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For years I assumed a Bucchi mini-spraydryer was used. It has long been capable of a uniform 1 micron particle distribution. The Bucchi technical person said a charge is inevitable due to the speed out the nozzle. The mini-spraydryer, IMO, was indicated for the reason pointed out by Allan — bigger than that and you can’t control contamination. Also, as noted by William Patrick, the small amount used indicates small scale production. But I was relying on Ken Alibek as my principal authority. Richard Spertzel also. But then Ken in his BIOHAZARD 2 draft had gone with a fluidized bed dryer. Now authorities suggest a lysophilizer which Dr. Niman says would work. Personally, in addition to the Bucchi mini-spraydryer, I always voted for the MICROBIAL VAC, a US Army funded device in prototype that in 2001 could sequentially filter and concentrate up to a 1 trillion spores (can reach the purity and concentration Allan mentions). The man arrested when Ali’s townhouse was searched (the hour and minute) had a friend and colleague and supervisor who consulted on the US-Army funded project. It was used to concentrate the sample in testing for anthrax on carcasses. A prototype was in the microbiology department at Iowa State held by JD. If this speculation were true, however, it would mean that not only DARPA biochemistry info was accessed by an infiltrator, but US Army concentrating technoloogy was used. By Andrew Card’s former assistant no less. An awkward position to be in for sure. I spoke to the inventor who said it could only be used on a small scale. I spoke to the other consulting scientist and he explained he only worked on the statistics, and never had the device or virulent Ames. The Iowa State professor was very forthcoming — as were they all. If the FBI did not find the right answer, it was not for the lack of forthright people willing to help who were never even contacted. Even the fellow who actually isolated and mailed the Ames had not been interviewed before the next year or so Battle Axe contacted him in retirement. Instead, we have this mess where there is fingerpointing among people at the center of the investigation — all because the new crew never came to understand the counterintelligence analysis that applied. Director Mueller’s compartmentalization was a big mistake because connections were missed. If he had required polygraphs of his prosecutors and investigators the continued leaks in 2003 could have been avoided. The leaker’s daughter now works for Al-Timimi pro bono. He moved over from the CIA on September 29, 2001. In the case of infiltration by US-based Salafi-Jihadis, it has to be investigated with an eye straddling a “domestic” and jihadi theory. Aafia Siddiqui is an example. And having conspiracy theorists like TR around always is useful because you never know when you might need them.

August 14, 2008
The Real Bioterror Threat
http://www.gooznews.com/archives/001148.html