Bruce-ladder,’ […] Bruce-ladder permits the identification and differentiation of the microorganism via the amplification of sequences of specific genes using the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technique […] Brucellosis is an infectious disease which affects both livestock and persons. According to the World Health Organization, brucellosis is part of a group of diseases, which also includes rabies and anthrax, which are considered ‘forgotten’ diseases, and are strongly related to poverty.”
(Innovations Report; 26Mar08; Garazi Andonegi).
http://www.innovations-report.de/html/berichte/medizin_gesundheit/bericht-106128.html
GCC [Gloucester County College, New Jersey] expands food science program to focus on safety
“The nation's food industry has increased its focus on protection of the food supply and prevention of bioterrorism in the last several years, and as part of its new food science program, Gloucester County College is training local food producers to do the same. […] [Dr. Donald W.] Schaffner [a professor at Rutgers] said even mass quantities of commonly used materials could contaminate the food supply and cause widespread illness.” (Bridgeton News; 27Mar08; JESSICA DRISCOLL).
http://www.nj.com/news/bridgeton/local/index.ssf?/base/news-14/1206598213230050.xml&coll=10
PharmAthene lands $5.8M for bio-agent treatment
“Biodefense company PharmAthene of Annapolis has won an additional $5.8 million under its existing Army contract to develop its chemical nerve agent treatment, Protexia. The announcement follows one last week that the company plans to pay up to $40 million for the vaccines unit of Avecia Biologics of the United Kingdom, with a focus on anthrax and plague prevention.” (Gazette.net; 28Mar08; Steve Berberich).
http://www.gazette.net/stories/032808/businew202108_32379.shtml
Hadassah [Israel] donors hear the high-tech talk
“Hadassah International took a challenge that could have put a good number of donors to sleep, or even worse, but the young Israeli entrepreneurs talking high-tech at the forum held at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) […]And then came a visit to Hadassah Ein Karem, where head of internal medicine Prof. Yaacov Naparstek described the new tower, with 500 beds and the capacity to deal with bio-chemical warfare. Work is already underway on the two underground floors.” (Globe’s Online; 27Mar08; Brett Kline).
http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/DocView.asp?did=1000327049&fid=1725
Huge anthrax outbreak hits farms [South Africa]
“According to the spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture and Land Reform, Thabo Mothibi, one farmer has lost up to 400 head of game and many other farmers have been affected. […]Experts from the Kruger National Park have been asked to investigate the outbreak. The investigation will determine why such a multi-species outbreak occurred and how to improve the disposal of infected material.” (Independent Online; 27Mar08; Nadine Visagie).
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=14&art_id=vn20080327125150393C450754
FARC [Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia] acquired uranium, says Colombia
“On Wednesday, Colombian military officials said that they recovered 66 pounds of uranium that, they say, was acquired by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Colombian Gen. Freddy Padilla tied the uranium to the seized laptops, saying one of the computer files mentions attempts by the FARC to buy uranium, apparently to resell. Earlier this month, Colombian officials claimed the rebels were seeking uranium to make a ‘dirty bomb.’” (The Christian Science Monitor; 28Mar08; Sibylla Brodzinsky).
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0328/p07s03-woam.html
Panel Wants NRC to Tighten Licensing
“A review panel is urging the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to tighten its licensing procedures for radioactive materials. […]Last year, congressional investigators set up a bogus company and said they were able to obtain enough radioactive material for a small ‘dirty bomb.’ In response, the NRC's Independent External Review Panel is now urging the agency to visit an applicant's facilities before issuing a license and to conduct background checks.” (Forbes; 26Mar08; Associated Press).
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/03/26/ap4817091.html
N.C. firefighters to get 'dirty-bomb' training
“Wake County fire and rescue officials will sponsor a dirty-bomb workshop starting today from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Wake County Fire Training Center in New Hill. The two-day course will teach fire and EMS officers how to respond if they are the first to arrive on the scene of a radiological incident.” (The News & Observer; 27Mar08).
http://www.firerescue1.com/news/393134-N-C-firefighters-to-get-dirty-bomb-training/
'Dirty bomb' scenario to test emergency response to a radio-nuclear event [Toronto]
“On Saturday, Mar. 29, a staged exercise will test the ability of hospital staff, emergency workers and college students to deal with a fictional, dirty bomb explosion that could potentially overwhelm hospital resources. […] This simulation is intended to show health care professionals how to manage the patient load resulting from a dirty bomb explosion on Highway 401 that sends auto accident victims to hospital, along with hundreds of others who panic when they hear that a van involved in the crash was carrying a crude bomb that created a radioactive dust plume.” (CNW Group; 28Mar08).
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2008/27/c7414.html
Nuclear terror checks stepped up
“Vehicles passing through major ports and the Channel Tunnel are to be screened for radioactive material in a bid to combat ‘nuclear terrorism.’ The plan was within a Franco-British communiqué after French President Nicolas Sarkozy held talks with Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London.”
(BBC News; 27Mar08).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7317294.stm
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.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- March 26, 2008
Nerve Gas Test Veteran Wants [Ministry of Defense, U.K.] Apology
“A Former RAF [Royal Air Force] wireless operator who volunteered for chemical experiments at Porton Down [British government research facility] is to seek an apology and compensation from the Ministry of Defence for being unknowingly exposed to nerve gas. Frederick Selley, 76, from Stroud, was told he was helping with research into the common cold when he volunteered for the experiments in 1951 […] An MoD statement said: ‘The Government accepts there were aspects of the trials where there may have been shortcomings and where, in particular, the life or health of participants may have been put at risk.’” (Gloucestershire; 24Mar08).
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=231771&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231754&home=yes&more_nodeId1=231776&contentPK=20220937
Judge advances anthrax vaccine refusal case
“A U.S. federal judge has ruled that the Defense Department must again consider exonerating two military pilots whose Connecticut Air National Guard careers ended after they refused to take compulsory anthrax vaccine shots… The federal courts have since found that the military's mandatory vaccine program was being conducted illegally for more than six years, beginning with its March 1998 inception […] a statute of limitations might prevent military personnel from filing lawsuits more than six years after an alleged wrong has occurred.” (Global Security Newswire; 24Mar08; Elaine M. Grossman).
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0308/032408gsn1.htm
Biosensing Nanodevice To Revolutionize Health Screenings
“Even more incredible than the device itself, is that it is based on the world's tiniest rotary motor: a biological engine measured on the order of molecules […] A prototype of the DNA detector is already in development. It is roughly the size of a small tissue box. Sampling would be as simple as taking a swab from an infected wound or a piece of baggage, dissolving it in a solution and placing a drop on a slide bearing reference F1-ATPases and their nanorods. Once in the instrument, red blinking signals emitted by rotating nanorods would let a computer know there's trouble, literally, in a flash. […] ‘Rapid and sensitive biosensing of nucleic acids and proteins is vital for the identification of pathogenic agents of biomedical and bioterrorist importance,’ notes [Arizona State University researcher Wayne] Frasch, who is also with the Center for Bioenergy and Photosynthesis in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
‘It also provides a new avenue through which to analyze genotypes and forensic evidence.’” (Science Daily, 25Mar08).
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083344.htm
Chemists create 'designer enzymes'
“U.S. scientists have created ‘designer enzymes’ in what is called a major achievement in computational chemistry and protein engineering. Led by UCLA Professor Kendall Houk and University of Washington biochemist David Baker, the scientists expect such designer enzymes to have applications for defense against biological warfare by deactivating pathogenic biological agents, as well as creating more effective medications.” (United Press International; 24Mar08).
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Health/2008/03/24/chemists_create_designer_enzymes/5546/
New network will quickly tell doctors of drug, device problems
“A new electronic health notification network that was unveiled today promises to more quickly notify doctors and hospitals about safety alerts concerning drugs and medical devices […] Set to go live in June, the new Health Care Notification Network (HCNN) will use e-mail to notify doctors about safety alerts issued by drug or device manufacturers […] The HCNN will also be used as a notification system in the event of a bioterrorism attack or the outbreak of a nationwide epidemic.” (Computer World; 25Mar08; Heather Havenstein).
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=government&articleId=9071520&taxonomyId=13&intsrc=kc_top
Audit faults oversight of emergency trailers [Massachusetts]
“A new audit is criticizing the oversight of 10 trailers meant to be used in the event of a bioterrorist attack or other mass casualty incident… [Massachusetts state auditor Joseph] DeNucci’s audit also found that periodic drills or exercises using the trailers and equipment failed to take place and not all municipalities within each region had been notified of the availability and location of the trailers.” (Boston Herald; 24Mar08; Associated Press).
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1082547&srvc=rss
Universal Detection Technology Invited to Present Its BSM-2000 Anthrax Detection System to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security
“Universal Detection Technology, […] a developer of early warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter terrorism consulting and training services, announced today that it has been invited to present the technology deployed in its BSM-2000 airborne anthrax monitor to the U.S.House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security.” (Market Wire; 24Mar08).
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=835499
El Paso County [Colorado] Health Dept. faces worker shortage
“Nearly a quarter of the nation's public health workers will be eligible for retirement in the next few years, and more than 250,000 workers are needed by 2020 to avoid a public health crisis, according to a new report […] The report, released Feb. 27, was produced by the Association of Schools of Public Health. It says a lack of recruitment efforts, pending retirements and a downsized work force in the past 30 years could leave the public lacking on fronts including disease outbreaks, bioterrorism and natural disasters. The shortage is made worse, it says, by the increasing specialization in the world of public health that creates less flexibility among existing workers to juggle multiple jobs.” (The Gazette; 24Mar08; Brian Newsome).
http://www.gazette.com/articles/health_34580___article.html/public_paso.html
New Technique Will Speed The Development Of Vaccines
“The new method allows researchers to rapidly screen large numbers of pathogen proteins, called antigens, for their ability to prompt an immune response in a host. Proteins with that ability are good candidates for use in vaccines. The method will be especially valuable in the quest for vaccines against persistent diseases such as malaria, sleeping sickness and syphilis […Wendy Brown, an immunologist] is using it to screen proteins from Coxiella, a bacterium that causes Q fever and is considered a possible bioterrorism threat.” (Medical News Today; 25Mar08).
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/101528.php
TB Patients Chafe Under Lockdown in South Africa
“Struggling to contain a dangerous epidemic of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, known as XDR-TB, the South African government’s policy is to hospitalize those unlucky enough to have the disease until they are no longer infectious […] ‘XDR is like biological warfare,’ said Dr. Bongani Lujabe, the chief medical officer at Jose Pearson hospital. ‘If you let it loose, you decimate a population, especially in poor communities with a high prevalence of H.I.V./AIDS.’ […] Further complicating matters, South Africa’s provinces have taken different approaches to deciding how long to hospitalize people with XDR-TB.” (New York Times; 25Mar08; Celia W.
Dugger).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/world/africa/25safrica.html?em&ex=1206504000&en=9793c0d894629eca&ei=5087%0A#
Smiths Detection to supply U.S. military with next-generation chemical agent detector
“Smiths Detection, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, announced that its Military unit has been awarded a $23.8 million contract option to supply the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) with lightweight detectors under its Joint Chemical Agent Detector (JCAD) program, potentially the biggest of its kind in the world… The M4 JCAD is smaller and lighter also offering soldiers better detection capabilities than chemical point detection systems currently in service. It also benefits from the use of a non-radioactive technology compared with previous generations of detectors.” (Military & Aerospace Online, 25Mar08).
http://mae.pennnet.com/display_article/323728/32/NEWS/none/none/1/Smiths-Detection-to-supply-US-military-with-next-generation-chemical-agent-detector/
In an Era of School Shootings, a New Drill [New York]
“Mr. Matheney, the school’s principal, was roaming the suburban campus as if he were an ‘active shooter,’ à la Virginia Tech or Columbine, as part of a ‘lockdown drill’ now required twice a year here and in many schools around the country […] Now, in a ritual reminiscent of the 1950s, when students ducked under desks and covered their heads in anticipation of nuclear blasts, many schools are preparing for, among other emergencies, bomb threats, hazardous material spills, shelter-in-place preparation (in which students would use schools as shelters if a dirty bomb’s plume were to spread dangerously close) and armed, roaming sociopaths.” (The New York Time; 25Mar08; Tina Kelley).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/nyregion/25drills.html?hp
Splinternet launches dirty-bomb detector
“Splinternet officials announced the release of the new GammaTect Plus integrated gamma radiation detection sensor system. GammaTect Plus, deployed at radioactive storage sites including seaports, airports, government buildings and military installations among other potential targets, is a company initiative to reduce the potential threat of a dirty bomb […] Company officials say the launch of the GammaTect Plus, linked to Splinternet's DefenTect management, monitoring and alerting system, identifies high energy gamma violations and then takes a series of photographs with isotope ID information. The system then sends the data to a command center where an alarm is triggered.” (United Press International; 25Mar08).
http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Industry/Briefing/2008/03/25/splinternet_launches_dirty-bomb_detector/1906/
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.
“A Former RAF [Royal Air Force] wireless operator who volunteered for chemical experiments at Porton Down [British government research facility] is to seek an apology and compensation from the Ministry of Defence for being unknowingly exposed to nerve gas. Frederick Selley, 76, from Stroud, was told he was helping with research into the common cold when he volunteered for the experiments in 1951 […] An MoD statement said: ‘The Government accepts there were aspects of the trials where there may have been shortcomings and where, in particular, the life or health of participants may have been put at risk.’” (Gloucestershire; 24Mar08).
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=231771&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231754&home=yes&more_nodeId1=231776&contentPK=20220937
Judge advances anthrax vaccine refusal case
“A U.S. federal judge has ruled that the Defense Department must again consider exonerating two military pilots whose Connecticut Air National Guard careers ended after they refused to take compulsory anthrax vaccine shots… The federal courts have since found that the military's mandatory vaccine program was being conducted illegally for more than six years, beginning with its March 1998 inception […] a statute of limitations might prevent military personnel from filing lawsuits more than six years after an alleged wrong has occurred.” (Global Security Newswire; 24Mar08; Elaine M. Grossman).
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0308/032408gsn1.htm
Biosensing Nanodevice To Revolutionize Health Screenings
“Even more incredible than the device itself, is that it is based on the world's tiniest rotary motor: a biological engine measured on the order of molecules […] A prototype of the DNA detector is already in development. It is roughly the size of a small tissue box. Sampling would be as simple as taking a swab from an infected wound or a piece of baggage, dissolving it in a solution and placing a drop on a slide bearing reference F1-ATPases and their nanorods. Once in the instrument, red blinking signals emitted by rotating nanorods would let a computer know there's trouble, literally, in a flash. […] ‘Rapid and sensitive biosensing of nucleic acids and proteins is vital for the identification of pathogenic agents of biomedical and bioterrorist importance,’ notes [Arizona State University researcher Wayne] Frasch, who is also with the Center for Bioenergy and Photosynthesis in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
‘It also provides a new avenue through which to analyze genotypes and forensic evidence.’” (Science Daily, 25Mar08).
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083344.htm
Chemists create 'designer enzymes'
“U.S. scientists have created ‘designer enzymes’ in what is called a major achievement in computational chemistry and protein engineering. Led by UCLA Professor Kendall Houk and University of Washington biochemist David Baker, the scientists expect such designer enzymes to have applications for defense against biological warfare by deactivating pathogenic biological agents, as well as creating more effective medications.” (United Press International; 24Mar08).
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Health/2008/03/24/chemists_create_designer_enzymes/5546/
New network will quickly tell doctors of drug, device problems
“A new electronic health notification network that was unveiled today promises to more quickly notify doctors and hospitals about safety alerts concerning drugs and medical devices […] Set to go live in June, the new Health Care Notification Network (HCNN) will use e-mail to notify doctors about safety alerts issued by drug or device manufacturers […] The HCNN will also be used as a notification system in the event of a bioterrorism attack or the outbreak of a nationwide epidemic.” (Computer World; 25Mar08; Heather Havenstein).
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=government&articleId=9071520&taxonomyId=13&intsrc=kc_top
Audit faults oversight of emergency trailers [Massachusetts]
“A new audit is criticizing the oversight of 10 trailers meant to be used in the event of a bioterrorist attack or other mass casualty incident… [Massachusetts state auditor Joseph] DeNucci’s audit also found that periodic drills or exercises using the trailers and equipment failed to take place and not all municipalities within each region had been notified of the availability and location of the trailers.” (Boston Herald; 24Mar08; Associated Press).
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1082547&srvc=rss
Universal Detection Technology Invited to Present Its BSM-2000 Anthrax Detection System to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security
“Universal Detection Technology, […] a developer of early warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter terrorism consulting and training services, announced today that it has been invited to present the technology deployed in its BSM-2000 airborne anthrax monitor to the U.S.House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security.” (Market Wire; 24Mar08).
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=835499
El Paso County [Colorado] Health Dept. faces worker shortage
“Nearly a quarter of the nation's public health workers will be eligible for retirement in the next few years, and more than 250,000 workers are needed by 2020 to avoid a public health crisis, according to a new report […] The report, released Feb. 27, was produced by the Association of Schools of Public Health. It says a lack of recruitment efforts, pending retirements and a downsized work force in the past 30 years could leave the public lacking on fronts including disease outbreaks, bioterrorism and natural disasters. The shortage is made worse, it says, by the increasing specialization in the world of public health that creates less flexibility among existing workers to juggle multiple jobs.” (The Gazette; 24Mar08; Brian Newsome).
http://www.gazette.com/articles/health_34580___article.html/public_paso.html
New Technique Will Speed The Development Of Vaccines
“The new method allows researchers to rapidly screen large numbers of pathogen proteins, called antigens, for their ability to prompt an immune response in a host. Proteins with that ability are good candidates for use in vaccines. The method will be especially valuable in the quest for vaccines against persistent diseases such as malaria, sleeping sickness and syphilis […Wendy Brown, an immunologist] is using it to screen proteins from Coxiella, a bacterium that causes Q fever and is considered a possible bioterrorism threat.” (Medical News Today; 25Mar08).
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/101528.php
TB Patients Chafe Under Lockdown in South Africa
“Struggling to contain a dangerous epidemic of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, known as XDR-TB, the South African government’s policy is to hospitalize those unlucky enough to have the disease until they are no longer infectious […] ‘XDR is like biological warfare,’ said Dr. Bongani Lujabe, the chief medical officer at Jose Pearson hospital. ‘If you let it loose, you decimate a population, especially in poor communities with a high prevalence of H.I.V./AIDS.’ […] Further complicating matters, South Africa’s provinces have taken different approaches to deciding how long to hospitalize people with XDR-TB.” (New York Times; 25Mar08; Celia W.
Dugger).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/world/africa/25safrica.html?em&ex=1206504000&en=9793c0d894629eca&ei=5087%0A#
Smiths Detection to supply U.S. military with next-generation chemical agent detector
“Smiths Detection, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, announced that its Military unit has been awarded a $23.8 million contract option to supply the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) with lightweight detectors under its Joint Chemical Agent Detector (JCAD) program, potentially the biggest of its kind in the world… The M4 JCAD is smaller and lighter also offering soldiers better detection capabilities than chemical point detection systems currently in service. It also benefits from the use of a non-radioactive technology compared with previous generations of detectors.” (Military & Aerospace Online, 25Mar08).
http://mae.pennnet.com/display_article/323728/32/NEWS/none/none/1/Smiths-Detection-to-supply-US-military-with-next-generation-chemical-agent-detector/
In an Era of School Shootings, a New Drill [New York]
“Mr. Matheney, the school’s principal, was roaming the suburban campus as if he were an ‘active shooter,’ à la Virginia Tech or Columbine, as part of a ‘lockdown drill’ now required twice a year here and in many schools around the country […] Now, in a ritual reminiscent of the 1950s, when students ducked under desks and covered their heads in anticipation of nuclear blasts, many schools are preparing for, among other emergencies, bomb threats, hazardous material spills, shelter-in-place preparation (in which students would use schools as shelters if a dirty bomb’s plume were to spread dangerously close) and armed, roaming sociopaths.” (The New York Time; 25Mar08; Tina Kelley).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/nyregion/25drills.html?hp
Splinternet launches dirty-bomb detector
“Splinternet officials announced the release of the new GammaTect Plus integrated gamma radiation detection sensor system. GammaTect Plus, deployed at radioactive storage sites including seaports, airports, government buildings and military installations among other potential targets, is a company initiative to reduce the potential threat of a dirty bomb […] Company officials say the launch of the GammaTect Plus, linked to Splinternet's DefenTect management, monitoring and alerting system, identifies high energy gamma violations and then takes a series of photographs with isotope ID information. The system then sends the data to a command center where an alarm is triggered.” (United Press International; 25Mar08).
http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Industry/Briefing/2008/03/25/splinternet_launches_dirty-bomb_detector/1906/
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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