Homeland Security @ MindSay

Primate center unveils biosafety lab [LA]

“Five years in the making and prompted by an influx of federal financing for bioterrorism research after anthrax scares and the Sept. 11 attacks, Tulane University’s [LA] National Primate Research Center on Friday showed off its new $27.5 million lab for studying airborne contaminants and infectious diseases.  The Regional Biosafety Laboratory, a 38,000-square-foot facility within the center near Covington, is not expected to open for business until mid-summer, but on Friday morning, national, state and local officials used an oversized pair of scissors to cut a green ribbon, officially marking the lab's completion. ‘The focus is how you prevent exposure for a new emergent disease that is moving this way, or for a bioterrorism event,’ said Andrew Lackner, the center’s director. He said the facility will work ‘to protect the community and the nation.’” (Times-Picayune; 06Dec08; Benjamin Alexander-Bloch)

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1228544506295490.xml&coll=1

 

Data published in Nature Medicine highlights ability of Peregrine Pharmaceuticals’ bavituximab to cure lethal virus infections

“Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. reported publication of data in Nature Medicine that supports the broad anti-viral potential of the company's novel anti-phosphatidylserine (anti-PS) antibody platform, showing that its PS-targeting drug bavituximab can cure lethal virus infections in animal disease models. Bavituximab is in clinical trials for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and in preclinical development for the treatment of viral hemorrhagic fevers under a contract worth up to $44.4 million with the bioterrorism program of the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).” (NewsRx.com; 12Dec08)

http://www.newsrx.com/article.php?articleID=1350558

 

Secret labs outsourced by Defra [U.K.’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]

“Britain’s top-secret laboratories battling to prevent outbreaks of anthrax, foot-and-mouth, mad cow disease and Asian bird flu with some installations so sensitive they do not officially exist have been privatised. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is transferring the maintenance of 186 sites and 800 Civil servants to outsourcing specialist Interserve. The contract includes three labs, whose work is so top secret their locations are undisclosed. […] Interserve, which also provides private-sector services to Buckingham Palace, said the 15-year Defra contract will be worth at least £500 million.” (The Daily Mail; 05Dec08) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1092263/Top-secret-laboratories-outsourced-Defra.html

 

Earmark helps [NY] businesses, not troops

“Scientists have discovered a lotion that can save the lives of U.S. soldiers exposed to chemical weapons a product vastly superior to the standard-issue decontamination powder. […] But there’s a problem: After being lobbied by the companies making the powder, several members of Congress pushed through two earmarks worth $7.6 million that forced the military for the past two years to keep buying the inferior product. The product, known as M291, is made from a resin sold exclusively by a Pennsylvania chemical company, which is then processed into powder by a New York company, then assembled into individual kits at a facility in Arkansas. Among the lawmakers who championed the earmarks are Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., Arlen Specter, R-Pa.; and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.” (Seattle Times; 08Dec08; Christine Willamsen and David Heath) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008479423_apwaearmarkreport.html

 

[U.S. oil-services firm] Schlumberger's Iran sale [of ‘dirty bomb’ useable materials] raises questions

“The U.S. oil-services firm Schlumberger is using a legal loophole to supply machines with radioactive chemicals to Iran, The Boston Globe reported Sunday.  The Globe says its investigation revealed the company has sold a 2,000-pound drilling tool to Iran powered by a kind of radioactive chemical that scientists say could fuel a so-called ‘dirty bomb.’ U.S. officials have sought to keep the chemical out of Iranian hands, but Schlumberger made the sale using a legal loophole allowing multinational corporations to employ foreign subsidiaries to sidestep U.S. sanctions, the Globe said. […] Victor Comras, a specialist on international trade embargoes, said Schlumberger's oil tools sale to Iran ‘is certainly activity that goes against the spirit, if not the letter, of the law.’” (United Press International; 07Dec08; Source: Boston Globe) http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/12/07/Schlumbergers_Iran_sale_raises_questions/UPI-90781228672600/

 

U.S. commission [on the prevention of weapons of mass destruction, proliferation, and terrorism] says urgent need to secure Pakistan's biological and nuclear weapons

“A U.S. bipartisan commission has warned that the next attacks on America might originate from Pakistan’s volatile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), adding that there is an urgent need for Washington to secure Pakistan’s biological and nuclear weapons. The report, which was due to be presented to U.S. President Bush on Wednesday, says: ‘Indeed, many government officials and outside experts believe that the next terrorist attack against the US is likely to originate from within the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in Pakistan.’[…] [The report] warns that the recently-concluded US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement may significantly affect Asian security, saying incoming President Barack Obama will have to manage the actions that states may take in response to the agreement.” (News Track India; 07Dec08; Source: Asian News

International)

http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/46429

 

India, Russia sign milestone nuclear pact, vow to fight terror

“The two strategic partners [India and Russia], whose ties have ‘withstood the test of time,’ signed 10 agreements in areas ranging from Civil space programme, Civil nuclear cooperation, economy, tourism and defence, and combatting terrorism. […] Reiterating their commitment to a multi-polar world, the two countries discussed a host of global issues, including terrorism, the global financial crisis, the Iranian nuclear issue, trilateral cooperation between India, Russia and China, and reform of leading international institutions.” (Newstrack India; 05Dec08; Source:

Indo-Asian News Service)

http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/46079

 

World leaders try to ban nuclear weapons

“A new international group committed to eliminating nuclear weapons over the next 25 years has enlisted scores of world leaders as its campaign gets under way at a conference in Paris on Tuesday. […] The group, Global Zero, is proposing deep cuts in U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals, a verification and enforcement system, and phased reduction leading to the elimination of all stockpiles. […] Ultimately, the planners are hoping to stage a world summit in January 2010. More than 100 political, military, business, religious and civic leaders have lent their support to the campaign. ‘In recent months, the threat of proliferation and nuclear terrorism has led to a growing chorus of world leaders calling for the elimination of all nuclear weapons,’ the group said in a statement announcing its plans.” (The China Post; 08Dec08; Source: Associated Press; Barry Schweid) http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/europe/2008/12/08/186640/World-leaders.htm

 

Commentary [by Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst]: WMD terrorism fears overblown

“Terrorists have already used weapons of mass destruction in the past decade in attacks around the world, and they have proven to be something of a dud. […] In fact, there is only one weapon of mass destruction that can kill tens or hundreds of thousands and that is a nuclear device. […] Even if al Qaeda successfully deployed a crude chemical, biological or radiological weapon […] these would be weapons of mass disruption, whose principal effect would be panic -- not mass casualties. […] What we are likely to see again and again are the tried and tested tactics that terrorists have used for decades: […] Deploying true WMDs remains beyond the capabilities of terrorist groups today and for the foreseeable future.” (CNN.com; 05Dec08; Peter Bergen) http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/05/bergen.wmd/index.html?iref=newssearch

 

 [U.S. Representative Jane] Harman [D-CA] warns against overplaying WMD ‘fear card’

“After a series of dire new warnings about possible terrorist threats -- capped by a government commission's report [from the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Proliferation, and terrorism] that terrorists are likely to stage a biological or nuclear attack somewhere in the world during the next five years -- some experts are urging officials ‘to retire the fear card,’ as California Rep. Jane Harman puts it. ... Harman, who heads the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence and terrorism Risk Assessment, added, ‘It’s time for the rhetoric about that threat to calm, instead of inflame, an anxious public.’” (U.S. News & World Report: 08Dec08) http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/bulletin/bulletin_081208.htm

 

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.

Homeland Security and Justice Departments Providing More Info to Local Officers

The National Ledger, (11/16/2008), Jim Kouri

 

The U.S. Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Justice (DOJ) have enhanced their biometric systems to improve information sharing with state and local agencies. The changes improve interoperability between the Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) and the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). To target criminal aliens, a new database link can automatically check the criminal and immigration history of individuals incarcerated by local and state law enforcement. IDENT and IAFIS interoperability is key to Secure Communities, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's comprehensive plan to identify criminal aliens in local communities. Seven sites nationwide have participated in a pilot version of interoperability between the DHS and DOJ databases. The Customs agency plans to expand this capability to more than 50 state and local law enforcement agencies by next spring.

www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272623792.shtml

 

New Police Car Scans License Plates, Sniffs Out Bombs

ABC News, (11/15/2008), Patrik Jonnsson

 

law enforcement professionals attending the International Association of Police Chiefs' annual meeting in November got their first look at a "purpose-built" Police Car. The Carbon E7 is a 300-horspower car that runs on biodiesel fuel. It is equipped with sensors for weapons of mass destruction and automatic license-plate scanners. Carbon Motors would need to sell about 20,000 cars to U.S. law enforcement agencies to warrant its proposed 2010 production run. In designing the vehicle, the company included ideas gleaned from law enforcement officers, including a "hoseable" rear seat, an extra-wide driver's seat into a cockpit-style front compartment and side emergency lights to increase visibility and safety. The vehicle sticker price has not yet been announced.

abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=6254509&page=1

 

Improved Measurements Could Mean Safer, More Reliable Electroshock Weapons

ScienceDaily, (11/14/2008)

 

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are working toward a standard method for assessing the electrical output of electroshock weapons. In recent years, conducted-energy devices such as stun guns have become popular among law enforcement agencies as less-lethal weapons. Questions have been raised about whether the devices can contribute to or cause death in some individuals. Groups such as Amnesty International have called for guidelines that include "threshold exposures," which are the minimum level that would incapacitate different groups of people without putting them at risk for injury or death. However, current reports on the voltage the weapons deliver are inconsistent. NIST scientists have developed methods for calibrating the high-voltage and current measurement probes used by industry. More research is needed, but eventually NIST will work with government agencies and the law enforcement community to standardize the method that ! will facilitate establishment of user guidelines.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081113140420.htm

 

Crime Cartography

The Diamondback, (11/11/2008), Kyle Goon

 

Police at the University of Maryland will soon be able to directly contribute crime data to the crime-mapping Web site www.UCrime.com. UCrime relies on police departments, newspapers, user reports and university incident logs to find crime data and plot it on a Google map. Crimes are classified by category and include descriptions of what happened. University police want to upload the university's crime information for crime mapping purposes.

media.www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2008/11/10/News/Crime.Cartography-3536238.shtml

 

Californian Prisons Employ Robotic Scouts

Gizmag, (11/04/2008)

 

California's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has agreed to test remote-controlled surveillance robots. Roughly 250 of the 1.2-pound Recon Scouts are used by law enforcement agencies in the United States and military personnel in Iraq. Ten robots will be tested in California prisons. During hostile prison situations, the robots can be thrown into place or fired from a tear-gas launcher. They can survive a 30-foot drop onto concrete and can be operated from up to 100 feet away using a handheld controller, which displays footage from the robot. The robots cost $6,000 ($9,000 with an infrared camera).

www.gizmag.com/californian-prisons-employ-robotic-scouts/10306/

 

States Complete Radiation Detection Drill

Global Security Newswire, (11/07/2008)

 

Nine states and the District of Columbia recently completed a practice exercise to test their ability to cope with a nuclear or radiological attack. The exercise, which ran several days, tested the coordination capabilities in the southeastern region of the United States. The exercise was the end result of the Southeast Transportation Corridor Pilot Program, which emphasized training, improved communications Technology and emergency protocols to improve regional nuclear detection and response capabilities.

www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20081107_5287.php

 

BMV Joins Identity Theft Fight

Indianapolis Star, (11/07/2008), Gretchen Becker

 

An Indiana agency is testing face-recognition Technology for driver's licenses to help fight identity theft. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles will test the Technology at three of its Indianapolis branches as part of a pilot program. A $2.4 million software program scans the millions of photos in the database to determine if a photo is on a different credential with a different name. The software looks for matching points on the face, such as the distance between pupils, and compares those to other images with the same data points. The system reports any suspect names and faces. About 20 states are using the Technology.

www.indystar.com/article/20081107/LOCAL/811070442

 

Wichita Falls Unified Command Post is Ready for Operation

Texomas, (11/14/08), Sara DiMuro

 

The city of Wichita Falls, Texas, has a new rolling command center to help cope up close with long-term situations such as standoffs, environmental hazards and weather disasters. The $400,000 center, which was funded with federal grant money, is available for use across north Texas. The unit has full telephone and dispatch capability, infrared night vision and a camera mounted on the top.

texomashomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=22831

 

New Technology in Bonneville Co. Will Help Find Missing Children

KPVI-TV, (10/31/08), Andrew Del Greco

 

The Bonneville County Sheriff's Office in Idaho is the latest jurisdiction to obtain iris scan Technology as a tool to locate lost children. The sheriff's office will share the Technology with other agencies in the state. Should an adult or child go missing, if their eyes have been scanned their identification can be sent digitally across the United States. Young children may not know their names or phone numbers and can be identified with an iris scan. Thirty-five states currently use the Technology.

www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=9276017

 

Green Prisons Farm, Recycle to Save Energy, Money

Associated Press, (11/01/08), Phuong Le

 

Corrections facilities are discovering the benefits of going green. Prison officials find that using inmates to keep bees, recycle, and grow organic vegetables reduces costs, lowers the impact on the environment and provides inmates with new skills. Agencies are replacing old appliances with energy-efficient ones and installing solar panels. Because of a water shortage this summer, inmates in the North Carolina's prison system converted 50-gallon pickle barrels into small cisterns to capture rainwater. The green practices instituted by the Cedar Creek Corrections Center in Washington state has resulted in the facility using 250,000 fewer gallons of water a year and saving $6,000 to $8,400 annually on garbage bills.

ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gW-MYyvVx600Ql2nvH6z6Ybk9yJQD946B0CO0

Drive-by flu shots [Las Vegas, Nevada]

“With a record 140 million flu vaccinations expected to be administered this year in the U.S., hospitals and health clinics from Norwood, Mass., to Randolph County, Ala., have started offering drive-by shootings, using concern about the regular old flu to help prep for outbreaks of potentially far graver diseases like avian flu and anthrax. The curbside care is simple: you pull up, read about the risks and sign a consent form, then bare your bicep and get a shot--all without leaving the driver's seat. In October in Lynchburg, Va., the Central Virginia Health District's first drive-by clinic served 300 patients in 3 1/2 hours. That's less than 45 seconds per vaccination (and no time cooped up in a room with possible germ spreaders). But critics say that the process is dangerous and that the last place you want to be if something goes wrong is speeding down the highway. […] Still, Dr. Kerry Gateley, Central Virginia's health director, says doctors' offices dole out the shots almost as quickly. The biggest risk, he adds, may be that some drivers get woozy after the shot.” (Time; 13Nov08; Laura Fitzpatrick) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1858892,00.html

 

Disease laboratory prepares for germs [Columbia, Missouri]

“Scientists at the University of Missouri won’t have to wait much longer to study infectious diseases such as anthrax, rabbit fever, West Nile virus and Q fever. Campus officials will dedicate MU’s Regional Biocontainment Laboratory on Saturday, though the official opening won’t be for another couple of months, said George Stewart, chairman of MU’s Department of Veterinary Pathology. […] MU received $13.4 million for the lab, MU spokesman Christian Basi said, and contributed about $4.6 million to complete construction, said Deborah Anderson, associate director of the Regional Biocontainment Lab. Laboratories designated Level 3 - a reference to its security status - house ‘significant’ airborne infectious pathogens for which there are vaccines or treatments, Stewart said.” (Columbia Tribune; 13Nov08; Jenna Youngs) http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Nov/20081113News006.asp

 

Joint exercise responds to 'anthrax' discovery [North Platte, Nebraska]

“At approximately 2:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, members of the North Platte Fire Department Hazardous Materials team and the 72nd Civil Support National Guard unit out of Lincoln responded to an anthrax discovery at a local college dorm. Or, at least, that was the training scenario. […] The scenario entailed a missing persons report and the possible presence of an unknown chemical inside the fire station, which was set up as a mock university dormitory. Firefighters discovered suspicious materials and made a methodical search of the area along side members of the 72nd. After donning complete hazmat gear, the teams began monitoring the air for suspicious chemicals as they slowly searched the area […].” (North Platte Telegraph; 13Nov08; Mark Young) http://www.nptelegraph.com/articles/2008/11/13/news/50001069.txt

 

More than just flu shots at clinic [Rapid City, South Dakota]

“The city's mass vaccination clinic also provided volunteers and health professionals with training for the day that thousands could need medical aid in a future disaster. Fighting a public health menace, today and tomorrow, was the two-pronged purpose of the second annual clinic. It is part of South Dakota's Child Influenza Immunization Initiative. […] If the community ever needed mass inoculations or medications because of an epidemic, pandemic, natural disaster, chemical warfare or bioterrorism, the emergency point-of-dispensing system used at the mass clinic could be expanded to vaccinate 100,000 people over a 48-hour period, Kirchgesler said. ‘We've planned for 5,000 to 6,000 students. If we were to exceed that, we do have access to an additional 2,000 units of vaccine,’ [Rapid City Department of Fire & Emergency Services Capt. Mark Kirchgesler] said.

[…] Sioux Falls has had such two clinics, and other communities are planning theirs, he [Kirchgesler] said. ‘There's a plan throughout the state.’” (Rapid City Journal; 13Nov08; Jomay Steen) http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/11/13/news/local/doc491bc3354c273346533058.txt

 

Army: EPA's polluted site designation for Ft. Detrick [Maryland] area unnecessary

“The Army says it is unnecessary for the federal Environmental Protection Agency to add to a list of the nation's most polluted places an old Fort Detrick dump site that has tainted private wells and yielded live pathogens from biodefense labs. […] Fort Detrick is home to the military's biological warfare defense program. Workers there dumped industrial chemicals and biological wastes in unlined trenches at Area B from the 1940s through the 1960s, before such practices were outlawed. […] In 2004, the Army finished removing about 3,500 tons of contaminated soil, drums, laboratory vials and cylinders from four trenches at Area B, but lacked funding to clean up the ground water. Since then, contamination levels in the ground water have fallen sharply, installation spokesman Chuck Gordon said in April. During that operation, workers found small vials of live pathogens including E. coli and the microbes that cause pneumonia, tuberculosis and the livestock disease brucellosis. They also found a non-pathogenic form of anthrax.” (Baltimore Sun; 12Nov08; Source: AP) http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-army1112,0,619484.story

 

Leak detected at depot [Blue Grass Army Depot, Kentucky]

“A leak was detected Thursday in a M55 rocket holding the nerve agent GB at the Blue Grass Army Depot, officials said. The leak comes a day after crews began neutralizing 157 gallons of GB, also known as sarin, in a plan called Operation Swift Solution. Thursday's leak was unrelated to the neutralizing plan, which will destroy sarin that is stored in three steel ton containers at the depot. […] The low-level sarin vapor that was detected was confined to the tube and didn't seep into the igloo in which the rockets are kept, said Richard Sloan, spokesman for Blue Grass Chemical Activity, the agency that oversees chemical weapons at the depot. The rocket will be overpacked in a leak-proof container and stored in another igloo containing similar GB munitions in the next few days, Sloan said.” (Lexington Herald-Leader; 13Nov08; Ashlee Clark) http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/591243.html

 

The things he [the author] carried [through airport security]

“Because the TSA’s security regimen seems to be mainly thing-based—most of its 44,500 airport officers are assigned to truffle through carry-on bags for things like guns, bombs, three-ounce tubes of anthrax, Crest toothpaste, nail clippers, Snapple, and so on—I focused my efforts on bringing bad things through security in many different airports, primarily my home airport, Washington’s Reagan National, the one situated approximately 17 feet from the Pentagon, but also in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago, and at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport […] During one secondary inspection […] I was wearing under my shirt […] a ‘Beerbelly,’ a neoprene sling that holds a polyurethane bladder and drinking tube. […] [which] contained two cans’ worth of Bud Light at the time of the inspection. It went undetected.” (Atlantic; Nov08; Jeffrey Goldberg) http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/airport-security

 

Strike anywhere at al-Qaida

“On Monday, the New York Times revealed that in the spring of 2004, Donald Rumsfeld, then the US secretary of defence, signed a secret order providing the US military with a mandate and fast-track approvals mechanism to launch raids against al-Qaida terrorists in countries outside the ‘conflict zones’ of Iraq and Afghanistan. […] The number of special forces operations launched by the US military against al-Qaida targets under the new authority appears not to have been that high: the number of such raids not previously publicly disclosed was less than a dozen. […] [I] n a speech in the British Parliament on October 31, Michael Chertoff, the US homeland security secretary, argued: ‘[…] There are areas of the world that are ungoverned or ungovernable but nevertheless technically within the sovereignty of boundaries. Does that mean we simply have to allow terrorists to operate there, in kind of badlands, where they can plan, they can set up laboratories, they can experiment with chemical weapons and with biological weapons?’ […] The Obama administration is likely to reiterate these arguments in order to keep every option on the table in the hunt for Bin Laden.” (Guardian; 12Nov08; Paul Cruickshank) http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/nov/12/barack-obama-al-qaida

 

Joy to the world: holiday cards for 'any soldier'

“This holiday season, Americans can send soldiers and wounded troops greeting cards — even if they don’t know their names. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the anthrax attacks, the Pentagon required that mail addressed to ‘any soldier’ be returned to the sender, leaving Americans without a way to send mail to soldiers whose names they didn’t know. […] But for a second year, an American Red Cross program is allowing the public to send holiday greeting cards that aren’t addressed to a particular soldier. The cards will be screened, sorted and distributed to military hospitals and bases nationally and overseas in time for the holidays. […] To speed delivery, mailers should not send care packages, money or any inserts, including glitter. […] In a voluntary effort, the mail service provider Pitney Bowes Inc. will screen the cards for hazardous material, and the Red Cross will sort through the cards to ensure the contents are appropriate.” (Associated Press; 12Nov08; Christine Simmons) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gaaFaQDRe6yR7RES41omQtzXtCAwD94D977O0

 

EDA [European Defence Agency] hosts a chemical, biological and radiological agents exercise [Namur, Belgium]

“The European Defence Agency hosts an exercise on how to deal better with the effects of Chemical, Biological and Radiological or Nuclear (CBRN) agents, in Jambes, Namur, from 11 to 13 November, bringing together about 100 experts from its participating Member States. […] Having worked for two years to develop procedures and practices, they are now being put into practice at a high level headquarters based exercise. military experts from across the European Union are gathered to refine these procedures and to exchange ideas on the best way to address an attack of this nature. Although primarily focused on deployed operations, the exercise takes the opportunity to share ideas on homeland defence from different European institutions and other agencies. Representatives from NATO are also sharing their experiences and ensuring that their work goes hand in hand with that the European Defence Agency.” (European Defence Agency News; 12Nov08)

http://www.eda.europa.eu/newsitem.aspx?id=428

 

Five passports are lost in the post every day by Home Office raising fears they're falling into criminal hands

“Figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats reveal that between 2001 and 2007, government officials lost 12,200 passports in the post. Since February 2004, when the Identity and Passport Service - a Home Office agency - ditched Royal Mail and awarded a multi-million-pound contract to a courier service to deliver the documents, 3,000 have gone missing. […] Blank passports are particularly desirable to fraudsters as they can be used to create an entirely new identity, and used to open bank accounts, obtain thousands of pounds in credit and access public services. But security experts have also warned that if the documents fell into the hands of terrorists and other criminals, they would yield a host of technological secrets and allow fraudsters to produce their own versions.

[…] Dhiren Barot, an al-Qaeda chief convicted of plotting to kill thousands of Londoners with a radioactive 'dirty bomb', was issued with nine British passports - two using false identities and seven in his own name before his arrest in August 2004.” (Daily Mail; 12Nov08; Ian Drury) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1085160/FIVE-passports-lost-post-day-Home-Office-raising-fears-theyre-falling-criminal-hands.html

 

3 Pa. [Pennsylvania] courthouses receive anthrax scare letters

“Identical letters sent to three Pennsylvania county courthouses this week mentioned anthrax but did not contain the poisonous substance. The letters were received in Jefferson and Pike counties on Tuesday and Schuylkill County on Wednesday, said Reggie Wade, spokesman for U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Philadelphia. […] Wade said there have been about 19,000 incidents in which unknown substances, threats or anthrax references have been sent through the mail since fatal anthrax mailings targeted media organizations and Congress in October 2001. All have been false alarms or hoaxes.” (Fulton County News; 13Nov08; Source: AP) http://www.fultoncountynews.com/news/2008/1113/church_news/111.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.

U.S. snaps up [Bacillus Anthracis] scanner

“Clients included hazardous materials teams in major American cities and US defence agencies, [Andrew Rudge] said. Existing technologies and products took between 30 minutes and three days to do the same job and destroyed the sample so it could not be tested further. […] ‘It's simple to use analysis begins with the press of a single button and it returns a spores detected or no spores detected result within minutes. That saves both time and money in terms of disruptions and evacuations, because security staff get immediate feedback on whether they are dealing with a hoax or the real thing.’ [according to Veritide chief executive officer Andrew Rudge] […] There were plans to extend the Scout's detection capability to include other dangerous biological threats such as ricin.” (The Press, New Zealand; 05Nov08; Rebecca Todd) http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4749967a6530.html

 

Media makes infectious diseases seem much worse

“Popular media coverage of infectious diseases makes them seem worse than they are, according to a new Canadian study. Diseases that surface frequently in the print media -like bird flu - are considered more serious than similar diseases that do not receive the same kind of coverage, such as yellow fever, according to the research. ‘The media tend to focus on rare and dramatic events,’ said Meredith Young, co-author and graduate in the department of psychology, neuroscience & behaviour, McMaster University. […] ‘Another interesting aspect of the study is when we presented factual information about the diseases along with the names of them, the media effect wasn't nearly as strong,’ said Karin Humphries a co-author [of the study].” (Microsoft News; 04Nov08; Source: Indo-Asian News Service) http://lifestyle.in.msn.com/health/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1692100

 

Flu clinic becomes emergency drill [Frederick County, Maryland]

“Monday's flu clinic took the form of an emergency preparedness drill, and more than 360 health department employees and a handful of other county agencies participated to help ensure the county is ready for a medical emergency. Jurisdictions are required to hold preparedness drills every year to retain their funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said Barbara Rosvold, the health department's public health preparedness and response director. For most people, a flu pandemic is the first type of medical emergency that comes to mind, but the department would activate the same response system during situations such as a smallpox outbreak or anthrax exposure. […] The drill also put to the test the department's emergency communication systems, including landlines, cell phones, TalkAbouts and 800-megahertz radios. Amateur radios were used this year for the first time; the radios proved to be the most reliable form of communication in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Rosvold said.” (Frederick News-Post; 04Nov08; Ashley Andyshak)

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1510393

 

Select agent, man [discusses removal of citrus greening bacteria from select agent list]

“Just in time for the $20 million citrus greening research push from the Florida Department of Citrus and the Florida Citrus Production Research Advisory Council, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has agreed to take the citrus greening bacteria off the federal Bioterrorism Select Agent list. […] The greening bacteria was put on the list before it became endemic in Florida precisely to prevent its introduction into the U.S.

Once it became endemic, that served no further purpose […] Effective Nov.17, all three strains of the greening bacteria will not be on the select agent list. […] Now scientists conducting greening research can expand their efforts free of the strict constraints of the Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002.” (Ledger; 03Nov08; Kevin Bouffard)

http://citruspulpwash.theledger.com/default.asp?item=2280985

 

Scientists slam FBI anthrax probe [of Bruce Ivins] “

It was an open-and-shut case, the FBI said. But three months after agents pinned the post-9/11 anthrax mailings on Army scientist Bruce Ivins - who committed suicide as the FBI closed in on him - his former colleagues have approached a lawyer to sue the feds for fingering the wrong man, The Post has learned. […] The move by the Army scientists comes on the heels of a Senate Judiciary Committee demand for an independent review of the case following a hearing with FBI Director Robert Mueller in which committee members called the bureau's case an ‘open matter.’ The bureau has named a panel of independent scientists to review the evidence against Ivins - a probe that will take six to 18 months. Sen. Patrick Leahy, a target of the 2001 anthrax attacks, said at the Judiciary Committee hearings that he doubted Ivins, who worked at Fort Detrick, Md., could have acted alone and that he believes ‘there are others who could be charged with murder.’”

(Military.com; 03Nov08; Source: New York Post) http://www.military.com/news/article/scientists-slam-fbi-anthrax-probe.html?col=1186032310810

 

Man [Fernando Gomez] dies from anthrax exposure [Hackney, London]

“The Health Protection Agency has announced the death of a patient who inhaled anthrax. The Agency is now carrying out an investigation to identify where the anthrax originated from. A team wearing protective clothing will carry out tests at the deceased man’s workshop in Hackney, London. […] The HPA has also been following up any contacts of the patient who may have been explosed [sic] to the anthrax spores by being in the same room as the patient, when animal skins were being prepared to be made into drums (believed to be the source of the contamination).” (OnMedica News; 04Nov08)

http://www.onmedica.com/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=8472a1ab-d054-43ae-9313-2885177a3268

 

How dangerous is drum making? [relating to anthrax exposure]

“A second drum maker in two years has died after apparently inhaling anthrax spores from animal skins. What are the risks of this seemingly safe job? Fernando Gomez had been in intensive care for more than a week after handling animal skins at his drum-making workshop in London. But his condition deteriorated over the weekend and the 35-year-old died from inhalation anthrax on Sunday night. Two years earlier, Christopher Norris, a craftsman from Scotland, died after inhaling anthrax. But are these cases a coincidence or a cause for alarm? In the UK, the death of Mr. Gomez is the second case in more than 30 years. Across the world, there are four other known cases since 1974 of drum makers dying from anthrax.” (BBC; 03Nov08)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7706239.stm

 

Expert: Egypt modernizing Army, but committed to peace

“Egypt's military is gradually doing away with dated Soviet equipment and replacing them with superior American F-16 fighter jets, Apache combat helicopters and Abrams tanks, according to arms control expert Prof. Yiftah Shapir of Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Securities Studies. […] As for unconventional weapons, Egypt may have researched and produced chemical warfare agents and stockpiled mustard and nerve agents, although this has not been confirmed. It is thought to possess 190 scud-type missiles. […] Shapir said he was not overly concerned by reports of Egyptian military drills in which Israel was the simulated enemy. ‘There is no military force other than Israel on their borders, so the drills are simulated with Israel in mind. Every Army undergoes drills and builds up plans. The Egyptian Army is looking at Israel's capabilities, not its intentions. Egypt believes Israel is fully interested in safeguarding the status quo, and Israel believes the same of Egypt. But the Egyptian military cannot ignore its next door neighbor's military and act as if it is neutral,’ Shapir said. He added that Israel, too, trained for scenarios involving the Egyptian military. ‘We can't expect things to be any different,’ he said. ‘We are not in the European Union. Before the current era, and before the world wars, European powers held drills with their neighbors in mind.’” (Jerusalem Post; 02Nov08; Yaakov Lappin) http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1225199631823&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

 

OPCW Director-General addresses the Sixty-Third Session of the United Nations General Assembly

“On 3 November 2008, the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter addressed the 63rd Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, on the theme ‘Cooperation between the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).’ […] he gave an overview of the progress made in the destruction of declared chemical weapons. He noted that the OPCW had verified the destruction of more than 41% of the total stockpiles declared by six States Parties and that two of the six declared possessors — Albania and A State Party — had completely fulfilled their destruction obligations under the Convention. […] Director-General Pfirter also referred to the importance of developing the industry verification regime in a manner that is responsive to the need of ensuring the long term validity of the Convention’s non-proliferation objectives. […] Director-General Pfirter further drew attention to the Organisation’s international cooperation and assistance programmes, including periodic field exercises for the delivery of assistance in case of use of chemical weapons that the OPCW carries out in collaboration with the UN and other international organisations. He informed the UN General Assembly that the next such exercise is scheduled to be held in Tunisia in 2010.” (OPCW News; 04Nov08) http://www.opcw.org/news/news/article/opcw-director-general-addresses-the-sixty-third-session-of-the-united-nations-general-assembly/

 

Attorneys file suit to stop burning at Umatilla Chemical Depot

“Attorneys for the Government Accountability Project have filed a lawsuit to stop a plan by Oregon agencies to incinerate the Umatilla Chemical Depot's cache of World War Two mustard agent. The suit was filed in the Multonomah County, Ore., state circuit court by the watchdog group's attorneys on behalf of Hermiston-based GASP, the Oregon Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club and six Umatilla County and Morrow County residents. […] The Government Accountability Project, or GAP, is concerned that some of the mustard agent is contaminated with mercury and other hazardous wastes. It believes the mercury would not be fully captured by the filter systems currently in place or planned for the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility. Department of Environmental Quality […] has given approval for using enhanced carbon filters for incineration of mustard gas after the department studied options. […] More than 60 percent of the chemical agent stockpile at the depot is mustard agent, according to GAP. However, the Army has identified containers contaminated with mercury and they comprise 16 percent of the total.” (Tri-City Herald; 04Nov08; Annette Cary)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1406/story/372918.html

 

A learning experience at mock disaster [Blue Grass Army Depot, Kentucky]

“Twenty-seven observers from across the country came to observe Madison County’s emergency response personnel in a mock disaster scenario. […] A ton bulk agent container filled with GB nerve agent byproducts was being transported to the depot’s demilitarization building (which, in reality, is in the process of being constructed) where it was to be destroyed. During the transport, the container was spilled and nerve agent was released. […] While workers were cleaning the spill and filtering the nerve agent vapors from the igloo, another storage igloo at the depot was struck by lightening, causing a small fire inside the igloo. […] All workers and volunteers performed very well in each scenario to make sure the community remained safe, [Carl] Richards [county EMA director] said. […] Various schools throughout Richmond and Berea participated by practicing the ‘shelter-in-place’ drill where students and faculty are to go to the closest place that can be sealed off from outside air and has few or no windows.” (Richmond Register; 30Oct08; Ronica Shannon) http://www.richmondregister.com/homepage/local_story_304082725.html?keyword=leadpicturestory

 

PharmAthene initiates Phase I study of nerve agent bioscavenger

“The randomized, placebo-controlled, third-party double-blind, dose escalating Phase I clinical trial will study Protexia administered intramuscularly at one and two time points in healthy human volunteers. Approximately 32 subjects will participate in the study, comprised of healthy male and female volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 years who are willing to give informed consent and are in general good health. […] The primary endpoint of the study is an evaluation of the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity of escalating single doses of Protexia given intramuscularly in healthy human volunteers. […] Protexia, which is produced in the milk of transgenic goats, is a recombinant version of human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), which has been shown to be effective in animal models in preventing toxicity from exposure to chemical nerve agents.” (Pharmaceutical Business Review;

30Oct08)

http://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/article_news.asp?guid=33DAABC4-56C7-4A68-BA5F-DBE60B23D339

 

Detecting illicit nuclear materials takes layered approach

“The nuclear threat is something we really have to pay attention to, said Mike Johnson, mission area manager for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Of all the types of terrorist attacks that could involve nuclear material, the most likely is a ‘dirty bomb' that is composed of a source of radiation surrounded by a conventional explosive such as TNT. Furthermore, Johnson said, the approach to preventing such an attack has to be layered. […] Part of DNDO's mission is to test, recommend and buy detection equipment for government agencies such as Customs and Border Patrol as well as the Coast Guard. The agency is pretty satisfied with the current state of cargo security at points of entry along the nation's borders, Johnson told an audience of Homeland Security practitioners and technology providers at the 10th annual Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness in Chicago last week. The DNDO's next focus will be to improve cargo screening of small private planes and yachts coming into the United States through non-points of entry.” (Government Technology; 04Nov08; Corey McKenna) http://www.govtech.com/gt/427950?topic=117680

 

CIA officers could face torture trial in Britain

“British officials are considering bringing criminal charges against senior CIA officers for the abduction and torture of a British resident now incarcerated at Guantanamo. […] In April 2002, Binyam Mohamed was arrested in Karachi, Pakistan after attempting to board a flight to London with a fake British passport. American authorities informed British counterparts Mohamed was plotting to build and detonate a ‘dirty bomb.’

[…] Lawyers representing Mr. Mohamed have sued, on Mohamed's behalf, British intelligence forces for their part in his detention and purported torture. British judges overseeing the case and having received secret evidence, have become increasingly critical of U.S. conduct and are now considering charging American forces for their culpability in Mr. Mohamed's abuse.” (Examiner; 03Nov08; Jay McDonough) http://www.examiner.com/x-243-Progressive-Politics-Examiner~y2008m11d3-torture

 

Cases against detainees have thinned

“The six Algerians were scooped up in Bosnia and shuttled to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in early 2002. Days later, President Bush proclaimed in his State of the Union address that the men had been plotting to blow up the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo. The case would seem to be an easy victory for the Bush administration, which is preparing to defend the men's lengthy detentions in landmark federal court proceedings scheduled to begin this week. But the government is backpedaling. The charges of plotting to blow up the embassy have been dropped. […] The government recently also has withdrawn allegations that another detainee is linked to a high-profile ‘dirty bomb’ plot. Together, the legal moves raise questions about the government's claims over the years that it has disrupted imminent terrorism threats.” (Washington Post; 02Nov08; Del Quentin Wilber) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/01/AR2008110102018.html?hpid=topnews

 

The horror of U.S. depleted uranium in Iraq threatens the world

“Doctors in Iraq have estimated that birth defects have increased by 2-6 times, and 3-12 times as many children have developed cancer and leukemia since 1991. Moreover, a report published in The Lancet in 1998 said that as many as 500 children a day are dying from these sequels to war and sanctions and that the death rate for Iraqi children under 5 years of age increased from 23 per 1000 in 1989 to 166 per thousand in 1993. […] On hearing that [depleted uranium] DU had been used in the Persian Gulf in 1991, the UK Atomic Energy Authority sent the Ministry of Defense a special report on the potential damage to health and the environment. It said that it could cause half a million additional cancer deaths in Iraq over 10 years. […] Britain and America not only used DU in this year’s Iraq war, they dramatically increased its use — from a minimum of 320 tons in the previous war (1991) to a minimum-of 1500 tons in this one (2003).”

(Tehran Times; 01Nov08)

http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=181303

 

Mercy [hospital in Roseburg, Oregon] uses grant dollars to prepare for disasters

“For the simulation exercise, Ray was a bus driver who was injured when a bomb exploded on the bus he was driving. The 48-year-old was the only patient the Umpqua Community College students had to treat, but he was involved in a mass-casualty incident, and the students had to respond accordingly. The exercise Thursday morning gave the students and Mercy Medical Center staff a chance to show state and federal Department of Human Services officials how several years of grant dollars have been used. […] The hospital has used grant funding to purchase decontamination shelters, portable ventilators, isolation gowns and chemical resistant suits, among other gear, that could be used by staff responding to various chemical exposures, from anthrax to pesticide, Bones said. The money has also purchased satellite phones and other communication equipment that would likely be needed for security and incident command in a natural disaster, she said. […] The training not only prepares the staff for local emergencies, but also provides preparation for regional and statewide emergencies, DePew said.” (News-Review; 03Nov08; Marissa Harshman) http://www.nrtoday.com/article/20081103/NEWS/810319920/1063/NEWS&ParentProfile=1055&title=Mercy%20uses%20grant%20dollars%20to%20prepare%20for%20disasters

 

Canada Preparing for WMD Strikes at 2010 Olympics

“The threat of WMD attacks has long been a focus of the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit, a group overseen by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The team would not reveal any of its specific preparations for such incidents, threats that it said have taken high priority since Vancouver was awarded the 2010 Olympics four years ago. […] More than 100 Canadian emergency responders and military personnel this week were briefed on potential attacks at the Olympics that could involve deadly materials such as ricin, mustard blister agent, sarin nerve agent or radiological and nuclear substances. They were also provided information on ‘multithreat detection systems’ capable of scanning for WMD ingredients across large areas.” (NTI: Global Security Newswire; 30Oct08) http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20081030_6762.php

 

FBI investigating envelopes of white powder in Ocala [Florida]

“The FBI is investigating the mailing of several envelopes containing white powder in Marion County. […] On Monday, local fire rescue teams responded to schools, churches, libraries, a day care center, funeral home and the county elections office. All had received suspicious envelopes. Similar mailings are expected to be delivered on Tuesday. Marion County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Heather Danenhower says it appears the envelopes were sent by the same mailer, using what’s believed to be a fake Ocala return address and the name Osama bin Laden, which was misspelled.” (Ledger; 04Nov08; Source: AP)

http://www.theledger.com/article/20081104/NEWS/811040248/-1/WIRE04?Title=FBI_Investigating_Envelopes_of_White_Powder_in_Ocala

 

 [Indy] Star locked down after letter labeled 'anthrax' arrives [Indianapolis, Indiana]

“Several hundred employees at The Indianapolis Star were locked down for more than two hours late Monday afternoon while Police and health officials investigated a mysterious envelope that arrived at the newspaper's Downtown office. The mailing, which had a return address under the name MK Publishing in Sacramento, Calif., was similar to anthrax hoax mailings that have been sent to newspapers across the country. […] Monday, representatives from the Marion County Health Department and Indianapolis Fire Department tested samples of the substance for radioactivity and toxic industrial chemicals, both of which were negative, said Jeff Larmore, manager of hazardous materials with the Health Department. The building lockdown ended about 7:15 p.m. Larmore said that because the threat was similar to others that have taken place and the substance was not released, the risk of exposure was minimal.” (Indy Star; 04Nov08; Francesca Jarosz) http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081104/NEWS02/811040380

 

 [Florida] State senator [Evelyn Lynn, Rep., Dist. 7] victim of white powder hoax

“Sen. Evelyn Lynn [FL] is the latest victim in the white powder hoax, officials here said earlier today. Lynn received an envelope at her post office box address in Ormond Beach on Monday, but had not actually looked at it until this morning when she arrived at her Daytona Beach office, Police and fire officials said. Police investigator Jimmie Flynt said Lynn never opened the envelope, but realized something was amiss when she held it up to the light. […] Godawa said the powdery substance inside the envelope sent to Lynn was ‘non-threatening.’ Recently, white powder-filled envelopes were sent to Rep. Tom Feeney's offices in Port Orange, Orlando and Titusville. The FBI is also investigating the mailing of several envelopes containing white powder in Marion County.” (News-Journal Online; 04Nov08; Lyda Longa) http://www.news-journalonline.com/newsjournalonline/breakingnews/powder110408.htm

 

Patrick Swayze unhurt in Berwyn [Illinois] Police hazmat scare

“The arrival of a parcel of suspect white powder led Berwyn Police to quarantine four employees and a Comcast employee who brought the package into the station Tuesday. But Hollywood actor Patrick Swayze, who happened to be in the west suburban station house filming a movie, didn't come into contact with the powder, which Police later determined was corn starch. The incident began at 3:35 p.m., when the Comcast worker entered the Berwyn Police Department headquarters with a box that was leaking a white powder, Police Chief William Kushner said.” (Chicago Tribune; 04Nov08; Joseph Ruzich) http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/11/patrick-swayze-unhurt-in-berwyn-police-hazmat-scare.html

 

Letter received by The [Providence] Journal tested negative for anthrax

“Test results confirmed a package that was labeled anthrax and mailed to The Providence Journal last week was sugar, the FBI said today. test results for a similar letter received by the Newport Daily News were negative for anthrax or other biological agents, said Annemarie Beardsworth, a state Department of Health spokeswoman. The Providence Journal and Newport Daily News are among more than three dozen media outlets around the country that have received hoax letters containing packets of sugar that were labeled anthrax. A California man was arrested last week on three counts of sending hoax anthrax threats by mail. […] Keyser, 66, had already been interviewed by the FBI in January 2007 for allegedly sending a package containing a small aerosol can labeled ‘Anthrax,’ along with a compact disc, to the Sacramento News and Review newspaper, according a criminal complaint filed Thursday in federal court, the Associated Press reported.” (Providence Journal; 03Nov08; Maria Armental)

http://newsblog.projo.com/2008/11/hoax-letter-rec.html#422524

 

Pioneer Press [Minnesota] receives envelope labeled anthrax

“Saint Paul Police and the FBI are investigating another envelope containing a suspicious white powder labeled ‘anthrax’ that was mailed to the St. Paul Pioneer Press this weekend. […] The incident follows a string of anthrax scares at other newspapers across the country, including the Minneapolis Star Tribune. […] Pete Crum of the Saint Paul Police department says the department is working with the FBI, the Postal Inspector and the Minnesota Department of Health to test the powder. ‘The Saint Paul Police and fire responded to the Pioneer Press building. Initial tests showed it to be sugar. It will be sent on to the department of health for further testing,’ said Crum.” (Minnesota Public Radio; 02Nov08) http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/11/02/pioneer_press_envelope_labeled_anthrax/

 

Bail set at $25K for Calif. anthrax scare suspect

“A federal judge has set bond at $25,000 for the man suspected of mailing more than 120 hoax anthrax letters nationwide. U.S. Magistrate Kimberly Mueller said the bond for 66-year-old Marc M. Keyser must be co-signed by Keyser's sister and brother-in-law. Mueller also barred Keyser from any activities intended to draw responses to a biochemical hazard. […] ‘He appears to think he has a right to go on a mission to call attention to this issue,’ [Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin] Wagner said, referring to biohazard threats. ‘I think his motivation is to generate traffic to his Web site and sell his book.’ […] Keyser's next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 19.” (Google News; 01Nov08; Source: AP) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gOEvESecTFU0-uVQs-DC7jC19V0gD945QK7G0

 

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.

US: FDA and CBP [Customs and Border Protection] announce final rule and compliance policy guide on prior notice of imported food shipments

“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced a final rule and draft compliance policy guide (CPG) today for ‘Prior Notice of Imported Food Shipments.’ The final rule is part of the requirements of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (the Bioterrorism Act). This rule is part of FDA's efforts to protect the nation's food supply against terrorism and other food-related emergencies. The draft CPG describes FDA and CBP's strategy for enforcing the requirements of the prior notice final rule while maintaining an uninterrupted flow of food imports.”

(Fresh Plaza; 03Nov08; Source: FDA.gov)

http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=32072

 

Bioterrorism’s deadly math

“The White House in 2006 quietly directed the Department of Homeland Security to commission studies from teams of researchers on what Americans had received for the billions of dollars spent on preparing for a bioterrorist attack since 2001. Taken together, the papers—whose contents remain secret […] —constitute what officials call the first ‘net assessment’ to focus exclusively on the issue. Though many of the papers were delivered to the DHS months ago, the net assessment remains unfinished and is likely to be handed over to the next administration, officials say. Still, its thrust is that while the estimated $50 billion spent since 2001 on countering bioterrorism has left us far better prepared for a bioterrorist attack, we remain vulnerable and, in some ways, may even be losing ground. […] [However,] officials and independent analysts agree that much has been done to prepare for an attack and mitigate its consequences.” (FrontPage Magazine; 03Nov08; Judith Miller; Source: City Journal)

http://frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=EEBED91F-4894-422D-B65D-4B719B41E626

 

Thailand's [prime minister] Somchai visits Laos following bloody military, chemical weapons attacks on Hmong

“In apparent preparation for the first official visit today of Thailand’s Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat to the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (LPDR), a special joint military task force of Lao and Vietnamese troops has been engaged in heavy military attacks on Hmong civilians and dissident groups in hiding in Phou Da Phao and Phou Bia, Xieng Khouang Laos. Hundreds of Hmong and Laotian civilians have been arrested or killed in October, including credible reports of chemical weapons attacks by joint Vietnam and Lao military groups and special hunter-killer units. […] Human Rights Watch has recently issued an appeal on behalf of Hmong refugees in Thailand.” (Media-Newswire; 03Nov08; Anna Jones) http://media-newswire.com/release_1077933.html

 

Nuclear trash is piling up [U.S.]

“For years, truckloads of low-level nuclear waste from most of the U.S.

were taken to a rural South Carolina landfill. […] But a South Carolina law that took effect July 1 ended nearly all disposal of radioactive material at the landfill, leaving 36 states with no place to throw out some of the stuff. […] In June, the GAO concluded that while there has been progress, more must be done to track radioactive material to prevent it from falling into terrorists’ hands and ending up in a dirty bomb, or one that uses conventional explosives to scatter radiation. […] Only one low-level landfill, in Utah, has opened in the past 30 years. One more could open in Texas by the end of next year, but it would accept trash from only Vermont and the Lone Star State. […] The government this week did move to shore up security by requiring hospitals and labs to better secure machines used to irradiate blood. Also, dirty-bomb fears have prompted the National Research Council to urge replacing the roughly 1,300 such machines in the U.S. with less hazardous but more expensive equipment.” (The Chief Engineer; 03Nov08; Source: AP) http://www.chiefengineer.org/content/content_display.cfm/seqnumber_content/3598.htm

 

World faces growing risk of conflict: U.S. intelligence chief

“The world faces a growing risk of conflict over the next 20 to 30 years amid an unprecedented transfer of wealth and power from West to East, the US intelligence chief has said. Michael McConnell, the director of national intelligence, predicted rising demand for scarce supplies of food and fuel, strategic competition over new technologies, and the spread of weapons of mass destruction. […] ‘During the period of this assessment, out to 2025, the probability for conflict between nations and within nation-state entities will be greater,’ [McConnell] said. Conditions for ‘large casualty terrorist attacks using chemical, biological, or less likely, nuclear materials’ also will increase during that period, he said.” (Lanka Business; 31Oct08; Source: AFP)

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/print.php?nid=2067907578

 

[Indian] Army for tunnels to protect troops from nuclear [and CBW] attack

“The [Indian] Army now wants tunnels to be dug in forward areas along the unresolved borders with Pakistan and China to provide protection to its troops from NBC (nuclear, chemical, biological) warfare as well as to store critical war-fighting equipment. […] The use of tunnels would […] help in fooling enemy satellites from gauging the exact troop positions and their strength in forward areas.” (Kashmir Watch; 01Nov08; Rajat

Pandit)

http://www.kashmirwatch.com/showheadlines.php?subaction=showfull&id=1225544131&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&var0news=value0news

 

Terrorists trying to infiltrate British labs

“Dozens of suspected terrorists have tried to infiltrate Britain's top laboratories during the past year to develop weapons of mass destruction, such as biological and nuclear devices.  The security services, MI5 and MI6, have intercepted up to 100 potential terrorists posing as postgraduate students who they believe tried accessing laboratories to gain the materials and expertise needed to create chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons, the Government has confirmed.  It follows warnings from MI5 to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that al Qaeda's terror network is actively seeking to recruit scientists and university students with access to laboratories containing deadly viruses and weapons technology.” (New Zealand Herald; 04Nov08)

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10540937

 

 

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.