CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- August 18, 2006

*ImmuneRegen Announces Further Results From Anthrax Treatment Study

“ImmuneRegen BioSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of IR BioSciences Holdings, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: IRBO), today announced further results from pre-clinical tests of Viprovex(TM) for possible use to treat the effects of pulmonary anthrax infection. ImmuneRegen is collaborating with Hyperion Biotechnology Inc. to perform these tests at Hyperion's research facility located on the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM) campus in Brooks City-Base, Texas.” (Medical News Today; 08Aug06)
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
/medicalnews.php?newsid=49895


FDA, MIT to collaborate on drug safety

“The Food and Drug Administration and Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced Thursday an agreement to develop an automated system to detect unanticipated problems with prescription drugs and medical devices. The current system relies on the largely manual assessment of reports voluntarily submitted to the FDA, sometimes months or years after an event has occurred. As a result, potential problems typically are underreported, said Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the FDA's deputy commissioner for scientific and medical affairs. The [new] system would build on methods developed to identify infectious disease outbreaks, detect bioterrorism attacks and model the spread of bird flu, he said.” (San Jose Mercury News; 18Aug06; AP) http://www.mercurynews.com
/mld/mercurynews/living/health/15299189.htm


Neighbors challenge bio research lab

“Opponents of a proposed bioterrorism research laboratory at Boston University Medical Center won a victory last week when a state judge ruled that the basis used to approve the so-called Biolab was “arbitrary and capricious.” Responding to a lawsuit filed by 10 area residents who were concerned about the public health implications of the lab, Suffolk Superior Court Judge Ralph D. Gant ordered further study and consideration of alternative sites and worst-case scenarios.” (People’s Weekly World; 17Aug06; Jose Cruz)
http://www.pww.org
/article/articleview/9698/1/336


Bioterrorism Preparedness Training offered in Paris [Illinois]

“Community Hospital/Family Medical Center along with the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, Western Illinois AHEC, and SIU Telehealth Networks and Programs will stage a Bioterrorism Preparedness Training via videoconference on Aug. 25 in the medical library at PCH. The training will address the impact of a bioterrorism event on special populations — pediatrics, geriatrics, disabled, women who are pregnant and/or breastfeeding and people with compromised immune systems.”
(Tribune-Star; 16Aug06)
http://www.tribstar.com
/local/local_story_228232239.html

The Biodefense Race

“The federal government’s $28 billion crash program to defend against a bioterror attack is beginning to show up in cities across the country. The FBI headquarters, the World Bank and several other potential terrorist targets in the nation’s capital have been outfitted with new germ-killing, air-purifying filters. In dozens of other larger cities, technicians now routinely retrieve air samples to test for killer anthrax spores, smallpox virus particles or other germs.” (The Kansas City Star; 18Aug06; Greg Gordon; McClatchy Newspapers) http://www.kansascity.com
/mld/kansascity/news/15300443.htm

Post office simulates anthrax discovery

“Figures in biohazard suits scrubbed each other in a parking lot while evacuation team members guarded gates nearby. The drill Wednesday afternoon simulated the discovery of anthrax at Bloomington's [Illinois] U.S. Postal Service processing and distribution facility, 1511 E. Empire St. Despite a sign that indicated it was only a test, the postal inspectors in full-body hazardous materials suits drew stares from passing motorists and nearby residents on Fairway Drive.” (Pantagraph.com; 17Aug06; Greg Cima)
http://www.pantagraph.com
/articles/2006/08/17/news/117746.txt

Anthrax antibiotics offered to 56

“A total of 56 people have been given precautionary antibiotics after a suspected anthrax death in the Borders. Christopher "Pascal" Norris, from near Hawick [Scotland], died last month from blood poisoning which tests showed was most likely caused by the infection.
NHS Borders said the victim made artworks and musical instruments, some of which involved untreated animal hides which may have contained anthrax spores. Officials have been trying to trace people who have been in his house during the last four weeks in case they have touched the infected hides and contracted the infection.” (BBC News; 18Aug06)
http://news.bbc.co.uk
/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/south_of_scotland/5262660.stm

Canada kicks in [assistance for Russian CW demilitarization]

“Canada has pledged millions to help fund the destruction of Russia's chemical weapons arsenal, the international body charged with overseeing the process announced yesterday. The $100 million Cdn will be spent on two special weapons destruction facilities in Russia, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said in a statement. Canada joins other international donors including Britain in helping fund a new plant being built in Kizner, 1,000 km east of Moscow, where two million artillery shells and munitions loaded with 5,700 tonnes of nerve agent are to be destroyed.” (Edmonton Sun; 17Aug06; AP)
http://www.edmontonsun.com
/News/World/2006/08/17/1760075-sun.html

Death upheld for doomsday chemist

“A Japanese court on Friday upheld the death sentence of a chemist convicted of leading a doomsday group's efforts to develop nerve gas used in a 1995 attack on the Tokyo subways that killed 12 people, a court official said. The Tokyo High Court turned down the appeal filed by Masami Tsuchiya, 41, a court spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity, citing court policy. She refused to offer any other details.” (CNN.com; 18Aug06; AP)
http://www.cnn.com
/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/08/18/japan.cult.ap/

Sweden fears impact of Baltic Sea pipeline

“The Swedish government said it feared that a German-Russian project to build a gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea could damage the environment and stir up long-buried toxic materials. Russian energy giant Gazprom, the controlling partner in the bilateral consortium slated to build the 1,200-kilometer (740-mile) pipeline, reacted later in the day, saying the project was ecologically sound and could actually prove beneficial in cleaning up the sea floor. Even in seeking to reassure critics, however, a spokeswoman for the consortium quoted by Russian news agency Interfax, Irina Vasilyeva, acknowledged that the proposed route of the gas pipeline had been altered due to the presence of chemical weapons and buried munitions. (TODAYonline; 18Aug06; AFP)
http://www.todayonline.com
/articles/137271.asp

Smiths Detection Supplies Lightweight Chemical Detector To Advanced CBRN Detection Robot

“Smiths Detection, part of the global engineering business Smiths Group, has been selected by US Army's Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center to supply the Lightweight Chemical Detector (LCD) for use with a new advanced reconnaissance robot. Under the CBRN Unmanned Ground Reconnaissance Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration program, Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center will fit iRobot PackBot robots with the Smiths Detection LCD. The LCD detects a wide range of chemical warfare agents including nerve, blister, blood and choking agents.” (ChemicalOnline.com; 17Aug06; Smiths Detection) http://www.chemicalonline.com
/content/news/article.asp?docid=e6b4aa2c-2e51-
492d-8a72-f4e72268a819&atc~c=771+s=773+r=
001+l=a&VNETCOOKIE=NO

*Day Two of Nuclear Attack Drill

“Wednesday marked day two of a drill, testing our emergency response to a possible nuclear attack. Day one was about the government's response; Day two is about treating victims. Volunteers played victims hurt by a dirty bomb to prepare hospital workers for a real nuclear explosion. The Queens Medical Center is the only trauma center in the state and would deal with the greatest number of victims. So more than 800 staff members learned the drill of radiological decontamination, and other healthcare workers took notes.” (KGMB9 news; 16Aug06; Sabrina Hall)
http://kgmb9.com
/kgmb/display.cfm?storyID=8963&sid=1205

Terror and the black market

“Some sellers in the nuclear black market are amateurs trying to make a quick buck; others are far more dangerous. A serious fear is that organised crime recognises the profits and could move in to fill the vacuum. As international organised crime networks increasingly overlap and even merge with terrorist networks, this could be a route for terrorists getting hold of technology or nuclear material.” (The Australian; 19Aug06; Gordon Corera) http://www.theaustralian.news.com
.au/story/0,20867,20174119-28737,00.html