Terrorism @ MindSay

By Samantha L. Quigley

American Forces Press Service

 

July 23, 2008 - Wounded veterans have a new source to turn to when looking for housing to meet their individual challenges after the expansion of a successful pilot program in Texas. "Helping a Hero" has been working for the past year to provide adaptive homes to wounded veterans of the war on terrorism, said Meredith Iler, chairman of the organization's Wounded Hero Home Program.

 

"Our principal activity is to provide specially adapted homes for qualifying servicemembers as well as engaging the community to provide services and resources for our wounded heroes and their families," she said. "We have awarded 13 homes and have plans to award another 100 homes in the next 12 months."

 

All the houses the group provides are part of planned communities, she said. The developers donate a lot, and one of the builders in the community matches the amount of the donated land in construction costs.

 

The homes range from $200,000 to $300,000 in value, with an average of $250,000. Recipients of the homes are required to sign a contract prohibiting them from borrowing against the equity in the house for 10 years, however. That policy is non-negotiable; even if the loan were for a worthy cause like starting a business, it's too risky, Iler explained. If the business were to fail, the veteran and his or her family could lose the home.

 

"We're trying to establish stability in their lives," Iler said.

 

To that end, Helping a Hero doesn't just get veterans into homes and wish them well. The group also offers ongoing workshops to help them reintegrate into the community and works to connect them with community service organizations such as the Rotary Club.

 

These connections not only provide support and a sense of community, but also could lead to employment, Iler said.

 

Helping a Hero is a new supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad. The group's hope is that this affiliation will help spread the word to qualified veterans, Iler said.

 

"Our goal is to provide a home to every single severely wounded Hero in the next 10 years," she added.

 

Full details on how to apply for an adaptive home through Helping a Hero are available on the organization's Web site.

Vangent Awarded $23 Million Contract to Support Force Health Protection & Readiness

“Vangent, Inc., a leading global provider of information management and strategic business process outsourcing solutions, today announced that the Department of Defense (DoD) Force Health Protection & Readiness Program Office (FHP&R) has awarded the company a $23 million contract to manage and enhance FHP&R automated information systems.” (Market Watch; 21July08) http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/vangent-awarded-23-million-contract/story.aspx?guid=%7B35B81569-1FFA-40FB-8D80-30DC606F97E7%7D&dist=hppr

 

Killer Kevlar: Clothing That Shields From Germs

“Researchers in South Dakota report progress toward the first Kevlar fabrics that can kill a wide range of infectious agents, including bacteria, viruses, and the spores that cause anthrax. […]The scientists developed a special process to coat Kevlar samples with acyclic N-Halamine, a potent germ-fighting substance. They then exposed coated and uncoated fabric samples to E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida tropicalis (a fungus), MS2 virus, and Bacillus subtilis spores (to mimic anthrax).” (Science Daily; 21July08) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080721092412.htm

 

Bio Weapons Monitor System Draws Criticism

“Homeland Security experts consider Southern Nevada a high-risk target for terrorist attacks […] one of 30 major cities nationwide that actually monitor the air for biological weapons. The program is called BioWatch. BioWatch has drawn criticism since it began five years ago. Just this week, members of a Congressional subcommittee heard it characterized as a ‘parasite’ by the local public health officials tasked with running it.”

(Las Vegas Now; 21July08)

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=8701384&nav=168X

 

Completion of VX neutralization means many things to [Vermillion] Valley [Indiana]

“For more than 40 years, one of the last and deadliest remnants of the Cold War — 2.5-million pounds of VX — has been sitting quietly in carbon steel barrels in Vermillion County, part of a stockpile of chemical weapons the United States has been trying to dispose of for more than a decade.” (The Tribune-Star; 21July08; Deb Kelly) http://www.tribstar.com/local/local_story_201225101.html

 

Boone, Avondale [Colorado] to hold chem-demil meetings

“Public meetings on the next phase of the Defense Department’s effort to destroy Pueblo’s stockpile of chemical weapons will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday in Boone and Avondale.” (The Pueblo Chieftain; 21July08; John Norton) http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/07/20/news/local/doc4882d6376a7c2288377999.txt

 

RNC [Republican National Convention] has hospitals ready for anything

“Medical personnel scrambled to set up decontamination showers in an ambulance garage. Others donned head-to-toe hazardous materials protection suits. Pagers beeped madly as doctors and nurses rushed to help victims. Luckily, none of it was real. It was just the latest drill by metro hospitals in more than a year of preparation for medical calamities in advance of the Republican National Convention […]” (Star Tribune; 18Jul08; Chen May Yee) http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/conventions/25638404.html?page=1&c=y

 

Defentect Invited to Join 'Operation Golden Phoenix' Disaster Response Training Event

“Defentect™ gamma radiation detection network will be a participating technology at the Golden Phoenix real world disaster response laboratory environment in San Diego, July 21 – 24. Federal, state and local agencies will engage in a large-scale terrorism training event led by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection, the County of San Diego, the City of San Diego and U.S. Marine Corps Aircraft Group-46.” (The Earth Times; 21Jul08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/defentect-invited-to-join-operation-golden-phoenix-disaster-response-training-event,473859.shtml

 

Soviet uranium removed from Bulgaria

“The last of the highly enriched uranium stored in Bulgaria was removed from the country Thursday and transported to a secured site in Russia. […] The removal of the uranium, stored in Bulgaria since the 1970s, is part of an initiative to deter nuclear proliferation by terrorist groups and other militants whose stated goals include detonating a dirty bomb constructed with nuclear material.” (The Middle East Times; 18Jul08; United Press International)

http://www.metimes.com/Security/2008/07/18/soviet_uranium_removed_from_bulgaria/9b36/

 

Would-be Vegas hitman’s story ends in Irish jail

“Essam Ahmed Eid, a 53-year-old Egyptian man living in Vegas and dealing poker at the Bellagio, dreamed of becoming a hit man. […] After [Sharon] Collins [the alleged contractor] was arrested, police searched Eid’s cell and found he had a contact lens case with traces of Ricin inside. That evidence, on top of the e-mail, the phone calls, the testimony from Engle and the money Lying Eyes sent to Vegas, was enough for a jury to find Eid and Collins guilty. Collins was convicted of soliciting and conspiring to murder the Howards. Eid was convicted of extortion, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in Ireland, and assorted theft charges, for the office break-in.” (Las Vegas Sun; 20Jul08; Abigail Goldman) http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jul/20/would-be-vegas-hitmans-story-ends-irish-jail/

 

Another Former High-Ranking Iraqi Official Confirms WMD Went to Syria

“Ali Ibrahim al-Tikriti says he was southern regional commander for Saddam Hussein’s Fedayeen militia in the late 1980s and a personal friend of the dictator. Units under his command dealt with chemical and biological weapons.  He was known as the ‘Butcher of Basra’ due to his campaigns and defected shortly before the Gulf War in 1991. This interview aims to gain some insight into the current situation in Iraq.” (International Analyst Network; 21July08; Ryan Mauro)

http://www.analyst-network.com/article.php?art_id=2276

 

City [Johnstown, Pennsylvania] hosting physicians’ disaster-Training program 

“Eight physicians have begun Training in the four-year program, with an emphasis on disaster response and bioterrorism. [...] If approved by the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, the subspecialty will be incorporated with Memorial’s [hospital] newest residency program.”

(The Tribune-Democrat; 20July08; Randy Griffith) http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_202201422.html

 

 [National] College [Salem, North Carolina] Helps Prepare for Disaster

“National College in Salem partnered with the Near Southwest Preparedness Alliance (NSPA) [...] They sponsored a three-day planning and Training seminar by the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center that prepared medical teams for situations involving weapons of mass destruction, bioterrorism, radiation exposure and even chemical warfare.” (Red Orbit; 19July08; Jones Ryan)

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1485718/college_helps_prepare_for_disaster/

 

US military to be part of  NZ exercise

“A large United States military delegation will take part in an international security exercise in New Zealand in September. […] The exercise, which involves stopping a ship carrying materials that could be used to make weapons of mass destruction, is being organised as part of New Zealand's commitment to the Proliferation Security Initiative. The initiative was set up by the United States five years ago to get countries to cooperate on stopping illicit shipments of weapons and materials that could be used to make chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.”

(Stuff.co.nz; 21July08; The Dominion Post, Hank Schouten) http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4626131a6160.html

 

International Journalists Discuss Iranian Missile Threat

“Iran’s testing of two separate rounds of long-range ballistic missiles earlier this month has aggravated tensions between Tehran and the United States, Israel, and even the Arab states in the region. […] Iranian journalist Ali Reza Nourizadeh, who directs the Center for Arab and Iranian studies in London, agrees that Tehran has probably exaggerated the range and accuracy of its missiles. Nonetheless, they are still ‘very dangerous’ because the hundreds of kilos of explosives they carry could be ‘turned to chemical and biological warheads.’” (VOA News; 21July08; Judith

Latham)

http://www.voanews.com/english/NewsAnalysis/2008-07-21-voa25.cfm

 

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 forensic guy from the FBI [Transcript from Discussion of 2001 ‘Amerithrax Attacks’]

“Dr Bruce Budowle has been in the FBI for over 20 years, heading one of its forensic laboratories. He looks back to the mysterious and still unsolved case of the anthrax envelopes which followed 9/11 […] Dr Budowle has come to Australia's Bond University to share techniques and learn from Professor Angela van Daal's use of genetics to profile human features […]” (ABC Radio National; 17Jul08)

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/inconversation/stories/2008/2299962.htm

 

Former Western [Pennsylvanian] legislator to enter jail Aug. 1

“Former State Rep. Jeff Habay will report to jail Aug. 1 to serve concurrent sentences for conflict of interest and a bizarre fake anthrax threat. […] the state Supreme Court has denied Habay's appeal of his 2006 no-contest pleas to charges that he falsely claimed to have received a powder-filled envelope from a political opponent. Habay was sentenced to four to eight months in jail in the anthrax case.” (Philadelphia Inquirer; 17Jul08; AP) http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20080717_Former_Western_Pa__legislator_to_enter_jail_Aug__1.html

 

GAO Notes Mixed Progress on Biosurveillance

“The department has not yet identified what capabilities the National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC) should possess to be considered fully operational […] although DHS is upgrading capabilities for the new center, it will not fully train new personnel using the NBIC information technology system until April 2009 […] Current detectors require 10-34 hours to identify a biological attack from an agent such as anthrax. The new systems finally developed with the DHS Science and technology Directorate would cut that time down to 4-6 hours.” (HS Today; 17Jul08; Mickey McCarter) http://hstoday.us/content/view/4292/128/

 

Disaster planning money reduced [Washington State]

“Federal money used to help local and state public health agencies plan for disasters is being cut by $3.7 million in Washington, with cuts to Snohomish County and four other northwest Washington counties estimated at $200,000. The regional planning program for Snohomish, Island, Skagit, Whatcom and San Juan counties is losing 21 percent of the federal money […] A national push for public health agencies to plan for emergencies came in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks and panic over bioterrorism after anthrax-contaminated letters were sent through the mail. In response, local and state public health agencies received $1.1 billion in federal money to help prepare for future emergencies.” (Herald Net; 18Jul08; Sharon Salyer)

http://heraldnet.com/article/20080718/NEWS01/700231358

 

Tracking produce proves complex

“More than six weeks ago, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about a salmonella outbreak in New Mexico and Texas connected to raw tomatoes. Since then, the agency has expanded the warning nationwide and added jalapeno and serrano peppers. More than 1,100 people have fallen ill since April, but not a single contaminated tomato or pepper has been found.” (Los Angeles Times; 17July08; Annys Shin) http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-salmonella18-2008jul18,0,983085.story

 

Bomb Squad Blows Up Highly Explosive Acid Found In Walnut Hill [Florida]

“The quart size bottle of picric acid was found in a barn on a farm in the 7800 block of Highway 97, less than a half mile from  Ernest Ward Middle School. The bomb squad was called to the scene, and the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department responded about 1:45. […] Besides wartime bomb making, picric was once used diluted as an antiseptic and as a treatment for burns, malaria, herpes and smallpox. It was once also synthesized into a non-explosive insecticide called chloropicrin. Chloropicrin was also used by the Germans and British as a chemical warfare agent during World War Two.” (North Escambia; 17Jul08; William)

http://www.northescambia.com/?p=3098

 

Poisonous cylinders made safe [Dublin]

“Cylinders of a highly volatile poisonous liquid were disposed of safely in South Dublin today with the help of US environment experts. The seven containers of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) were successfully chemically neutralised without the use of any explosives. […] The cylinders had been stored at the pest control company Rentokil and were moved to the county council owned compound at Grange Castle, Co Dublin for the neutralization.” (Evening Herald; 17Jul08; Sarah Neville) http://www.herald.ie/national-news/poisonous-cylinders-made-safe-1434861.html

 

Hidden Newnes Forest storage has added to military puzzle

“Earlier this week the Lithgow Mercury published a feature based on interviews conducted by the Illawarra Mercury with ex servicemen now living in the Illawarra region who had worked on secret chemical warfare stockpiles at Marrangaroo and Glenbrook during World War Two. The chemicals included mustard gas imported from America and Britain in contravention of the Geneva Convention to be used in any last ditch defence effort should Australia be invaded. […] There was no way of knowing exactly what was in the drums in the forest but it clearly wasn’t someone’s stash of home brew.” (Lithgow Mercury; 17Jul08; Len Ashworth) http://lithgow.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/hidden-newnes-forest-storage-has-added-to-military-puzzle/813140.aspx

 

Live in Azalea Park [Orlando, Florida]? Learn about cleanup

“The Army Corps of Engineers will have a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. today [17Jul08] at the Engelwood Neighborhood Center […] The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the investigation into possible contamination left behind in the Azalea Park neighborhood from the former Orlando Army Airfield Toxic Gas and Decontamination Yard.” (Orlando Sentinel; 17Jul08; Rich McKay & Wes Smith) http://www.orlandosentinel.com/services/newspaper/printedition/thursday/orange/orl-orgovwatch17_108jul17,0,857491.story

 

Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group on Terrorism

“OPCW Director-General Rogelio Pfirter opened the meeting by recalling the recommendations of the Second Review Conference on the OPCW’s response to terrorism. He highlighted the importance of implementing Article X of the Chemical Weapons Convention (Assistance and Protection Against Chemical Weapons) and stressed the value of the OPCW’s existing cooperation with the EU. […] He said information exchange in the fight against terrorism across borders has improved, greater attention is paid to the protection of EU infrastructures, and that the European Arrest Warrant has facilitated the procedures of extradition.” (OPCW News; 15Jul08; Johan de

Wittlaan)

http://www.opcw.org/pressreleases/2008/News17_2008.html

 

Emergency responders get dirty bomb training [Carlsbad, New Mexico]

“There were bodies and belligerents all over the place Thursday afternoon in a field near the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center. […] It was all part of a ‘dirty bomb’ exercise involving the Texas National Guard Civil Support Team. Some members of New Mexico's support team were also present. […] Thursday's training session was divided into two parts. Members of the Carlsbad Fire Department were the first to arrive on scene, but they were eventually backed up by the National Guard.

Smoke poured from a burned out vehicle. Volunteers who played the parts of victims all had detailed maps and timelines for the mock scenario. Some were assigned to be victims from the get-go, while others played the parts of tourists or ‘walking worried.’” (Current Argus; 18Jul08; Kyle

Marksteiner)

http://origin.currentargus.com/ci_9922344

 

[Homeland Security Secretary Michael] Chertoff: European terrorists trying to enter US

“European terrorists are trying to enter the United States with European Union passports, and there is no guarantee officials will catch them every time, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday. […] Chertoff and other intelligence officials have delivered similar warnings before, and he offered no new information about specific threats or an imminent attack. Chertoff reiterated his concern that terrorists could sneak radiological material into the country on small boats or private aircraft.” (AP; 18Jul08; Eileen Sullivan)

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i3uIGU_Clf36waqYlsaWDls9HP2gD920562O1

 

UH [University of Hawaii] chosen to help make travel safer

“The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has tapped the University of Hawaii to be one of 11 institutions to serve for the next six years as ‘an incubator of technology’ in the area of maritime security issues, according to a visiting federal official. Retired Rear Adm. Jay Cohen, Homeland Security Department undersecretary for science and technology, told the Star-Bulletin yesterday that the UH's Center of Excellence for Maritime, Island and Port Security will be under the College of Engineering and will receive a grant ranging from $1.5 million to $2 million annually.” (Star Bulletin; 16July08; Gregg K. Kakesako) http://starbulletin.com/2008/07/16/news/story11.html

 

Advanced Life Sciences and UK Ministry of Defence announce collaboration

“Advanced Life Sciences Holdings has announced that the UK's Defence Science and technology Laboratory will evaluate the developmental compound ALS-886 as a treatment for chemically induced lung injury. […] Michael Flavin, chairman and CEO of Advanced Life Sciences, said: ‘Dstl is internationally recognized for its ability to evaluate new therapeutic countermeasures that combat chemical and biological warfare agents, and we are very excited to partner with them to develop ALS-886 for potential procurement as a medical countermeasure.” (Trading Markets; 18July08) http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1768368/

 

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.

Ugh, yesterday my allergies were really bothering me and today I can't stay out of the bathroom. I don't have much time to blog. So I'll just ask you a quick question. Do the crackheads at DHS like to scare people on purpose? Chertoff says European terrorists are trying to sneak in with dirty bombs, and there is no guarantee that DHS can stop them.

 

Here's the link to the story.

 

I really wish Ron Paul could have gotten elected so we could get rid of this useless department. Think about that the next time a bus full of these child molesters rolls through your town.

Turkey shocked by allegations in Ergenekon indictment

“The indictment against the shadowy Ergenekon group went to court Monday (July 14th), following a 13-month-long investigation. […] The indictment claims Ergenekon has tried to develop chemical and biological warfare and was behind drug trafficking in Turkey.” (Southeast European Times; 16Jul08; Ayhan Simsek)

http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2008/07/16/feature-01

 

Vietnam suspects anthrax in mass food poisoning

“Health authorities in communist Vietnam suspect the bacterial livestock disease anthrax caused an outbreak of food poisoning in the country's far north […] Hundreds of people fell ill, and at least one person died, after eating beef in a village in Meo Vac district in the mountainous Ha Giang province near the Chinese border” (France 24; 16Jul08) http://www.france24.com/en/20080716-vietnam-suspects-anthrax-mass-food-poisoning

 

Update on USAMRIID [U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command] biodefence project

 “Integrated BioTherapeutics has received a five-year NIH research grant to develop human antibody therapeutics against staphylococcal enterotoxin B, a bacterial-derived toxin from Staphylococcus aureus. The project is a continuation of a biodefense-related project initiated by USAMRIID, an organization of the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, in September 2006 using AbD Serotec's custom monoclonal antibody services IBT will use a selection of Hucal-based antibodies originally generated by AbD Serotec against staphylococcal eneterotoxin B in in vitro and in vivo experiments […]” (Laboratory Talk; 16Jul08) http://www.laboratorytalk.com/news/aib/aib117.html

Hizbullah Gears Up For War, [Israeli Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert Asks for UN Help

“Arab reports indicate that Hizbullah is preparing to arm its rockets with chemical warheads and to build extensive fortifications. Defense Minister Ehud Barak blames the Syrians […] Adding further weight to Defense Minister Barak's declaration is an article in the Kuwaiti daily Al-Siyasa, which reported Monday that Hizbullah has acquired chemicals needed to make weapons such as nerve gas or mustard gas from North Korean suppliers.” (Arutz Sheva; 14Jul08; Nissan Ratzlav-Katz & Pinchas Sanderson)

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/126842

 

Sarin that leaked Friday should have been destroyed

“The sarin nerve agent that leaked at the Blue Grass Army Depot on Friday should have been destroyed two months ago, under a plan approved in January. But the agency responsible for neutralizing the agent has not even started constructing the facility for the destruction. […] ‘Literally, we are moving as fast as we can,’ said Richard Sloan, spokesman for the depot. ‘It may look like a turtle in the middle of a race, but we are moving as fast as safety dictates.’ […] Sloan said the leak wasn't a danger to the community or the environment, and the igloo will remain under continuous filtration to ensure that vapor doesn't leak into the atmosphere.” (Lexington Herald-Leader; 15Jul08; Ashlee Clark) http://www.kentucky.com/178/story/461070.html

 

8-inch shells being moved for disposal at Umatilla

“Workers at the Umatilla Chemical Depot storage have begun moving 8-inch VX-filled artillery shells to the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility. Last month, workers at the facility finished destroying the last of more than 32,000, 155mm VX-filled artillery shells. Now, the plant machinery has been reconfigured to start work on the 8-inch diameter shells. ‘The work is moving along fairly quickly,’ said Jim Hackett, an Army public affairs officer at the depot. All of the VX stockpile should be destroyed by early 2009, barring any unforeseen delays, he said.” (Tri City Herald; 16Jul08; Mary Hopkins) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/241045.html

 

Army recycles PackBots to sniff out chemicals

“The U.S. military has been working on a new use for old PackBots that will save soldiers time and aggravation, though not replace them completely, when it comes to chemical warfare. With new Foster-Miller Talon and 510 PackBot models being introduced, the old PackBot models will be rotated out of use in combat. […] The new/old PackBot, called a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Unmanned Ground Vehicle or CUGV for short, will be ready for field use this fall, according to the U.S. Army. It's been fitted with a lightweight chemical detector to sense nerve gas, among other things.” (C Net News; 15Jul08; Candace Lombardi) http://news.cnet.com/8301-17912_3-9991461-72.html

 

FADC [Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee]: Hand out gas masks immediately

“Israeli civilians are unprepared for nonconventional attacks, warned prominent members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Tuesday afternoon, blasting the defense establishment for ignoring calls to fix the situation. […] Committee chairman MK Tzahi Hanegbi (Kadima) and MK Yuval Steinitz (Likud), chairman of the Subcomittee for Readiness, held a press conference during which they called on the government to begin immediate distribution of gas masks to the public. […] Hanegbi was more cautious, arguing that the risk of chemical attack was low, but adding that ‘even unlikely scenarios could occur, and thus we must urgently act to hand out the masks.’” (The Jerusalem Post; 15Jul08; Rebecca Anna Stoil) http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1215330981793&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

 

JR in terrorist attack exercise

“More than 200 staff from Oxfordshire emergency crews took part in a terrorist training exercise yesterday in which nerve gas was released on a coach on the M40. Although those taking part were not dealing with a real-life incident, managers said lessons were learned from the largest exercise of its kind to take place at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital. Emergency crews worked alongside staff at the hospital in Exercise Orpheus II, which was overseen by the Government's Health Protection Agency.”

(Oxford Mail; 16Jul08; Andrew French)

http://www.oxfordmail.net/news/headlines/display.var.2399494.0.jr_in_terrorist_attack_exercise.php

 

Government: [Government Accountability Office] Report says it's taking too long to secure radioactive material

“The government is taking too long to secure radioactive materials across the country that could get into terrorists' hands, according to a government report. […] Experts believe such an attack would be contained to a small area but could have significant psychological impact and have serious economic consequences because of cleanup problems. […] In a probe last year that set up a bogus company, investigators said they were able to obtain a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that allowed them to buy enough radioactive material for a small dirty bomb.” (Chicago Tribune; 15Jul08; Eileen Sullivan) http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-ap-dirty-bomb-materials,0,1174417.story

 

ICx Technologies Wins $2.5 Million Contract for identiFINDER Radiation Detectors for the 2008 Beijing Olympics

“a developer of advanced sensor technologies for homeland security, force protection and commercial applications, announced today that it has won $2.5 million in contracts to supply identiFINDERs to the Government of China […] IdentiFINDERs are handheld, radioisotope identification devices (RIID). Every identiFINDER is able to rapidly locate, accurately measure and precisely identify sources or contaminations from gamma and neutron radiation. The units are able to differentiate between dangerous radioactive materials, medical and naturally occurring radioisotopes, such as bananas.” (Trading Markets; 15Jul08; Vicki Contavespi) http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1759052/

 

Homeland Security Office fighting to keep nukes out [of the U.S.]

“The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on domestic defenses against nuclear attacks. Chairman Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) said that nuclear detection architecture, the responsibility of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), is of great importance because it prevents nuclear terrorism before it can happen. […] Charles Gallaway, deputy director of the DNDO, said the measured three-step approach applied to three layers (threats overseas, at the border, and within the country), helped the U.S. become safer from nuclear attacks now than it was three years ago.” (Talk Radio News Service; 16Jul08) http://talkradionews.com/2008/07/homeland-security-office-fighting-to-keep-nukes-out/

 

Report says terrorists can smuggle nuclear materials into U.S.

“Three years and $5 billion later, federal authorities have failed to effectively block terrorists from smuggling nuclear materials into the United States, according to a report by congressional investigators. David Maurer, an acting director at the Government Accountability Office, is scheduled to testify today before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that the three-year-old Domestic Nuclear Detection Office lacks an ‘over-arching strategic plan’ to prevent nuclear material from being smuggled into the country. […] ‘If a terrorist or rogue state somehow gains possession of a nuclear device and intends to use it against the United States, we are in big trouble,’ [Bob] Nesbit [a member of the Defense Science Board] said in prepared testimony given to the committee.” (The News-Times; 16Jul08; Peter Urban) http://www.newstimes.com/ci_9893850?source=most_emailed

 

Scientists to confer on global catastrophic risks

 “A group of scientists from around the world will hold a first of its kind conference Thursday on global catastrophic risks, according to media report Wednesday. They will discuss what should be done to prevent these risks from becoming realities that could lead to the end of human life on Earth as we know it.” (China Daily; 16Jul08) http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2008-07/16/content_6851931.htm

 

MPs [Members of Parliament] inquiry into UK's non-proliferation strategy

“The Foreign Affairs Committee announced Tuesday it was launching an inquiry into the British govt's non proliferation strategy. […] The Committee will consider the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. It will also consider the role of ballistic missiles.”

 (Mathaba; 16Jul08)

http://mathaba.net/news/?x=598649

 

Parliament to get N-shield soon

“Highly placed sources have revealed that the joint parliamentary committee on security has recommended protection from nuclear and biological weapons for Parliament House. […] A state-of-the-art air filtration equipment — which can counter chemicals unleashed in a nuclear, biological or a chemical weapons attack — will be installed.”(The Economic Times; 15Jul08) http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/PoliticsNation/Parliament_to_get_N-shield_soon/articleshow/3235416.cms

 

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.