New report finds rising risk of infectious diseases in America
“Trust for America's Health (TFAH) released a new report today, Germs Go
Global: Why Emerging Infectious Diseases Are a Threat to America; which finds that at least 170,000 Americans die annually from newly emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, a number that could increase dramatically during a severe flu pandemic or yet-unknown disease outbreak. Factors including globalization, increased antimicrobial (drug) resistance, and climate and weather changes are contributing to the increased threat. […] While the U.S. government has invested significantly in treatments that could counter an intentional biological attack, new drugs to treat emerging diseases and new antibiotics to address growing antimicrobial resistance have received far less attention. The development of new, improved therapies to treat drug resistant bacterial infections, as well as influenza and other viruses, is essential.” (PR Newswire; 29Oct08) http://www.ibtimes.com/prnews/20081029/tfah-disease-study.htm
Reuters evacuates NY newsroom in powder scare
“Police told staff to evacuate the 19th-floor Times Square [Reuters] newsroom after Brian Rhoads, the company's managing editor for the Americas, opened an envelope and a ‘puff of powder’ came out of it, Hunt said. Police isolated the envelope, and Rhoads, and then told the 140 members of staff to leave as a precautionary measure while they investigated. Staff made arrangements to ensure the company could put out a news file from other offices. Nearly three hours later, Hunt said authorities told Reuters the powder was harmless and workers returned to the desk.” (Stuff; 28Oct08; Source: Reuters) http://www.stuff.co.nz/print/4741918a6418.html
Sarin Vapor Leak Found At Blue Grass Depot
“Blue Grass Army Depot says chemical weapons inspectors have found an M55 rocket leaking GB, or sarin, vapor. The depot, near Richmond in central Kentucky, says the vapor was confined to an airtight tube and considered low-level. The Lexington Herald-Leader [KY] reports the rocket will be packed in another leakproof container Tuesday and later moved to another [storage] igloo. County and state emergency management agencies were notified, but the depot says there was no danger to people nearby the facility. No vapor was detected in the storage igloo's atmosphere. The discovery was made by toxic chemical crews inspecting the chemical weapons stockpile.” (Lexington Herald-Leader; 29Oct08) http://www.kypost.com/content/news/commonwealth/story.aspx?content_id=8760321e-d61b-4697-8454-7c0bd6fb170c
Cuts in military intelligence risks UK's national security
“The UK 's military intelligence service is facing severe cuts that will reduce its ability to foresee future threats to national security and dangers to British forces abroad, a confidential Whitehall document shows. British analysis of Russia's military capabilities and activities will be reduced as the Ministry of Defence slashes the size and budget of the Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS), a senior officer has warned. The agency is losing more than one in five of its Whitehall staff and having its budget cut by nearly seven million pound as the Ministry of Defence cuts costs. […] The DIS analyses foreign countries' military capabilities, monitoring both conventional weapons like aircraft and missiles and nuclear, biological and chemical weapons proliferation.” (Britain News; 28Oct08; Source: ANI)
http://www.britainnews.net/story/423511
OPCW [Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons] Director-General Visits Bulgaria for High-Level Meetings
“The OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, paid an official visit to Sofia, Bulgaria from 21 to 23 October 2008 where he met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr Ivailo Kalfin, and other high-level Government officials. […] The Director-General provided an update on the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), including the progress being made towards eliminating global chemical weapons stockpiles. Director-General Pfirter commended Bulgaria for its implementation of the Convention and its close cooperation with the OPCW. For his part, Deputy Prime Minister Kalfin reaffirmed Bulgaria’s firm commitment to the goals of the CWC […]” (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; 29Oct08) http://www.opcw.org/news/news/article/opcw-director-general-visits-bulgaria-for-high-level-meetings/
Utah gives NRC [Nuclear Regulatory Commission] update on wishes for low-level nuke waste
“The Nuclear Regulatory Commission now knows what path Utah wants it to follow as the NRC considers present and future license applications to dispose of any foreign generated low-level radioactive waste at EnergySolutions' Clive facility in Tooele County. […] The need for that clarity arose after state and regional regulators learned this past year that the NRC had already allowed the Clive site to accept small amounts of radioactive waste that originated in Canada, France, Germany and Mexico. […] Now […] the company wants to store up to 1,600 tons of low-level radioactive waste that would come from decommissioned nuclear power plants in Italy. That proposal prompted opposition last May from the Northwest Compact and an assertion to the NRC that the regional eight-member compact has authority over the Clive site.” (Deseret News; 29Oct08; Stephen Speckman)
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705258934,00.html
[U.S. Secretary of Defense] Gates: nuclear weapons and deterrence in the 21st century
“We also still face the problem of weapons passing from nation states into the hands of terrorists. After September 11th, the president announced that we would make no distinction between terrorists and the states that sponsor or harbor them. Indeed, the United States has made it clear for many years that it reserves the right to respond with overwhelming force to the use of weapons of mass destruction against the United States, our people, our forces and our friends and allies. Today we also make clear that the United States will hold any state, terrorist group or other non-state actor or individual fully accountable for supporting or enabling terrorist efforts to obtain or use weapons of mass destruction, whether by facilitating, financing or providing expertise or safe haven for such efforts. To add teeth to the deterrent goal of this policy, we are pursuing new technologies to identify the forensic signatures of any nuclear material used in an attack, to trace it back to the source.” (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; 28Oct08; see link below for full transcript) http://carnegieendowment.org/events/index.cfm?fa=eventDetail&id=1202&&prog=zgp,zru&proj=znpp,zusr
UN atomic energy chief warns of nuclear theft
“Mohamed ElBaradei, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, asserts that the number of reports of nuclear or radioactive material stolen around the world last year was ‘disturbingly high.’ ElBaradei, in his annual report to the General Assembly, said Monday that nearly 250 thefts were reported in the year ending in June. ‘The possibility of terrorists obtaining nuclear or other radioactive material remains a grave threat,’ he said. ‘Equally troubling is the fact that much of this material is not subsequently recovered.’ […] If all the stolen material were lumped together, it would not be enough to build even one nuclear device, [ElBaradei’s staff] said. It was unclear if the rising number of reports of stolen material stemmed from a growing market for radioactive goods or more vigilant reporting of thefts by member states.” (International Herald Tribune; 28Oct08; Neil MacFarquhar)
http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=17305939
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 utah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label utah. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
America Supports You: Runners Complete Memorial to Fallen Heroes
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 25, 2008 - It started as a leap of faith, but more than 10 million steps later, a 10-man relay team arrived here, at what the memorial run's organizer called the most sacred place in America. "Run for the Fallen is a living memorial," Jon Bellona said. "It is not just dedicated to the more than 4,000 brave men and women who gave their lives, but to the families whose loved ones on active duty currently are in harm's way."
Run for the Fallen, inspired by Bellona's best friend and college roommate, Army 1st Lt. Michael J. Cleary, began on Flag Day, June 14, just outside the gates of Fort Irwin, Calif. Cleary, 24, was a member of the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Benning, Ga., when he was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq on Dec. 20, 2005.
The mission was a simple one: to run one mile for every American servicemember killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Each mile was marked by a small American flag and a card honoring a servicemember -- "one mile of sweat and pain to pay homage to one soldier's life," the Run for the Fallen Web site says.
That mission was completed just outside the gates here yesterday under a brilliant blue sky. The healing process the run started, however, continued after the last mile was complete.
Those who participated in the final 10 kilometers of the run, as well as family and friends of fallen servicemembers, moved as a group to Section 60 inside the cemetery's gates. Section 60 is the portion of the cemetery dedicated to the fallen heroes of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
After an Army bugler played "Taps," those family and friends spent a moment visiting their fallen loved ones' graves, purging another small measure of grief.
Cleal Bradford, of Blanding, Utah, grandfather to 46 and great-grandfather to 41, was among them. His grandson, Army 1st Sgt. Nathan Winder, 32, was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) out of Fort Lewis, Wash., when he was killed June 26, 2007, by enemy small-arms fire in Diwaniyah, Iraq.
"This is my third time [to visit the grave] since the burial," Bradford said as he sat under a tree clutching a small American flag. "[Today] was beautiful, ... playing 'Taps.'"
Marianne Cleary, mother of the soldier who inspired the run, agreed.
"[I'm] overcome with what they've accomplished," she said. "What they've done is they've honored and they've remembered. To know that people are still honoring, and it's still going on [is reassuring]."
Cleary's sister, Shannon, of San Diego, ran as part of the relay team and had developed a personal connection to many of the names she saw chiseled into the headstones in Section 60.
"I'm going through here and I'm like, 'I ran his mile, and I ran her mile,'" she said. "People ask how you do it. You're thinking about Frederick for a mile. You're thinking about Russell for a mile."
And while she agreed the trek through the Mojave Desert was a hot one, "Nobody was shooting at us," she said.
Julie Jutras, an area resident, ran the final 10 kilometers in honor of her son. Army Pfc. Dillon Miles Jutras was killed in Iraq's Anbar province on Oct. 28, 2005, while serving with the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, from Fort Benning.
Jutras and a team that runs the Army 10-miler had heard about Run for the Fallen and began logging their training miles in honor of a fallen Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran.
"We've run for about 1,800 people in our training miles," she said. "It won't happen before this year's Army 10-miler, but we're hoping to be able to cover every person that sacrificed."
Fallen Army Staff Sgt. Henry W. Linck's father claimed to have left his running days behind some 30 years ago. But Rick Linck traveled from Lebanon, Tenn., with his wife and younger son to participate in the day's events nonetheless.
The experience left his spirit buoyed.
"It showed me that some people still remember what our fallen heroes deserve," Linck said. "What better tribute [than] to make a run? It's honored my son. It's honored daughters, husbands, wives, sons, grandsons -- showing that we still do care."
Linck's son was killed in Fallujah, Iraq, on Dec. 7, 2006, 18 days before his 23rd birthday. He was a member of the 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, based at Fort Richardson, Alaska.
As the last carnations and stones were placed at the headstones of friends and loved ones, the crowd began to dissipate with Bellona's earlier words still clear in their minds.
"While the run across America ... is over, the journey of honor and remembrance continues," he said. "It is here that now we walk, shoulder to shoulder, in tribute to the fallen."
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 25, 2008 - It started as a leap of faith, but more than 10 million steps later, a 10-man relay team arrived here, at what the memorial run's organizer called the most sacred place in America. "Run for the Fallen is a living memorial," Jon Bellona said. "It is not just dedicated to the more than 4,000 brave men and women who gave their lives, but to the families whose loved ones on active duty currently are in harm's way."
Run for the Fallen, inspired by Bellona's best friend and college roommate, Army 1st Lt. Michael J. Cleary, began on Flag Day, June 14, just outside the gates of Fort Irwin, Calif. Cleary, 24, was a member of the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Benning, Ga., when he was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq on Dec. 20, 2005.
The mission was a simple one: to run one mile for every American servicemember killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Each mile was marked by a small American flag and a card honoring a servicemember -- "one mile of sweat and pain to pay homage to one soldier's life," the Run for the Fallen Web site says.
That mission was completed just outside the gates here yesterday under a brilliant blue sky. The healing process the run started, however, continued after the last mile was complete.
Those who participated in the final 10 kilometers of the run, as well as family and friends of fallen servicemembers, moved as a group to Section 60 inside the cemetery's gates. Section 60 is the portion of the cemetery dedicated to the fallen heroes of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
After an Army bugler played "Taps," those family and friends spent a moment visiting their fallen loved ones' graves, purging another small measure of grief.
Cleal Bradford, of Blanding, Utah, grandfather to 46 and great-grandfather to 41, was among them. His grandson, Army 1st Sgt. Nathan Winder, 32, was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) out of Fort Lewis, Wash., when he was killed June 26, 2007, by enemy small-arms fire in Diwaniyah, Iraq.
"This is my third time [to visit the grave] since the burial," Bradford said as he sat under a tree clutching a small American flag. "[Today] was beautiful, ... playing 'Taps.'"
Marianne Cleary, mother of the soldier who inspired the run, agreed.
"[I'm] overcome with what they've accomplished," she said. "What they've done is they've honored and they've remembered. To know that people are still honoring, and it's still going on [is reassuring]."
Cleary's sister, Shannon, of San Diego, ran as part of the relay team and had developed a personal connection to many of the names she saw chiseled into the headstones in Section 60.
"I'm going through here and I'm like, 'I ran his mile, and I ran her mile,'" she said. "People ask how you do it. You're thinking about Frederick for a mile. You're thinking about Russell for a mile."
And while she agreed the trek through the Mojave Desert was a hot one, "Nobody was shooting at us," she said.
Julie Jutras, an area resident, ran the final 10 kilometers in honor of her son. Army Pfc. Dillon Miles Jutras was killed in Iraq's Anbar province on Oct. 28, 2005, while serving with the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, from Fort Benning.
Jutras and a team that runs the Army 10-miler had heard about Run for the Fallen and began logging their training miles in honor of a fallen Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran.
"We've run for about 1,800 people in our training miles," she said. "It won't happen before this year's Army 10-miler, but we're hoping to be able to cover every person that sacrificed."
Fallen Army Staff Sgt. Henry W. Linck's father claimed to have left his running days behind some 30 years ago. But Rick Linck traveled from Lebanon, Tenn., with his wife and younger son to participate in the day's events nonetheless.
The experience left his spirit buoyed.
"It showed me that some people still remember what our fallen heroes deserve," Linck said. "What better tribute [than] to make a run? It's honored my son. It's honored daughters, husbands, wives, sons, grandsons -- showing that we still do care."
Linck's son was killed in Fallujah, Iraq, on Dec. 7, 2006, 18 days before his 23rd birthday. He was a member of the 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, based at Fort Richardson, Alaska.
As the last carnations and stones were placed at the headstones of friends and loved ones, the crowd began to dissipate with Bellona's earlier words still clear in their minds.
"While the run across America ... is over, the journey of honor and remembrance continues," he said. "It is here that now we walk, shoulder to shoulder, in tribute to the fallen."
Thursday, August 14, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- August 13, 2008
Special report: War has always been a dirty 'biological' battle
“The earliest known application goes as far back as 600BC, when Assyrians poisoned enemy wells with Ergot. In 400BC, Scythian archers used to dip their arrows into a mixture of blood and manure. […] It comes therefore as little surprise that the English word ‘toxin’ is derived from the Greek word ‘toxikon’, meaning ‘arrow’. The ancient Roman and Greek armies threw dead bodies into the wells of their enemies to compromise their water supply. […] An enduring problem is that they are difficult to eradicate afterward; Gruinard Island, for example, is still heavily contaminated despite repeated attempts to clean it up. Nevertheless, after four millennia there is persistent interest in their application. They have developed from arrows to catapults to long-range missiles. Prohibitions placed upon their use have not hindered their development. We should be in no doubt that we will see them used again in conflicts around the world.”
(Irish Medical News; 11Aug08; Robert O'Sullivan) http://www.imt.ie/news/2008/08/war_has_always_been_a_dirty_bi.html
Man [Thomas Tholen] Pleads Guilty In Ricin Case
“A Utah man has pleaded guilty to charges he knew his cousin was making the deadly toxin ricin, but did not tell authorities. The ‘Salt Lake Tribune’ says 54-year-old Thomas Tholen pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges of knowing a biological agent had been illegally produced, and a count of making an untruthful statement to hide the fact. Tholen faces up to three years in prison and a 250-thousand-dollar fine when he's sentenced October 22nd. Federal prosecutors charge Tholen knew his cousin, Roger Bergendorff, was making ricin while he was staying in the basement of Tholen's Utah home.” (KXNT; 12Aug08)
http://www.kxnt.com/Man-Pleads-Guilty-In-Ricin-Case/2770488
Homeland Security rates possible sites for biolab; Manhattan among finalists
“The Homeland Security Department gave evaluation scores for 17 sites that were competing for a new laboratory to study human and animal diseases, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press. The scores from the five finalist locations are: 1. Granville County, N.C., 94[.] 2. San Antonio, 91[.] 3. Manhattan, Kan. 91[.] 4. Athens, Ga. 90[.] 5. Flora, Miss., 81.” (Topeka Capital Journal; 12Aug08) http://cjonline.com/stories/081208/kan_317613314.shtml
Advanced Life Sciences Awarded U.S. Department of Defense Biodefense Contract Valued at up to $3.8 Million
“Advanced Life Sciences Holdings […] today announced that the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) of the U.S. Department of Defense has awarded the Company a two-year contract worth up to $3.8 million to further study cethromycin as a potential broad-spectrum medical countermeasure.” (PR Newswire; 13Aug08) http://sev.prnewswire.com/health-care-hospitals/20080813/AQW04813082008-1.html
Better check on bio-labs
“The FBI spent $10 million on new genome technology to link the anthrax used in the mailings to the Fort Detrick biological weapons lab, where Ivins worked. That technology is good to have because of the complicated world we live in and the potential danger and hysteria that a mentally unstable worker with access to biological weapons could cause in our society. We also need tighter security at government labs.” (Muskogee Phoenix; 12Aug08) http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/opinion/local_story_225163332.html
[Boston University] BU wants to start training at biolab
“Boston University has asked the city for permission to start conducting training exercises at a laboratory being built to study some of the world's most dangerous germs. Construction of the $198 million National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories in the South End is scheduled to end this summer. But actual research into Ebola, plague, anthrax and other deadly biological agents is not expected to start until next year.”
(Nashua Telegraph; 13Aug08)
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/NEWS02/566266684/-1/news
Universal Detection technology Receives Purchase Order for Anthrax Detection Equipment from the State of Hawaii Emergency Medical Services
“Universal Detection technology (www.udetection.com) (OTCBB: UNDT), a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter-terrorism consulting and training services, reported today that it has received a purchase order from the state of Hawaii Emergency Medical Services for its handheld bio-detection equipment. The purchase order is for handheld devices that test for Anthrax, Ricin Toxin, Botulinum Toxin, Y. Pestis (Plague), and Staphylococcal Entertoxin B (SEB).” (Trading Markets; 12Aug08) http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1821871/
PanThera awarded $5.1M contract: the STI Industries subsidiary will develop an anti-anthrax drug
“PanThera Biopharma said yesterday it has won a $5.1 million contract for bioterrorism research. The Honolulu-based subsidiary of technology company STI Industries has been awarded a five-year contract from the National Institutes of Health, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to develop a therapeutic drug for weaponized anthrax exposure.”
(Star Bulletin; 12Aug08; Jennifer Sudick) http://starbulletin.com/2008/08/12/business/story03.html
What if the FBI is Right, about Bruce Ivins? [Editorial]
“If the FBI theory on the man responsible for the anthrax attacks of 2001 is correct, then the threat of bioterrorism is far more troubling than we have imagined. […] ‘If the Unabomber had been a biologist instead of a mathematician, could he have produced a sophisticated bioweapon?’ The answer has always been ‘No: That would require a team of individuals.’ However, if the FBI is right about Ivins, such a lone individual can produce such a weapon.” (Wall Street Journal; 12Aug08; Randall Larsen) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121850430521931913.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Our own worst bioenemy [Editorial]
“According to the CDC, infections caused by methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, kill 19,000 people a year. […] Only one of 40 staph toxins is on the priority list. There's another problem created by the priority-pathogens list. The ballooning of the biodefense program, according to Ebright, means that about 14,000 individuals are now considered qualified to work with priority pathogens. It hasn't always been easy to find qualified people for this research. In the days when the FBI was pursuing former ‘person of interest’ -- and now exonerated -- Steven J. Hatfill, one senior government scientist said of Hatfill's background, ‘You take what you can get -- not many people with his abilities show up very often.’ So where do 14,000 suddenly qualified biodefense experts come from? ‘[…] that's many more possibilities of another bizarre individual doing illicit work.’” (Los Angeles Times; 13Aug08; Wendy Orent) http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-orent13-2008aug13,0,1045104.story
Laser Energetics Successfully Completes Defense Contract With ITT
“Laser Energetics […] announced today that the Company has successfully completed the Proof-of-Concept contract worth $481,268 with ITT Corporation […] This contract supports the U.S. Army's initiative to develop an all solid-state laser for the next generation of chemical warfare agent sensor. This contract provided LEI the opportunity to design and demonstrate a high power all solid state Alexandrite pumping concept which is now part of the Laser Energetics' BrightStar(TM) product line.”
(Sun Herald; 12Aug08)
http://www.sunherald.com/prnewswire/story/743071.html
Smiths Detection and Torion Technologies Partner to Develop Highly Portable, Advanced Military & Emergency Response Chemical Threat Assessment technology “The use of Torion's proprietary toroidal technology (developed for its GUARDION-7(TM)) allows a well-established analytical technology, GC-MS (gas chromatography mass spectroscopy), to be used in a lighter and faster way than ever before. The unique size and weight of the new instrument do not compromise its ability to achieve the same high accuracy, sensitivity and selectivity of standard GC-MS technology.This technology is designed to identify a variety of substances such as Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs), Volatile and Semi Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs & SVOCs) in air and liquid samples.” (Centre Dailty; 12Aug08; David Olsen) http://www.centredaily.com/business/technology/story/771525.html
Former Sri Lankan rebel commander says LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] may use chemical weapons as last resort
“Former leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Eastern Province and the current leader of the political party TMVP, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman yesterday said that Military defeat is inevitable for the LTTE as it does not have a proper commander. […] During the briefing, he also warned that the Tigers may use chemical weapons as their last resort. He confirmed that the Tigers have the weapons but said he was not aware about the exact substance used. He confidently said that Prabhakaran would choose to use the chemical weapons as the last measure to avoid defeat.” (Sri Lankan Colombo Page; 12Aug08) http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/August12171914JR.html
Bizarre Death of the Man Who Talked Too Much [Book Review]
“In ‘The Terminal Spy’ Alan S. Cowell, a veteran foreign correspondent for The New York Times, gives an absorbing account of Mr. Litvinenko’s life and bizarre murder. Along the way he explains how Russia lost and got back its tremendous energy resources after the fall of the Soviet Union, describes how wealthy Russians have turned London into ‘Moscow-on-the-Thames’ and tries to determine if the Litvinenko murder is the harbinger of a new and especially dangerous kind of terrorism.” (New York Times; 11Aug08; Joseph Weisberg) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/12/books/12weisberg.html?ref=arts
New Terror Security Plan Would Photograph License Plates [New York]
“The NYPD is considering taking photographs of every license plate and scanning the information. An NYPD official tells Fox 5 News that the focus of Operation Sentinel is primarily for dirty bomb detection. The official also says there will be a way for drivers to register their cars so they won't be screened all the time.” (Fox News; 12Aug08; Kathy Carvajal)
http://www.myfoxny.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7190219&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
Seeking ban on highly enriched uranium in research
“Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo are calling on the federal government to ban researchers from working with highly enriched uranium - saying they don't want it fall into the hands of terrorists. Taking the substance out of civilian laboratories will diminish the chances it could be used to make a so-called dirty bomb, they said yesterday. […] Seven research centers around the country use the substance, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, which asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to institute the ban as soon as December 2009.” (Newsday; 13Aug08; Janie Lorber)
Iraqi Kurdistan: Mass Grave Discovered with 500 Dead
“The Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) has been informed that a new mass grave with 500 dead has been discovered in Iraq. […] They were either murdered during the so-called Anfal offensive under Saddam Hussein in 1987/88 or they were victims of the Barzan massacre of 1983 […] The Anfal Offensive was carried out under the leadership of Saddam Hussein’s cousin Ali Hassan Al Majid (better known under the name ‘Chemical Ali’). […] Chemical and biological weapons were also used here. The murders were aimed specifically at men of working age and boys aged between eleven and fifty years old to prevent active counter-attacks or later acts of revenge.” (Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organization; 12Aug08) http://www.unpo.org/content/view/8508/116/
Using live fish, new tool a sentinel for environmental contamination
“Researchers have harnessed the sensitivity of days-old fish embryos to create a tool capable of detecting a range of harmful chemicals. By measuring rates of oxygen use in developing fish, which are sensitive to contaminants and stressful conditions, the technology could reveal the presence of minute levels of toxic substances before they cause more obvious and substantial harm. It could be used as an early warning system against environmental contamination or even biological weapons, said Purdue University researcher Marshall Porterfield, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering.” (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News; 13Aug08; Douglas M. Main)
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=40358774
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 earliest known application goes as far back as 600BC, when Assyrians poisoned enemy wells with Ergot. In 400BC, Scythian archers used to dip their arrows into a mixture of blood and manure. […] It comes therefore as little surprise that the English word ‘toxin’ is derived from the Greek word ‘toxikon’, meaning ‘arrow’. The ancient Roman and Greek armies threw dead bodies into the wells of their enemies to compromise their water supply. […] An enduring problem is that they are difficult to eradicate afterward; Gruinard Island, for example, is still heavily contaminated despite repeated attempts to clean it up. Nevertheless, after four millennia there is persistent interest in their application. They have developed from arrows to catapults to long-range missiles. Prohibitions placed upon their use have not hindered their development. We should be in no doubt that we will see them used again in conflicts around the world.”
(Irish Medical News; 11Aug08; Robert O'Sullivan) http://www.imt.ie/news/2008/08/war_has_always_been_a_dirty_bi.html
Man [Thomas Tholen] Pleads Guilty In Ricin Case
“A Utah man has pleaded guilty to charges he knew his cousin was making the deadly toxin ricin, but did not tell authorities. The ‘Salt Lake Tribune’ says 54-year-old Thomas Tholen pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges of knowing a biological agent had been illegally produced, and a count of making an untruthful statement to hide the fact. Tholen faces up to three years in prison and a 250-thousand-dollar fine when he's sentenced October 22nd. Federal prosecutors charge Tholen knew his cousin, Roger Bergendorff, was making ricin while he was staying in the basement of Tholen's Utah home.” (KXNT; 12Aug08)
http://www.kxnt.com/Man-Pleads-Guilty-In-Ricin-Case/2770488
Homeland Security rates possible sites for biolab; Manhattan among finalists
“The Homeland Security Department gave evaluation scores for 17 sites that were competing for a new laboratory to study human and animal diseases, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press. The scores from the five finalist locations are: 1. Granville County, N.C., 94[.] 2. San Antonio, 91[.] 3. Manhattan, Kan. 91[.] 4. Athens, Ga. 90[.] 5. Flora, Miss., 81.” (Topeka Capital Journal; 12Aug08) http://cjonline.com/stories/081208/kan_317613314.shtml
Advanced Life Sciences Awarded U.S. Department of Defense Biodefense Contract Valued at up to $3.8 Million
“Advanced Life Sciences Holdings […] today announced that the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) of the U.S. Department of Defense has awarded the Company a two-year contract worth up to $3.8 million to further study cethromycin as a potential broad-spectrum medical countermeasure.” (PR Newswire; 13Aug08) http://sev.prnewswire.com/health-care-hospitals/20080813/AQW04813082008-1.html
Better check on bio-labs
“The FBI spent $10 million on new genome technology to link the anthrax used in the mailings to the Fort Detrick biological weapons lab, where Ivins worked. That technology is good to have because of the complicated world we live in and the potential danger and hysteria that a mentally unstable worker with access to biological weapons could cause in our society. We also need tighter security at government labs.” (Muskogee Phoenix; 12Aug08) http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/opinion/local_story_225163332.html
[Boston University] BU wants to start training at biolab
“Boston University has asked the city for permission to start conducting training exercises at a laboratory being built to study some of the world's most dangerous germs. Construction of the $198 million National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories in the South End is scheduled to end this summer. But actual research into Ebola, plague, anthrax and other deadly biological agents is not expected to start until next year.”
(Nashua Telegraph; 13Aug08)
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/NEWS02/566266684/-1/news
Universal Detection technology Receives Purchase Order for Anthrax Detection Equipment from the State of Hawaii Emergency Medical Services
“Universal Detection technology (www.udetection.com) (OTCBB: UNDT), a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter-terrorism consulting and training services, reported today that it has received a purchase order from the state of Hawaii Emergency Medical Services for its handheld bio-detection equipment. The purchase order is for handheld devices that test for Anthrax, Ricin Toxin, Botulinum Toxin, Y. Pestis (Plague), and Staphylococcal Entertoxin B (SEB).” (Trading Markets; 12Aug08) http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1821871/
PanThera awarded $5.1M contract: the STI Industries subsidiary will develop an anti-anthrax drug
“PanThera Biopharma said yesterday it has won a $5.1 million contract for bioterrorism research. The Honolulu-based subsidiary of technology company STI Industries has been awarded a five-year contract from the National Institutes of Health, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to develop a therapeutic drug for weaponized anthrax exposure.”
(Star Bulletin; 12Aug08; Jennifer Sudick) http://starbulletin.com/2008/08/12/business/story03.html
What if the FBI is Right, about Bruce Ivins? [Editorial]
“If the FBI theory on the man responsible for the anthrax attacks of 2001 is correct, then the threat of bioterrorism is far more troubling than we have imagined. […] ‘If the Unabomber had been a biologist instead of a mathematician, could he have produced a sophisticated bioweapon?’ The answer has always been ‘No: That would require a team of individuals.’ However, if the FBI is right about Ivins, such a lone individual can produce such a weapon.” (Wall Street Journal; 12Aug08; Randall Larsen) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121850430521931913.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Our own worst bioenemy [Editorial]
“According to the CDC, infections caused by methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, kill 19,000 people a year. […] Only one of 40 staph toxins is on the priority list. There's another problem created by the priority-pathogens list. The ballooning of the biodefense program, according to Ebright, means that about 14,000 individuals are now considered qualified to work with priority pathogens. It hasn't always been easy to find qualified people for this research. In the days when the FBI was pursuing former ‘person of interest’ -- and now exonerated -- Steven J. Hatfill, one senior government scientist said of Hatfill's background, ‘You take what you can get -- not many people with his abilities show up very often.’ So where do 14,000 suddenly qualified biodefense experts come from? ‘[…] that's many more possibilities of another bizarre individual doing illicit work.’” (Los Angeles Times; 13Aug08; Wendy Orent) http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-orent13-2008aug13,0,1045104.story
Laser Energetics Successfully Completes Defense Contract With ITT
“Laser Energetics […] announced today that the Company has successfully completed the Proof-of-Concept contract worth $481,268 with ITT Corporation […] This contract supports the U.S. Army's initiative to develop an all solid-state laser for the next generation of chemical warfare agent sensor. This contract provided LEI the opportunity to design and demonstrate a high power all solid state Alexandrite pumping concept which is now part of the Laser Energetics' BrightStar(TM) product line.”
(Sun Herald; 12Aug08)
http://www.sunherald.com/prnewswire/story/743071.html
Smiths Detection and Torion Technologies Partner to Develop Highly Portable, Advanced Military & Emergency Response Chemical Threat Assessment technology “The use of Torion's proprietary toroidal technology (developed for its GUARDION-7(TM)) allows a well-established analytical technology, GC-MS (gas chromatography mass spectroscopy), to be used in a lighter and faster way than ever before. The unique size and weight of the new instrument do not compromise its ability to achieve the same high accuracy, sensitivity and selectivity of standard GC-MS technology.This technology is designed to identify a variety of substances such as Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs), Volatile and Semi Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs & SVOCs) in air and liquid samples.” (Centre Dailty; 12Aug08; David Olsen) http://www.centredaily.com/business/technology/story/771525.html
Former Sri Lankan rebel commander says LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] may use chemical weapons as last resort
“Former leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Eastern Province and the current leader of the political party TMVP, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman yesterday said that Military defeat is inevitable for the LTTE as it does not have a proper commander. […] During the briefing, he also warned that the Tigers may use chemical weapons as their last resort. He confirmed that the Tigers have the weapons but said he was not aware about the exact substance used. He confidently said that Prabhakaran would choose to use the chemical weapons as the last measure to avoid defeat.” (Sri Lankan Colombo Page; 12Aug08) http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/August12171914JR.html
Bizarre Death of the Man Who Talked Too Much [Book Review]
“In ‘The Terminal Spy’ Alan S. Cowell, a veteran foreign correspondent for The New York Times, gives an absorbing account of Mr. Litvinenko’s life and bizarre murder. Along the way he explains how Russia lost and got back its tremendous energy resources after the fall of the Soviet Union, describes how wealthy Russians have turned London into ‘Moscow-on-the-Thames’ and tries to determine if the Litvinenko murder is the harbinger of a new and especially dangerous kind of terrorism.” (New York Times; 11Aug08; Joseph Weisberg) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/12/books/12weisberg.html?ref=arts
New Terror Security Plan Would Photograph License Plates [New York]
“The NYPD is considering taking photographs of every license plate and scanning the information. An NYPD official tells Fox 5 News that the focus of Operation Sentinel is primarily for dirty bomb detection. The official also says there will be a way for drivers to register their cars so they won't be screened all the time.” (Fox News; 12Aug08; Kathy Carvajal)
http://www.myfoxny.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7190219&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
Seeking ban on highly enriched uranium in research
“Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo are calling on the federal government to ban researchers from working with highly enriched uranium - saying they don't want it fall into the hands of terrorists. Taking the substance out of civilian laboratories will diminish the chances it could be used to make a so-called dirty bomb, they said yesterday. […] Seven research centers around the country use the substance, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, which asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to institute the ban as soon as December 2009.” (Newsday; 13Aug08; Janie Lorber)
Iraqi Kurdistan: Mass Grave Discovered with 500 Dead
“The Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) has been informed that a new mass grave with 500 dead has been discovered in Iraq. […] They were either murdered during the so-called Anfal offensive under Saddam Hussein in 1987/88 or they were victims of the Barzan massacre of 1983 […] The Anfal Offensive was carried out under the leadership of Saddam Hussein’s cousin Ali Hassan Al Majid (better known under the name ‘Chemical Ali’). […] Chemical and biological weapons were also used here. The murders were aimed specifically at men of working age and boys aged between eleven and fifty years old to prevent active counter-attacks or later acts of revenge.” (Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organization; 12Aug08) http://www.unpo.org/content/view/8508/116/
Using live fish, new tool a sentinel for environmental contamination
“Researchers have harnessed the sensitivity of days-old fish embryos to create a tool capable of detecting a range of harmful chemicals. By measuring rates of oxygen use in developing fish, which are sensitive to contaminants and stressful conditions, the technology could reveal the presence of minute levels of toxic substances before they cause more obvious and substantial harm. It could be used as an early warning system against environmental contamination or even biological weapons, said Purdue University researcher Marshall Porterfield, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering.” (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News; 13Aug08; Douglas M. Main)
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=40358774
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.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- August 11, 2008
For anthrax victim, suicide opens questions
“In October 2001, O'Donnell was working at the big distribution center in Hamilton Township when tainted letters, whipping through sorting machines, released anthrax spores. O'Donnell, who had a nick on his neck from shaving, became infected and was quarantined at a Bucks County hospital. Eleven days ago, O'Donnell got a call from an FBI agent, telling him of the suicide of Bruce E. Ivins, a 62-year-old government scientist at Fort Detrick in Frederick, [Maryland]” (Philadelphia Inquirer; 11Aug08; Jennifer Lin) http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20080811_For_anthrax_victim__suicide_opens_questions.html
Four years after FBI raid, Dr. [Kenneth] Berry moving on with life
“Federal investigators have declared the 2001 anthrax attacks a closed matter, but four years ago this week they swarmed the Southern Tier after a supposed suspect in the case. FBI agents searched Dr. Kenneth Berry’s East Pearl Street home, his former apartment and his parents’ summer home on the New Jersey shore. […] He had been training medical professionals to respond to chemical and biological attacks since 1997. He later developed a system to respond to an anthrax attack after letters laced with the deadly substance were circulated to government officials. […] the FBI never issued any charges. Indeed, the agency never commented on any aspect of the investigation of Dr. Berry.” (Olean Times Herald; 08Aug08; Daniel LeBlanc)
http://www.oleantimesherald.com/articles/2008/08/08/news/doc489c4c14a45da935928140.txt
[Bruce] Ivins remembered for intelligence, compassion
“The Army scientist suspected in the anthrax attacks was remembered for his humor, intelligence and compassion at a memorial service Saturday. Bruce Ivins, 62, died of an apparent suicide late last month after being informed by the FBI that charges likely were being brought against him in connection with the 2001 attacks. Some mourners wept when speakers at the service talked about Ivins' many hobbies, including juggling, target shooting, practical jokes, cartoons and the weather. Colleagues recalled a talented scientist with a probing mind who loved to debate a wide variety of subjects.” (Associated Press; 09Aug08; Brian Witte) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jLj3VPY35ZCT9svDoUxs92njFYSQD92ES9J00
FBI believes anthrax scientist killed [others] with manipulated spores from Dugway lab
“Utah's Dugway Proving Ground produced one of two strains of anthrax that FBI investigators say was used in the September 2001 poison-letter campaign that killed five and injured 17. The federal investigation once again focuses attention on Utah's chemical and biological testing facility in Tooele County's west desert. […] The Utah anthrax strain, referred to in the documents as ‘Dugway Ames spores Ð 1997’ or ‘RMR Ð1029,’ was one of two that Ivins is said to have used to produce a third strain that he mailed to public officials and media outlets. The FBI documents suggest that Ivins used specialized techniques to cover his tracks once he had obtained the anthrax from Dugway while he worked at Fort Detrick. But there is no evidence in the documents showing anything untoward or illegal took place at the Utah facility.” (The Salt Lake Tribune; 08Aug08; Christopher Smart)
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10136522
Anthrax case spurred field of germ-gene sleuthing
“The anthrax killer spurred a whole new branch of science that could give the nation a head start in the next emergency - whether it's investigating more bioterrorism or even a food poisoning outbreak. It's called microbial forensic, a way of using a germ's genetics to help exonerate or incriminate much as human DNA can today. Microbes - whether bacteria like salmonella and E. coli, or viruses like HIV - have unique genetic signatures that can allow scientists to tell even the most closely related strains apart. The forensic side comes from adding crime-investigation techniques to this advanced microbiology used by disease detectives. […] If tracing a single vial of germs sounds impressive, consider: Research under way now might one day allow tracing where someone has recently traveled by the DNA of bacteria in the dirt on their shoes.” (Buffalo News; 08Aug08; Lauran Neergaard – AP) http://www.buffalonews.com/260/story/410345.html
When dinner makes you sick [Editorial]
“Growers lost $250 million this spring and summer when an outbreak of salmonella was originally linked to certain tomatoes. […] In 2006, spinach growers said an outbreak of E. coli poisoning cost them $350 million. The losses in such cases would be less if regulators required growers, processors, and retailers to maintain a traceback system with computerized records. […] Food poisoning takes a huge toll in the United States - about 5,000 deaths a year and 76 million illnesses, with 325,000 victims requiring hospitalization.” (The Boston Globe; 10Aug08) http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2008/08/10/when_dinner_makes_you_sick/
Bush pushes $1.2 billion in 2009 budget amendments
“President Bush used the congressional recess to make an unusual request for $1.2 billion in amendments to his 2009 budget proposal, including millions for investments in new technology and controversial cuts to environmental and social programs. The proposal’s biggest change is at the Health and Human Services Department, which would receive an extra $905 million for bioterrorism preparedness. The money would help develop an infrastructure for moving medical supplies and protective gear in the event of a bioterrorist attack or pandemic. Another $35 million in preparedness money would go to the Environmental Protection Agency.”
(Federal Times; 08Aug08; Gregg Carlstrom)
http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3666472
[Steven J.] Hatfill cleared of role in anthrax mailings
“Federal prosecutors on Friday officially ‘excluded’ scientist Steven J. Hatfill from involvement in the deadly 2001 anthrax mailings, formally closing the door on a costly episode that sidetracked the FBI's search for nearly five years. U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Taylor sent a letter Friday to a lawyer for Hatfill, a onetime Fort Detrick, Md., bioweapons researcher, that essentially cleared Hatfill of a crime in which he was declared ‘a person of interest’ six years ago.” (The Washington Post; 09Aug08) http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/aug/09/na-hatfill-cleared-of-role-in-anthrax-mailings/
'Sovereignty' that risks global health
“Here's a concept you've probably never heard of: ‘viral sovereignty.’ This extremely dangerous idea comes to us courtesy of Indonesia's minister of health, Siti Fadilah Supari, who asserts that deadly viruses are the sovereign property of individual nations […] the notion has morphed into a global movement […] The Non-Aligned Movement -- a 112-nation organization that is a survivor of the Cold War era -- has agreed to consider formally endorsing the concept of ‘viral sovereignty’ at its November meeting.
Indonesia argues that a nation's right to control all information on locally discovered viruses should be protected through the same mechanisms that the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization uses to guarantee poor countries' rights of ownership and patents on the seeds of its indigenous plants.” (Washington Post; 10Aug08; Richard Holbrooke and Laurie Garrett) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080802919.html
GTCbio announces its inaugural Bugs & Drugs Conference on September 22-23 in San Diego
“The Bugs & Drugs conference brings together leading experts to discuss current options available in combating these problematic pathogens and the current drugs in development that may resolve these issues. Included are discussions on various gram positive & negative drugs, contingency plans for biological weapons & disease outbreaks, novel delivery methods, regulatory aspects & clinical trial design, and novel drug developments for diseases of developing economies.” (Newswire;
08Aug08)
http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/38154/
[Oregon] Chemical Depot burns last of VX 8-inch shells
“Umatilla Chemical Agent Depot disposed of the last of the 8-inch artillery shells containing VX nerve agent and now will begin destroying VX land mines, hoping to finish those by the end of 2009. The 8-inch shells were the last of their kind in the nation's chemical weapons stockpile. The depot began processing the artillery shells July 15 and finished ahead of schedule.” (Oregon Live; 8August08) http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-26/1218233946231900.xml&storylist=orlocal
Army completes chemical stockpile neutralization at Newport [Indiana] Chemical Depot
“The United States Army Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) completed neutralization Aug. 11 of the chemical weapons stockpile of nerve agent VX at the Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (NECDF), located at Newport Chemical Depot, Ind. This achievement brings the United States one step closer to safely destroying the national stockpile of chemical weapons. […] NECDF began chemical agent destruction operations on May 5, 2005, with a stockpile of 1,269 tons of VX -- four percent of the original United States total chemical weapons stockpile. Workers destroyed the agent using a neutralization technology that mixes it with sodium hydroxide and hot water. The resulting byproduct of this process is a caustic wastewater made up of water, sodium hydroxide, and organic salts.”
(U.S. Army; 11Aug08)
http://www.army.mil/-newsreleases/2008/08/11/11573-army-completes-chemical-stockpile-neutralization-at-newport-chemical-depot/
Pakistan diplomats visit US-held terror suspect
“Pakistani diplomats have met with a woman described as a possible ‘fixer’ for al-Qaida who is being detained in New York, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani citizen educated in the United States, was captured in Afghanistan last month and taken to the United States after she allegedly tried to kill her interrogators. Two diplomats visited Siddiqui over the weekend at a detention facility in New York, ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq said. […] According to a U.S. criminal complaint, she was carrying documents containing recipes for explosives and chemical weapons and describing ‘various landmarks in the United States, including New York City.’ The complaint also alleges Siddiqui carried ‘chemical substances in gel and liquid form that were sealed in bottles and glass jars.’ It did not elaborate.” (Associated Press; 10Aug08; Sadaqat Jan) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hYUwTvvA05WY5EBzvT3wYgBRPnMwD92FF5EO0
Hands-on detection
“Smiths Detection announced recently that Amtrak has purchased additional Sabre 4000 advanced explosives detection systems to expand its capability for screening passengers, trains and stations. Using Ion Mobility Spectrometry, the hand-held system quickly detects and identifies explosives, narcotics, chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals.” (The Engineer Online; 11Aug08) http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/307492/Hands-on+detection.htm
VIASPACE Subsidiary Wins $750,000 Army contract for robotic detection of chemical warfare agents and explosives
“VIASPACE Inc. […] subsidiary Ionfinity has been awarded a $750,000 Phase II contract for its proposal entitled ‘Advanced Robotic Detection of Chemical Agents, Toxic Industrial Gases, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED)s for Force Health Protection’ submitted to the Army Small Business technology Transfer (STTR) Program. This competitively selected two year contract will result in a field demonstration of high sensitivity detection and analysis capability for chemical agents and explosives that threaten US forces.” (PR Newswire; 11Aug08) http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-11-2008/0004865205&EDATE=
Detecting the activity of a biological toxin
“Current methods of detecting ribosomal-inactivating proteins, such as antibodies employed in enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assays, are complicated and difficult to use in the field. […] Researchers from the University of California San Diego discovered a new strategy for sensing the activities of these proteins. […] Based on the results of their work, the next step is to take this probe outside of the controlled environments of the lab and see if it's possible to extend its utility to real life applications.” (ARS Technica; 11Aug08; Yun Xie) http://arstechnica.com/journals/science.ars/2008/08/11/detecting-the-activity-of-a-biological-toxin
Ricin suspect [Roger Bergendorff] had powder for decade
“An unemployed graphic designer who pleaded guilty to possessing toxic ricin said he distilled the lethal powder from the beans of a backyard castor plant in 1998 while living in San Diego and carried it with him for a decade while living in Reno, Las Vegas and near Salt Lake City. Roger Bergendorff spoke to The Associated Press Friday in an exclusive interview from a Las Vegas-area jail where he is being held pending sentencing.” (Fox 5 News; 11August08)
http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/17157171/detail.html#-
Beijing cites numerous Olympic threats
“Just over a week before the Beijing Olympics, a militant Islamic group's claims of responsibility for bombings in China have fueled unease about security. The government has assured its people and the Olympic community that heavy security will ensure a secure games. […] Stirring the latest concerns were videotaped threats purporting to be from an Islamic militant group. They surfaced last week in the name of the Turkistan Islamic Party - a group Chinese and Western terrorism experts say is an offshoot of a secessionist group from China's Central Asian frontier with ties to al-Qaida. […] One militant, identified by the Washington-based monitoring group IntelCenter as commander Seyfullah [said] ‘Our aim is to target the most critical points related to the Olympics. We will try to attack Chinese central cities severely using the tactics that have never been employed,’” (BND; 10Aug08; Charles Hutzler -AP) http://www.bnd.com/306/story/412864.html
Al-Qaida said to lose key WMD operative
“The killing of an al-Qaida chemical weapons expert in a missile strike two weeks ago on a Pakistani border village has dealt a heavy blow to the terrorist group's ambitions to build weapons of mass destruction, a former CIA case officer says. Abu Khabab al-Masri was dubbed by terrorism analysts as al-Qaida's ‘mad scientist.’ His most notorious work, recorded on videotape, showed dogs being killed in poison gas experiments in Afghanistan when the Taliban ruled. […] l-Qaida confirmed his death days after the July 28 attack by unmanned drones on a tribesman's compound in the village of Azam Warsak in South Waziristan. Al-Masri, whose real name is Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, got his chemical weapons training in the Egyptian army before defecting to the militant Islamic Jihad group […]” (Associated Press; 10Aug08; Kathy Gannon)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hLBUfMvM_1Y6FerHOF8u4lwgHsFQD92EU8LG2
CNS ChemBio-WMD terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
“In October 2001, O'Donnell was working at the big distribution center in Hamilton Township when tainted letters, whipping through sorting machines, released anthrax spores. O'Donnell, who had a nick on his neck from shaving, became infected and was quarantined at a Bucks County hospital. Eleven days ago, O'Donnell got a call from an FBI agent, telling him of the suicide of Bruce E. Ivins, a 62-year-old government scientist at Fort Detrick in Frederick, [Maryland]” (Philadelphia Inquirer; 11Aug08; Jennifer Lin) http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20080811_For_anthrax_victim__suicide_opens_questions.html
Four years after FBI raid, Dr. [Kenneth] Berry moving on with life
“Federal investigators have declared the 2001 anthrax attacks a closed matter, but four years ago this week they swarmed the Southern Tier after a supposed suspect in the case. FBI agents searched Dr. Kenneth Berry’s East Pearl Street home, his former apartment and his parents’ summer home on the New Jersey shore. […] He had been training medical professionals to respond to chemical and biological attacks since 1997. He later developed a system to respond to an anthrax attack after letters laced with the deadly substance were circulated to government officials. […] the FBI never issued any charges. Indeed, the agency never commented on any aspect of the investigation of Dr. Berry.” (Olean Times Herald; 08Aug08; Daniel LeBlanc)
http://www.oleantimesherald.com/articles/2008/08/08/news/doc489c4c14a45da935928140.txt
[Bruce] Ivins remembered for intelligence, compassion
“The Army scientist suspected in the anthrax attacks was remembered for his humor, intelligence and compassion at a memorial service Saturday. Bruce Ivins, 62, died of an apparent suicide late last month after being informed by the FBI that charges likely were being brought against him in connection with the 2001 attacks. Some mourners wept when speakers at the service talked about Ivins' many hobbies, including juggling, target shooting, practical jokes, cartoons and the weather. Colleagues recalled a talented scientist with a probing mind who loved to debate a wide variety of subjects.” (Associated Press; 09Aug08; Brian Witte) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jLj3VPY35ZCT9svDoUxs92njFYSQD92ES9J00
FBI believes anthrax scientist killed [others] with manipulated spores from Dugway lab
“Utah's Dugway Proving Ground produced one of two strains of anthrax that FBI investigators say was used in the September 2001 poison-letter campaign that killed five and injured 17. The federal investigation once again focuses attention on Utah's chemical and biological testing facility in Tooele County's west desert. […] The Utah anthrax strain, referred to in the documents as ‘Dugway Ames spores Ð 1997’ or ‘RMR Ð1029,’ was one of two that Ivins is said to have used to produce a third strain that he mailed to public officials and media outlets. The FBI documents suggest that Ivins used specialized techniques to cover his tracks once he had obtained the anthrax from Dugway while he worked at Fort Detrick. But there is no evidence in the documents showing anything untoward or illegal took place at the Utah facility.” (The Salt Lake Tribune; 08Aug08; Christopher Smart)
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10136522
Anthrax case spurred field of germ-gene sleuthing
“The anthrax killer spurred a whole new branch of science that could give the nation a head start in the next emergency - whether it's investigating more bioterrorism or even a food poisoning outbreak. It's called microbial forensic, a way of using a germ's genetics to help exonerate or incriminate much as human DNA can today. Microbes - whether bacteria like salmonella and E. coli, or viruses like HIV - have unique genetic signatures that can allow scientists to tell even the most closely related strains apart. The forensic side comes from adding crime-investigation techniques to this advanced microbiology used by disease detectives. […] If tracing a single vial of germs sounds impressive, consider: Research under way now might one day allow tracing where someone has recently traveled by the DNA of bacteria in the dirt on their shoes.” (Buffalo News; 08Aug08; Lauran Neergaard – AP) http://www.buffalonews.com/260/story/410345.html
When dinner makes you sick [Editorial]
“Growers lost $250 million this spring and summer when an outbreak of salmonella was originally linked to certain tomatoes. […] In 2006, spinach growers said an outbreak of E. coli poisoning cost them $350 million. The losses in such cases would be less if regulators required growers, processors, and retailers to maintain a traceback system with computerized records. […] Food poisoning takes a huge toll in the United States - about 5,000 deaths a year and 76 million illnesses, with 325,000 victims requiring hospitalization.” (The Boston Globe; 10Aug08) http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2008/08/10/when_dinner_makes_you_sick/
Bush pushes $1.2 billion in 2009 budget amendments
“President Bush used the congressional recess to make an unusual request for $1.2 billion in amendments to his 2009 budget proposal, including millions for investments in new technology and controversial cuts to environmental and social programs. The proposal’s biggest change is at the Health and Human Services Department, which would receive an extra $905 million for bioterrorism preparedness. The money would help develop an infrastructure for moving medical supplies and protective gear in the event of a bioterrorist attack or pandemic. Another $35 million in preparedness money would go to the Environmental Protection Agency.”
(Federal Times; 08Aug08; Gregg Carlstrom)
http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3666472
[Steven J.] Hatfill cleared of role in anthrax mailings
“Federal prosecutors on Friday officially ‘excluded’ scientist Steven J. Hatfill from involvement in the deadly 2001 anthrax mailings, formally closing the door on a costly episode that sidetracked the FBI's search for nearly five years. U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Taylor sent a letter Friday to a lawyer for Hatfill, a onetime Fort Detrick, Md., bioweapons researcher, that essentially cleared Hatfill of a crime in which he was declared ‘a person of interest’ six years ago.” (The Washington Post; 09Aug08) http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/aug/09/na-hatfill-cleared-of-role-in-anthrax-mailings/
'Sovereignty' that risks global health
“Here's a concept you've probably never heard of: ‘viral sovereignty.’ This extremely dangerous idea comes to us courtesy of Indonesia's minister of health, Siti Fadilah Supari, who asserts that deadly viruses are the sovereign property of individual nations […] the notion has morphed into a global movement […] The Non-Aligned Movement -- a 112-nation organization that is a survivor of the Cold War era -- has agreed to consider formally endorsing the concept of ‘viral sovereignty’ at its November meeting.
Indonesia argues that a nation's right to control all information on locally discovered viruses should be protected through the same mechanisms that the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization uses to guarantee poor countries' rights of ownership and patents on the seeds of its indigenous plants.” (Washington Post; 10Aug08; Richard Holbrooke and Laurie Garrett) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080802919.html
GTCbio announces its inaugural Bugs & Drugs Conference on September 22-23 in San Diego
“The Bugs & Drugs conference brings together leading experts to discuss current options available in combating these problematic pathogens and the current drugs in development that may resolve these issues. Included are discussions on various gram positive & negative drugs, contingency plans for biological weapons & disease outbreaks, novel delivery methods, regulatory aspects & clinical trial design, and novel drug developments for diseases of developing economies.” (Newswire;
08Aug08)
http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/38154/
[Oregon] Chemical Depot burns last of VX 8-inch shells
“Umatilla Chemical Agent Depot disposed of the last of the 8-inch artillery shells containing VX nerve agent and now will begin destroying VX land mines, hoping to finish those by the end of 2009. The 8-inch shells were the last of their kind in the nation's chemical weapons stockpile. The depot began processing the artillery shells July 15 and finished ahead of schedule.” (Oregon Live; 8August08) http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-26/1218233946231900.xml&storylist=orlocal
Army completes chemical stockpile neutralization at Newport [Indiana] Chemical Depot
“The United States Army Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) completed neutralization Aug. 11 of the chemical weapons stockpile of nerve agent VX at the Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (NECDF), located at Newport Chemical Depot, Ind. This achievement brings the United States one step closer to safely destroying the national stockpile of chemical weapons. […] NECDF began chemical agent destruction operations on May 5, 2005, with a stockpile of 1,269 tons of VX -- four percent of the original United States total chemical weapons stockpile. Workers destroyed the agent using a neutralization technology that mixes it with sodium hydroxide and hot water. The resulting byproduct of this process is a caustic wastewater made up of water, sodium hydroxide, and organic salts.”
(U.S. Army; 11Aug08)
http://www.army.mil/-newsreleases/2008/08/11/11573-army-completes-chemical-stockpile-neutralization-at-newport-chemical-depot/
Pakistan diplomats visit US-held terror suspect
“Pakistani diplomats have met with a woman described as a possible ‘fixer’ for al-Qaida who is being detained in New York, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani citizen educated in the United States, was captured in Afghanistan last month and taken to the United States after she allegedly tried to kill her interrogators. Two diplomats visited Siddiqui over the weekend at a detention facility in New York, ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq said. […] According to a U.S. criminal complaint, she was carrying documents containing recipes for explosives and chemical weapons and describing ‘various landmarks in the United States, including New York City.’ The complaint also alleges Siddiqui carried ‘chemical substances in gel and liquid form that were sealed in bottles and glass jars.’ It did not elaborate.” (Associated Press; 10Aug08; Sadaqat Jan) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hYUwTvvA05WY5EBzvT3wYgBRPnMwD92FF5EO0
Hands-on detection
“Smiths Detection announced recently that Amtrak has purchased additional Sabre 4000 advanced explosives detection systems to expand its capability for screening passengers, trains and stations. Using Ion Mobility Spectrometry, the hand-held system quickly detects and identifies explosives, narcotics, chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals.” (The Engineer Online; 11Aug08) http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/307492/Hands-on+detection.htm
VIASPACE Subsidiary Wins $750,000 Army contract for robotic detection of chemical warfare agents and explosives
“VIASPACE Inc. […] subsidiary Ionfinity has been awarded a $750,000 Phase II contract for its proposal entitled ‘Advanced Robotic Detection of Chemical Agents, Toxic Industrial Gases, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED)s for Force Health Protection’ submitted to the Army Small Business technology Transfer (STTR) Program. This competitively selected two year contract will result in a field demonstration of high sensitivity detection and analysis capability for chemical agents and explosives that threaten US forces.” (PR Newswire; 11Aug08) http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-11-2008/0004865205&EDATE=
Detecting the activity of a biological toxin
“Current methods of detecting ribosomal-inactivating proteins, such as antibodies employed in enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assays, are complicated and difficult to use in the field. […] Researchers from the University of California San Diego discovered a new strategy for sensing the activities of these proteins. […] Based on the results of their work, the next step is to take this probe outside of the controlled environments of the lab and see if it's possible to extend its utility to real life applications.” (ARS Technica; 11Aug08; Yun Xie) http://arstechnica.com/journals/science.ars/2008/08/11/detecting-the-activity-of-a-biological-toxin
Ricin suspect [Roger Bergendorff] had powder for decade
“An unemployed graphic designer who pleaded guilty to possessing toxic ricin said he distilled the lethal powder from the beans of a backyard castor plant in 1998 while living in San Diego and carried it with him for a decade while living in Reno, Las Vegas and near Salt Lake City. Roger Bergendorff spoke to The Associated Press Friday in an exclusive interview from a Las Vegas-area jail where he is being held pending sentencing.” (Fox 5 News; 11August08)
http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/17157171/detail.html#-
Beijing cites numerous Olympic threats
“Just over a week before the Beijing Olympics, a militant Islamic group's claims of responsibility for bombings in China have fueled unease about security. The government has assured its people and the Olympic community that heavy security will ensure a secure games. […] Stirring the latest concerns were videotaped threats purporting to be from an Islamic militant group. They surfaced last week in the name of the Turkistan Islamic Party - a group Chinese and Western terrorism experts say is an offshoot of a secessionist group from China's Central Asian frontier with ties to al-Qaida. […] One militant, identified by the Washington-based monitoring group IntelCenter as commander Seyfullah [said] ‘Our aim is to target the most critical points related to the Olympics. We will try to attack Chinese central cities severely using the tactics that have never been employed,’” (BND; 10Aug08; Charles Hutzler -AP) http://www.bnd.com/306/story/412864.html
Al-Qaida said to lose key WMD operative
“The killing of an al-Qaida chemical weapons expert in a missile strike two weeks ago on a Pakistani border village has dealt a heavy blow to the terrorist group's ambitions to build weapons of mass destruction, a former CIA case officer says. Abu Khabab al-Masri was dubbed by terrorism analysts as al-Qaida's ‘mad scientist.’ His most notorious work, recorded on videotape, showed dogs being killed in poison gas experiments in Afghanistan when the Taliban ruled. […] l-Qaida confirmed his death days after the July 28 attack by unmanned drones on a tribesman's compound in the village of Azam Warsak in South Waziristan. Al-Masri, whose real name is Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, got his chemical weapons training in the Egyptian army before defecting to the militant Islamic Jihad group […]” (Associated Press; 10Aug08; Kathy Gannon)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hLBUfMvM_1Y6FerHOF8u4lwgHsFQD92EU8LG2
CNS ChemBio-WMD terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- July 9, 2008
Infectious disease expert to speak Thursday [Steamboat Springs, CO]
“A nationally known expert on infectious disease will speak in Steamboat Springs on Thursday about the potential of a worldwide influenza pandemic. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, will give a speech titled ‘The Next Influenza Pandemic: A Harbinger of Things to Come?’ as part of the Seminars at Steamboat series.” (Steamboat Pilot & Today; 09July08; Zach Fridell) http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/2008/jul/09/infectious_disease_expert_speak_thursday/
Is the U.S. Ready for Bio-Warfare?
“Anthrax. Smallpox… these words were commonplace following 9/11 as potential weapons of terror against the United States. Some experts believe a bioterrorist attack or pandemic outbreak could be inevitable. So how would the U.S. fight back against an infectious disease outbreak?”
(CBN News; 09July08; Erick Stakelbeck)
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/406104.aspx
FDA [Food and Drug Administration] issues warning on Cipro [a common prescription for anthrax exposure], similar antibiotics
“The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday ordered makers of flouroquinolone drugs - a potent class of antibiotics - to add a 'black box' warning to their products, which include Cipro, Levaquin, Floxin and other medications.” (Associated Press; 08Jul08; Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar) http://news.lp.findlaw.com/ap/o/1500/07-08-2008/20080708083502_12.html
Memorial physician and bioterrorism expert recently featured in national publication
“An article written by Michael Allswede, DO, program director, Memorial’s Emergency Medicine Residency and bioterrorism expert, is featured on the cover of the June 2008 issue of DomPrep Journal along with a candid photo of Memorial’s trauma team. Dr. Allswede’s article entitled, ‘Developing Competency for Medical Disaster Response Situations,’ highlights ways in which disaster preparedness can move from ‘haphazard’ to organized by establishing standards of performance.” (Daily American; 07July08) http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2008/07/07/news/news/news369.txt
Infections bug hospitals amid push for solution
“A conference in Melbourne has been told the state and federal governments are focussing on bird flu and bioterrorism while the death toll from so called ‘super bugs,’ such as ‘Golden Staph’ continues to rise. Resistant to antibiotics, the Superbugs have long resided in hospitals and have become increasingly nasty, with an estimated two thousand Australians contracting Hospital Acquired Infections annually.” (World News Australia; 07July08)
http://news.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/infections_bug_hospitals_amid_push_for_solution_551185
AVMA [American Veterinary Medical Association] Adds Disaster Preparedness Info to Website
“The American Veterinary Medical Assn. has added articles highlighting disaster preparedness and response to its AVMA Collections. Articles include the veterinarian’s role in preparedness and response, biosecurity and bioterrorism preparedness, search-and-rescue dogs and preparedness and response policy.” (Veterinary Practice News; 07July08) http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-breaking-news/2008/07/07/avma-adds-disaster-preparedness-info-to-website.aspx
Trial postponed for Utah man [Thomas Tholen] in ricin case
“The Utah man accused of failing to report that deadly ricin was being made in his basement is working out a plea bargain with federal prosecutors. A federal judge postponed a Monday trial for Thomas Tholen, 54, after his defense attorney filed court papers saying a plea agreement was at hand.”
(Salt Lake Tribune; 08July08; Associated Press)
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_9818465
NYT [New York Times] Limited Hangout on SERE [Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape] Torture & U.S. Biological Warfare
“A 'limited hangout' is spy jargon for a favorite and frequently used gimmick of the clandestine professionals. When their veil of secrecy is shredded and they can no longer rely on a phony cover story to misinform the public, they resort to admitting - sometimes even volunteering - some of the truth while still managing to withhold the key and damaging facts in the case. […] The U.S. chemical and biological warfare program after World War Two was one of the most expensive and secretive campaigns ever undertaken by the U.S. government, comparable to the Manhattan Project. The NYT article makes much over the production of ‘false confessions’ to the use of biological weapons by the U.S. during the Korean War. But there is an alternate, studied case demonstrating that the execrable and illegal use of such weapons occurred.” (The Public Record; 07July08; J. Valtin)
http://www.pubrecord.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=185
Jury in conspiracy to murder trial given option of majority verdict
“The jury in the trial of a Clare woman and an Egyptian alleged hitman accused of conspiring to murder her partner and his sons has been given the option of returning a majority verdict. 45-year-old Sharon Collins of Kildysart Road in Ennis and 52-year-old Essam Eid from Las Vegas both deny conspiring to murder PJ Howard and his sons Niall and Robert in 2006. Following a break from deliberations this afternoon, the jury forewoman asked to see Paypal records relating to the purchase over the internet of caster beans, which the court has heard are used in the making of the lethal poison ricin. The jury also asked for the recipe for ricin.” (Belfast Telegraph; 08July08)
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/article3874418.ece
Tooele Army Depot workers [Utah] file new round of lawsuits against EG&G [Edgerton, Germeshausen, and Grier]
“Just months after agreeing to a $4.2 million settlement with workers who claimed they were cheated out of overtime pay, the contractor in charge of the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility has been hit with a new round of lawsuits alleging abusive labor practices.” (The Salt Lake Tribune; 09July08; Matthew D. LaPlante)
http://origin.sltrib.com/news/ci_9823855
Senators Oppose Plan to Transport Chemical Weapons
“Lawmakers from both parties are challenging a Pentagon plan to study whether to transport deadly chemical weapons across state lines to speed their destruction. Advertisement The plan outlines one of several options the Pentagon is considering as it struggles to meet a congressional deadline to destroy the chemical weapons by 2017. Members of Congress and watchdog groups say the plan exposes the public to unnecessary risks and violates a 2005 law making it illegal for the Department of Defense to study the possibility of transporting chemical weapons across state lines.” (Today’s THV; 08July08; Robert Bell)
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=68842&catid=2
Defense Secretary Gates Comments on Chemical Weapons
“Defense Secretary Robert Gates has wrapped up a two-day visit to Northwest military bases. During a stop at Fort Lewis Tuesday, Gates was asked about ongoing efforts to destroy cold war era chemical weapons. Specifically he was asked about reports that the Department of Defense may consider shipping chemical weapons across state lines to be destroyed.” (OPB News; 08July08; Austin Jenkins)
http://news.opb.org/article/2532-defense-secretary-gates-comments-chemical-weapons/
America, Iraq and poison gas
“Around a hundred years ago, theorists of war imagined that armed conflict would be transformed by the use of chemical weapons, poisonous gases, toxins and self-reproducing biological agents, dropped from the sky not only on soldiers but also on vast, unprotected civilian populations. Many strategists believed that the first systematic use of industrialized chemical weapons in the First World War was an indication of the way conflicts would be conducted in future. It did not turn out like that.”
(Times Online; 09July08; Kenneth Anderson) http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/the_tls/article4302201.ece
Feature-Iran's Chemical Ali survivors still bear scars
“High in remote Kurdish mountains, Iranian villagers still nurse ravaged eyes and lungs, 20 years after Iraqi poison gas attacks that went mostly ignored by world powers then siding with Saddam Hussein against Iran. That perceived hypocrisy continues to rankle in the Islamic Republic, now accused by the West of seeking nuclear weapons.” (Reuters; 09July08; Alistair Lyon)
http://www.reuters.com/article/featuredCrisis/idUSBLA844916
FG [Federal Government of Nigeria] Backs Non-proliferation of WMD
“The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to the chemical weapons convention, adding that total destruction and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction was the key to global peace and security. Nigerian Ambassador to the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands and country's Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Mrs Nimota Akanbi, said this at the 53rd session of the Executive Council of the organisation in the Hague.” (This Day Online; 08July08)
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=116283
Universal Detection Technology Receives Contract to Provide Radiation Detection Equipment for the 2008 Beijing Olympics
“Universal Detection Technology, a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter-terrorism consulting and training services, reported today that it has received a contract to provide radiation detection equipment for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The devices are capable of detecting Gamma and Neutron Radiation and are designed to provide portal protection.” (CNN Money; 07July08) http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0413428.htm
Chip sized dirty bomb detector on the anvil
“American researchers are working on lab-on-a-chip technologies that will facilitate the detection of the kind and amounts of radiation people at any particular area have received after being exposed to a dirty bomb just by testing their saliva or urine samples.” (Thaindian News; 08July08) http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/chip-sized-dirty-bomb-detector-on-the-anvil_10069051.html
Puffer fish suspect had $5 million policy on wife
“A Lake in the Hills man arrested last week on illegal possession of a deadly puffer fish toxin stood to make $5 million from his wife's insurance policy. An additional terrorism rider meant he'd get more money if she was killed by a terrorist act, according to new details revealed in federal court Monday as a judge held the man without bond. Edward Bachner, 35, was charged last week with posing as a doctor online and ordering tetrodotoxin. The statute he was charged under applies to both biological weapons and toxins. Tetrodotoxin is a poison extracted from puffer fish that is 1,200 times more deadly than cyanide.” (Chicago Sun Times; 08July08; Natasha Korecki) http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/1044168,CST-NWS-toxin08.article
Panel to review, revise Wisconsin disaster laws
“A new panel of state lawmakers, relief workers and emergency directors will start meeting this month to streamline Wisconsin's disaster statutes and clarify how the Legislature should work if a crisis forces it to meet outside Madison. Wisconsin's emergency statutes haven't undergone a comprehensive review since the late 1980s, said Randi Milsap, a state Department of Military Affairs attorney.” (Chicago Tribune; 08July08; Todd Richmond)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-disasterlaws,0,2866513.story
Emerging Threats
“One recurring question that has been at the forefront of most intelligence agencies since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by al-Qaida on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon just 1 mile outside Washington concerns the ongoing efforts by terrorist groups to acquire weapons of mass destruction: chemical, biological and mostly nuclear. Each of the NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) weapons comes with a certain advantage and disadvantage -- for the terrorist, that is.” (UPI; 07July08; Claude Salhani) http://www.upi.com/Emerging_Threats/2008/07/07/Analysis_Will_terrorists_go_nuclear/UPI-21581215440567/
G8 Declaration on Political Issues
“We are determined to make every effort to overcome the danger of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery means and to prevent acquisition of WMD by terrorists, by upholding, strengthening and universalizing all relevant multilateral non-proliferation and disarmament instruments.” (White House; 08July08) http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/07/20080708-10.html
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
“A nationally known expert on infectious disease will speak in Steamboat Springs on Thursday about the potential of a worldwide influenza pandemic. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, will give a speech titled ‘The Next Influenza Pandemic: A Harbinger of Things to Come?’ as part of the Seminars at Steamboat series.” (Steamboat Pilot & Today; 09July08; Zach Fridell) http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/2008/jul/09/infectious_disease_expert_speak_thursday/
Is the U.S. Ready for Bio-Warfare?
“Anthrax. Smallpox… these words were commonplace following 9/11 as potential weapons of terror against the United States. Some experts believe a bioterrorist attack or pandemic outbreak could be inevitable. So how would the U.S. fight back against an infectious disease outbreak?”
(CBN News; 09July08; Erick Stakelbeck)
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/406104.aspx
FDA [Food and Drug Administration] issues warning on Cipro [a common prescription for anthrax exposure], similar antibiotics
“The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday ordered makers of flouroquinolone drugs - a potent class of antibiotics - to add a 'black box' warning to their products, which include Cipro, Levaquin, Floxin and other medications.” (Associated Press; 08Jul08; Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar) http://news.lp.findlaw.com/ap/o/1500/07-08-2008/20080708083502_12.html
Memorial physician and bioterrorism expert recently featured in national publication
“An article written by Michael Allswede, DO, program director, Memorial’s Emergency Medicine Residency and bioterrorism expert, is featured on the cover of the June 2008 issue of DomPrep Journal along with a candid photo of Memorial’s trauma team. Dr. Allswede’s article entitled, ‘Developing Competency for Medical Disaster Response Situations,’ highlights ways in which disaster preparedness can move from ‘haphazard’ to organized by establishing standards of performance.” (Daily American; 07July08) http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2008/07/07/news/news/news369.txt
Infections bug hospitals amid push for solution
“A conference in Melbourne has been told the state and federal governments are focussing on bird flu and bioterrorism while the death toll from so called ‘super bugs,’ such as ‘Golden Staph’ continues to rise. Resistant to antibiotics, the Superbugs have long resided in hospitals and have become increasingly nasty, with an estimated two thousand Australians contracting Hospital Acquired Infections annually.” (World News Australia; 07July08)
http://news.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/infections_bug_hospitals_amid_push_for_solution_551185
AVMA [American Veterinary Medical Association] Adds Disaster Preparedness Info to Website
“The American Veterinary Medical Assn. has added articles highlighting disaster preparedness and response to its AVMA Collections. Articles include the veterinarian’s role in preparedness and response, biosecurity and bioterrorism preparedness, search-and-rescue dogs and preparedness and response policy.” (Veterinary Practice News; 07July08) http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-breaking-news/2008/07/07/avma-adds-disaster-preparedness-info-to-website.aspx
Trial postponed for Utah man [Thomas Tholen] in ricin case
“The Utah man accused of failing to report that deadly ricin was being made in his basement is working out a plea bargain with federal prosecutors. A federal judge postponed a Monday trial for Thomas Tholen, 54, after his defense attorney filed court papers saying a plea agreement was at hand.”
(Salt Lake Tribune; 08July08; Associated Press)
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_9818465
NYT [New York Times] Limited Hangout on SERE [Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape] Torture & U.S. Biological Warfare
“A 'limited hangout' is spy jargon for a favorite and frequently used gimmick of the clandestine professionals. When their veil of secrecy is shredded and they can no longer rely on a phony cover story to misinform the public, they resort to admitting - sometimes even volunteering - some of the truth while still managing to withhold the key and damaging facts in the case. […] The U.S. chemical and biological warfare program after World War Two was one of the most expensive and secretive campaigns ever undertaken by the U.S. government, comparable to the Manhattan Project. The NYT article makes much over the production of ‘false confessions’ to the use of biological weapons by the U.S. during the Korean War. But there is an alternate, studied case demonstrating that the execrable and illegal use of such weapons occurred.” (The Public Record; 07July08; J. Valtin)
http://www.pubrecord.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=185
Jury in conspiracy to murder trial given option of majority verdict
“The jury in the trial of a Clare woman and an Egyptian alleged hitman accused of conspiring to murder her partner and his sons has been given the option of returning a majority verdict. 45-year-old Sharon Collins of Kildysart Road in Ennis and 52-year-old Essam Eid from Las Vegas both deny conspiring to murder PJ Howard and his sons Niall and Robert in 2006. Following a break from deliberations this afternoon, the jury forewoman asked to see Paypal records relating to the purchase over the internet of caster beans, which the court has heard are used in the making of the lethal poison ricin. The jury also asked for the recipe for ricin.” (Belfast Telegraph; 08July08)
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/article3874418.ece
Tooele Army Depot workers [Utah] file new round of lawsuits against EG&G [Edgerton, Germeshausen, and Grier]
“Just months after agreeing to a $4.2 million settlement with workers who claimed they were cheated out of overtime pay, the contractor in charge of the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility has been hit with a new round of lawsuits alleging abusive labor practices.” (The Salt Lake Tribune; 09July08; Matthew D. LaPlante)
http://origin.sltrib.com/news/ci_9823855
Senators Oppose Plan to Transport Chemical Weapons
“Lawmakers from both parties are challenging a Pentagon plan to study whether to transport deadly chemical weapons across state lines to speed their destruction. Advertisement The plan outlines one of several options the Pentagon is considering as it struggles to meet a congressional deadline to destroy the chemical weapons by 2017. Members of Congress and watchdog groups say the plan exposes the public to unnecessary risks and violates a 2005 law making it illegal for the Department of Defense to study the possibility of transporting chemical weapons across state lines.” (Today’s THV; 08July08; Robert Bell)
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=68842&catid=2
Defense Secretary Gates Comments on Chemical Weapons
“Defense Secretary Robert Gates has wrapped up a two-day visit to Northwest military bases. During a stop at Fort Lewis Tuesday, Gates was asked about ongoing efforts to destroy cold war era chemical weapons. Specifically he was asked about reports that the Department of Defense may consider shipping chemical weapons across state lines to be destroyed.” (OPB News; 08July08; Austin Jenkins)
http://news.opb.org/article/2532-defense-secretary-gates-comments-chemical-weapons/
America, Iraq and poison gas
“Around a hundred years ago, theorists of war imagined that armed conflict would be transformed by the use of chemical weapons, poisonous gases, toxins and self-reproducing biological agents, dropped from the sky not only on soldiers but also on vast, unprotected civilian populations. Many strategists believed that the first systematic use of industrialized chemical weapons in the First World War was an indication of the way conflicts would be conducted in future. It did not turn out like that.”
(Times Online; 09July08; Kenneth Anderson) http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/the_tls/article4302201.ece
Feature-Iran's Chemical Ali survivors still bear scars
“High in remote Kurdish mountains, Iranian villagers still nurse ravaged eyes and lungs, 20 years after Iraqi poison gas attacks that went mostly ignored by world powers then siding with Saddam Hussein against Iran. That perceived hypocrisy continues to rankle in the Islamic Republic, now accused by the West of seeking nuclear weapons.” (Reuters; 09July08; Alistair Lyon)
http://www.reuters.com/article/featuredCrisis/idUSBLA844916
FG [Federal Government of Nigeria] Backs Non-proliferation of WMD
“The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to the chemical weapons convention, adding that total destruction and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction was the key to global peace and security. Nigerian Ambassador to the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands and country's Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Mrs Nimota Akanbi, said this at the 53rd session of the Executive Council of the organisation in the Hague.” (This Day Online; 08July08)
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=116283
Universal Detection Technology Receives Contract to Provide Radiation Detection Equipment for the 2008 Beijing Olympics
“Universal Detection Technology, a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter-terrorism consulting and training services, reported today that it has received a contract to provide radiation detection equipment for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The devices are capable of detecting Gamma and Neutron Radiation and are designed to provide portal protection.” (CNN Money; 07July08) http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0413428.htm
Chip sized dirty bomb detector on the anvil
“American researchers are working on lab-on-a-chip technologies that will facilitate the detection of the kind and amounts of radiation people at any particular area have received after being exposed to a dirty bomb just by testing their saliva or urine samples.” (Thaindian News; 08July08) http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/chip-sized-dirty-bomb-detector-on-the-anvil_10069051.html
Puffer fish suspect had $5 million policy on wife
“A Lake in the Hills man arrested last week on illegal possession of a deadly puffer fish toxin stood to make $5 million from his wife's insurance policy. An additional terrorism rider meant he'd get more money if she was killed by a terrorist act, according to new details revealed in federal court Monday as a judge held the man without bond. Edward Bachner, 35, was charged last week with posing as a doctor online and ordering tetrodotoxin. The statute he was charged under applies to both biological weapons and toxins. Tetrodotoxin is a poison extracted from puffer fish that is 1,200 times more deadly than cyanide.” (Chicago Sun Times; 08July08; Natasha Korecki) http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/1044168,CST-NWS-toxin08.article
Panel to review, revise Wisconsin disaster laws
“A new panel of state lawmakers, relief workers and emergency directors will start meeting this month to streamline Wisconsin's disaster statutes and clarify how the Legislature should work if a crisis forces it to meet outside Madison. Wisconsin's emergency statutes haven't undergone a comprehensive review since the late 1980s, said Randi Milsap, a state Department of Military Affairs attorney.” (Chicago Tribune; 08July08; Todd Richmond)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-disasterlaws,0,2866513.story
Emerging Threats
“One recurring question that has been at the forefront of most intelligence agencies since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by al-Qaida on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon just 1 mile outside Washington concerns the ongoing efforts by terrorist groups to acquire weapons of mass destruction: chemical, biological and mostly nuclear. Each of the NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) weapons comes with a certain advantage and disadvantage -- for the terrorist, that is.” (UPI; 07July08; Claude Salhani) http://www.upi.com/Emerging_Threats/2008/07/07/Analysis_Will_terrorists_go_nuclear/UPI-21581215440567/
G8 Declaration on Political Issues
“We are determined to make every effort to overcome the danger of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery means and to prevent acquisition of WMD by terrorists, by upholding, strengthening and universalizing all relevant multilateral non-proliferation and disarmament instruments.” (White House; 08July08) http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/07/20080708-10.html
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- May 14, 2008
NBACC [National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center] director says they will not create threats at lab
“The laboratory director of the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC), Dr. Patrick Fitch, said yesterday that research at the laboratory will not ‘create threats in order to study them’. This statement is a welcome change from previous presentations about the lab’s mission. The controversy about the research goals of the NBACC emerged after Lt. Colonel George Korch, Jr., PhD, gave a powerpoint presentation about the facility in February 2004. According to this talk (the slides are available here), part of the NBACC threat assessment mission would include acquiring, growing, modifying, storing, stabilizing, packaging, and dispersing biological threat agents to determine various properties and capabilities.” (FAS; 13May08; Nate Hafer).
http://www.fas.org/blog/ssp/2008/05/nbacc-director-says-they-will-not-create-threats-at-lab.php
Drill preps responders for bioterrorism disaster [Chicago, Illinois]
“Crowds lined up outside the Sears Centre Arena mid-day Tuesday to take part in a large-scale disaster drill. The purpose was to simulate biological terrorism or disease outbreak, helping government employees from numerous departments and municipalities to learn their roles in case of a major emergency. […] Although Tuesday's drill involved handing out placebo pharmaceuticals, Christensen said the greatest local disaster risk is severe weather. The next most likely large-scale problem would be a hazardous materials, followed by chances of a biological or other terrorism in one of the venues with large populations in a small space.” (Hoffman Estates Review; 13May08; Josh Singer).
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/hoffmanestates/news/948257,he-disasterdrill-051508-s1.article
Ground Broken on New Public Health Lab in Taylorsville [Utah]
“The Utah Department of Health broke ground in Taylorsville today on a new Unified State Lab. Lab Director Patrick Luedtke says the new facility will greatly enhance the state's ability to fight chemical and bioterrorism. ‘We have been significantly limited in terms of our ability to provide equipment for chemical response and bioterrorism response simply because of the size of the [current] facility,’ says Luedtke. ‘The secondary issue is the quality of the science. Our existing building has single pane windowns [sic] that are very leaky and drafty. We can pick up the toxic chemicals when someone is smoking outside with our very sophisticated instruments inside. That contamination causes problems.’ Luedtke says the new facility will also be safer for those working in the lab because it will have more defined escape routes and cleaner, filtered air.” (KPCW; 13May08; Eric Ray).
http://www.kcpw.org/article/5967
AVMA [American Veterinary Medical Association] Declares Preliminary Victory on Farm Bill Provisions
“The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) declared a preliminary victory on several key provisions included in the Farm Bill, applauding Congress and pledging to continue working toward the implementation of unresolved initiatives. Reaching final negotiation in a joint U.S. House of Representatives and Senate conference committee, the Farm Bill includes legislation on human and animal health that ranges from food safety protection and bioterrorism prevention to the importation of healthy puppies.” (PR Newswire; 14May08).
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-14-2008/0004813610&EDATE=
Levaquin Approved for Pediatric Anthrax Exposure
“The FDA [Food & Drug Administration] has approved Ortho-McNeil’s antibiotic Levaquin to treat pediatric patients exposed to inhaled anthrax. Levaquin (levofloxacin) tablets in 250-mg, 500-mg and 750-mg strengths, as well as 5-mg injection and 25-mg oral solution, are approved for this indication in patients older than 6 months, the FDA said. The drug previously was approved to treat adults after exposure to inhaled anthrax.” (FDA News; 14May08).
http://fdanews.com/newsletter/article?issueId=11584&articleId=106720
5 company officials arrested in Japan's scandal over WWII weapons removal in China
“Five Japanese company officials were arrested Tuesday for alleged fraud in a widening scandal over a government project to remove chemical weapons abandoned in China at the end of World War II. The five from consulting firm Pacific Consultants International and its affiliate, Abandoned Chemical Weapons Disposal Corp., are accused of swindling about $1.1 million from the Japanese government, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office said in a statement.” (International Herald Tribune; 13May08; Associated Press).
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/13/news/Japan-China-Weapons-Disposal.php
Vice FM [Foreign Minister]: China hopes to destroy Japanese abandoned chemical weapon soon
“The Chinese government hopes to destroy abandoned wartime Japanese chemical weapons very soon, said Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Tuesday. Wang made the remarks while meeting with Rogelio Pfirter, director-general of the Technical Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Wang said considering the risk to lives, property and the environment, the Chinese government was greatly concerned about chemical weapons left by Japanese troops in World War II.”
(Xinhua; 13May08).
http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-05/13/content_8162911.htm
Country Reports on Terrorism 2007: Georgia
“The Georgian government improved border security operations and worked to eliminate corruption at border checkpoints, focusing its efforts on stopping the smuggling of contraband, including money, illegal drugs, and all types of weapons (chemical, nuclear and biological) that could support terrorism. There were significant improvements in infrastructure at the major border crossing checkpoints: new facilities were opened at Sadakhlo, an important land border crossing between Georgia and Armenia, which greatly enhanced controls at that port of entry.” (The Journal of Turkish Weekly; 13May08). http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=55304
Police arsenals add radiation detectors
“Artificial radiation, intones a female voice over the electronic squeal of an alarm. The cell phone-sized device in the state trooper's hand gave the warning as a Chevy Blazer with a trace amount of radioactive material inside drove by. The scene was part of a demonstration of the latest defense against terrorism Tuesday at the state fairgrounds in Geddes [New York]. Artificial radiation, a trooper explained, is the kind that does not appear in nature but rather is man-made, such as plutonium. It's the kind of material that could show up in a terrorist's improvised nuclear device, or ‘dirty bomb.’”(Syracuse Online; 14May08; Robert A. Baker).
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1210755650222210.xml&coll=1
Games For Health: Why You Should Care About Virtual Worlds
“After [Tim] Holt's [Oregon State University] introduction to the topic, Patricia Youngblood of Stanford University's Medical Media & Information Technologies (SUMMIT) spoke on her group's experiments with virtual world simulation programs in medical training applications. Youngblood has been interested in virtual worlds since 2004, experimenting with the now-defunct Adobe Atmosphere software. The group's simulation trains people to treat victims of radiological weapons (‘dirty bombs’), nerve agents such as sarin, trauma, mass casualties, and other disasters. In the simulation, invisible instructors watch trainees interact with victim avatars and later review performance alongside recorded gameplay footage.”
(GamaSutra; 13May08; Kyle Orland).
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=18595
South Africa: Chemical Attack 'Threat to 2010'
“Easily available industrial compounds made SA vulnerable to a chemical and biological weapons attack during the Soccer World Cup. Philip Coleman, the executive manager of Protechnik, a subsidiary of the state-owned arms manufacturer Armscor, said chemical substances from the Cold War were no longer a major threat. Many had been destroyed since the adoption of the chemical weapons convention almost 10 years ago. ‘Where we see a greater threat is from toxic industrial chemicals,’ Coleman said yesterday. These substances, such as chlorine, were easier to get hold of and were already widely transported in SA .” (All Africa; 14May08; Wilson Johwa).
http://allafrica.com/stories/200805140403.html
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- April 30, 2008
DOR BioPharma Initiates Non-Human Primate Efficacy Studies of RiVax(TM), Its Vaccine Against Ricin Toxin
“DOR BioPharma, Inc. […] announced today the initiation of a comprehensive program to evaluate the efficacy of RiVax(TM) in non-human primates. […] While prior Phase 1 clinical trial results for RiVax(TM) demonstrated that the vaccine is well tolerated and induces antibodies in humans that neutralize ricin toxin in tissue culture, it will be critical to obtain data proving that this response is protective. In the studies to be done at Tulane, it will be important to establish that vaccinated non-human primates are not only protected against lethality from ricin aerosol exposure, but also against lung damage.” (The Earth Times; 29Apr08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/dor-biopharma-initiates-non-human-primate,370372.shtml
ICx Technologies Awarded $4.9 Million R&D Contract under Department of Homeland Security’s ‘Detect to Protect’ Project
“[…] a developer of advanced sensor technologies for homeland security, force protection and commercial applications, announced today that it has won a $4.9 million, Phase IIb research and development contract under the Department of Homeland Security’s ‘Detect to Protect’ project, which was previously called the IBADS program. The project is designed to develop rapid sensors that can influence immediate actions to limit exposure to an attack involving biological agents.” (ICX Technologies; 29Apr08) http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080429005157&newsLang=en
Scientists reveal evolutionary intricacies of Rickettsia pathogens
“Scientists from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland School of Medicine have unveiled some of the evolutionary intricacies of rickettsial pathogens by analyzing over a decade’s worth of genomic data. Some species of Rickettsia are known to cause harmful diseases in humans, such as epidemic typhus (R. prowazekii) and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (R. rickettsii), while others have been identified as emerging pathogens and organisms that might possibly be used for the development of biological weapons.” (Eureka Alert; 28Apr08; Barry
Whyte)
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-04/vt-sre042808.php
Detector Permits Debated Tomorrow [New York, NY]
“A controversial bill that would create a permit process for companies that possess weapons detection equipment will have a second hearing at City Hall tomorrow morning, and myriad environmental groups are pledging to testify against it. The bill (Intro 650) mandates companies get a permit if they have any equipment, which can detect radioactive, biological or chemical weapons. The bill, which was drafted by the Police Department, has been toned down since its original introduction, which was hotly contested.” (Gotham Gazette; 28Apr08; Courtney Gross) http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/04/28/detector-permits-debated-tomorrow/
No chemical warfare for UC [University of Cincinnati]
“In compliance with the Department of Homeland Security's Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, an analysis of the University of Cincinnati's chemical inventory was recently compiled through the Office of the Vice President of Research. […] ‘Homeland Security has identified specific chemicals of interest and established reportable threshold quantities a facility may posses,’ said Jan Utrecht, director of UC's Environmental Health and Safety Office, which was charged with compiling the data. ‘If a facility exceeds the limits, then the university would have been obligated to report to the agency, and based on their analysis, may have to develop a facility security plan.’” (The News Record; 28Apr08; Taylor Dungjen) http://media.www.newsrecord.org/media/storage/paper693/news/2008/04/28/News/No.Chemical.Warfare.For.Uc-3351672.shtml
Utah man [Thomas Tholen] tied to ricin case pleads not guilty
“A Utah man charged with a federal crime in a case involving ricin has pleaded not guilty. Thomas Tholen of Riverton made his first appearance in federal court Tuesday since he was indicted April 3.” (Deseret News; 29Apr08)
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695274858,00.html
U.K. to provide [10 million pounds sterling] a year for nuclear safety in CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States]
“An official from Russia's Federal Industry Agency said Moscow intends to spend $1.4 billion in 2008 on the destruction of its chemical weapon stockpiles. Yelena Radushkina said that last year Russia spent $1.5 billion on the destruction of chemical weapons, while the national chemical weapons destruction program was worth a total of $9 billion. She added that Russia fulfills in good faith its international obligations, pointing out that ‘as of April 18, 10,000 tons of all chemical weapons stockpiles had been destroyed, or 27% of the total.’” (Russian News & Information Agency; 29Apr08) http://en.rian.ru/world/20080429/106193657.html
UN [United Nations] chief pays tribute to victims of chemical warfare
“In a message marking the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Chemical Warfare, Ban urged the world to use this ‘solemn occasion’ to honor the victims and ensure their suffering will not be forgotten nor repeated. Citing the Chemical Weapons Convention, which entered into force on April 29, 1997, Ban reminded all states parties to the convention of their obligation to destroy existing chemical weapons stockpiles by April 29, 2012. […] At an international conference on the elimination of chemical weapons held in November, 2005, more than 120 countries agreed to designate April 29 as the international Day of Remembrance for Victims of Chemical Warfare.” (China View; 30Apr08; Mu Xuequan) http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/30/content_8076907.htm
Brigade in bomb alert [West Midlands, United Kingdom]
“West Midlands Fire Service is stepping up its training to deal with terrorism ‘dirty bomb’ after an internal review concluded it needed improving. […] The reassurance follows an e-mail leaked to the Birmingham Mail which admitted that the brigade was not properly prepared for any kind of contamination incident. […] The Government gave them money to buy special fire engines containing all the contamination equipment to deal with a chemical or nuclear attack. Three engines in the West Midlands and around 850 firefighters and officers at 23 stations have received training in how to use them.” (Birmingham Mail; 29Apr08; Jane Tyler) http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2008/04/29/brigade-in-bomb-alert-97319-20835032/
Remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at the National Marine Manufacturers Association American Boating Congress
“One thing which we are doing along these lines is we're operating a pilot program up in the state of Washington to see what our capability is to have stand-off detection technology for radioactive or nuclear material on small vessels entering a port area. So that, for example, vessels coming into the channel entering into a port area would pass by detection devices. They wouldn't have to stop. And those detection devices would be configured to determine whether or not there are radioactive admissions of a kind that are associated with a possible dirty bomb or nuclear device. This is in the pilot stage. We're actually currently testing it in the state of Washington.” (Department of Homeland Security; 28Apr08; Michael Chertoff)
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/speeches/sp_1209472037198.shtm
Tehran [Iran], Moscow [Russia] vow to continue regional, Int'l cooperation
“Secretary of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili and Deputy Secretary of the Russian National Security Council Valentin Sobolev in their second round of talks here Tuesday explored ways of bolstering mutual cooperation and helping to restore peace and stability to the region and the world. […] The two sides also discussed various topics such as regional and international developments, terrorism, drug trafficking, defense, nuclear disarmament, and the need for destruction of chemical and bio-chemical weapons.” (Islamic Republic News Agency; 29Apr08) http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0804293432175338.htm
U.N. extends non-proliferation mandate
“A mandate to end nuclear, chemical and biological weapons proliferation has been extended by the U.N. Security Council at U.N. headquarters in New York. […] According to the Security Council, the mandate also requires countries to follow existing international treaties and full compliance with the resolution including the ‘physical protection of weapons, border security and law enforcement efforts, as well as controls over exports and trans-shipments,’ the release said.” (Middle East Times; 28Apr08; United Press International) http://www.metimes.com/Security/2008/04/28/un_extends_non-proliferation_mandate/b9af/
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.
“DOR BioPharma, Inc. […] announced today the initiation of a comprehensive program to evaluate the efficacy of RiVax(TM) in non-human primates. […] While prior Phase 1 clinical trial results for RiVax(TM) demonstrated that the vaccine is well tolerated and induces antibodies in humans that neutralize ricin toxin in tissue culture, it will be critical to obtain data proving that this response is protective. In the studies to be done at Tulane, it will be important to establish that vaccinated non-human primates are not only protected against lethality from ricin aerosol exposure, but also against lung damage.” (The Earth Times; 29Apr08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/dor-biopharma-initiates-non-human-primate,370372.shtml
ICx Technologies Awarded $4.9 Million R&D Contract under Department of Homeland Security’s ‘Detect to Protect’ Project
“[…] a developer of advanced sensor technologies for homeland security, force protection and commercial applications, announced today that it has won a $4.9 million, Phase IIb research and development contract under the Department of Homeland Security’s ‘Detect to Protect’ project, which was previously called the IBADS program. The project is designed to develop rapid sensors that can influence immediate actions to limit exposure to an attack involving biological agents.” (ICX Technologies; 29Apr08) http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080429005157&newsLang=en
Scientists reveal evolutionary intricacies of Rickettsia pathogens
“Scientists from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland School of Medicine have unveiled some of the evolutionary intricacies of rickettsial pathogens by analyzing over a decade’s worth of genomic data. Some species of Rickettsia are known to cause harmful diseases in humans, such as epidemic typhus (R. prowazekii) and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (R. rickettsii), while others have been identified as emerging pathogens and organisms that might possibly be used for the development of biological weapons.” (Eureka Alert; 28Apr08; Barry
Whyte)
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-04/vt-sre042808.php
Detector Permits Debated Tomorrow [New York, NY]
“A controversial bill that would create a permit process for companies that possess weapons detection equipment will have a second hearing at City Hall tomorrow morning, and myriad environmental groups are pledging to testify against it. The bill (Intro 650) mandates companies get a permit if they have any equipment, which can detect radioactive, biological or chemical weapons. The bill, which was drafted by the Police Department, has been toned down since its original introduction, which was hotly contested.” (Gotham Gazette; 28Apr08; Courtney Gross) http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/04/28/detector-permits-debated-tomorrow/
No chemical warfare for UC [University of Cincinnati]
“In compliance with the Department of Homeland Security's Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, an analysis of the University of Cincinnati's chemical inventory was recently compiled through the Office of the Vice President of Research. […] ‘Homeland Security has identified specific chemicals of interest and established reportable threshold quantities a facility may posses,’ said Jan Utrecht, director of UC's Environmental Health and Safety Office, which was charged with compiling the data. ‘If a facility exceeds the limits, then the university would have been obligated to report to the agency, and based on their analysis, may have to develop a facility security plan.’” (The News Record; 28Apr08; Taylor Dungjen) http://media.www.newsrecord.org/media/storage/paper693/news/2008/04/28/News/No.Chemical.Warfare.For.Uc-3351672.shtml
Utah man [Thomas Tholen] tied to ricin case pleads not guilty
“A Utah man charged with a federal crime in a case involving ricin has pleaded not guilty. Thomas Tholen of Riverton made his first appearance in federal court Tuesday since he was indicted April 3.” (Deseret News; 29Apr08)
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695274858,00.html
U.K. to provide [10 million pounds sterling] a year for nuclear safety in CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States]
“An official from Russia's Federal Industry Agency said Moscow intends to spend $1.4 billion in 2008 on the destruction of its chemical weapon stockpiles. Yelena Radushkina said that last year Russia spent $1.5 billion on the destruction of chemical weapons, while the national chemical weapons destruction program was worth a total of $9 billion. She added that Russia fulfills in good faith its international obligations, pointing out that ‘as of April 18, 10,000 tons of all chemical weapons stockpiles had been destroyed, or 27% of the total.’” (Russian News & Information Agency; 29Apr08) http://en.rian.ru/world/20080429/106193657.html
UN [United Nations] chief pays tribute to victims of chemical warfare
“In a message marking the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Chemical Warfare, Ban urged the world to use this ‘solemn occasion’ to honor the victims and ensure their suffering will not be forgotten nor repeated. Citing the Chemical Weapons Convention, which entered into force on April 29, 1997, Ban reminded all states parties to the convention of their obligation to destroy existing chemical weapons stockpiles by April 29, 2012. […] At an international conference on the elimination of chemical weapons held in November, 2005, more than 120 countries agreed to designate April 29 as the international Day of Remembrance for Victims of Chemical Warfare.” (China View; 30Apr08; Mu Xuequan) http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/30/content_8076907.htm
Brigade in bomb alert [West Midlands, United Kingdom]
“West Midlands Fire Service is stepping up its training to deal with terrorism ‘dirty bomb’ after an internal review concluded it needed improving. […] The reassurance follows an e-mail leaked to the Birmingham Mail which admitted that the brigade was not properly prepared for any kind of contamination incident. […] The Government gave them money to buy special fire engines containing all the contamination equipment to deal with a chemical or nuclear attack. Three engines in the West Midlands and around 850 firefighters and officers at 23 stations have received training in how to use them.” (Birmingham Mail; 29Apr08; Jane Tyler) http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2008/04/29/brigade-in-bomb-alert-97319-20835032/
Remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at the National Marine Manufacturers Association American Boating Congress
“One thing which we are doing along these lines is we're operating a pilot program up in the state of Washington to see what our capability is to have stand-off detection technology for radioactive or nuclear material on small vessels entering a port area. So that, for example, vessels coming into the channel entering into a port area would pass by detection devices. They wouldn't have to stop. And those detection devices would be configured to determine whether or not there are radioactive admissions of a kind that are associated with a possible dirty bomb or nuclear device. This is in the pilot stage. We're actually currently testing it in the state of Washington.” (Department of Homeland Security; 28Apr08; Michael Chertoff)
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/speeches/sp_1209472037198.shtm
Tehran [Iran], Moscow [Russia] vow to continue regional, Int'l cooperation
“Secretary of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili and Deputy Secretary of the Russian National Security Council Valentin Sobolev in their second round of talks here Tuesday explored ways of bolstering mutual cooperation and helping to restore peace and stability to the region and the world. […] The two sides also discussed various topics such as regional and international developments, terrorism, drug trafficking, defense, nuclear disarmament, and the need for destruction of chemical and bio-chemical weapons.” (Islamic Republic News Agency; 29Apr08) http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0804293432175338.htm
U.N. extends non-proliferation mandate
“A mandate to end nuclear, chemical and biological weapons proliferation has been extended by the U.N. Security Council at U.N. headquarters in New York. […] According to the Security Council, the mandate also requires countries to follow existing international treaties and full compliance with the resolution including the ‘physical protection of weapons, border security and law enforcement efforts, as well as controls over exports and trans-shipments,’ the release said.” (Middle East Times; 28Apr08; United Press International) http://www.metimes.com/Security/2008/04/28/un_extends_non-proliferation_mandate/b9af/
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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