CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- September 20, 2006

Guardian Shield Exercise Helps International Partners Cooperate

“Guardian Shield, held Sept. 13-15, was a DTRA-sponsored and U.S. Army Europe [USAREUR]-led exercise that provided a forum to evaluate the consequence-management resources of U.S. military units in Europe, said Bill Liles, joint planning group exercise planner with USAREUR plans and operations. The table-top exercise involved an ‘anthrax attack’ in the Benelux, a union of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The mock attack gave USAREUR leaders a better understanding of the Benelux’s host-nation capabilities and where support would be needed if a terrorist attack or major catastrophe were to occur.” (The Military Family Network, 20Sep06, Aimee Millham)
http://www.emilitary.org
/article.php?aid=8056

Smallpox vaccine protection may last a few decades

“Most patients are fully protected against smallpox for a few decades after primary smallpox vaccination and protection [sic] against severe disease for up to 50 years, according to a new report. ‘Median duration of protection against the disease would be more or less 20-30 years,’ Dr. Martin Eichner from University of Tuebingen, Germany told Reuters Health. ‘In other words, the present population may not be protected against infection unless recently vaccinated. However, some fraction of previously vaccinated individuals may still be protected against the severe forms of the disease.’” (Reuters, 19Sep06, Will Boggs)
http://today.reuters.com
/news/articlenews.aspx?
type=healthNews&story
ID=2006-09-19T15400
7Z_01_COL956366_R
TRUKOC_0_US-SMAL
LPOX-VACCINE.xml&a
rchived=False

Saddam Hussein’s lawyers walk out of trial to protest judge change

“Saddam Hussein's lawyers walked out of his trial Wednesday to protest the replacement of the chief judge, who had been accused of favoring the defense. The deposed leader also protested and was ordered to leave the courtroom.” (Leesville Daily Leader; 20Sep06; Sameer N. Yacoub and Jamal Halaby, AP)
http://www.leesvilledailyleader.com
/articles/2006/09/20/breaking_
news/news3.txt

Iraqi government fires judge in Saddam Hussein trial

“The Iraqi government Tuesday fired the chief judge in Saddam Hussein's genocide trial, prompting accusations of political interference in the highly sensitive trial and raising renewed questions over the fairness of the effort to bring Iraq's former dictator to justice. Government spokesman Ali Dabbagh said the decision to remove judge Abdullah al-Amiri was taken at a cabinet meeting as a result of the judge's comment in court last week that he did not regard Hussein as a dictator. The cabinet, known as the Council of Ministers, then issued an order to the U.S.-created Iraqi Special Tribunal trying Hussein to replace him, Dabbagh said.” (Duluth News Tribune; 19Sep06; Liz Sly, Chicago Tribune)
http://www.duluthsuperior.com
/mld/duluthsuperior/news/world
/15558112.htm

Witness bares attack scar in Saddam trial

“A former Kurdish guerrilla fighter removed his shirt in a marbled Baghdad courtroom today to show what he said were scars caused by a chemical attack ordered by Saddam Hussein in the 1980s. Iskandar Mahmoud Abdul-Rahman told Saddam’s trial for genocide against ethnic Kurds how he and other comrades from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan were gassed after fleeing to a village in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region. ‘I began vomiting and I was dizzy, my eyes burnt and I couldn’t stand,’ said Abdul-Rahman, a bespectacled and clean-shaven man wearing a grey suit. ‘I regained consciousness after 10 days and saw my body had been burnt completely. The doctors were giving me injections and medication including eye drops frequently. They cut the burnt skin with scissors. I can show the court my scars that are still visible on my body,’ he said. After the judged agreed, the witness took off his blue shirt, showing several scars on his back, roughly 20cm long.” (Business Day, 19Sep06, Reuters)
http://www.businessday.co.za
/articles/world.aspx?ID=BD4A274626

U.S. Government Selects Biothera Compounds for National Radiation
Countermeasure Evaluation

“The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the National Institutes of Health, has selected two Biothera drug candidates for research in a new program designed to identify and facilitate the development of radiation and nuclear medical countermeasures. The NIAID's Radiation/Nuclear Countermeasures Product Development Program is evaluating compounds to treat and protect the general U.S. population against acute radiation exposure resulting from a nuclear terrorist attack or accident. The program's objective is to bring candidates through the entire drug development process culminating in an FDA-approved drug for consideration for the national radiation countermeasure stockpile.” (PR Newswire, 18Sep06)
http://sev.prnewswire.com/
health-care-hospitals/2006
0918/CGM02818092006-1.html

United States, Russia Sign New Plutonium Liability Protocol

“The United States and Russia have signed a protocol that will allow liability issues to be resolved for an important nuclear nonproliferation program, the State Department and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced September 15. NNSA's Elimination of Weapons-Grade Plutonium Production Program is designed to convert excess weapons-grade plutonium into forms that cannot be used for weapons by terrorists or others.~ According to a statement by State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, the protocol ‘is a key step to enable cooperation between the two countries.’ The total amount of plutonium envisaged for conversion under this program -- 68 metric tons (about 150,000 pounds) -- is equal to the amount used in more than 16,000 nuclear weapons.” (U.S. Department of State, 19Sep06)
http://usinfo.state.gov
/xarchives/display.html
?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=
September&x=2006091816160
5adynned0.7199976

Homes development workers in ricin alert

“A controversial housing development in the North Nottinghamshire area is at the centre of a 'white powder' alert which has led to workers at a building firm targeted with death threats and suspicious packages. The news emerged after Barratt Homes offices across the country received threatening letter last week containing a suspicious powder –– although tests later revealed the substance was harmless. Reports have suggested the letters featured the message 'death to all Barratt employees' and claimed the powder was the deadly poison ricin.” (MansfieldToday.co.uk, 20Sep06)
http://www.mansfieldtoday.co.uk
/ViewArticle2.aspx?Section
ID=722&ArticleID=1713083

Terror-detecting fish patrol water

“New York City's drinking water supply is being guarded around-the-clock against toxic and biological weapons by an unlikely band of sentinels - the hardy bluegill fish. The bluegills, which measure about 3-inches long, are New York's aqua cops, silently flapping their gills in containment tanks in the reservoir system as remote-controlled sensors monitor their heartbeat and breathing for irregularities. ‘We are measuring stress,’ said Bill Lawler, co-founder of Intelligent Automation Corp. of San Diego, which is operating the system for the city's Department of Environmental Protection. ‘The idea is to have happy, stress-free fish. Once we have minute toxins in the water, the fish will react.’ Lawler said the fish can detect if there are pesticides, petroleum or heavy metal particles in the water. He said the fish would alert officials if there was a biological or chemical weapon in the water, but he declined to give any details.” (New York Daily News, 19Sep06, Austin Fenner)
http://www.nydailynews.com
/front/story/453862p-381834c.html

Scam closes courthouse

“An anthrax scare caused the evacuation of the courthouse in Nevada City [California] Tuesday afternoon and the temporary quarantine of 29 county and courthouse employees. A powdery substance came from an envelope opened by a clerk at about 2:15 p.m., which raised the alarm, according to Sean Metroka, court executive officer. There was a letter inside the envelope along with the substance that stated, ‘Danger ... anthrax ... seek medical attention,’ Sean Metroka, court executive officer said, adding it also contained statements regarding the government, taxes and the court system. The substance was sent to Sacramento for analysis. Late Tuesday night, Metroka reported the FBI lab said it was ‘reasonably sure it was talcum powder.’” (The Union of Grass Valley, 20Sep06, Josh Singer)
http://www.theunion.com/
article/20060920/NEWS/109200133

Israel focuses on possible WMD threat from Iran: report

“Faced with an alleged unclear threat from Iran, Israeli military establishment has been concentrating on dealing with a possible confrontation with non- conventional weapons of mass destruction (WMD), Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday. According to an exclusive report of the newspaper, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command has shifted its focus since the Lebanon war ended and is now investing most of its efforts in confronting the threat of WMD. A high-ranking IDF officer revealed to the Post that Israel's Home Front Command (HFC) is now developing new technological means to deal with chemical and biological threats, including mobile air- purification containers that can be brought to areas infected by chemical or biological weapons and purify the air. HFC's focus was shifted partially because the defense establishment believed that following the war in Lebanon, Israel was facing a major threat from ballistic missiles.” (People’s Daily Online, 19Sep06, Xinhua)
http://english.people.com
.cn/200609/19/eng20060919_304252.html

Nuclear terror ‘the ultimate nightmare’

“Humanity's ultimate nightmare is terrorists with weapons of mass destruction, says [Australian] Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. Foreshadowing an address he'll give to the United Nations general assembly in New York this week, Mr Downer said today he'll touch on a number of vital issues. ‘The first is that we are very concerned about the issues of terrorism and there needs to be a much more united effort by the international community to confront terrorists,’ Mr Downer said to ABC radio. ‘Obviously the ultimate and enduring nightmare for humanity is that terrorists would get hold of chemical weapons or even worse.’ Mr Downer said the worst case scenario would be terrorists with nuclear weapons.” (Melbourne Herald Sun, 20Sep06)
http://www.news.com.au
/heraldsun/story/0,21985
,20444644-5005961,00.html

President Ahmadinejad Delivers Remarks to the U.N. General Assembly

“A brief glance at a few examples of the most pressing global issues[:]…the unbridled expansion of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Some powers proudly announce their production of second and third generations of nuclear weapons. What do they need these weapons for? Is the development and stockpiling of these deadly weapons designed to promote peace and democracy or are these weapons, in fact, instruments of coercion and threat against other peoples and governments? How long should the people of the world live with the nightmare of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons? What bounds [sic] the powers producing and possessing these weapons? How can they be held accountable before the international community? And are the inhabitants of these countries content with the waste of their wealth and their resources on the production of such destructive arsenals?” (Washington Post, 20Sep06, CQ Transcripts Wire)
http://www.washingtonpost.com
/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/
09/20/AR2006092000807.htm
l?nav=rss_world